Mercedes CLE review

The Mercedes CLE Coupé is the motoring equivalent of a "middle-of-the-market plane" (that's a passenger jet designed to replace single-aisle jets and wide-body models in one go).

Why? Well, Mercedes has designed the CLE to fill the gap in its line-up left by the discontinuation of two models: the C-Class Coupé and its bigger stablemate, the E-Class Coupé.

In other words, the CLE is intended to give owners of the smaller car something more practical to upgrade to, while fans of the larger coupé can switch to a model that's still indulgent but is a bit sharper to drive.

The CLE's engine range aims to offer something for everyone too. The 443bhp Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 leads the way for outright performance, followed by more modest petrols and diesels – including a plug-in hybrid. You can also get a soft-top CLE, which we rate in our Mercedes CLE Cabriolet review.

So is the Mercedes CLE Coupé a worthy replacement for its two predecessors or will you be better off with a rival two-door coupé? In other words, is the CLE as classy and practical as the Audi A5 Coupé or as great to drive as the BMW 4 Series Coupé? Read on to find out…

There are five petrol engines and one diesel to choose from for the Mercedes CLE Coupé, all with an automatic gearbox and either mild-hybrid or – in the case of the C300e – plug-in hybrid tech.

For the most punch, you'll want the high-performance Mercedes-AMG CLE 53, which has a 3.0-litre engine producing 443bhp and can officially hit 62mph in 4.2 seconds.

An optional Pro Performance Package adds launch control, cutting the 0-62mph time to four seconds. That’s half a second quicker than a BMW M440i Coupé but the option pack pushes the price of the 53 closer to the significantly more powerful BMW M4 Coupé.

The AMG CLE 53 has four-wheel drive to help maximise traction, and you can adjust how it behaves with the electronic stability control (ESC). In Normal mode, it delivers power in a neutral manner, but tapping the ESC icon switches to Sport handling mode and sends a larger proportion of power to the rear wheels to help push you out of corners.

The Pro Performance Package goes one step further by including a Drift mode, which diverts all the engine’s power to the rear wheels for more playful handling. That’s something you can’t do in an M440i. The CLE 53’s exhaust generates a subtle crackle for a bit more theatre, while a digitised engine note is piped into the interior. However, neither is loud enough to be antisocial.

We’ve also driven the CLE 300 – a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol with 4MATIC four-wheel drive. It sounds slightly agricultural at idle, but once you’re on the move it has a more agreeable timbre that better suits its punchy performance. With 255bhp on tap, 0-62mph officially takes 6.2 seconds, which is more than a second quicker than the BMW 420i Coupé.

A 48-volt electric motor assists the engine and helps provide assured acceleration when you ask for a burst of power. That, combined with the slick-shifting nine-speed automatic gearbox, makes the CLE 300 an effortless car to cover ground in.

Other engine options include the CLE 200 petrol (with 201bhp) and the 220d diesel (with 194bhp). Both use 2.0-litre, four-cylinder motors to get from 0-62mph in around 7.5 seconds, but they have rear-wheel drive. Near the top of the range is the CLE 450 – a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder petrol with four-wheel drive, which brings even smoother, more effortless progress.

Unique to the coupé car class is the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) CLE 300e, which combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a 25.4kWh battery. Officially it can run on electricity alone for up to 69 miles. While the real-world range will be shorter, that's competitive for a PHEV and will help keep BIK tax down if you get a 300e as a company car.

In terms of handling, the CLE feels more tautly controlled and agile than the E-Class Coupé did, helped by its standard-fit adaptive dampers, but it’s still a comfort-first car. That’s to say it feels stable and precise during cornering, with medium-weight steering and good body control. As you up your pace, it will pitch and roll more than a BMW 420i due to its softer suspension.

The CLE can adopt and maintain a fairly brisk pace easily through twists and turns, and keep its occupants comfortable while doing so. Plus, the ride quality is a step above the rivals. The suspension soaks up abrasions well, although really sharp potholes can cause a bit of jarring.

The AMG version, the CLE 53, comes with firmer suspension to improve body control in exchange for a little less ride comfort.

You can adjust the firmness and it still cushions bumps comfortably in its softest Comfort setting. The firmest Sport+ setting can occasionally make it feel a little more brittle, but it remains calm and settled at most speeds. There’s a hint of initial body lean but the car stays upright after that.

Overall, despite being equipped with an aggressive bodykit and four-wheel steering to improve manoeuvrability, the 53 remains more like a BMW M440i rival than a BMW M4. It’s not the last word in thrills, but it’s more engaging to drive than a regular CLE thanks to meatier steering and a more positive feeling brake pedal. The brake-pedal response in the standard version could be sharper, but it’s easy enough to stop smoothly.

In terms of refinement, the CLE is a hushed cruising companion when you want it to be, with minimal wind and engine noise at motorway speeds. The car’s big wheels and low-profile tyres generate a mild amount of noise on some surfaces, but not enough to be aggravating.

You sit a little higher up in the Mercedes CLE Coupé than in a BMW 4 Series Coupé so you feel as though you’re driving something more comfort than driver-focused – which you are.

It feels like an old-school Mercedes, with a wide and comfy driver’s seat that comes as standard with electric adjustment and variable lumbar support (both cost extra on the 4 Series). The Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 performance car comes with sports seats that have extra side bolstering to hold you more tightly when cornering. However, you can have racier items that seat you lower to the floor if you add the Pro Performance package.

