Vehicle class: sub-compact luxury sedan.
Power: 3.2-liter 18-valve aluminum V6.
Mileage: 20 city / 26 highway. Where built: Germany.
Price as tested: $52,455.
As with any manufacturer, upgrading a model line is a grueling process. Often, the goal is to make it better than it was -- stronger, faster. Man, am I dating myself, or what?
No, seriously, the old adage "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" should be in place with some automotive manufacturers. But that's not what the discerning consumer expects. They want it better, stronger, faster.
Never mind that Mercedes-Benz's first generation CLK-class was the most successful model ever for the company, with more than 41,500 sold just in the U.S. and more than 115,000 sold throughout the world.
This is the second generation of the Mercedes CLK-Class and this automaker has known from the beginning what to do to make its customers happy. The newest CLK320 is no exception.
Let's start with the styling. Instead of opting to change the look and feel of the CLK320, Mercedes-Benz refined it, lending it to the classic roadster front end that dips down and focuses on the low and wide grille. There are no misplaced lines here to interfere with the look and perception of the CLK320. Just soft accents that make you feel like it can glide, not drive, through the air with ease.
The windows are frameless and the roofline is not very defined, which adds to the clean and fresh look of the CLK320. It all lends itself to a large rear window that provides no question as to where the cars and trucks in back of you are going.
Driven this week was the four-passenger coupe, which was larger than large and was oh-so-comfortable from its spacious interior to its ride and handling on our gosh-awful Michigan roads.
Front suspension is taken care of with a three-link fully independent system with torsion bars. The rear has an individual multi-link suspension system with gas pressure campers. All of that rides on 16-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels with all-season tires.
Pop under the hood and you'll find a 3.2-liter twin-spark 18-valve aluminum V6 that's oh-so-Mercedes-Benz. Nothing is ever stronger than a Mercedes engine. The engine features 100,000-mile platinum spark plugs and will hand you 215-horses on a platter mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.
No problems getting anywhere you want to go in a hurry or in leisure with this CLK320. What a wonderful, wonderful power plant. Couldn't even hear it running when you were inside with the windows rolled up.
Luxury is what you crave in a Mercedes and luxury is what you'll get. No questions asked, either. All the technology fit for a luxury vehicle you would want, too.
We're talking about standard features like a Bose sound system with eight speakers and digital noise compensation, dual-zone electronic climate control outlets for the rear passengers with its own blower fan, rain-sensing windshield wipers, entrance lights, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, leather upholstery, walnut wood trim, cruise control, weatherband cassette radio, 10-way adjustable front seats with three-position memory, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and integrated garage door opener.
There's sound insulation that allows you to be totally oblivious to the outside world. Everything is sealed to perfection with multi-layer fabric and padding throughout the vehicle. Close the doors, roll up the windows, and you're in total silence from the outside world. That's a level of comfort anyone would enjoy and appreciate after a long day of stress and putting out fires at the office. Even would tempt you to listen to the silence on the way home to recharge a bit.
The interior of the CLK320 is so roomy, so comfortable, that it would rival a luxury hotel suite. Remember we talked about improvement? Well, that's where a lot of improvement was gained - interior roominess and comfort. And it shows. Even the rear trunk cargo area has been improved. There's now almost 9 cubic feet of storage room in there - almost enough to take a sleeping blanket and bed down for the night - almost.
The CLK320 is expensive for most, but remember, it's a Mercedes-Benz. I had a great aunt that had her Mercedes for more than 25 years before giving it up. Never had a lick of problems, either.
The CLK320 is a finely refined automobile for the finely refined automotive consumer who needs a vehicle purely for the comfort factor it provides. This may be the one.
