Road Test: Mercedes CLS550
Small changes can have a major impact. Remember Jennifer Grey, the female lead in the film “Dirty Dancing?” Her fine proboscis lent her an air of distinction. Then she had reductive rhinoplasty and dropped out of sight. Although Audi's Auto Union-inspired snout seems to be going for the reverse effect, Mercedes is wise to the law of incremental effect. In the case of the CLS550, small changes have transformed a wannabe into a gotta have.
When the CLS500 first appeared on the scene nearly two years ago, I was intrigued. Architecturally, it was as if Mercedes had grabbed the E-Class at both
ends and pulled, compressing the passenger cabin and elongating the
design. When I got up close and personal, I discovered that the resulting interior spaces were wide yet useless, with limited head and legroom. The car’s curvaceous roofline and tiny windows also restricted rear visibility, while huge side mirrors hampered the view at eight o’ clock and two o’ clock. And without the optional electronic parking assist, backing into a parking space was an expensive game of blind man’s bluff.
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