Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class 2005 Review

The decision was as smooth as the slick auto shift through five smart ratios. And as adamant as that 700Nm of torque twisting through that back axle.

For, allowing for a Lotto win, the Mercedes-Benz CLS 55 AMG would be part of the fantasy garage.

Previously the dream was simple: a diesel LandCruiser ute with a few mods and sods, a Porsche 356 cabriolet and a Mercedes-Benz E500.

The Toyota ute would be ready to go anywhere, anytime. The Porsche would be the Porsche, the classic and the convertible rolled into one for Sunday drives. And the E500 would be a sensible sedan with style, an E55 would have been too much of a good thing for the licence.

And that's been the line-up for some time, a goal of some simple magnitude.

It has been changed by the outrageous charms of this new Benz, this four-door coupe with a back end a little like that much-derided AU Falcon, a four-door coupe with Batmobile profile and a nose style that looks a little heavyhanded in some colours.

But the sum of the parts is a gorgeous machine with a great deal of punch. Oh, and a $247,900 price tag.

Now a CLS 500 would surely do the job at $173,900. And there's a CLS 350, mit V6, on its way. You could always remove the boot badge.

But let's get serious at this end of fantasy land. Go straight to the top of a new class of car.

Sure, spend $250,000 and there could be cars with more cabin room. Spend $250,000 and a Porsche GT3 will toy with the Benz around a race track. And that much money will deliver a V10-engined BMW M5 sedan, with some change for a tip.

But this CLS-Class from Benz has a little bit of all that, plus a distinct cachet. Add the firepower of the supercharged 5.5-litre V8, with 350kW at 6000rpm and this is a very special (albeit very expensive) family all-rounder, as easy to run hard down a back country road as it is to pick up Saturday night pizzas.

There are stares all round, grubby noses pressed up against window glass and cameras appear.

For there is muscle tone to this style. There is that sweeping roof profile, the big hips, the pillarless doors and that shallow glass. It could have been chopped and lowered in a Californian hotrod shop.

Jaguar should be taking notes.

There is the trade-off with rear seat headroom in the CLS. Talk to someone who cares.

For the glory is up front, seated snug in leather, surrounded by the trappings of luxury and modern electronics.

As with most modern Mercedes, it is an inviting cabin with logic to the ergonomics, nice bits of timber and a DVD/satellite navigation/television screen.

Differences here include the AMG tachometer and speedometer and paddle shifts on the back of the steering wheel for the five-speed auto. So here there's the choice of using the gearshift — and change by flicking from right to left and back — or letting the fingers play the tunes.

And the CLS 55 has a glorious, seemingly never ending catalogue of tunes. These range from the metallic whirr of the belt-driven supercharger at low speed to the full blast of the exhaust trumpets; all mixed with a little tyre noise just before the traction control says the fun's over for now, behave and brings the Benz back to the straight ahead.

This thing flies as it looks. It accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds and hits 200km/h in 16.1 seconds, says the factory.

Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h, the speedometer reads to 320km/h. Go figure.

The other stats show that 700Nm of torque arrives at 2650rpm and stays around until 4500rpm. By then the CLS 55 is long, long gone.

The CLS 55 sits a bit lower than other CLS machines. And here there's the AMG sports suspension, built around the Airmatic DC air suspension.

There is automatic levelling, stiffer spring and damper combinations with adaptive damping plus three settings from all-out comfort to all-out sport. There are bigger stabiliser bars.

And there is the Benz electronic stability program, able to brake inside wheels on turns to correct a wayward chassis.

So this is a grand tourer with some urge, a big sedan with decent road manners. It needs, of course, a little speed to be appreciated and now the turn in is smooth as the Mercedes squats and powers out.

The power steering adjusts to road speed, giving more assistance below 100km/h.

It is a fair-sized package, nowhere as nimble as a Porsche 911 yet with more seats and just as much straightline punch. So the CLS 55 appreciates best a flowing country road, rather than a tight, hairpinned mountain run.

Once rolling, the Mercedes settles into a comfortable, long-legged gait with assurance. There can be a little violence from a downshifting gearbox when the machine is under brakes, most of the experience is the iron-in-a-velvet glove cliche.

For this is one quick, practical and pretty touring car. It has the considerable go to match the considerable show.

That big brake package has been taken from the SL 55 AMG. Quite adequate, thank you.

And there is big 18-inch rubber (8.5-inch up front, 9.5-inch at the rear) with a tyre pressure loss warning system.

All of this is wrapped in a five-metre body stacked with the latest and greatest in airbags and crash safety protection.

But for all the safety and all the luxury this CLS 55 AMG is all about style and performance. It is a feel-good machine that does not need to be pushed within an inch of its rubber to be appreciated. But it also will blow any stable of performance machines to the weeds.