Mercedes CLS 350

It may look every inch the grand tourer, with its sleek nose and curvaceous profile, but this high-performance Merc has four full-sized doors, so getting in and out is a cinch, even for the very young and the very old.

Despite the CLS name Mercedes engineers didn't use their S-Class limousine as a starting point. Instead, the car uses a modified version of the smaller E-Class saloon's chassis.

There's still plenty of room, however, although the CLS remains stubbornly a four-seater because the rear is split into two deep bucket seats, rather than a bench with room for three. But the expansive cabin does mean every passenger has plenty of head and leg room, even in the back, where the curve of the roof line makes wearing a top hat out of the question.

I found the styling to polarise opinions.

A friend of mine conceded that the CLS was a good car even though it looks the way it does', whereas the young man at the KFC drive-thru thought it was the coolest thing I've ever seen' Me? Well I quite like the understated menace and the way it bucks conventional coupe thinking - there's no dramatic wedge side-profile (in fact, it looks more like an inverted banana split), the boot overhangs the rear wheels by more than is currently fashionable and it has four doors, not two.

Despite, or maybe because of, that I still found the CLS a very agreeable car to look at. It has character and presence by the bucket-load and resembles nothing else on the road.

And in a world of Euro-bland cars shaped by wind tunnels and nothing else, that's good enough for me.

Mind you, this sense of occasion does come at a price. Even the entrylevel diesel costs £43,275 but I suppose that's cheap when you cast your eye over the larger S-Class range and discover that it starts from £56,765.

The CLS also suffers from high company car tax liabilities and insurance costs.

I'm pleased to report, however, that the 3.5-litre petrol engine has a surprisingly modest thirst for unleaded despite its 292bhp performance potential.

During a week of running around country lanes and a bit of dual carriageway slogging, it returned an average of 30.8mpg, a figure that had me wondering if Mercedes hadn't sent the V6 Cdi diesel by mistake!

The 3.5-litre makes the CLS a quick car but not an especially fast one.

Even toting nearly 300bhp it still has to haul a lot of metal around and that blunts outright acceleration even when the automatic gearbox is switched into sport mode. It's better to sit back and just enjoy the ride - which owes more to Jaguar than BMW - as the CLS just eats up the miles.

Cars like this are made for crossing continents without breaking a sweat; the CLS feels as though it can keep going far longer than you could. At 70mph the engine is a distant murmur and there's precious little wind or road noise to disturb your equilibrium.

It really is a great way to travel long distance.

If you really must have even more performance there's always the fivelitre or the wild 5.4-litre with a frankly astonishing 514 bhp kick in the pants available higher up the range.

The electrically-adjustable driver's seat is comfortable and finding a decent driving position is a cinch, thanks to Mercedes' usual attention to detail.

It's a bit of a shame that the leather-bound steering wheel is too big for such a sporty car but otherwise the control layout is exemplary.

The backlit instruments are easy on the eyes at night and the liquid crystal displays for temperature and fuel are clear and concise.

The cruise control can be adjusted in one-mph increments and there's a handing speed limiter for weak-willed drivers who just can't resist maxing out the CLS's performance potential.

Dual zone control air conditioning is idiot proof. Just dial in your desired temperature, punch the A/C button and leave the car to do the rest. It will cool the interior on warm days and heat it up in winter, reaching your settings in a matter of minutes.

The CLS even has that rarest of luxuries these days, a tilt/slide glass sunroof which is handy for brightening up the cabin on sunny days. Heck, even the dark wood trim looked good.

As you'd expect, the standard equipment list is extensive.

Leather trim, climate control and cruise control are all present and correct. The test car also came fitted with the colour screen satellite navigation system which is a cost option. On a car as adept at covering vast distances (and thus getting you hopelessly lost in the process) as this one I'd say it's money well spent.

It's also a very safe car. There are six smart' airbags which deploy according to the severity of an impact, plus anti-lock brakes and traction control to get you out of trouble beforehand.

In the new C-Class Mercedes has shown that it knows how to make a car that's as entertaining to drive as it is well built.

Although the CLS uses the larger E-Class as its departure point, that car's chassis has been extensively fettled for its sporty reincarnation. Now the car feels sharper, particularly through a series of sweeping corners, and it rides closer to the road. Consequently it also rolls a good deal less.

You'd do well to remember that the E-Class is already one of the most admired large saloon cars in the world, right up there with the BMW 5-Series.

If this Merc lacks the ultimate precision of, say, the BMW M-5 (Beemer not make a four-door coupe) that's not to say it's worse because it makes amends with a more comfortable ride. And with such wide tyres (the CLS rides on 275 section road rollers) there's never going to be a shortage of grip at any legal speeds in this country.

I can say with some certainty that the CLS is every inch the equal of the BMW 6-Series, a more traditional coupe that's based on the 5-Series platform.

It also has more room, a good deal more practicality (have I mentioned the big boot yet?) and, to my eyes at least, looks a fair bit better.

The Beemer also costs a few grand more but at these prices that probably doesn't matter too much.

In the end it comes down to whether or not you want a traditional fast back two-door, like a 6-Series or a Jaguar XK, or something that breaks with convention for the sake of efficiency.

Either way, you're unlikely to feel cheated.

I guess it comes down to the old saying: "You pays your money and takes your choice."

SPECIFICATION

Engine: 3.5-litre six cyclinder
Max power: 292bhp
Max speed: 155mph (limited)
0-60mph: n/a
Fuel consumption on test: 30.8mpg
Standard equipment: Electric windows and mirrors, power steering, traction control, dual zone climate control, air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, CD player.
Options fitted to test car: Satellite navigation DVD player.
What the papers said: "A car for people who want more from their Mercedes-Benz than just the image"

- Top Gear