Lap of Luxury

As in the S-Class, the cabin is a highlight of the CL-Class, with exceptional-quality materials and perhaps the best-executed ambient lighting in the market, with a line of yellow-orange LEDs that encircle the cabin, providing both illumination and decoration after dark. The excellent Comand multimedia control system lets you select the intensity.

More than just luxury, it's high-tech features that make a car like this exclusive, and the CL doesn't disappoint. There are only a handful of stand-alone options, including a heated steering wheel, Bluetooth cell-phone connectivity, an iPod control cable and 19-inch wheels. The most interesting stuff comes in option packages, though, such as the radar-intensive Distronic Plus Package.

    See also:

    Safety
    The R-Class received a Good overall score — the highest rating possible — in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests. It hadn't yet undergone IIHS' ...

    Comfortable and safe: the rear seats
    The rear seat unit is of one-piece construction. Three head restraints and three inertia-reel seat belts ensure the safety of the occupants. The outer rear seats are also equipped with belt tensio ...

    Notes on driving
    • If the vehicle is heavily laden, check the tire pressures and correct them if necessary. • When parking your vehicle, make sure that the tires do not get deformed by the curb or other obstacl ...