Toyota GR86 vs Mercedes-Benz Cle200

What's the difference?

You’ve reached the end of this review and might be looking at the final score thinking it seems low. If you’re a keen driver and considering a GR86, all you need to know is this: the GT will provide plenty of fun for the money.

But if you’re more serious about your two-door rear-driver, and thinking about track days, the GTS with Dynamic Performance Pack might be worth it. It’s not an obscene amount more, and in a few years the extra cash might not even register.

Plus, there might not be much longer to be able to pick up cars like this new, anyway.

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.

The 86 was already an attractive sports car, with a traditional shape and just enough aggressive detailing to be appealing without looking too fussy.

Luckily, the GR86 remains restrained enough and changes are light enough that the lineage is clear. The car now looks a little more aquatic thanks to some rounding at the front, and its tail-lights are even more clearly from the Subaru side of the partnership.

While being less aggressive overall, the GR86 retains the essence of its first-gen forebear.

The interior is also clearly tweaked rather than entirely refurbished. Aside from the red carpeting and highlights in the example we’re driving it’s not massively exciting visually. But function beats form in this case.

Speaking of form and function, the red Brembo brake calipers are for more than show, with twice as many pistons helping stopping power. But given the number of comments from non-enthusiast friends, they’re also doing the job looks-wise.

Oh, and as mentioned, the White Liquid premium paint comes in at $575. 'Spark Red' is the only no-cost colour.

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. 

For what it is, the GR86 provides enough to make par when it comes to interior convenience, but there are drawbacks to buying a compact four-seater, two-door sports car.

If you’re tall, getting in and out can be a struggle. Even at 180cm you might feel like getting out after a long drive is a bit of work.

The fact there are seats behind the front seats means you’re relatively snug even as far back as they’ll go, but the driver-focused feeling of the cabin is worth it.

The physical switches and buttons are welcome, and the fact the 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is only for audio, settings, or nav (if you have phone mirroring plugged in) is a win for minimising distractions.

The materials feel relatively rudimentary aside from the seating upholstery, and the cabin doesn’t escape the cost-cutting presence of plastic, but the layout is functional.

Cupholders can be hidden under a cover just behind where the driver’s elbow might rest, which can be annoying to reach even if its purpose is to be out of the way.

Behind the main seats, there’s room for kids for a decent trip or, if you’re not hugely fond of them, adults for a while. Again, I’m a fairly average height and I don’t feel like I could spend longer than a 15-minute trip there before getting antsy.

It’s good they’re there, because having bad seats is better than no seats in a pinch, but don’t seriously think of this as a car for getting more than two people around.

The 237 litres in the boot is decent for a sports car, enough to get luggage or groceries in, but a limited opening space means stowing bulky stuff is trickier.

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.

The GR86’s 2.4-litre flat-four petrol engine remains naturally aspirated (rare for a modern sports car) and drives the rear wheels via either a six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox - the latter also increasingly rare.

Outputs are 174kW at a lofty 7000rpm and 250Nm at 3700rpm regardless of transmission.

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.

A 50-litre fuel tank provides minimum 98RON petrol to the engine at a rate of 9.5L/100km according to Toyota, that’s here in the manual. The claim for an auto is 8.8L.

On test, we saw 11.0L/100km, which included a spirited mountain drive, a long highway stint and some rather stop-start inner-city commuting.

It’s not a bad figure for a sports car, but you’d be disappointed to see it from just about any other small Toyota.

With that in mind, realistically you’re looking at around 500L to a tank if you’re not pushing things too hard.

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.

This is where the biggest question lies regarding the GTS’s value proposition. Is it worth paying several thousand dollars more for a GTS with the Dynamic Performance Pack when a GT might be all you need? 

The GR86 sticks to the basic formula that made the previous 86 a gem, and just slightly improves areas where there was ‘feedback’ from buyers.

The biggest one is the torque dip that used to plague the middle of the 86’s rev range. If you looked at a dyno chart (which the 86 had built in, funnily enough) you could see the little drop where the torque fell away, so driving in either a lower of higher gear was sometimes necessary to dodge it.

No more with the bigger 2.4-litre engine. It’s more powerful, if thirstier, but still feels like a tool rather than something to really enjoy. It’s not the most characterful of things, and its fake engine sound through the cabin can feel a infantile. 

The gearbox is also not at the forefront. The shift feel is decent but there could be a little more clutch feel, getting into it after driving an old manual might see you stall and embarrass yourself once or twice.

The steering and handling, though, is sublime. The steering feel is sharp and tactile, you know what’s happening at the front tyres and you’re given the right information to make adjustments accurately. It’s well-weighted, and doesn’t have a big numb spot on-centre.

If you were so inclined, at a track, this is a relatively easy car to slide and let the tail hang just a smidge. 

If you find yourself making a mistake, the traction control is very good at catching errors before they become problems, but without stopping the fun while also letting you feel where it went wrong.

When it comes to the tweaked brakes and suspension included in the DPP, the GR86 is never going to be truly comfortable and unless you're tracking the car it’s not heavy enough to overwhelm the brakes on a public road.

The suspension on bumpy inner-city roads, even with the Sachs sports dampers which Toyota says “improve both on-road ride comfort and handling in dynamic situations”, don’t soak up the rough stuff particularly well. But they do stop it from feeling properly crashy.

Spoiler alert. Aside from the upgraded interior features, the GT’s $43,940, before on-road costs, price tag is some of the best-value motoring around, even if it’s much more expensive than the 86 was a decade ago.

The GTS’s asking price with the DPP at $48,290 isn’t atrocious, but it’s probably worth asking yourself whether the extra few thousand dollars is necessary, especially when the Sachs sports dampers don’t exactly make the car magically comfortable.

You’re going to have fun with this car in any form, so spending the extra on the GTS is optional, and the DPP is something you’ll probably get the most out of on a track.

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.

Toyota offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which increases to seven years if you keep your servicing within Toyota’s network.

It’s a step-up from what has been the standard mainstream warranty for some time, but other brands are pulling ahead with eight- or even 10-year warranties.

There’s also a capped-price servicing plan for five years and the first five services are limited to $335 at the time of writing.

Finding somewhere for that should be a breeze, Toyota has so many dealerships it simply lists ‘over 275 locations’ as its latest count. 

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.