Item: Used Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake 2012 - 2018
Rating: 4
Author: Steve Huntingford

The CLS Shooting Brake is pretty unique in the class of swoopy estates, but the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/xf/estate/used-review/n17414">Jaguar XF Sportbrake</a> is perhaps a close second in terms of style. The boot in the XF is a little bit smaller, but you will be able to pick a Jaguar up for less money than a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a>.

If practicality is what you’re after but still want a Mercedes, try an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/estate/used-review/n762">E-Class Estate</a>. It won’t look as cool, perhaps, but it is much more practical because of its boxy shape.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the <a href="http://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">What Car? Newsletter here</a>

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<h3 dir="ltr">Possible risk of fire</h3>

A rubber seal on cars made between 1 July 2012 and 31 December 2014 could stick to the bonnet when opened&nbsp;and then fall off into the engine bay when the bonnet is closed again. If this part makes contact with the hot exhaust, it could catch fire. If your car is affected, it will need to have some clips installed to keep the seal in place.

<h3 dir="ltr">Oil leak</h3>

Certain diesel models built between 1 February 2014 and 30 November 2014 have the wrong ‘O’ type oil seal fitted between the timing chain tensioner and engine, which could cause it to leak oil over time. If enough oil is allowed to leak out and the levels aren’t checked, it could lead to engine damage. Check with a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a> dealer if you car is affected, because it’ll need a new seal fitted to prevent the problem.

<h3 dir="ltr">Fuel leak</h3>

Cracks could form in the high pressure fuel lines of examples made between 28 October 2015 and 19 November 2015,&nbsp;allowing fuel to leak out. If the fuel makes contact with hot parts of the engine,&nbsp;a fire could result. If your car is affected, it’ll need to have new fuel lines fitted, which can be sorted at any Mercedes dealer.

<h3 dir="ltr">Emissions recall</h3>

Mercedes issued a voluntary recall for diesel models produced between January 2011 and September 2015, those dates spanning a period that closes just after the&nbsp;CLS Shooting Brake received a&nbsp;facelift. To find out if your car has had the recall, or if you want to work to be carried out, contact your local Mercedes dealer for further information.

Mercedes as a brand seems to have a bit of an issue with reliability;&nbsp;they&nbsp;only managed to achieve a 24th place finish out of 31 car manufacturers according to our latest <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n20069">What Car? Reliability survey</a>.

If you'd like to see the full reliability list, head to the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042"> What Car? Reliability Survey</a> pages for more information.

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Estate

Mercedes’ line-up is vast – ranging from the A-Class family hatchback through to staple saloons such as the C-Class and E-Class, and onwards towards multiple SUVs, luxury saloons and even sports cars. Coupés and convertibles are thrown into the mix as well.

As one of the ‘big three’ German brands, Mercedes most often finds itself competing with Audi and BMW but more recently has found itself fending off Jaguar and Volvo, too.

Mercedes models are known for comfort. One example of this is the E-Class, because while the Audi A6 has a plusher interior and the BMW 5 Series handles better, the E-Class is probably the most comfortable for a long motorway journey.

MERCEDES-BENZ

Unique styling and a touch of extra practicality makes the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake an appealing used buy

Used Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake 2012 - 2018

Unless you’re looking at a 63 AMG with its 27.9mpg fuel economy and 235g/km CO2 emissions, the CLS Shooting Brake shouldn’t cost you a fortune during daily driving. The most efficient is the 220 diesel (56.5mpg and 129g/km) that became available after the 2014 facelift. Before that, the 250 diesel was the most economical at 53.3mpg, with emissions of 161g/km.&nbsp;The six-cylinder 350 diesel isn’t too far behind the 220 and 250 for economy, though,&nbsp;with figures of 47.1mpg and 161g/km.

A CLS registered before 1 April 2017 will fall under the old road tax system that assigned a&nbsp;yearly fee based upon&nbsp;CO2 emissions, whereas anything registered after this date will be charged a flat rate fee, with the possibility of a further fee levied on anything that cost more than £40,000 when new.

Of course, every CLS cost significantly more than this when new, so owners of examples registered on or after that date have to pay the top rate of road tax until the vehicle is six years old, after when it will drops back down to the flat rate fee. To find out more about<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153"> road tax costs, click here</a>.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a> servicing, meanwhile, is some of the most expensive around. It currently costs £936 if you pre-pay for two services on a normal CLS, and £1176 if it’s a 63 AMG. It might, therefore, be worth finding an independent Mercedes specialist; they may&nbsp;be able to perform the same maintenance tasks at a lower cost.&nbsp;

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It doesn’t have the engaging handling you might have hoped for given the athletic look of the exterior, but the CLS Shooting Brake is still a fine grand tourer with a high-quality interior

You can buy a CLS Shooting Brake for a little under £10,000 if you are prepared to put up with a high mileage. If you want something that's covered fewer&nbsp;miles, a&nbsp;2013 example with a below-average mileage will set you back £12,500-£13,000. A facelifted car,&nbsp;from late 2014 onwards with and average number of miles on it can be had for around £19,000. If you want one of the bonkers&nbsp;63 AMG&nbsp;versions, be prepared to pay handsomely for the privilege;&nbsp;you’ll need at least £25,000 to buy one.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">Check the value of a used Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake with What Car? Valuations</a>

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We’d recommend going for a later, post-facelift CLS because it gives you a&nbsp;bit more equipment over the those examples built before the refresh. You might want to also look out for the Premium pack because it adds a reversing camera.

Because we’re recommending the later car, we’d suggest you go for the entry-level 220 diesel engine for the lowest fuel&nbsp;and road tax costs.

