Only a couple months into the brand new 12 months my 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300SL obtained totaled whereas parked. Fortunately I obtained a reasonably nice insurance coverage payout, which I promptly spent on a one-owner 2006 Mercedes CLS500. I needed one thing flashy and design-forward, particularly following up a two-tone teal automotive with chrome wheels and gold badges, and the world’s first true four-door coupe in metallic gold is a worthy successor. You’d by no means guess that this design is greater than twenty years previous; it appears to be like simply as recent and putting because it did again then.
That is the most recent automotive I’ve owned by a minimum of twelve years and it has all kinds of options I’ve by no means had in my very own automotive earlier than, like heated and ventilated seats, a bangin’ encompass sound system, parking sensors, an influence sunshade, xenon headlights that swivel, keyless entry, and much more. I’m by no means going again to a shitbox once more.
It’s additionally my first V8 and first automotive with over 300 horsepower, however due to a 7-speed automated transmission I’ve been getting the identical gasoline mileage as my inline-six SL round city and so much higher mileage on the freeway. This automotive is quiet, clean and so comfy — it’s obtained four-corner air suspension with adjustable dampers, which I really like — and by way of dealing with and total driving really feel it rivals at the moment’s luxurious vehicles.
It helps that this one was very nicely taken care of, with simply over 80,000 miles after I purchased it. I want I may return in time and discuss to ten-year-old me, who was obsessive about the CLS from the second he noticed it on the December 2003 Car journal cowl. He’d be so completely satisfied to know that driving and proudly owning the CLS has exceeded his hype.