19/11/08

• Price46,255
• We like...Engine, dash
• We don't...Steering, headroom in rear

Subtle changes give this four-year-old coupe design fresh life. But do they justify its £46,000 price tag?Do you enjoy playing spot the difference? For Mercedes fans, the new CLS is a real poser. Look at the car here and check it against the original, launched four years back. For those pressed for time, it comes down to reshaped bumpers, larger door mirrors and minor changes to the dash to incorporate a new stereo and sat-nav.

The big, banana-shaped coupe didn’t need much of a revamp to be honest, because it still looks fresh and modern. About 4000 buyers in the UK have plumped for one each year, a small figure in the context of sales for the E-class saloon, which is the car it is based upon. But that’s enough for Mercedes-Benz, because it is a model with those buyers to itself – there’s no obvious rival, although Volkswagen has just pitched in with a 4dr coupe version of its Passat saloon. It’s a different class of car, but VW’s is arguably prettier than the CLS and costs only half as much.

Despite its length and girth – it’s 2.0 metres across and almost 5.0 metres bumper-to-bumper – there are only four seats aboard, and that sloping roof makes head room in the back tight. And while the rear bench could be wide enough to take three averagely sized bottoms, a big lidded box between the chairs keeps the space strictly for two. The boot, at least, is big and well shaped to take suitcases, while the rear seats split and fold to make from for luggage when needed.

Up front there’s more than enough room even for huge people. You sit low for a saloon, behind a terrifically handsome walnut burr-covered dash. It looks great, but makes you notice all the more how plain and ordinary the steering wheel and some of the minor switchgear look.

The CLS’s V6 turbodiesel kicks out 224bhp, enough to speed you from rest to 62mph in 7.0sec. Unless you can it, it’s steady and quiet and will slip through its seven auto gears imperceptibly. Meanwhile, go easy and it’ll promise up to 37.2mpg overall while pumping out 215g/km of carbon dioxide.

So it’s quick and will travel rapidly in pretty much any direction you wish. But don’t expect too much finesse. Keep the throttle pressure light and it remains a secure, serene cruiser. But tramp on the gas and it’ll show its rougher side, flicking its traction control light in protest as those big rear tyres squirm for grip.

Despite its big alloy wheels and skinny-walled tyres, it rides as cushily as you’d want any Mercedes to and it corners flatly, even if you pitch it into a bend fast. But precise but numb-feeling steering soon dispels any ideas you might hold for this car as a quick point-to-point hustler. Ease back and enjoy its soothing ride and plush comfort and you’ll get on with it much better.

Is £46,255 strong for this car? We think it is, when you can buy any number of capable, classy five-seaters for less that drive as well and pack as much car-park cred. But if you like its looks – and many do – they may be enough to sway you.

If you're so moved, a trawl through the listings on motors.co.uk may gladden your heart – second-hand ones are going at mouth-watering prices.

• Engines3.0 V6 diesel
• Power224bhp
• 0-60 mph
• Economy37.2mpg
• CO2g/km215
• Insurance groups
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats4

Motors.co.uk value verdict: