Mercedes CLS 250 CDI long term review, final report

Using it as a daily driver, I learnt to appreciate this engine’s nice swell of torque that kicks in at low revs and is ideal for wafting along with the flow of traffic. It’s just that the power delivery is more measured than manic and the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission isn’t the most responsive either. To get the most out of the gearbox, it’s best to work the paddle shifters, which is what I did on my customary drive to Mahabaleshwar.  I find this 250km run the best way to get acquainted with any car.

My worries about low ground clearance were put to rest during my speed-breaker test on SH92, the Khopoli to Pali ‘highway’ en route to Mahabaleshwar.  This stretch of road has ten badly designed speed humps coming at you in annoyingly quick succession near the Adlabs Imagica theme park. Looks like someone put them there to prepare you for the jolts and shocks of some of the rides at the park. No doubt, I had to crawl over each one them and I braced myself for the sickening crunch of the underbody grounding, but surprisingly that didn’t happen. What I did have to be careful about was the low and long front overhang. The CLS’ shallow angle of approach made the chin vulnerable when descending steep driveways.

Pushing down on the nicely sprung throttle pedal hard for quick overtaking manoeuvres on the largely single-lane NH17 revealed the harsh side of the engine. There’s adequate punch and nice kick in the mid-range to make the job easy, but the four-cylinder motor becomes loud at high revs. Engine refinement is not what you expect from a car that’s priced between the E-class and S-class.

Ride and handling too, is a bit of a mixed bag. The squat stance and firm suspension allied to a well-weighted steering made the blast up the 40km Ambenali ghat to Mahabaleshwar a delight, but it was easy to use up the suspension’s limited travel which was prone to crashing through even the mildest of potholes if you weren’t careful. In fact, the overall ride quality, a hallmark in other big Mercs, was disappointing, and it’s only on smooth roads that the CLS gave you a degree of ride comfort to befit its status.

And status is what the CLS gives you by the bucketload. After this six-month-long stint, I realised that it was not the way the CLS drove but the way it made you feel, that left a lasting impression.