First Drive: 2009 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4MATIC

[Merc1]

Coupe de Gravel: Tackle trails in regal style

Okay, admittedly the graceful coupe pictured here is not aimed at plutocratic off-roaders, but the engineers on hand at its launch proudly recalled an instance while mountain testing when they encountered a team of fellow development engineers shaking down a proper off-roader. Upon hiking the AIRMATIC suspenders up to tippy-toe mode, their graceful and gorgeous coupe managed to tackle a trail that impressed the truckers.

Motor Trend


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[merve_extreme]

This is one of the best looking luxo coupes out there.Superb.

 

[ree]

This is one of the best looking luxo coupes out there.Superb.

Absolutely - with AMG package, it is definitely the best looking Coupé!! But sadly, not really affordable.

 

[VroomVroom]

^Agreed that is one seriously hot luxury coupe look good in maybe white or black

 

[Deleted member 182]

This is one of the best looking luxo coupes out there.Superb.

And it just got better! 4-matic would be my choice.

 

[Tarek]

Wow didn't know that the CL is already available with 4MATIC,imagine the CL65 with 4 MATIC

 

[Centurion]

Wow didn't know that the CL is already available with 4MATIC,imagine the CL65 with 4 MATIC

That one needs AWD badly to better distribute all the torque.

Stunning colour and rim combo

 

[Will]

didn't like it when it was first introduced, but its got the sportiness of the old model combined with the sheer luxury of this model.. Wow

I love it in black with the AMG Package, dream car right there

 

[Tarek]

That one needs AWD badly to better distribute all the torque.

I hope for that one,it'll walk all over the CGT speed,it's already faster than the 4WD CGT and with 4MATIC it'll smoke it big time!

 

[tennmb]

Oh thank you benevolent and wise Mercedes-Benz. Thank you for getting the CL550 4-matic to the USA. A car we need like a hole in the head. A car that will have trunk money within the first year, and do a tremendous job collecting dust at showrooms across America. A car that loses the benefit of Active Body Control because it won't jive technically with AWD. A car that appears to fill no niche.

Thank you Mercedes for inundating us with another useless super low volume car that eats floor plan, and does nothing to advance the brand.

And don't worry about getting us something that would actually stir up buyers like a C-class diesel.

Take the CL550 4-matic and shove it where the sun don't shine.

 

[ree]

Oh thank you benevolent and wise Mercedes-Benz. Thank you for getting the CL550 4-matic to the USA. A car we need like a hole in the head. A car that will have trunk money within the first year, and do a tremendous job collecting dust at showrooms across America. A car that loses the benefit of Active Body Control because it won't jive technically with AWD. A car that appears to fill no niche.

Thank you Mercedes for inundating us with another useless super low volume car that eats floor plan, and does nothing to advance the brand.

And don't worry about getting us something that would actually stir up buyers like a C-class diesel.

Take the CL550 4-matic and shove it where the sun don't shine.

I can really feel the enthusiastic here!! I think, this car will get a lot of purchaser and the "concept" behind this car will work!

 

[coolraoul]

It may not be the strongest seller of the line-up, and honestly i don't really get the point of it. But AWD are quite trendy those times...

But it won't eat space at the dealership: you don't have every single model with every single motor, trim and colour at your dealership, do you? Unless it's a reaally big dealership you're working in, of course...

 

[Centurion]

Oh thank you benevolent and wise Mercedes-Benz. Thank you for getting the CL550 4-matic to the USA. A car we need like a hole in the head. A car that will have trunk money within the first year, and do a tremendous job collecting dust at showrooms across America. A car that loses the benefit of Active Body Control because it won't jive technically with AWD. A car that appears to fill no niche.

Thank you Mercedes for inundating us with another useless super low volume car that eats floor plan, and does nothing to advance the brand.

And don't worry about getting us something that would actually stir up buyers like a C-class diesel.

Take the CL550 4-matic and shove it where the sun don't shine.

The CL550 4-matic was create solely to deter people with AWD needs from buying a Bentley CGT.

 

[tennmb]

Just venting guys. Do you know how much money it takes to even get a car certified for sale in the US?

If that many buyers are buying the Bentley over the AWD issue, I would be surprised. May experience in dealing directly with high line buyers for the last ten years tells me different.

I don't know how many people are buying Bentley CGTs in the US, but I can bet you the majority are not considering AWD as one of their top 5 buying motives.

 

[Tarek]

The CL550 4-matic was create solely to deter people with AWD needs from buying a Bentley CGT.

...then they should offer AWD for the CL65,it's the true rival to CGT

 

[Centurion]

Just venting guys. Do you know how much money it takes to even get a car certified for sale in the US?

If that many buyers are buying the Bentley over the AWD issue, I would be surprised. May experience in dealing directly with high line buyers for the last ten years tells me different.

I don't know how many people are buying Bentley CGTs in the US, but I can bet you the majority are not considering AWD as one of their top 5 buying motives.

True, very few buy the car primarily because of it's AWD capabilities but there is a small percentage of people that do, the same applies to the Audi A8. With Mercedes standing tall as the king of luxury they certainly don't want to be losing customers to Audi and Bentley because of a feature like AWD.

 

[RBP]

snow is a reason to get AWD.

It's still too big for my taste....but it is a nice car.

 

[JRB11784]

The CL 4-Matic WILL sell well in North America. If I remember, many people that could afford such a car thought AWD was important and worth the extra money, especially those in the northeast and Canada (due to the harsh winters). This was shown to be true by some focus groups, surveys, etc... (not sure if they were conducted by MB or some outside consulting firm(s) - maybe both?)

 

[siko]

[...]This helped trim the price sufficiently to make 4Matic standard on all CL550 models[...]

Does this mean that there will no longer be a RWD option?

If so, that sucks.

 

[MBZFAN]

Not all "all wheel drive" vehicles are created equal and one should first differentiate between the "usual" awd players, i.e,. every 4wd truck on the planet and high powered cars with enhanced traction capability. In short, Snow vs Non-Snow awd. Living in the Northeast US I can appreciate the occasional need for an all wheel drive vehicle during inclement weather, but I more see the 4-matic CL being a better all-around handling vehicle in more normal driving conditions than snow. Some cars are better left home in bad weather and the CL is one of them (IMO).

What concerns me more about the CL 4matic is the addition of Airmatic and omission of ABC. If you have never driven an ABC equipped Mercedes, you have never availed yourself of what is probably one of the finest options ever offered by Stuttgart. The computer controlled hydraulic suspension system so changes the driving dynamics of the CL (& optional S) that the driving experience is changed forever, as it makes a 4600lb luxo barge feel like a Porsche. I just can't imagine the CL without ABC.