Used Mercedes CLS 2018-2023 review

Long ago, when car ownership was a luxury for only the fortunate few, coachbuilders could take the chassis of an existing vehicle and build you a more striking body to sit atop it. Today, car makers are still reclothing existing platforms with more rakish designs, particularly after the success of the original Mercedes CLS, which was based on the Mercedes E-Class.

So successful was the CLS that Mercedes made three generations of them, with this car being the third and final iteration. Canny used car buyers can snap one up for less than you might think.

Engines and performance: Powering the CLS is a range of three petrol and three diesel turbocharged engines. The 242bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder (badged 300d) starts off the diesel range, followed by two versions of the same 2.9-litre six-cylinder unit with 282bhp (350d) and 335bhp (400d). Petrol lovers can choose between a 295bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder (350) and a 3.0-litre six-cylinder making 362bhp (450) or 429bhp (AMG 53). All four-cylinder engines drive the rear wheels, while the six-cylinder models have Mercedes' 4Matic four-wheel-drive system. A nine-speed automatic gearbox is standard across the range.

Ride and handling: The driving experience is a bit of a mixed bag, because there’s very little wind noise and the engines are generally really quiet – particularly the six-cylinder diesels. Road noise is a bit more noticeable and there’s a surprising amount of suspension noise over bumps, and even models equipped with the optional air suspension struggle with pockmarked asphalt at lower speeds. Things do settle once you're up to a motorway cruise, though.

However, there is a certain amount of enjoyment to be had behind the wheel of a CLS, because the handling is rather sweet and there’s plenty of grip. The automatic gearbox swaps between ratios quickly, more so than that of the Audi A7 Sportback. Precise steering and progressive, smooth brakes complete what is a very pleasant package.

Interior and practicality: The CLS's driving position is alright, but the slightly offset pedals and bulge in the transmission tunnel by your left leg are a bit of a disappointment. Seeing out of the front is fine, too, but visibility is tricky out of the back due to the tapering rear end that makes the windows shallower. Thankfully, Mercedes has thought about the stress of parking and added front and rear parking sensors, as well as a rear-view camera, as standard. At night, the standard adaptive LED headlights are superb, too.

There’s little doubt that the CLS has one of the snazziest interiors in the class, with a rich mix of materials including stained wood veneers and chrome highlights. It looks even plusher when bathed in the ambient lighting at night. Full leather seats are standard, but baby-soft nappa leather was available as an option (the AMG 53 gets nappa leather as standard). While all that looks and sounds great, it has to be said that, compared with the best-finished cars in the class, of which the A7 would be one, the feel of some parts of the interior feels a bit below par for the price.

In terms of infotainment, as you’d expect, sat-nav, a DAB radio and Bluetooth are all included, as well as two 12.3in screens – one for infotainment and one directly in front of the driver in place of analogue instruments. The infotainment system is controlled either from the touchpad on the centre console, via touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel, or through certain voice commands. Pre-facelift cars have a rotary control dial and a touchpad.

We approve of the CLS's physical controller because it’s vastly less distracting to use while driving than the touchscreen system in the A7. However, we still prefer the iDrive system in the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé, because the menu layout and general functionality of the software is more intuitive to use.

Despite its sporty and intimate feel inside, leg room in the front of the CLS is fine for six-footers, although head room is a little tight. That said, so far we’ve only tried cars with a sunroof fitted and, similarly equipped, the A7 and 8 Series Gran Coupé are no better.

Compared with a two-door coupé, the extra doors make life much easier for anyone getting in and out of the rear. Once inside, leg room is fine, although nowhere near as good as that in the 8 Series, while the difference in head room is marginal for anyone tall. You will struggle to get three abreast at the back, unless all of them are kids.

The saloon-style bootlid leaves a narrow aperture compared with the A7’s wide-opening tailgate, so the CLS won’t fit very bulky items. There’s still a good amount of space otherwise, because we managed to fit seven carry-on suitcases inside. If you need more room, 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats come as standard, allowing you to fit longer items when required.

