Mercedes-Benz CLS Coupé (05-10) - Review

The CLS will seat four adults cocooned in leather-trimmed luxury, allowing them to relax in superbly designed seats, however, taller occupants in the rear will find headroom robbed by the tapering roof line. Legroom is also lacking compared to other executive saloons, but alongside coupe rivals it's way ahead. The CLS rides smoothly and is quiet and refined, making it a great car for covering long distances.

As well as the convenience of four-doors, the CLS also offers a large boot (up to 505 litres depending on engine derivative and spare-wheel package chosen). It will carry four people and their luggage comfortably. There's no middle seat in the back however - this is taken up by the central console which features a storage box. There's decent stowage up front though with good sized door pockets and a large central cubby between the front seats.

The CLS looks great from the driving seat - although the wood trim that's available on some models looks a little old-fashioned. General build quality is top notch however and all the controls and switches are user-friendly while the information screen in the middle of the speedo allows the driver to control the main functions through the steering-wheel controls. One criticism however is the foot-operated parking brake which can be awkward to use and seems dated when other manufacturers have introduced electronic systems.