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a> CLS Shooting Brake: 220 AMG Line

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Huge boot and excellent practicality</li> <li>Plenty of interior space so you can carry passengers as well as luggage </li> <li>Strong engines to pull a heavily laden car</li> <li>Comfortable ride, especially on the motorway</li> <li>Low running costs for company car drivers</li></ul>

If you’re after bags of space but you don’t want to commit to the van-like dimensions and styling of an MPV, there are some great estate cars on offer that should do the job.

Tricks to look out for include an electric tailgate&nbsp;that opens automatically when you wave your foot under the rear bumper; this is&nbsp;particularly handy if you’re trying to load in a heavy or&nbsp;bulky item. You should also look for handles in the side of the boot itself that can drop down the rear seats; these are much more convenient than having to walk around the side of the car to do it.

There are some terrific estates at most price ranges. The humble Skoda Fabia Estate offers cavernous space for not much cash at all, for example.

Further up the price range, another of our perennial favourites is the Skoda Superb Estate;&nbsp;it’s great to drive and as practical as most people should ever need. Meanwhile, for serious mile-munching ability and a premium, well-finished interior, it’s hard to look beyond the BMW 5 Series Touring.

Even though parking sensors are standard on the CLS, you should still look out for and bodywork damage. The rear window is quite small and the side windows are equally shallow, so obstructions can still be lost in the various blind spots.&nbsp;

Speaking of things that are small, the narrow boot aperture might have suffered some damage from items being loaded into the back. Also,&nbsp;a cherry wood boot floor was a £4000 option that needed to be&nbsp;looked after rather more diligently than the standard&nbsp;carpet would.

The CLS offered some big alloy wheel options&nbsp;that could look very tatty if covered in kerb damage, and which can be expensive to repair if more than one wheel needs doing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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The trouble with being voguish in the motoring world is that the niche being filled might not be a particularly strong-selling one. The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a> CLS Shooting Brake is a prime example of this; it was only on sale for six years and wasn’t replaced. Buyers preferred&nbsp;SUVs with&nbsp;coupé styling, instead. Shame, really, because besides its rakish roofline, a used CLS Shooting Brake has a lot going for it.&nbsp;

Despite its fairly radical exterior looks, its engine&nbsp;range was conventional&nbsp;and shared with other Mercedes models. The sensible choices were the two four-cylinder, 2.1-litre diesels with either 175bhp&nbsp;(220d) or 201bhp (250d). There’s also a larger and more refined 258bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel (350d), or, for those who think nothing of forking out for petrol, there’s a hugely fast 5.5-litre V8 (63 AMG) with either 525, 557, or 577bhp outputs.

On the road, the CLS is a refined cruiser, with low levels of wind and engine noise. The steering is light and effortless, but certainly not the sharpest. It still manages to be precise and reassuring at higher speeds, though. The ride depends upon which suspension option the car has been fitted with; the standard suspension set-up can be a bit firm, and things are&nbsp;only made worse with the ‘sports’ suspension fitted to AMG Sport models. Air suspension is standard on the rear axle of the CLS Shooting Brake, but its main job is to deal with heavy loads in the boot, so you’ll need to find an example fitted with full air suspension to be able to select a ‘comfort’ setting for a smoother ride.

The interior is well made, though, with lots of dense, soft-touch plastics and even leather covering the top of the dashboard, and you had a choice of wood inserts and even carbonfibre trim on top-spec AMG cars. There won’t be any complaints from those in the front over the amount of available room, and there’s lots of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel for a driver to find their ideal position.&nbsp;

Due to the reduced height of the roofline, if you regularly carry taller passengers in the back, you might find that their heads touching the roof lining. If this is the case, you might be better served buying a regular <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/estate/used-review/n762">Mercedes E-Class Estate</a>, since there is more space in that car. Keep in mind that, while the CLS Shooting Brake does have five seats, the limited head room and large central tunnel makes carrying five suitable only for short trips.&nbsp;

Boot space, in terms of total volume is actually rather good. It’s bigger, even, than a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/xf/estate/used-review/n17414">Jaguar XF Sportbrake</a>. However, the restrictive opening and sill that you have to lift items over conspire to hamper&nbsp;practicality.&nbsp;

Standard equipment includes front and rear parking sensors, an electric tailgate, 18in alloy wheels, xenon headlights, a Becker sat nav system, DAB radio and leather seats. AMG Sport endows the CLS with 19in alloy wheels, a sporty body kit, sport-tuned suspension, LED headlights, heated front sports seats, alloy pedals and Mercedes' Comand infotainment system.&nbsp;

AMG Line became the default choice from 2014 onwards and made heated front seats and the Comand infotainment system standard, but you could also&nbsp;add a couple of option packs if you wanted&nbsp;more toys. The Premium pack included an electric sunroof and reversing camera, while the Premium Plus pack added keyless go and an upgraded Harman Kardon sound system. The top-of-the-range 63 AMG has a beefy bodykit, a different front grille, rear spoiler and sports exhaust. Inside, there are numerous AMG details and even a race timer.

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Used Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake 2012 - 2018 review

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The CLS Shooting Brake is pretty unique in the class of swoopy estates, but the Jaguar XF Sportbrake is perhaps a close second in terms of style. The boot in the XF is a little bit smaller, but you will be able to pick a Jaguar up for less money than a Mercedes.,If practicality is what you’re after but still want a Mercedes, try an E-Class Estate. It won’t look as cool, perhaps, but it is much more practical because of its boxy shape.,For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter herePage 5 of 5 

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