New 2007 BMW 328i $From $499/mo 1-888-277-8333 Nationwide Delivery

BASE MSRP: $35,300

6-SPEED STEPTRONIC AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION -inc: normal, sport & manual shift modes
METALLIC PAINT
PREMIUM PKG -inc: Dakota leather seat trim, universal garage door opener, auto-dimming exterior mirrors w/2-position memory, auto-dimming rearview mirror w/compass, pwr front seats w/4-way pwr lumbar, 2-position driver seat memory,
BMW Assist w/4-year subscription, Bluetooth interface
SPORT PKG -inc: 18" x 8.0" front cross spoke alloy wheels, 18" x 8.5" rear cross spoke alloy wheels (style 197), P225/40R18 front run-flat performance tires, P255/35R18 rear run-flat performance tires, sport seats, increased top speed limiter
COMFORT ACCESS
BMW ASSIST -inc: auto collision notification, Assist & SOS buttons, Bluetooth interface, roadside assistance, TeleService, stolen vehicle recovery, concierge & customer services
SATELLITE RADIO
PWR FRONT SEATS -inc: 2-position driver seat memory, 2-position exterior mirror memory
DVD-BASED NAVIGATION SYSTEM -inc: 16:9 screen format, voice command system, real time traffic info, iDrive system w/high-function on-board computer, controller w/force feedback
LOGIC7 SOUND SYSTEM

TOTAL OPTIONS:$10,395
DESTINATION CHARGE:$775
TOTAL MSRP: $46,470

2007 BMW 328i Coupe
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New For 2007
The 2007 BMW 3 Series coupe is available in three versions: 328i, 328xi, and 335i. Variables among the models include engines, transmissions, drivetrain and standard and optional equipment. The 328i and 335i are rear-wheel drive; the 328xi is all-wheel drive. The 328i ($35,300) and the 328xi ($37,100) are propelled by a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that pumps out 230 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. They offer a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The 335i ($40,600) also has a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, but two small turbochargers and special fuel injectors boost the engine's output to 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. That power flows to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The 335i adds matte 18-inch wheels (vs. 17s on the 328i and 328xi), larger brake discs front and rear, chrome exhaust tips, eight-way power front seats with memory on the driver's side and a 13-speaker Logic 7 audio system. Safety features that come standard on all 2007 3 Series coupes include frontal, side-impact and side-curtain airbags; dynamic stability control with several advanced braking technologies including one that helps remove water from the brakes in rainy weather, run-flat tires with a tire-pressure monitoring system. The 328xi features BMW's xDrive system for improved stability in adverse conditions. Standard equipment on all 3 Series coupes includes leatherette upholstery, automatic climate control, xenon headlamps, fog lamps, heated windshield washer nozzles, door handles with ground lighting, adaptive brake lights that alert trailing drivers to harder braking by the BMW driver, a start/stop button rather than a traditional turn-key ignition, power mirrors and windows and locks with remote locking, tilt and telescoping steering column with audio controls on the steering wheel, power front seats, a choice for four interior trims (two shades of walnut, gray poplar or brushed aluminum), a power moonroof, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system, front and rear cup holders, fold-down rear seatbacks and a four-year/50,000-mile warranty with free maintenance (including oil changes and wiper blades) and roadside assistance. The rear-wheel-drive 328i and 335i come with Sport suspension much like that which was optional on the previous generation of the 3 Series coupe. Options include automatic transmission ($1,275), active steering ($1,250), Comfort Access ($500) that allows entry (unlocking) and exit (locking) with the key in your pocket or purse, heated front seats ($500), rear park distance control ($350), active cruise control ($2,200), satellite navigation ($2,100), Sirius satellite radio ($595), leather upholstery ($1,450). The Sport package ($1,000) includes sport seats with adjustable side bolsters, 18-inch alloy wheels with performance tires. The Premium package ($3,150) includes leather upholstery, digital compass in the interior mirror, universal garage door transceiver, power folding exterior mirrors, auto-dimming for all three mirrors, memory seats and four years of BMW assist safety plan that automatically notifies emergency services in a collision as well as providing concierge, traffic, weather and other information; it costs less on the 335i. The cold weather package ($750) includes heated front seats, headlamp washers and a ski bag; it costs less on the 328xi.

