2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Road Test and Review

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

There are a significant number of four-door sedan and SUV vehicles with swoopy rooflines in today’s luxury marketplace described by their makers as “coupes,” but just a handful of true two-door, four-passenger coupes. One is the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLE, which replaces both the previous Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class two-door models.

As true coupes go, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE is the largest in its class, stretching more than 6 inches longer, 2.1-inches wider, and more than 0.5 inches taller than the 2023 C-Class Coupe it replaces. It’s even longer and wider than the outgoing E-Class Coupe.

Sporting a distinctive shark-nose design, the sharp and stylish CLE Coupe is a true coupe with just two doors, unlike the CLA Coupe which is a four-door sedan with a slinky roofline. 

As a four-seat coupe, the new Mercedes is available in CLE 300, CLE 450, and AMG CLE 53 iterations. There’s also a four-seat cabriolet version of the CLE 300 and CLE 450. Next year, an AMG CLE 53 Cabriolet arrives. Including the $1,150 destination charge, the CLE 300 Coupe starts at $57,650, CLE 450 Coupe at $66,800, and the AMG CLE 53 Coupe at $73,950. Soft-top variants begin at $65,500 for the CLE 300 Cabriolet and $75,000 for the CLE 450 Cabriolet

Competitors to the Mercedes-Benz CLE include the Audi A5, BMW 4-Series, and Lexus RC.

Turbocharged Hybrid Power

The CLE 300 is powered by a 255-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo with 295 lb-ft of torque while the CLE 450 gets a 375-hp 3.0-liter inline-six turbo with 369 lb-ft of grunt. The AMG version, when it arrives, will also sport a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with an electric supercharger that’s been breathed on to produce 443 horsepower.

All three powerplants include a 48-volt mild hybrid system with an electric starter/generator that can provide as much as 23 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. Rather than adding to the output of the gas engine, this system smooths the power flow as the CLE moves up through the gears, makes for a less abrupt restart after shutting off the engine at a stoplight to save gas, and allows the engine to glide on electric power only when coasting or decelerating. 

Regardless of the powerplant, a slick-shifting, standard nine-speed automatic transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive seamlessly drive all four wheels for satisfying performance and confidence-building traction over a wide range of road surfaces and weather conditions. 

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Bright and High-Tech Cabin Design

Complementing the CLE’s gorgeous exterior design is a razzle-dazzle dash with a 12.4-inch horizontal-format configurable driver gauge display and 11.9-inch vertical-format center infotainment screen, both sporting a full array of colors including vibrant reds and blues. Metallic accents and Piano Black are also in abundance on the dash, console, and door trim to dramatic effect. It’s the same basic dash layout as the C-Class Sedan and GLC SUV and Coupe. Standard fare includes 64-color dynamic ambient accent lighting on the dash, upper ventilation outlets, door trim, and center console that adds drama to drives, particularly at night.

Getting less priority is storage for front seaters. Although the glovebox and door pockets are a decent size, the center console trades utility for style. Sliding the console cover forward reveals a pair of cup holders, a cubby for small items such as the key fob, a wireless phone charger, and a pair of USB-C ports. Unfortunately, when beverages are in the cup holders, it’s difficult to access the phone charger which is tucked way forward under the console cover. A deeper cubby under the padded center armrest is accessed via bomb-bay doors.

Then again, the rear seat, which will rarely be occupied by adults, is a handy spot to stash items you want to keep close but don’t necessarily have to access while driving.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Luxury Thrones Up Front

You’d expect comfy front seats in the Mercedes CLE, and its luxurious thrones don’t disappoint. Standard are heated, power-operated multi-contour front bucket seats with adjustable lumbar support and memory functions. MB-Tex, a convincing synthetic seat covering, is standard fare with real leather an extra-cost option.

The CLE’s front buckets prioritize comfort over heavy bolstering, but still offer good support for your back and lower torso. There are no hard bolsters to slide one’s butt over when entering or exiting. The CLE’s seats are wider and more accommodating than those in the Audi A5 Coupe. Optional is front seat ventilation and massage.

Cabriolet models include features that make top-down motoring more pleasurable. An Aircap wind deflector minimizes air buffeting for front seaters and an Airscarf directs warm air at neck level.

