2011 Mercedes CLS-Class CLS 550

The CLS class is a sedan with the sleek lines of a coupe. It was launched in 2006 and has been a feast of styling ever since. It shares much with the E-class, but with much more style. The deeply raked style, which gives the CLS it's character, is unfortunately also responsible for the somewhat reduced passenger space from which this model suffers.

This ultra stylish sedan comes in two flavors. The CLS 550, which offers a 5.5 liter V-8 which generates 382 HP and 391 Ft. – Lbs. of torque. The ClS63 AMG has a 6.2 liter V-8 which develops 507 HP and 465 Ft.-Lbs. of torque. Both models send this power to the wheels through a 7 speed automatic transmission. To add an edge of sportiness, paddle shifters are available on both models.

The ClS' cockpit is decked out with top of the line material and large wood panels. However, the raked roofline makes itself felt here where ingress and egress are seriously hampered. Even inside, there isn't enough headroom to support those over 6 ft tall. The dimensions give it a more constrained feel than some.