Walkaround

BMW's design brief for the 2007 3 Series coupe was to give it an elegant yet athletic look that would clearly differentiate it from the four-door sedan introduced a year earlier. While the two vehicles share their 108.7-inch wheelbases, they share no sheetmetal. The coupe is longer and lower and not as wide. By using standard Xenon headlamps, its front light fixtures are smaller, and are nicely set off above the deep front fascia with its wide array of air inlets to feed the powerful twin-turbocharged engine. The hood is long and includes a subtle power dome to indicate that there is substantial horsepower underneath. The hood line, which actually starts down in the front apron, leads up and back toward a roofline that is long and smooth and inches lower than that on the sedan (but don't worry, there's plenty of headroom even in the back seat). The sides of the car feature BMW's flame surface treatment, a design that accentuates the way the light is reflected to make the car look like it's accelerating even when it's sitting still. Even the new rear view mirrors were designed to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. Short front and rear overhangs add to the aggressive profile. One purpose of the design was to lead the observer's eyes toward the rear wheels and quarter panels as a way to visually express that this is a sporty car propelled by its rear wheels. Seen from the rear, the new 3 Series coupe looks wide and low, with prominent tail lamps above dual exhaust tips that provide a visual clue that the car ahead has a powerful engine. While sleek and elegant, the coupe's new body also is strong and lightweight. Compared to the sedan, the coupe is 22 pounds lighter even though it carries more standard equipment. The use of composite materials for things such as the front fenders helps keep the car light and the use of high-strength steel helps keep it strong and rigid, some 25 percent more rigid than the previous generation.

Interior Features

Like the car's exterior, the interior of the 2007 BMW 3 Series coupe is elegant while also being sporty, and roomy. BMW gives 3 Series coupe customers many trim choices, including beige, saddle brown, black, gray and red upholstery and burl walnut, brown or gray poplar or brushed aluminum trim. While the interior has design cues similar to the 3 Series sedans, there are many subtle changes, such as additional tick marks on the gauges. The cockpit will look and feel familiar to BMW 3 Series owners, though they'll appreciate the new ambient lighting system at night and the way their shoulder belts are presented to them by arms that emerge from little doors built into the rear side interior trim panels. It used to be that the driver and front-seat passenger had to reach way back to find their shoulder belts, but now they simply sit down and close the doors and the belts come to them. Particularly impressive is the care given to the rear seating area. For one thing, the rear seat is designed for two people and thus provides them with good space, and even a lot of leg and head as well as shoulder room. They have ventilation controls they can manipulate and lots of storage areas and a wide armrest with cup holders. It's almost like sitting in a small limousine. There are even buttons on the outside edge of the front seats, in the shoulder area, so someone sitting in the back seat can reach up and power the front seat forward to ease exit from the rear of the car. If you need to carry cargo rather than people, the rear seatback is split and each side folds forward to expand the trunk from its standard 11.1 cubic feet of capacity. The trunk lid features compound hinges, not gooseneck hinges that can crush your luggage.

