Mercedes has divested its C-Class and E-Class families of their formerly more glamorous derivatives, in the shape of the coupe and cabriolet models. That, though, leaves a big gap in the German firm’s portfolio and so the CLE steps into the breach, designed to replace four product lines with just two. As a result, at the bottom of the CLE range, it is powered by 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines, but for those craving a little more oomph there are some six-cylinder options - including an AMG-developed flagship known as the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+.
Designed primarily to stand up to BMW’s all-conquering M4, the CLE 53 is nevertheless a slightly milder take on the front-engined, rear-wheel-drive coupe format, so the big question is whether it can take the fight to its compatriot - or, indeed, if it can fill the void created by the demise of the old V8-powered C 63. To find out, we’ve driven the CLE 53 coupe on rural roads and motorways in the south of the UK.
How much is the 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 in Ireland?
As the most powerful and least efficient (217g/km of CO2) model of the entire CLE family, the AMG 53 is an expensive car in a range of vehicles which is not the most affordable to begin with. Before any options have been added to it, the AMG model will cost €130,450. But if that looks like a lot, it’s worth bearing in mind that the two most obvious rivals of comparable size and design either cost more at €154,905 (the BMW M4) or are simply not available to buy in Ireland officially in the first place (the Ford Mustang Mk7). And even the very cheapest Porsche 911 is within €5,000 of 200-grand, so if you want a powerful, six-cylinder-plus coupe capable of 0-100km/h in around four seconds, the Mercedes-AMG looks like it is the best value of the lot.
What’s different about the appearance of the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53?
The AMG variant takes the elegant body of the CLE and injects some welcome muscle into it, in the long-held manner of this go-faster arm of Mercedes. Flared wheel arches broaden the CLE 53’s body by 75mm compared to a regular version, with the track widths increased to suit, while it has a big central air vent between the strakes running longitudinally on its bonnet that the standard variants do not.
The radiator grille and front air intakes are more aggressive in appearance on the 53, as are the side skirts, lower bumpers and the rear diffuser, and of course as any self-respecting AMG should have, there’s a set of quad exhaust pipes peeking out of the back of the CLE. Further details include vents and model-specific badging on the front wings, and a big thumbs-up from us for the gorgeous DTM-style of 20-inch alloy wheels fitted to our test car. They look splendid, although there is the suspicion it will be the devil’s own work to keep them clean across the course of thousands of kilometres.
Anyway, the AMG CLE 53 has loads of presence and a great stance, with only a slight aesthetic question mark over the moderately droopy appearance of the back end and those rear lights that could be straight from an EQ electric model.
A look inside the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53
The AMG 53 takes the CLE’s lovely, beautifully appointed cabin and adds to it with some typical sports-car-like signifiers, including the deeply sculpted bucket front seats, a beefier steering wheel clad partially in ‘Dinamica’ microfibre and fitted with extra mode dials beneath its button-busy twin spokes, ‘AMG’ logos here and there, and a fillet of glossy carbon-look trim for the centre of the dash. These touches work well and make the interior feel special, an impression helped no end by the sheer quality of the fit and finish in the CLE.
Space is not too bad either, with the rear seats just about capable of accommodating average-sized adults, while the boot is a healthy 420 litres in capacity, a number which should allow it to swallow plenty of luggage.
The Mercedes-AMG CLE 53’s on-board technology
Like any CLE, the AMG 53 has the 11.9-inch central portrait touchscreen for infotainment, along with a big tablet for the instrument cluster and a large, easy-to-read head-up display above that. Operating the central screen and digital dials is managed by the buttons on the spokes of the wheel, with the left-hand set looking after the infotainment and the right-hand controls for the cluster. It takes a little familiarisation to get used to it all, especially as Mercedes has other idiosyncrasies such as one column stalk for wipers, indicators and the main-beam lights, its gearbox on another stem sticking out behind the steering wheel, and then the electric seat controls on the door cards, rather than the seats themselves.
One excellent feature of the CLE 53 is its augmented-reality navigation, which when approaching junctions takes the view from the car’s forward camera and beams it onto the central screen, then overlaying the image with blue ‘floating’ arrows to show you precisely which road or exit to take - it also repeats these arrows in the head-up display for good measure.
Driving the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53
Power for the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 comes from a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six petrol engine, bolstered by 48-volt mild-hybrid ‘EQ Boost’ technology. All of the system’s grunt is sent to all four wheels via the ‘4Matic+’ and a nine-speed automatic transmission, and while the EQ Boost is said to add up to 22hp and 205Nm to proceedings at times, the company quotes peak outputs of 449hp and 560Nm from the six-cylinder engine, the latter figure rising to 600Nm on a time-limited overboost phase.
