2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Review

If style is important to luxury shoppers, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class has the upper hand over other sedans on the market.

The radically shaped four-door — it's sometimes called a coupe because of its sporty roofline, and because there are just two seats in back — has been redesigned for 2012, and it looks terrific in its new skin.

The original CLS was no slouch, either; it set the auto world aflutter with its style, but it was hard to see out of, and it had a cramped interior and didn't offer enough performance to satisfy shoppers. Not surprisingly, its success waned quickly.

The 2012 has better visibility, tremendous performance chops — especially the AMG model — and when you compare its interior room with the traditional Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan's, it barely gives an inch.

There's a price to pay for these improvements, though: $10,000 when you compare it with an E550 sedan.

See also:

The bodywork: A first: frameless, all-aluminium doors
Intelligent lightweight construction plays a decisive role in bridging the classic conflict of objectives between low weight and high strength in the new CLS. The CLS is thus the first vehicle fro ...

Maximum gradient-climbing capability
For good road surface conditions, the maximum gradient-climbing capability is 100%, which corresponds to an approach/ departure angle of 45°. Note that the vehicle's gradient-climbing capability ...

High-beam headlamps (halogen headlamps)
Switch off the lights. Open the hood. Remove the headlamp cover (). Left-hand headlamp: detach the washer fluid reservoir (). Turn housing cover 1 counter-clockwise and pull it out. Pre ...