Driving Impressions

The 2007 BMW 3 Series coupe represents the newest and fifth generation of a vehicle that traces back nearly four decades to the BMW 2002, one of BMW's most famous cars and which many consider to be the original European sports sedan (in this case, sedan means four- or five-passenger car with a fixed metallic roof, as opposed to a two-seat roadster or convertible). The new 335i is the first BMW in some 25 years to have a turbocharged engine. BMW was committed to increasing on the 255 horsepower provided by the inline six-cylinder engine used in the previous 3 Series coupe. One way would have been to switch to a V8, but BMW opted to another solution, one that would combine the power of a V8 with the fuel economy of the inline-6. That solution was to develop an engine that incorporated two small turbochargers, fan-like devices that boost the air pressure within the engine to enhance the fuel combustion cycle, therefore getting more power without increasing the number of cylinders. Another drawback BMW saw with the V8 was that it would be heavier, and would add weight to the car's nose, which does not help the sort of dynamic handling qualities on which BMW has built its reputation. The key to the twin turbo engine's performance isn't just its forced induction system, but also the engineers use of special and so-called piezo fuel injectors. By precise control of the air/fuel mixture and its placement within the cylinder, BMW is able to optimize the engine's performance not just in power output but also in fuel economy and in a reduction of as much as 20 percent in harmful exhaust emissions. Even while delivering 300 horsepower, the twin turbo engine is rated at 19 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway with the manual transmission and at 20/29 mpg with the automatic. To put those figures in context, the 230-hp engine in the new 328i, which does not have the special injectors, is rated at 20/30 in fuel economy. Turbocharged engines often have what is known as turbo lag, a period of hesitation between the time the driver tips into the throttle and the time the turbocharger spools up to boost the power. To the driver, it feels as though nothing is happening, and then suddenly the engine explodes into action. But by using two smaller turbos, and by keeping them turning even at slow speeds, BMW was able to fine tune the system to eliminate lag. Instead, power is provided in a smooth and linear delivery as the needles on the tachometer and speedometer sweep their arcs across their respective dials. By spooling the turbos earlier, maximum torque is achieved at just 1400 rpm and holds steady all the way to 5000, just about the point at which horsepower is reaching its peak. Thus this six-cylinder engine has torque delivery much like that of a V8. While we enjoy shifting gears, the engine is strong enough that on our drive on wonderful winding roads through the hill country between San Francisco and Bodega Bay in northern California, we could be content to simply pick third or fourth, depending on the speed we wanted to travel, and enjoy the scenery while the engine's broad power band kept the car's momentum flowing. After driving a 335i with a manual transmission in the morning, we switched after lunch to a 335i with the automatic transmission, one equipped with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Again, we found the car very responsive even when we let the transmission shift on its own. For those who like paddle shifting, BMW notes that it had cut the transmission's response time to the paddles in half to enhance the driver's sense of control. To make sure power is used most efficiently, BMW uses different transmissions for different 3 Series coupes. The 328i has either a Getrag I manual or GM-sourced automatic. The 328xi gets a Getrag H manual or the GM automatic. The 335i has either a ZF Type G manual or a ZF high-performance 19 TU automatic. Some might worry that equipping the 335i with Sport suspension as standard equipment would make the ride too harsh. It does not. Instead, with aluminum suspension arms and other changes, the Sport setup not only reduces unsprung weight, thus making the car more responsive to steering inputs, but with such a solid chassis, the suspension can be fine tuned to provide both the dynamic ride that enthusiast drivers like without sacrificing the smooth ride qualities that pleases their passengers. The Sport suspension may be jolted by potholes, but it responds immediately and maintains control rather than seesawing up and down. Turn-in with the 335i is quick and sure, even with the standard steering gear. BMW's active steering system is available as an option and is designed to help the driver's control by providing a variable steering ratio that makes low-speed maneuvers easier but that also enhances on-center steering control at Interstate or even autobahn speeds. Also helping the driver maintain control is the inclusion of dynamic stability control as standard equipment. This computerized technology works with the anti-lock braking system to apply individual brakes to help keep the car on the driver's intended path. BMW's newest version of this technology also does such things as keeping the brakes drier in wet weather, thus shortening stopping distances. The 335i also has very large brakes: 13.7-inch discs on the front wheels and 13.2-inch discs at the rear. BMW is known for its marvelous brakes, and to help keep its cars from being rear-ended in emergency stops, the German automaker equips cars such as the 3 Series coupes with adaptive two-stage tail lights to signal those behind of hard and fast stops. BMW says the 335i accelerates to 60 miles per hour in just 5.3 seconds. Even the 328s are quick, with the rear-wheel drive version hitting 60 in 6.2 seconds and the 328xi getting there in just 6.8 seconds.

