Lexus LX600 vs Mercedes-Benz Cle200

What's the difference?

There's absolutely no doubting the new LX's off-road credentials, nor the fact that it takes luxury SUVs to new heights in the four-seat Ultra Luxury model. Do you need a massaging chair and a foot-stool to get to your camping site? Probably not, but globally, there's a distinct market for that sort of decadence.

Closer to the other end of the LX line-up, however, there's a fair bit of cross-over in price and luxury terms with the Lexus' close cousin, the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series. That suggests there might be a LandCruiser that will do the same job for a little less money and, if that's the case, then the LX loses a little relevance, particularly the petrol-engined version here in Australia. Until, that is, you take into account buyers for whom the Lexus badge infers the bank-vault solidity and prestige that the brand has worked so hard to establish. Which is another way of saying; it all comes down to where you stand on the politics of envy.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The CLE Coupe really feels like a car of the times. As the electric vehicle market continues to suck in resources, the days of endless variants and body styles is going to wane. But the truth is the CLE does a nice job of filling the demands that both previous C-Class Coupe and E-Class Coupe buyers are looking for.

It’s a stylish model with plenty of technology on the inside, so it should appeal to those who want something refined and elegant for their lifestyle. It has a hint of sportiness on road, without being overtly dynamic or uncomfortable; although Mercedes-AMG will cater to those buyers soon enough. And it offers the kind of space inside that buyers of both models will find acceptable (as long as they don’t have to climb into the back regularly).

The biggest challenge will be convincing C-Class customers to take the big jump up in price over the model it replaces, while at the same time convincing E-Class buyers that this is still something special and different given its similarities to the old model.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Perhaps the most left-field design element is the way the LX can, depending on trim level, be configured in terms of its seating. In the past, we’ve seen plenty of SUVs available with a choice of five- or seven-seat layouts, but the LX is the first time we’ve seen seating choices range from seven- to five- to four-seat layouts. If nothing else, it illustrates the breadth of applications a modern luxury SUV is expected to cover.

Those who use their four-wheel drive SUVs off-road will also note the shift back to six-stud wheel hubs. Toyota’s (and Lexus’) move to five-stud wheels a few years ago suddenly made the vehicle’s wheels incompatible with owner’s existing caravans and trailers.

The new LX has also become a committed subscriber to the engine-downsizing theory of modern vehicle design. While the previous model was available with a 4.5-litre turbo-diesel and a massive 5.7-litre petrol, the new engine capacities of 3.3 litres for the diesel and 3.5 litres for the petrol represent major philosophy changes. Both the new engines are now V6s, rather than the previous V8 layouts.

And to give the new car a James Bond moment, all models bar the entry-level version feature a fingerprint sensor to control the starter button function. Q would be pleased.

Thankfully for the German brand its family look across its range means the CLE seamlessly integrates into both the C-Class and E-Class line-ups.

Mercedes does use some colourful language to describe the looks, with terms like 'sharknose' for the front end, and these ‘powerdomes’ on the bonnet, and there’s a swooping design that wraps around the tail to create a dynamic-looking vehicle.

The biggest question about design, though, is the size of the CLE, specifically how it compares to the two coupes it replaces. While based on the same basic underpinnings as the C-Class sedan, Mercedes has stretched and pulled the body to try and fill the space between it and the old E-Class Coupe.

The result is a car that is 164mm longer than the C-Class Coupe and +15mm longer than the E-Class overall, with the wheelbase stretched 25mm over the C-Class but actually 8mm shorter than the old E-Class two-door. It’s also 50mm wider than the previous C-Class but exactly the same width as the E-Class. So it’s definitely on the bigger size without actually matching up with either model it supersedes. 

The practicality of each variant of the new LX is dependent entirely on how many people you need to move. The base-model version has seven seats with a two-three-two layout, while the Sport Luxury and F Sport feature five conventional seats in two rows.

The Ultra Luxury’s four individual seats obviously make it the variant of choice for the buyer who doesn’t need the extra seats, but clearly limit its appeal for families. But if luxury is your aim, the rear passenger seat in particular is the one to be in as it can be configured to offer up to a metre of legroom and even features a footrest when the front passenger’s seat is moved all the way forward. Both rear seats are also heated and cooled and reclinable to an angle that NASA has calculated offers the maximum support for the human body.

Vents in the rear seat area allow for an air-shower (of cool air over the passengers) or an air-curtain (a blanket of warm air at shoulder height).

The seven-seat versions have a third row of seats that folds flat into the floor (a major improvement over the old fold-up third row) and the second row folds and tumbles into the footwell. There’s a 220-volt outlet in the luggage compartment, too.

Cargo space is slightly less than the old model, but with second and third row seats folded, the LX has cargo space of up to 1871L.

The single-piece tailgate of the new Lexus won’t win as many friends as the old, split tailgate design which formed an impromptu kitchen bench or covered picnic seat. But the single rubber seal of the new design may be an advantage in keeping dust out on outback roads.

