Mercedes CLE450 is one of the best luxury sport coupes ever

Published 12:00 pm Monday, November 25, 2024

With the all-new 2024 CLE450 4MATIC Coupe, Mercedes-Benz preserves and improves a vanishing breed, the sporty two-door car. With SUVs proving more popular than cars, many manufacturers have been reducing their traditional automotive offerings in favor what’s selling. Although you can’t blame them, that means they are now fewer fun-to-drive vehicles for singles or families who can afford a second people-hauler.

Mercedes has stepped into the breach with the CLE that slots between the C-Class and E-Class, and replaces their coupes. It is not just any two-door, but one that is beautifully styled and roomy, with a gorgeous interior, all the luxury and available advanced technologies you’d expect from the German manufacturer, standard 4MATIC all-wheel-drive, and the choice of two sophisticated engines.

The base CLE300 comes with the uprated turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four that debuted in the 2022 C300. It produces 255 horsepower and 295 pound feet of torque, which is a 22-lb-ft increase over the original, It also includes a 48-volt Mild-Hybrid system that adds up to 24 hp and 151 lb-ft when needed.

The CLE450, the subject o this review, comes with a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight 6 that is rated at a more impressive 375 hp and 369 lb-ft. It also comes with the Mild-Hybrid system that mostly eliminates turbo lag and makes the start-stop feature hard to notice.

The CLE 300 starts at $58,000 while the most powerful CLE450 begins at $67,450. Not being a hardcore M-B aficionado, the designations are an example of why I have been puzzled by the company’s line ups over the years. It’s not immediately clear what 300 and 450 stands for. Not engine sizes. Otherwise they’d be the CLE200 and CLE300. The same with Audi and BMW classifications. Must be a German thing, since just about every other manufacturer has names for their vehicles.

But what’s in a name? In a week of test driving, my 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 4MATIC Coupe was always stunning to look at, luxurious to sit in, and impressive to drive, whether just on short errands or where it could really cut loose. The exterior styling is tasteful but suggestive of the coupe’s potential, with the lines flowing back from the trademark grill across the front of the “shark nose” to the rear fenders, which swell noticeably over the rear tires. The driver and passenger sit in deeply contoured front bucket sport seats and face a tasteful interior that features a 12.3-inch driver display and an 11.9-inch center display angled up from the center console to the top of the dash. Mine came with an optional Natural Black Grain Wood curved dash highlighted by thin aluminum trim lines for a refined look. The dual bucket rear seats are hard to reach and would be impossible to fit with child safety seats, which is I why say CLE Coupe is intended for singles or couples without children.

All CLE models come standard with luxury features and advanced technologies, including a Burmester 3D Surround Sound System with Dolby Atmos, new electronic architecture with fast 5G data transmission, and the third generation MBUX infotainment system. And by activating online services in the Mercedes me App, the “Hey Mercedes” voice assistant is highly capable of dialogue and learning.

Driving the CLE450 was always a joy. It was smooth and quiet, with a supple suspension that absorbs road imperfections better than many sport sedans. The turbocharged 3.0-liter hybrid inline six is one of the best engines available in any car. It delivers effortless power and is easy to drive around town, but pushes the occupants back in their seats when unleashed, especially in the Sport mode. The 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission always seemed to be in the right gear, the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system kept all four tires glued to the road, despite frequent rains. Everything combined to justify the $77,090 price tag.

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 4MATIC Coupe is not only a sophisticated luxury sport sedan but one of the best ever made. That is reason for celebration.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 4MATIC Coupe

Base price: $67,450

Price as tested: $77,090

Type: Midsize luxury sport sedan

Engine: Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline 6 w/Mild-Hybrid (375 hp, 369 lbs-ft)

Transmission: 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic

Drive modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport, Individual

EPA estimated mileage: 23/33

Overall length: 191 inches

Curb weight: 4262 pounds

Final assembly: Bremen, Germany