New 2007 Mercedes Benz CL600 $1,895/mo Nationwide Delivery 1-888-861-8080

BASE MSRP:
$144,200
Black Paint
Black Exclusive Leather
iPod Inegration Kit
Burl Walnut Wood Trim
Gaz Guzzler Tax - $2,600

TOTAL OPTIONS:
$3,025
DESTINATION CHARGE:
$775
TOTAL MSRP:
$148,000


2007 Mercedes Benz CL600
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All Colors-Options Nationwide Delivery

Everyone knows Mercedes-Benz occupies one of the high rungs on the prestige ladder. It takes a long list of words to describe the characteristics that make the broad range of cars and SUVs from Stuttgart so desirable: they're luxurious and expensive, to be sure. But they're also known for handsome, modern design; superlative engineering; bank-vault solidity; precise build quality; an abundance of safety and security features; sportiness and European flair. Most of these traits come together in the all-new 2007 Mercedes CL coupe. The CL is the seventh generation of a line of range-topping coupes dating back to the 1952 300S that have appeared sporadically through the years. Like those cars, the CL is a smaller, sportier version of Mercedes' big sedan line, in this case, today's S-Class. This time it follows the previous CL without interruption and its mission remains the same: high-performance and maximum luxury in high-style package. This is a car in which style purposely trumps practicality. Pounding the point home is its hardtop design; there is no central B-pillar holding up the roof aft of the doors to break up the sleek lines of the body. With the windows down, the look is sexy and the view out is panoramic, recalling cars of the Fifties and Sixties when hardtops were in vogue. Securing the right exterior proportions meant making the CL significantly shorter than the S-Class. This results in a close-coupled, intimate interior, the kind historically associated with coupes from time immemorial. We'd call the rear passenger area cramped, though similar models from BMW and Bentley actually have even less rear legroom. The CL is for being seen in. If you want practicality in a Mercedes, buy a different model. The CL is also a car that's wonderful to be in, at least in the front seats. Its interior is sumptuous and inviting, dressed in the finest materials and tailored to perfection. Burled walnut, supple leather, brushed aluminum and designer-quality knobs and switches are everywhere you look and touch. The standard equipment list bulges with luxury items no one actually needs but almost anyone would love, from a Harman/Kardon 600-watt, 11-speaker audio system to soft ambient mood lighting. Through the Mercedes COMAND central computer interface offers many dozens of settings for seats, climate and sound system, lighting, GPS and much more can be customized to your personal preferences. Like its predecessors, the CL manages to be sporty without being a true sports car. It comes in two versions: powerful or insanely powerful, with a choice of either a 382-hp V8 or a 510-hp V12. Its road manners are sophisticated, hushed and luxurious rather than aggressively aimed at carving up twisty roads. It offers a breathtaking array of safety technology as standard: nine airbags; dynamic stability control; traction control ABS anti-lock brakes; automatic brake drying; seatbelt pre-tensioners, and automatic window closers, to name a few items. The CL is ultra-luxurious, sexy, technologically advanced and very stylish with excellent all-around driving capabilities. With its occasional rear seating for two, it's roomier than a sports car but smaller than a sedan. We think the CL will be extremely appealing to a relative few drivers who fall in love with it and can afford the luxury of stylish lines over day-to-day practicality.
Model Lineup The Mercedes-Benz CL600 ($99,900) comes with a 382-horsepower 5.5-liter V8. The CL600 is powered by a 510-hp twin turbocharged V12. Standard CL equipment is comprehensive. The seats, doors and instrument panel are all leather covered; burled walnut wood trim is used liberally. The front seats are 14-way adjustable and heated, and have a three-setting memory capability that also sets the electrically telescoping-and-tilting steering wheel and side mirrors. The standard audio system is a Harman/Kardon Logic7 5.1 Digital unit with 11 speakers and a 6CD in-dash changer (with memory card slot). Sirius satellite radio is standard. There's a power sunroof overhead and a power rear-window sunblind in the rear parcel shelf. Doors have power assist closing mechanisms, and the trunk is electrically powered. The Mercedes COMAND system, a centralized computer interface with a dash-mounted flat panel screen, is standard. It enables access to many of the car's accessories including GPS navigation, phone, climate