Words by: Adam Allen
Allow us to provide some clarification: The Mercedes Benz CLE 53 is an absolute stunner to behold, but in certain circumstances while driving, its usual graceful ballet can turn into the two-left-feet-shuffle.
It all starts off exceedingly well. When you first see the CLE 53 in the metal, swooning ensues. It wears its styling gracefully, even sensually, especially when you view those swollen hips from the rear three quarter view. It manages to combine the hallmarks of the current Mercedes Benz design language but mingles those cues with a feminine delicacy across its coupe body style. We were especially smitten by the menacing AMG-specific front grille and the quad (real!) exhaust tips that reside out back. Mercedes has never shied away from using plus sized wheel and tire fitments, and the 295-section rear rubber mounted on very stylish 20” wheels is a particularly fetching example of that tradition. Perhaps the wheels could have been silver in colour rather than black- not our favourite aesthetic- but complaining felt like a fruitless endeavour given how snazzy everything looks overall. Huge AMG branded brake callipers painted red are tasked with clamping large, cross drilled rotors which lurk in the background. These bits coalesce to offer a delightful intimidation factor; when the CLE 53 would arrive on a dawdling motorist’s bumper on the highway, one glance in their rear view mirror was usually all it took to receive the subtle message of “get out of my way.”
Speaking of the highway, the CLE 53 sparkles on the superslab. Years of high-speed Autobahn breeding show up handily in this car’s DNA. Legal speeds feel like the car is almost bored since it’s so composed, and, um, higher speeds are what the car appreciates most. It is so stable and locks onto the horizon for kilometer after kilometer so that you feel like you could digest entire provinces in a single day of driving. The seats are great at providing many comfy hours in the saddle and the Burmester stereo plays your tunes in sonic harmony. Why not skip the airline tickets and just drive to wherever you need to in this thing; maybe pack a little lighter as you would on a regional jet because the cargo areas aren’t humongous.
This isn’t just a sweetheart on boring ol’ Highway 401 and its endless stretches of arrow straight tarmac. Find some adjacent two-lane blacktops and the Benz will show you its playful side. Just how playful is up to you- there’s a smattering of drive modes culminating with Race, because AMG. We gravitated to the Individual mode with the suspension at its most relaxed, but the engine and dynamics were set to full red mist. In that state, the Benz absolutely devastates high-speed sweeping corners. It has tenacious grip and very little body roll, yet it was slightly let down by its Pirelli winter tires, something that surprised no one. We thought better of pushing too hard not only for that reason, but also because we had the CLE 53 in the Carpages Garage on the back end of a nasty winter storm. We thought that the low-slung stance and short side walls would make for more white knuckle driving, but that was far from the case. The Benz proved to be a champ at navigating snow choked side streets with ease. Once we felt comfortable enough, we turned the electronic stability program into its Sport setting which allowed for giggle-inducing oversteer but not to the point where we worried that the front and rear ends would swap places. This is car that will do the grand touring thing as equally adept at playing the grown-up sports car role.
After you’re done indulging your inner George Russell and head for home, things take a turn. It is here, in mindless commuting mode, that the CLE 53 trips up and feels a bit clumsy. There’s a shocking disconnect between the steering, gearbox and throttle calibration that feels like the automotive equivalent of ADD. The steering is precise but aloof, and what felt like a laser guided helm in the twisties feels like it’s a bit lost around town. Most concerning to us was the unpolished behavior of the gearbox and throttle pedal. Mercedes 9-speeders have always been great when you pick up the pace but are not as smooth as a conventional torque converter automatic when you’re just tooling around; a ZF transmission this is not. Moreover, the throttle pedal feel is at odds with the car and at times feels bizarrely out of step. There are times when you want to merge and a more-than-anticipated prod of the gas is needed to get the car to respond the way you want it to, like when negotiating a closing gap in traffic. Other times it feels too hair trigger responsive, causing unbecoming lurches and lunges. We tried fiddling with the drive modes and the levels of customization that exist within, but try as we might, we just couldn’t find the sweet spot- Goldilocks has left the building, folks. For context, we came out of a Honda Civic Hybrid some weeks ago and marveled at its overall brilliance, especially the way it’s so effortless to drive. That’s saying something on a car that has to seamlessly integrate hybrid drivetrain technology. Perhaps the engineers in Munich could borrow one for a day and use it as a benchmark for tuning. Yes, we are aware that we just recommended a glow up of a high-end Benz’s driving chops inspired by an economy car. In all fairness Mercedes isn’t the only one grappling with these issues, but it still never fails to surprise.
Step inside and it’s a similar mixed bag feeling. No one is going to settle into the AMG bucket seats trimmed in supple red leather, take a look around and declare things to be ‘cheap’. And yet, when you look closer and allow your fingers to explore some of the surfaces and touchpoints the veneer of luxury starts to fade somewhat. We noticed some wonky stitching along the dashboard, haptic touch sensors that would sometimes decide not to respond and the feeling that some of the materials selected are perhaps not as top shelf as you’d like. The quality of assembly seems to be slightly amiss too. The strip club-esque ambient lighting does some heavy lifting to add some visual wattage when driving at night, but it feels a bit contrived especially from a brand that used to nail the quiet luxury thing. Don’t get us wrong, Mercedes still knows how to deliver the experience you’d expect of the three-pointed star badge, but there are whiffs of second rate quality that we noticed.
As we noted earlier, the CLE 53 is beautifully designed, well equipped and still knows how to cut a rug when the roads get frisky. It excels as German engineered mile muncher and never fails to turn heads while doing so. We hope that Mercedes can revisit the way drivers interact with the controls for a smoother, more seamless driving experience. If they can get those inputs to gel with the showstopping looks, we have no doubt that the Benz Bunch will once again return to the top of the luxury sports coupe heap.
2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe - Specifications
- Price as tested: $99,700
- Powertrain Layout: Front engine/4MATIC+ all-wheel drive
- Engine: 3.0L turbocharged inline-six, DOHC, 24 valves
- Horsepower: 443 @ 6,100 rpm
- Torque (lbs-ft.): 443 @ 2,200 rpm
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
- Curb weight: 1,997 kg (4,402 lbs)
- Observed Fuel consumption: 14.6L/100km (16 mpg)