Not surprisingly given the exterior growth over the old C-Class Coupe, Mercedes is talking up the increased interior room and practicality. Which is crucial to the success of the CLE because in replacing both the smaller C-Class and larger E-Class coupes, it now needs to appeal to both audiences.

Front seat room is generous, with plenty of shoulder room and the seats offer good comfort and support. In the back Mercedes’ designers have managed to create 95mm more legroom than the old C-Class Coupe, but fractionally less than the E-Class Coupe (just 1mm less). The rear seats are wider than both outgoing models, both across the shoulders and the mid-section. Headroom has been increased by 10mm over the C-Class but decreased by the same amount compared to the E-Class.

Putting the measuring tape aside, while the rear seats are fine for short trips, the back of the CLE is clearly not the place to be and if you plan on using the rear seats regularly then you should be looking at one of the brand’s sedans.

As for the boot, at 420 litres it’s 60 litres bigger than the old C-Class but five litres smaller when compared to the E-Class Coupe; so once again there’s a trade-off between the two.

The initial range consists of just two models - the CLE200 and CLE300 4Matic, but an AMG variant, the CLE53 is due to follow soon (as is the expected-but-not-confirmed V8-powered CLE63), but not before the Cabriolet arrives. While the CLE300 Cabriolet was on hand for us to look at, we weren’t allowed to drive, so we’ll focus this review on the hard-top models.

The CLE200 is priced from $103,900 and the CLE300 is $124,900 (neither price includes on-road costs). While it’s hard to do a like-for-like comparison between the old models and this new one, the CLE is more than $20k more expensive than the old C-Class but around $9-12k cheaper than the equivalent E-Class Coupe.

For future reference, the CLE300 4Matic Cabriolet will be priced from $135,900.

Standard features on both models includes 19-inch alloy wheels, AMG Line exterior and interior packages, a panoramic sunroof, 64-colour ambient cabin lighting, heated front seats with memory function, a head-up display, a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, plus the latest MBUX infotainment system which runs through an 11.9-inch touchscreen as well as Burmester surround sound system. One of the key specification differences between the CLE200 and CLE300, aside from the powertrain, is the interior trim, with the cheaper model using synthetic leather while the more expensive one gets the genuine article.

While the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is a diesel-only proposition, the Lexus LX takes a broader view of what its buyers will want in such a vehicle.

As a result, there’s a choice of petrol or diesel power for the LX range, with both engines covering all variants apart from one. To add weight to the theory that the Ultra Luxury model is for people for whom fuel costs really don’t matter, it’s available only as a petrol vehicle.

The turbo-diesel engine is the 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo unit we see in the 300 Series. It’s unusual in that it uses hot-side-in technology where the exhaust system and turbochargers live inside the vee of the engine, rather than hanging off each side as is much more common. Lexus claims greater efficiency from this layout with less plumbing between the cylinder head and turbo units as well as a more compact design.

Outputs for the turbo-diesel are 227kW of power, with an impressive 700Nm of torque produced anywhere between 1600 and 2600rpm, which is where the engine will spend most of its operating life.

The petrol engine is also a V6 and also twin-turbocharged. It measures 3.5 litres and, again, features a design that allows a smaller capacity engine to exceed the outputs of the physically larger, previous model. To that extent, it makes 305kW of power and 650Nm of torque; both impressive figures.

There’s only one transmission available on the LX, and that’s a 10-speed conventional automatic. To compliment that rugged, ladder-chassis design, the LX also has a transfer-case with proper off-road gear ratios. This is what gives the vehicle its rock-crawling and river-crossing abilities, while permanent four-wheel drive and the Multi-Terrain Select system mean no-fuss operation.

The CLE200 and CLE300 are both powered by four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engines, albeit in different states of tune, and each assisted by a mild-hybrid integrated starter generator.

The CLE200 Coupé makes 150kW and 320Nm and sends it to the rear wheels via a nine-speed auto transmission. While the CLE300 4Matic Coupé gets 190kW and 400Nm but also gets (as the name gives away) Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

While not really a hybrid in the conventional sense, the integrated starter generator adds an extra 17kW/205Nm boost when required while also helping to save fuel.

Much has been made of the new LandCruiser’s fuel-tank reduction to its new total of 110 litres. The LX follows suit with an 80-litre main tank and 30-litre auxiliary tank, but it’s worth remembering the improved efficiency of the new drivelines will maintain the range to a useful total. The base-model diesel version also misses out of the second tank for an 80-litre total.

Toyota claims a combined figure of 8.9 litres per 100km for the diesel and 12.1 litres for the petrol. On the open road, both variants will get pretty close to those targets (even though they’re a combined urban-highway figure) so the touring range remains useful and better than 1000km for the turbo-diesel with the twin tanks.

Make no mistake, the integrated starter generator is a mild-hybrid system, so don’t expect to see miserly returns from the CLE. Instead, the official figures for the pair are quite close, despite the different drivetrains.