controls and other customizable features (exterior courtesy lights, seat settings and voice command setup). Bi-Xenon headlights are standard, as is Parktronic, a distance sensing parking aid. All CLs are equipped with ABC active suspension; it utilizes electro hydraulic cylinders to control body roll and some damping functions. The Premium I package ($1950) includes heated and ventilated front seats and a keyless entry system. Premium II ($5650) adds multi-adjustable front seats fitted with pneumatic chambers that adjust cushion firmness and lumbar support. Also part of the package are a night vision system with an in-dash screen, and a rear backup camera. An AMG body kit ($5650) adds special aerodynamic pieces and larger 19-inch wheels (18-inch wheels are standard). Other options include Distronic Plus distance monitoring cruise control ($2850); a heated steering wheel ($450); 19-inch multi-spoke wheels ($1200); special chrome 18-inch wheels ($1000); and an iPod integration kit ($425). All options packages are already standard on the CL600 ($144,200). It's only available extras are the iPod kit ($425) and 19-inch multi-spoke wheels ($1200). Safety features on all CLs include a pair of two-stage front air bags, a driver's side knee air bag; two front side airbags; two rear side airbags; and side head-curtain airbags for front and rear passengers. There are seatbelt pre-tensioners for the front passengers' belts. Windows close automatically in a crash, and a sunroof closing feature activates in rollovers. Also standard: ABS with electronic brake-force distribution and automatic wet-weather drying, dynamic stability control, traction control, and Distronic cruise control. Optional safety equipment includes Distronic Plus distance sensing cruise control. Walkaround There are high expectations for cars in the CL's rarefied league, which consists of a very few automobiles including the BMW 6 Series and Bentley Continental GT. Ultra-luxury coupes are a statement of style and panache, capability and quality, and they ought to look as expensive as they are. Mercedes has been making range topping coupes off and on for many years (this is the ninth generation since the 1950s) and it knows the game. The CL's styling does not disappoint. From nose to tail, the CL is something out of the ordinary. Seen from the front, it's instantly identifiable as a Mercedes from its three-slat grille, long a staple of Benz sport models and SUVs. The famous three pointed star emblem is front and center and as large as dinner plate, just to be sure you don't mistake the CL for any other brand. As if you could. At 199.4, this is a large car and its size gives it presence. The front end stretches wide and sweeps back into a pair of prominent flared front wheel openings, a design element derived from the S-Class sedans this car shares its underpinnings with. The width makes it look solidly planted and substantial. There's surprisingly little chrome up front. The CL could use a bit more twinkle to announce its arrival. But it's still a knockout first impression. Projector beam headlights add the final bit of modernity to the nose. It's the sweep of the roof that makes the CL's compelling style statement. The top arcs dramatically over the side glass and down into the C-pillar without the interruption of a B-pillar, the central support post most cars have between front and rear side windows. The roofline is sleek. And this is a true hardtop; you can drop the large side windows down for a panoramic view and an open-air feeling. Handsomely wrought chrome trim framing the large side-window opening emphasizes both its shape and the absence of the second pillar. In profile, the CL is gorgeous and sporty. Even as it drives away, the CL keeps your attention. The rear window's horseshoe-like shape is especially intriguing, and not seen anywhere else in the automotive kingdom. Below the backlight (rear windscreen) the tail tapers gracefully into a pair of large taillights and a taut trunk lid wearing a subtle built-in rear spoiler at its top edge. No, standard sedans don't look like this, and that's just the point. Outside of the model nomenclature on the deck lid, both CL models are essentially identical from the outside. Interior Features Pulling open the door is the moment of truth in an ultra-luxury coupe. Buyers in this class are expecting sumptuousness, high-end materials and sophisticated design that convey the promise of being coddled. Everyone who looked inside our CL600 test car uttered an involuntary "wow." It's beautifully designed, richly appointed and finished with a fanatical attention to detail. And the sheer number of luxury features is almost overwhelming, another sign that the big sticker price delivers