Steven Ewing
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE 300 4MATIC
Combine C-Class trimmings with E-Class dimensions and, presto, the new CLE-Class is born. It’s a soft-edged two-door meant to compete with the Audi A5 and BMW 4-Series, replacing the C-Class and E-Class coupes. The engines are familiar and you’ve definitely seen these interior bits before. It’s just two cars becoming one. Like the Spice Girls song.
Inside it’s nearly identical to the C-Class. Not necessarily a bad thing – both have seats that’ll coddle your bum and hug your love handles, and the dash inlays look good. Just don’t touch the trim. The glossy panels creak and easily pick up dust and smudges, and you’ll find lots of cheap plastic below hip level. This cabin has all kinds of visual whizz – especially with those big screens and all that Miami nightclub ambient lighting – but the devil’s in the details.
A 12.3in digital gauge cluster can be reconfigured to your heart’s content, and the 11.6in touchscreen atop the centre stack has an updated MBUX infotainment suite, the highlight of which is larger menu icons. Complaints? The thumb pads on the wheel remain a chore to use, especially when trying to scroll through menus on the instrument cluster. The rear seats are cramped and difficult to access given the CLE’s curvaceous roofline. Good news, though: the CLE’s boot is bigger than in both the C-Class and E-Class coupes.
The CLE is a comfy cruiser that eats up motorway miles and is perfectly content putzing around the city. But get it on a winding road and