The CLE200 has a claimed fuel rating of 7.2L/100km, while the CLE300 uses 7.4L/100km.

Lexus surprised us a bit with its choice of test roads for the LX’s launch. As well as some twisty bitumen which might not, on the surface, have seemed the most LX-friendly terrain, the launch also threw in some steep if not otherwise too taxing off-road work.

The steep downhill section highlighted the fact that the LX has probably the best hill-descent control we’ve sampled. Not only is it simple to use with speed variation via the rotary knob that otherwise controls the drive modes, it’s also consistent and doesn’t stumble or lock-up wheels and bang brake calipers intermittently.

The second surprise was how well 2.6 tonnes of luxury off-road SUV handled the winding blacktop. It’s no performance-oriented SUV with its live rear axle and off-road-worthy suspension settings, but it can be hustled along in a pretty tidy manner if you concentrate and keep it flowing.

Beyond that, it was pretty civilised at everything else, too, and although it’s not a compact vehicle by any means, the cameras and sensors ensure that it’s not too much of a brain-teaser to park.

The LX seems to have slightly better noise suppression than the LandCruiser on which it’s based and the diesel version doesn’t seem quite as vocal under load. That said, it’s still very quiet and when rolling along at highway speeds and low engine revs, even the diesel is tomb-like in its silence.

But the petrol is next-level refined. There’s a small degree of engine raspiness when you rev the petrol V6 hard (and you won’t mistake it for a V8) but it’s a sophisticated soundtrack and, at a steady throttle, the petrol LX is even more silent.

The two engines have vastly different torque curves, but the 10-speed transmission is so on top of things that it can tailor its shift-pattern to make the absolute most of whatever torque and power are being produced. You can just feel the transmission holding a gear a little longer when the driver dials up max thrust, but in the interests of getting a heavy vehicle moving swiftly, using a clever transmission is the smart, modern way to do it.

Steering is a fraction light to be completely tactile, but that’s a function of the off-road abilities, and we’re pleased to report that the turning circle is very good given the exterior dimensions and makes tight city work much easier.

The shift paddles are, ironically, likely to be of most benefit when off-road and it’s here that the LX lays the SUV pretenders to waste. With low-ratio gears in the transfer case and that clever 10-speed, the LX will climb up some amazing places. It’s fair to say that, like all good off-roaders, you’ll run out of brave pills before the LX runs out of talent.

And while the suspension does a good job off-road, the live rear-axle and independent front suspension also combine pretty well on the blacktop. There’s some initial thump on pattery bumps that are felt more than heard. But as the bumps get bigger, the LX gets even better at dispatching them.

The variable ride height feels like air-suspension but is actually a clever hydraulic adjustment to the dampers to increase their length and, therefore jack the vehicle up for off-roading. Strangely, the ride seems to become a fraction firmer (and we mean a fraction) as the height cranks up, but most owners will never notice it.

What they will notice is the composure that the LX has in most settings. No, it’s not the fastest or tidiest handling SUV out there, but it’s well beyond good enough. And off-road? Very, very little is likely to touch it.

To judge the CLE on its driving merits you first need to understand where it fits within the broader Mercedes-Benz line-up. Put simply, while coupes are seen as sporty cars, the German brand has other models that are designed to appeal to driving enthusiasts; such as the upcoming AMG versions of this car and the AMG GT Coupe.

So within that context, the CLE200 and CLE300 do an admirable job of being stylish cruisers that feel at home in the city but not out of place on a winding country road. 

Sports suspension is standard on Australian delivered models, making it 15mm lower than overseas versions and fitted with firmer passive damping too. But still, it doesn’t translate to a dynamically agile and engaging sports coupe suddenly, instead it just gives the CLE a bit more sharpness when turning, at the expense of some comfort on pockmarked roads.

The engines perform nicely, the CLE200 feels adequately endowed with its 150kW/320Nm, so naturally the 190kW/400Nm CLE300 just feels like it has a bit more pep in its step. But I’d question the value of the all-wheel-drive system in a car like this, especially in Australia where the roads are rarely very slippery.

Both CLE models come with all the usual passive and active safety features you’d expect on a modern luxury car, including autonomous emergency braking, ‘Active Lane Keeping Assist’, ‘Active Brake Assist’, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign assist, active cruise control and Mercedes’ ‘Pre-Safe’ accident anticipation system. There’s also a ‘Parking Package’ with 360-degree camera view to keep you and those around you safe at low speeds.

There’s no ANCAP rating for this new model announced yet, but previously both the C-Class Coupe and E-Class Coupe were tested.

Lexus Australia recently upgraded its factory warranty to five years/unlimited kilometres (up from three years). That’s better, but by no means a real advantage over most of its competition.

Capped price servicing is available at $595 per service for the first three years. The catch there is that servicing is every six months or 10,000km, an area in which Lexus trails its main competitors.

The CLE is covered by Mercedes Australia’s usual five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

The brand offers pre-purchased service plans for maintenance covering three, four or five years, starting at $3325 then $4535 and then $6800.