something extraordinary. Ensconced in the driver's seat, you immediately register the raked back windshield and low roofline pressing down from above, creating a narrow viewing port ahead. The CL is just 2.2 inches lower than an S-Class but it feels much lower than that. The surroundings are a Sybarite's delight. There's almost nowhere your hand falls that you're not touching either glove-soft leather, burled walnut, brushed aluminum or chrome. The instrument panel cover is stitched in leather, as are the door panels and seats, buckets front and rear. The steering wheel is wood with leather grips at the nine and three o'clock positions. It houses buttons in front for the phone and COMAND system, and switches behind the top spokes for manually shifting the seven-speed automatic. The exterior's curvilinear theme is repeated in the interior. The center console curves gently into the center stack, and the interior front door panels arc outward subtly at the elbow area, the shape accented by delicate chrome accent strips. The door armrests are an artful combination of burled walnut stacked with leather covered padding. At night, soft ambient light glows from tiny hidden light strips in the doors' upper sections and across the middle of the dash. The only plastic pieces of note are the speaker covers in the lower front corner of the doors, where you hardly notice them. The walnut trimmed center stack contains a thin row of easy-to-operate brushed aluminum climate control switches, a hidden compartment for the CD changer and a pair of vents flanking a square analog clock that looks like it could double as Patek Phillipe wristwatch. Living in this car is every bit as satisfying as looking at it. The center console is home to a push and turn mouse-type knob that is the main interface to the COMAND system and it's thin film transistor (TFT) display. The screen is housed in a hooded binnacle to the right of the driver's gauges, which too are TFT technology. For cars equipped with the optional night vision system, the large speedometer in front of the driver transitions to a second viewing screen whenever the system is activated. Several other buttons arrayed around the mouse control the suspension's sport and comfort modes (linked to the transmission shift program), the sound system and the multi-function seats' firmness and adjustment. Between the steering wheel buttons and mouse, you're afforded several paths of access to the multiple layers of the CL's navigation, seating, climate control and sound systems. You can set your preferences for everything from radio stations to auxiliary lighting. You can program the voice control to recognize your particular intonations. You can input GPS travel information and requests. And you can access, activate or cancel dozens of other systems, including radar distance sensing, daytime running lamps, tire pressure monitoring, miles-to-next-vehicle display, and much, much more. At times we wished it were easier to access some of the systems through COMAND; it took several steps where one touch of a conventional button would have worked more directly. But owners of similar systems in Mercedes and other luxury cars say that after an initial acclimation period, using the system becomes less cumbersome. And realistically, for a vehicle with this many features a centralized computer interface is the only way to accommodate them. At least you'll never want for aural entertainment. The Harman/Kardon system's performance through its seven speakers is purely angelic. And the GPS works about as well as any we've encountered, with an easy to read rolling map and good graphics. The CL's front seat comfort is beyond reproach. The front cabin offers all legroom, width and headroom anyone but an NBA forward could need. The power front seats are wonderful; the width and pocketing of the cushions provide just the right amount of support to the back and under the thighs, and with the full range of adjustments available almost anyone can get comfortable. Even the length of the front seat lower cushions is adjustable for just the right amount of under-leg support. Our car was equipped with the optional active ventilated seats, which contain several small fans to circulate cool or warmed air through the perforated leather seat covering. Pneumatic bladders built into the seats can be programmed to adjust the firmness of upper and lower side bolsters, back rest, shoulder area and lumbar support firmness and location. The seats also offer a massage feature, and it's quite nice, actually. We preferred the fast and vigorous setting; imagine a soft rolling pin making its way from your lumbar region to upper back. The programming is controlled through the COMAND interface using clearly