As with most two-door coupés, forward and side visibility are reasonable but parking can be a challenge as the wide rear pillars obstruct your over-the-shoulder view. Mercifully, front and rear parking sensors are standard, as is a rear-view camera. On AMG Line Premium trim and above, the camera is upgraded to a 360-degree unit.

In terms of interior design, the CLE’s dashboard is closely based on that of the Mercedes C-Class with chromed and high-gloss highlights that give it lots of ritzy appeal. Combined with adjustable ambient lighting it’s an attractive interior.

Complaints? Well, at eye level the interior is covered with soft-touch materials but it doesn’t take long to find cheaper feeling plastics lower down. Meanwhile, the chrome highlights are plastic rather than metal. That said, it feels pretty well screwed together, although it can't quite match the Audi A5 Coupé or the 4 Series.

Mercedes' digital interior technology is impressive. The head-up display fitted on AMG Line Premium Plus trim and above is huge, easy to read and even offers a few layouts. There’s also the third generation of the brand’s MBUX touchscreen infotainment system (also used in the Mercedes E-Class).

It offers faster responses than earlier Mercedes touchscreens and has a redesigned home screen with enlarged icons that are far easier to touch when the car is moving at speed. In addition, it has a greater number of Android-based apps built in, so you can access the likes of TikTok and Zoom directly from the touchscreen.

However, it’s worth noting that touchscreens are, generally speaking, more distracting to use while driving than a system with physical controls. For that reason, we prefer the iDrive system in the BMW 4 Series, which can be controlled using a rotary controller between the front seats.

In the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53, you can adjust the drive modes on the touchscreen, which can be fiddly as you swipe through all the numerous settings available. Thankfully, the sports steering wheel has two rotary controls that do the same job.

No one buys a two-door coupé like the Mercedes CLE for its practicality, but the chances are you occasionally need four seats and a boot – otherwise, you’d probably be looking at sports cars.

The CLE is roomy in the front, where you’re unlikely to have any issues with head or leg room. Storage space is decent, thanks to a big glovebox and a useful cubby under the centre armrest. There’s also a multitude of USB-C ports and wireless phone-charging.

Getting into the back seats involves squeezing through quite a narrow gap, but that’s true of any car lacking rear doors. Once you’re in, you’ll find there's a touch more head and leg room than you get in an Audi A5 Coupé or BMW 4 Series, although six-footers won’t want to spend too much time back there.

Boot space is comparable with the A5 and 4 Series, meaning there's enough space for golf clubs or a small pushchair, and you can fold down the rear seats when you need to carry longer loads. The boot aperture itself is quite small though, making it tricky to load in wider objects.

The Mercedes CLE commands a slight price premium over its main rivals – the Audi A5 Coupé and the BMW 4 Series – regardless of how you pay. However, it's fairly well equipped as standard, which makes the price gap a bit more palatable.

It’s also worth noting that while the CLE 200 and CLE 200d engines are available in entry-level AMG Line trim, you have to upgrade to AMG Line Premium if you want one of the more powerful engines. As a result, a six-cylinder BMW M440i xDrive starts at a lower price on a PCP finance deal than a four-cylinder CLE 300 4Matic.

If you’re keen on heading straight for the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 version, the cheapest AMG Premium trim costs significantly more than an M440i. Although it’s still much cheaper than a BMW M4 you can easily match it by going for the top-spec Night Edition Premium Plus version and adding the optional Dynamic Plus Package. You can check for the lowest prices using our New Car Deals pages. 

The CLE 53 is less economical on fuel than an M440i, but the other mild-hybrid petrol versions are more frugal than an equivalent BMW 4 Series. Unlike the 4 Series, the CLE is available with a diesel or petrol plug-in hybrid (PHEV) engine. The PHEV will take about three hours to charge up using a home wallbox charger.

Entry-level AMG Line trim does come with plenty of goodies, including 18in alloy wheels, keyless entry and go, ambient lighting, leather upholstery and wood trim.

Stepping up to AMG Line Premium introduces 19in alloy wheels, matrix headlights, a panoramic sliding roof and a 360-degree parking camera.

AMG Line Premium Plus brings 20in wheels, a head-up display and a Burmester 3D surround-sound system.

The range-topping Premier Edition is very similarly equipped to AMG Line Premium Plus, but you get sportier details such as 20in AMG alloy wheels and carbon-fibre interior trim.

The CLE 53 is available in two trim levels: AMG Premium and AMG Night Edition Premium Plus. Premium comes with adjustable adaptive suspension, 20in alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, grey brake calipers, an opening panoramic glass roof and a sports steering wheel.

Only the pricier AMG Night Edition Premium Plus can be optioned with the Pro Performance Package, which includes launch control, Drift Mode and Race drive mode. Inside you also get upgraded AMG performance seats, suede-like material on the steering wheel, black exterior highlights and red brake calipers.

Mercedes doesn’t allow you to spec up a base car with individual options – aside from the choice of colour, everything is wrapped up in specific trim packages.

It's too soon to say how reliable the new CLE will be, but Mercedes' performance in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey was not particularly impressive. It came in 22nd place out of 31 car makers. Audi came 24th, while BMW finished in a more respectable eight place.

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