With the Mercedes-AMG weighing 2,000kg on the button, performance is strong. There’s an optional pack that will reduce the 0-100km/h time to four seconds exactly, but the ‘standard’ time of 4.2 seconds is more than quick enough for most, even if it’s not as outright ballistic as a BMW M4.
And, in operation, there’s little problem with the way the CLE goes about its business. Traction is all but unimpeachable in the dry, while mammoth 265/35 front and 295/30 rear Michelin Pilot Sport S5 tyres provide enormous amounts of mechanical grip, so that you can really lean on the AMG 53’s chassis in corners to get through them at pace. The engine and gearbox also don’t disappoint, as they are both quick to react to throttle inputs - admittedly, there’s a trace of fake five-cylinder sound to the engine and exhaust in Dynamic mode, which seems odd given the six-cylinder nature of the motor, but otherwise the speed and responsiveness of the powertrain are both excellent.
Suspension-wise, body control is magnificent in Sport+, the most extreme setting for the damping, but it does introduce something of the jitters to the way the Mercedes-AMG covers lumpier ground, so it’s best to keep the car in the middle Sport mode on an interesting road. But the steering of the CLE 53 is bizarre. It’s heavily weighted, so it needs a bit of heft to turn the car in, yet once you input anything more than a few degrees of lock, the whole vehicle feels nervous and twitchy, with almost too-quick responses from the nose. This is exacerbated as the AMG CLE has rear-wheel steering and the whole set-up of the 53’s system doesn’t feel natural to the size and weight of car it’s installed in. It’ll take you quite a few corners to get used to just how little steering input is needed to get the Mercedes around the bend, so to speak.
So it’s a very capable performance car, if not one in which it is easy to build an instant rapport, but Mercedes-AMG’s ‘53’ badging has typically been used for slightly softer models of its portfolio in the past - and the CLE’s real strong point is its epic rolling refinement and ride comfort with the car in its most relaxed settings. Previous AMGs, like the V8-engined C 63 this car in part replaces, often had a huge amount of road roar cavitating around in the rear of the passenger compartment at motorway speed, but the CLE 53 doesn’t suffer from this problem to anything like the same degree. Indeed, it’s quiet and cultured at 110km/h and more, with beautiful, supple ride control and a general feeling that it could go thousands of kilometres in one hit with no real detriment to the driver’s physical wellbeing.
Therefore, if you think of the CLE 53 as a powerful grand tourer with a talented performance edge and a significant turn of speed when required, you’ll enjoy its charms much more than if you go into it expecting one of AMG’s unhinged lunatics that oversteers everywhere in a barrage of tyre smoke and loud, shouty V8 noises. In essence, it feels closer in character to a Ford Mustang Dark Horse than it does to a BMW M4, and that - for many people - will be a benefit, not a drawback.
How economical is the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53?
The inclusion of the EQ Boost mild-hybrid gear into the CLE 53 means this isn’t the worst petrol-powered performance coupe to run. Its CO2 output is high, as we’ve already touched upon, but it’s also low enough - thanks to the 48-volt electrical gear - that the car doesn’t fall into our most punitive motor-tax band - which means you’ll be paying (a still chunky, granted) €1,250 a year to make it legal, rather than the outrageous €2,400 maximum figure.
Further, Mercedes-AMG quotes less than 10 litres/100km (almost 30mpg) officially for fuel economy, although we guess if you’re deploying the full 449hp often then that sort of return will be a pipe dream. On a mixed test route of more than 100km, including motorway, urban and country roads, the CLE 53 used 12.7 litres/100km (22.3mpg) in our hands, which isn’t great but did include plenty of periods of revving the 3.0-litre straight-six to a notable degree. We reckon regular cruising and steadier driving should see those numbers improve quite significantly in the real world.
The reasons you’d buy a Mercedes-AMG CLE 53
Fans of Mercedes-AMG who lament the fact the current C 63 is a plug-in hybrid based on a four-cylinder engine will like the fact that there’s now a de facto coupe replacement for the old 4.0-litre V8 model, one with a big-hearted engine and plenty of style. For everyone else, the CLE 53 4Matic+ is - weird steering feel aside - a thoroughly capable and highly desirable sports car, which can do many things well while still giving the impression it’s something a bit special and out of the ordinary. It’s a likeable, distinguished alternative to the BMW M4 and, for that reason alone, we’re glad the Mercedes-AMG CLE exists.
Ask us anything about the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53
If there’s anything about the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ we’ve not covered, or you’d like advice in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our (completely free) expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