The power seat controls are located on the door, not the outboard edge of the seats. Like the power-seat switches, the CLE’s mimic a side view of the seat. But the seat switches differ from the norm in that there is no movement or feedback when they are operated. You don’t push the switch in the desired direction. You just touch it where needed to adjust the seat fore/aft, up/down, bottom-cushion tilt and seatback recline angle.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Lights, Action, Showtime

More than just an infotainment system display, the CLE’s bright and colorful portrait-format center display is the control center for most interior functions. In addition to detailed navigation maps and easy access to music and phone connectivity, the screen’s lower section houses automatic climate control virtual switchgear. The dash is devoid of conventional knobs and buttons with audio functions controlled either by steering-wheel capacitive switches, voice commands, or screen arrows. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is an immersive 17-speaker Burmester surround sound audio system that includes speakers in the front seat headrests. All in all, the setup is modern with dramatic presentation, especially at twilight with the standard dynamic interior ambient lighting accenting the cabin in colorful hues.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Cozy Rear Perches

As with most coupes, the Mercedes-Benz CLE rear seat has seatbelts for just two passengers. Due to a 1-inch wheelbase stretch, the new CLE offers 2.2 inches more rear legroom than the outgoing C-Class Coupe, although considerably less than the C-Class four-door sedan. Among competing two-door luxury coupes, the Mercedes-Benz CLE offers greater rear seat headroom than the BMW 4 Series and Lexus RC and more rear legroom than the Audi A5 and Lexus RC. Still, taller passengers won’t be very comfortable back there.

Although it’s still a squeeze, entry to the rear seats is facilitated via a leather strap attached to the top of each front seatback which, when pulled, angles the front seatback forward and motors the front seat forward ever so slowly. Both rear seats have Isofix child-seat anchors. Between the two rear seats is a center console with two cup holders and a small open storage tray.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Decent Trunk Space

While you may want to switch to an SUV for those big grocery store runs, the CLE’s trunk isn’t tiny. At 11.2 cubic feet, the Mercedes-Benz CLE’s luggage space is more generous than in some competing coupes such as the Audi A5 or Lexus RC. Mercedes-Benz says there’s room for up to three golf bags and my airport roller bag slid in easily with what looks like room for two more. Under the trunk floor is some concealed storage for small items as well. A power deck-lid opening and closing feature makes accessing your trunk treasures easy.

There’s no spare tire, but standard run-flat tires that can let the car travel another 50 miles at up to 50 mph if there is a loss of tire pressure add some peace of mind.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Driving Assistance and Safety Tech

Over the years, Mercedes-Benz has been a leader in safety technology and driver-assistance features. That said, as one of the brand’s less-expensive offerings, the CLE offers most of its advanced driver assistance features as optional equipment. The optional $1,950 Driver Assistance package contains most of the brand’s best driver-assistance technology, including Distronic adaptive cruise control, active blind-spot assist which not only notifies the driver of a vehicle in the driver’s blind spot but also can apply the opposite-side brakes to help prevent a collision if the warning is ignored. The optional driver assistance package also brings active lane-keeping, lane-change assist, active traffic-sign assist, and a host of other helpful
technologies. We wouldn’t recommend skipping this option, nor would we forgo the $600 surround-view camera (also bundled into the $2,600 optional Pinnacle trim upgrade) that gives a 360-degree overhead view of the car and its immediate surroundings or the $700 rear side airbags.

The new Mercedes-Benz CLE has not been rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for crash safety. There are also no ratings yet from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) either, but the C-Class sedan upon which the CLE is based receives Good scores for front- and side-impact crashworthiness and is a 2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Smooth and in the Groove on the Road

Much like the C-Class sedan it is based on, the Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 delivers a smooth, comfortable ride with good impact-absorbing qualities over a broad spectrum of road surfaces. Its steering is precise and handling nimble, although slightly less sporty than that offered by the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5. The CLE 300 test car offered good braking performance from speed, however, longer-than-expected travel before reaching a firm pedal detracted from initial responsiveness.

Buyers looking for a more dynamic driving experience may prefer the CLE 450, which upgrades to a Sport Brake system with perforated rotors and Sport Suspension which automatically adjusts the shock-absorber damping of each wheel to road conditions in real time and maintains a sportier level of control.

EPA estimated fuel economy numbers for coupe models are 24 mpg city/34 mpg highway28 mpg combined for the four-cylinder CLE 300, 23 mpg city/33 mpg highway/26 mpg combined for the six-cylinder CLE 450 and 20 mpg city/27 mpg highway/23 mpg combined for the AMG-modified six-cylinder CLE 53. Over 210 miles and a week of driving on a mix of residential, freeway, and mountainous two-lane highways, the CLE 300 test car averaged 28.7 mpg, not bad for a luxury cruiser.

The CLE 300’s four-cylinder provided ample performance in everyday driving, with the ability to accelerate from rest to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The six-cylinder CLE 450 quickens the pace considerably with a manufacturer-estimated 0-60 time of just 4.2 seconds without taking much of a bite out of the EPA estimated fuel economy.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Always in Style

From a design and comfort standpoint, the Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 is unmatched among mid-size, four-passenger coupes. From its sultry sheet metal to its exquisitely crafted cabin, the CLE 300 is a standout with great curb appeal and driving pleasure. The swoopy coupe coddles the driver and passengers in first-class luxury, however, for buyers who like the look but want a bit more performance, the CLE 450 or AMG CLE 53 are worth a test drive.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 ・ Photo by Ron Sessions