MOTORS
Prices start from a snip under £50,000 for a CLS250CDi and rise, both through AMG Sport trim and larger engines, to the dizzy heights of £83,000 for the 6.3V8 AMG model.
There’s really no need to opt for anything more than the base model which, with a 2.1 four cylinder diesel engine, will still sprint to 60mph in 7.8 seconds, reach 146mph at full tilt and still return 53.3mpg combined, or 60mpg on the motorway. In short, there’s plenty of power without going further up the range.
As an executive car, even our base CLS came well appointed with 18” alloys, seven speed automatic gearbox, air suspension, power tailgate, windows & front seats, climate control, cruise control, wood and leather, sat nav, Bluetooth, and DAB radio with iPod integration.
The interior is tastefully
finished and well-appointed with a lovely leather dash.
The cherry wood boot is nice too, but as it’s a £4,000
extra and given that it’s less practical than carpet, it’s one optional extra we’ll live without!
proof with exceptional ergonomics and lots of kit. Still, there’s something about a three-pointed star that gives a car a touch of class, and nothing but nothing has more class than the firm’s Shooting Brake CLS.
M
Mercedes Benz CLS250CDi
Price: £49,360.
Engine: 2.1V4 16v diesel. Performance: 0-60mph
7.8secs, top speed 146mph. Fuel economy: 53.3 combined.
Equipment: Leather, electric seats, windows, mirrors. climate control, cruise control, Bluetooth.
The term is now somewhat dated, but Shooting Brake traditionally referred to a pre-war car made to carry rich shooting parties - space and luxury were crucial.
Over the years, less costly estate cars, Land Rovers and pick-ups rendered the shooting brake redundant, save for a few motoring oddities like the Ferrari FF.
The firm’s E-Class may offer a larger boot and wider tailgate, but look at the CLS... it’s beautiful from any angle with a gracefully curved rear
Still, Mercedes has resurrected the term and remained faithful to the remit of creating a posh estate. They’ve grafted it onto their CLS model which itself is somewhat of a motoring anomaly; an executive saloon that pretends to be a coupé, and visa versa.
It’s true that the company offers a comparably sized estate in the form of its E-Class model, which is also considerably cheaper and has a more practical boot.
What you can’t deny, though, is that the CLS Shooting Brake is drop-dead gorgeous from any angle and has a beautifully appointed interior.
ercedes Benz cars are beautiful. It’s true that BMW rivals generally have the edge on ride and handling. It’s also true that Audis have build quality nothing short of bullet
A £3,000 Luxury package provides higher quality leather upholstery and leather covered dash plus a choice of more contemporary colourways. Dig a little deeper and you’ll enjoy heated seats, adaptive cruise, air conditioned seats with massagers and a TV tuner. One option we’re happy to live without is the wood-lined boot. It looks lovely, but it should, given that it’s a £4,000 extra.
We’d avoid the bling AMG models too, with their aggressive body kits and firm ride, opting instead for a few optional extras such as the firm’s adaptive cruise control and a wider colour palette for the car’s interior.
The Shooting Brake’s ride is pliable in base trim, if a little firm on AMG models, with larger wheels and sport-tuned suspension. Ride quality is acceptable, but quieter on well-maintained motorways rather than the county’s bumpy back-roads.
For load-carrying ability, the svelte lines of the CLS is not as conducive as the more conservative E-Class, and a BMW 5-Series with V6 diesel in MSport trim will provide a sharper drive for the same money.
Nonetheless, for driver appeal, class and beautiful looks, the CLS is stylish and luxurious as well as being brilliantly built.
The car’s only achilles heel is the cost of all the special extras that transform the CLS from a less-practical estate into a true Shooting Brake from days gone by.
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