marked pictograms. These seats also could be programmed to automatically inflate upper and lower bolsters automatically when the car turned a corner to provide the driver and passenger with extra lateral support. In that mode we found them abrupt, at times taking us by surprise, and too aggressive. We left that feature de-activated, and opted for more massage. The CL interior's only real negative is rear seat room. There isn't much. Though the rear buckets are as handsome and almost as comfortable as the front (they lack any adjustability), this is a not a place to spend much time. With a wheelbase 8.2 inches less than the commodious S-Class sedan, rear legroom is in the small-car range. Plant a six-foot driver behind the wheel and a six-foot rear-seat passenger's knees are jammed against the front seatbacks. Kids and anyone less than 5-feet, 6-inches will fit well enough. And most people will be able to handle the tight rear quarters for local trips to the mall. But this is not the car to take on a cross-country jaunt with four average sized adults. Oddly, that lack of interior room may be one of the CL's biggest luxury statements: it's a large car that can afford to ignore the everyday requirement of passenger-carrying practicality. Need more space? Take another car. This is apparently okay in this class: the Bentley Continental GT and BMW 6 Series have even less rear legroom. Cargo room is just the opposite. The trunk is deep, commodious and finished in a handsome gray carpet. Under the trunk floor is a shallow but still useful cargo tray, and under that a full-sized spare. Liftover height is about average, and the electric powered opening-and-closing feature is always appreciated.
Driving ImpressionsBig European ultra-luxury coupes have historically been a mix of style and an old world promise of performance. The sporty body lines say "fast." The Mercedes-Benz CL600 we tested is a swift and smooth ride to be sure, but we'd stop short of calling it a sports sedan. It's simply too large, too soft and too luxurious. But it is rewarding to drive for just those reasons. You start the CL with a touch of a big aluminum button to the right of the steering column. We still wonder why being able to keep the key in your pocket makes this a better solution. Then drop it into gear with a new column-mounted electronic shift lever similar to the ones BMW is now using. Purists may feel it's an odd and un-sporty throwback to have a shifter moved off of the center console and on to the steering column, but it works well and frees up space. The 5.5-liter all-aluminum 32-valve V8 is velvety smooth and nearly silent, until you prod it. With 382 hp on tap it rushes the car to speed with a muted, purposeful growl. (Mercedes quotes zero-to-60 mph in 5.4 seconds.) The seven-speed automatic gearbox shifts imperceptibly in town, smoothly at full throttle and never gets caught in the wrong gear in traffic. Quiet, smooth, sophisticated – this is the way the powertrain in a high-end luxury automobile should behave. Having a gasoline-fired engine this powerful pulling a 4360-pound vehicle does create a gas mileage penalty, two actually. The first is real-world fuel economy: the EPA mileage rating is 15/22 City/Highway. And that figure triggers the Federal Gas Guzzler Tax at purchase, $1300 in this case. If there's one word that describes the CL road experience, it's "silken." On smooth surfaces it feels as if it's riding on glass. Some vibration or road harshness must be penetrating the hushed cabin, but it just doesn't feel like it. The sportier BMW 6 Series coupes register bumps harder and reveal surface imperfections far more acutely. In the Benz, the smaller road irregularities get glossed over. Over larger bumps the ride is less supple than you might expect, almost firm, but not enough to inspire the driver to attack the curves. The steering has a ball-of-silk feel, less sharp than the BMW and more relaxed in its responses. Though the steering effort rises with road speed, the feeling remains comfortable, smooth and luxuriously isolated rather than sports-car sharp. This is a car that wends its way down a winding road with grace and stability; the active suspension keeps it cornering quite flat. But the CL doesn't communicate the sense of the road in the way that great sports sedans do. It never gives you the urge to get aggressive like a BMW 3 Series would. On the highway, the CL's German DNA is fully in evidence. It has a commanding, solid feel and is dead stable even at extra legal speed. It's in these upper speed ranges that you notice that wind noise has hardly increased at all. This is autobahn breeding at work. Using the optional Distronic Plus distance sensing cruise control is an eerie and fascinating