Safety

The CLS has not been crash-tested by either the federal government or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

It comes equipped with seat-mounted side airbags for front passengers and side-curtain airbags for front and rear passengers.

High-tech features like blind spot and lane departure warning systems are available in an $850 option package. The two are also available in another package, for $2,950, that also includes active cruise control that enables the car to sense a forward collision and apply full braking.

The market for luxury cars is a funny thing. A stylish car with performance chops can be just as popular as a more practical selection at a lower price. The fact that the CLS sacrifices less against both its E-Class sibling and the competition should make it even more appealing to this group of buyers.

    See also:

    Chassis and suspension: Agile handling and high comfort
    The AGILITY CONTROL suspension, which is standard equipment in both the C-Class Saloon and Estate, harmonises perfectly with the dynamic design. It is based on an amplitude-dependent damping syste ...

    Front fog lamps
    Only vehicles with front fog lamps have the fog lamps function. WARNING If you suspect that driving conditions will be foggy, turn the light switch to before you start your journey. O ...

    The suspension: a proven design in a new guise
    As on the E-Class, the front suspension takes the form of a 3-link front axle with McPherson struts, which has been especially modified for the new CLS. The key feature of this modified suspension ...