Trims and equipment: AMG Line is the only trim available on the CLS, so it’s very well equipped, with 19in alloy wheels, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, LED adaptive headlights, leather seats that are heated in the front, keyless entry, a 12.3in infotainment system and a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat. All cars come with a Burmester sound system, too.

Cars fitted with the Premium Plus packed are worth looking out for, because that adds Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, an upgraded Burmester stereo, a 360deg camera and full electric adjustment for the front seats. The Comfort package adds nappa leather, air suspension and an interior fragrance dispenser.

"I've always felt a six-cylinder engine adds a more premium feeling to a car than a four-cylinder. That's no exception in the CLS, where the petrol and diesel sixes are particularly refined and smooth." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

If you're interested in buying a used Mercedes CLS or any of the cars we've mentioned, head over to our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at a great price.

Prices for a used Mercedes CLS start from around £16,000, where there's a mixture of 300d or 350d cars from 2018 – all with high mileage. For early cars with more reasonable miles, have a budget of at least £19,000 at the ready.

For a newer car from 2020, have a budget of at least £21,000. If you want a later 2021 and 2022 car, look to spend upwards of £23,000. The AMG 53 models starts from around £33,000.

Check the value of a used Mercedes CLS with What Car? Valuations

MPG

The CLS is pretty evenly matched with its closest rivals in terms of daily fuel costs. The most economical according to the official WLTP figures is the 300d, with 45.6mpg. Both the six-cylinder 350d and 400d have a figure of 41.5mpg.

Petrol models are rather more powerful, but mild hybrid technology is fitted to all versions helps to boost efficiency. The four-cylinder 350 has a combined average of 36.2mpg, while the six-cylinder, four-wheel-drive 450 manages 34.0mpg. If you want the hotter AMG 53, this figure drops to 31.0mpg.

Road tax

Road tax will be pricey, though, since every CLS costs more than £40,000 when new and will attract the highest rate of tax until the car is more than six years old. To find out more about the current road tax costs, click here.

Servicing

Servicing costs at a franchised Mercedes dealership will hurt your wallet, because routine maintenance is considerably pricier than it is for other premium brands. You can expect to pay £816 for two services, £1124 for three and £1632 for four. To put that into context, two services for an Audi under three years old will cost £468 for engines up to and including 2.0-litre models or £594 for anything above that.

Reliability

Based on real-world owner reviews from our annual What Car? Reliability Survey, the Mercedes CLS offers a mixed bag of dependable diesel engines and pricey repair bills. While many enjoy trouble-free driving, others reported infotainment glitches and expensive air suspension failures, alongside a notable fire-risk recall for newer models. Due to high labour costs, we suggest securing a warranty to protect your wallet from the cost of keeping this complex car on the road.

To find out more about used Mercedes CLS reliability, head to our dedicated reliability page.

Engine

We’d recommend the 350d as the best engine choice. Unless you do only urban driving, the petrols aren’t a patch on the performance, economy and refinement of this six-cylinder diesel. The 300d four-cylinder diesel isn't as refined.

Specification

AMG Line is your only option here. This matters little, since there’s tonnes of equipment as standard, but you might want to look for a car with the Premium Plus pack, which includes the full smartphone integration the CLS usually misses out on.

The Driving Assistance Plus pack adds a lot of active safety technology, such as blindspot monitoring, which might be useful for those who do lots of motorway miles.

Our favourite Mercedes CLS: 350d AMG Line Premium Plus

The Audi A7 Sportback is brimming with all the latest technology to please the smartphone-wielding generation. It may even appeal to the engineering set, because you can get some versions of the A7 with four-wheel steering to make it more nimble in town and improve the feeling of stability at speed.

The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé, meanwhile, mixes it with the best in the five-door coupé market as an extremely well made and refined grand tourer with room for four adults.

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