experience. The radar-based distance monitoring system automatically slows the CL, using the brakes if necessary, as you close the gap on the car in front. That distance can be set between a hundred and several hundred feet. When the system detects the lane ahead is clear again, it accelerates back to your pre-set speed. All the driver needs do is steer, an odd sensation to say the least. The system works beautifully in light Interstate traffic and reasonably well in moderately heavier intra-urban highway traffic, though it sometimes annoyed us by slowing sooner for a car up ahead than an average driver would in most circumstances.There's more to Distronic than active cruise control. The system is now tied into a comprehensive in-car safety network. Distronic will sound an alarm if the driver is gaining too fast on the car ahead, meanwhile priming the Brake Assist Plus system to apply full emergency braking as soon as the driver presses on the brake pedal, no matter how lightly it's applied. If the driver doesn't respond to the distance alarm, the system will apply up to 40 percent of total braking capacity automatically to slow the car down. Meanwhile, if a frontal crash is imminent, the Pre-Safe Brake system takes action: it tightens the front seat belts milliseconds before impact; moves the front passenger seat to its safest position, rams the side windows closed to add support for the side-curtain airbags (and to keep occupants arms inside the vehicle), initiates partial braking to slow the vehicle and will even close the sunroof in a rollover. We found that in normal driving, the CL's brakes were confident, effortless and luxuriously insulated. The brake pedal action is progressive and direct. Front brakes are ventilated and cross-drilled rotors clamped by hefty four-piston calipers; the rear brakes utilize single piston calipers. You won't find a smoother set of brakes anywhere. In hard braking the system feels powerful and was free of any fade. Decelerations from even high speed were calm, quiet and drama-free, with not a whit of vibration or noise transferred through the brake pedal or into the cabin. Again, thank the requirements of German autobahn driving. We found using the COMAND system while underway distracting, but we didn't have much practice. It is complicated enough that it will take an owner a period of time to absorb the combination of button-pushing and knob-twirling-and-tapping that best accesses and adjusts the CL's many features. Exploring the system while on the road divides the driver's concentration. In our weeklong test session, we found it best to slow down, pull over into the right lane and stay out of the way while fiddling with the system. We figure at least a month would be required for an owner to fully master COMAND, maybe more. Virtually all of what we reported on the CL600 and its multitudinous systems is true of the CL600, which includes virtually all of them as standard. While we didn't sample a CL600 for this test, we have driven enough twin-turbocharged V12 Mercedes to know that the major difference will be increased power and even greater, whisper-smooth engine smoothness. The CL600 delivers 510 hp and, even more important, 612 pound-feet of torque, an astounding 56 percent increase over the CL600. The V12 Mercedes we have driven in the recent past are so smooth and quiet in stop-and-go traffic they feel almost like silent-running electric vehicles. Yet awe-inspiring acceleration is just a push of the pedal away; Mercedes quotes a zero-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds, smack in the middle of the range for Corvettes, Porsches and Ferraris. There's so much low-end power on tap that the tires would spin wildly if not for the traction and stability control systems working overtime. Highway acceleration feels like a DVD on fast-forward. We don't know why anyone would actually need this much power in a CL, but it is amazing to experience it.
SummaryThe Mercedes-Benz CL coupe is a melding of sensuous design and cosseting luxury that few other vehicles in the world can match. But its strength is its weakness: The sacrifices necessary to achieve uncompromised design create a major deficit in passenger-carrying capability. Two doors and tight rear-seat confines mean that buyers should think twice before committing to this beautiful cruiser; they could soon feel buyer's remorse at spending this much money on a car with limited day-to-day usefulness. The rest is pure wonderfulness, from the CL's svelte driving dynamics to its near endless list of luxury and safety equipment. This is a car for people who are smitten by its special nature and not intimidated by its obvious drawbacks. We simply suggest taking a good hard look before you leap.