Test drive Mercedes Benz Cl C216 since 2006 coupe

Goddess

Mercedes is just right to join the Rolls-Royce camp and in the column engine power to respectfully indicate sufficient. We had the most modest CL500 with a new 388-horsepower volume of 5.5 liters of V8 on a test drive, but its abilities are overlapped by the needs of almost all drivers. Moreover, the maximum speed in any case is limited at a mark of 250 km/h ...
Moscow coming
The world premiere of the latest Mercedes CL took place at the Moscow MIMS-2006 MIMS-2006 A spectacular body spread under the rays of the sofites and, squinting the gaze, did not pay any attention to the crowds of onlookers. For some reason, she would like to turn to CL exclusively as a girl stubbornly waited for the end of this masquerade to get free. A few brutal radiator grille is diluted with elegant headlights, which are cut into the wings and are located half a hundred below the hood: this form improves the body aerodynamics, which is extremely important for such a high -speed car. The laid-out feed is also a tribute to aerodynamics, as well as nods towards the jaguar, although it is sinful to blame the designers of Mercedes in plagiarism in the 4-door CLS compartment, as well as some Bentley models.
Now aerodynamics is one of the most important components of modern automotive industry. The simplest way to achieve high speed is the reduction of aerodynamic resistance, although with the power of Mercedes everything is fine: 388 horses disperse the compartment to the declared 250 km/h easier than other machines are gaining 150 km/h.
Above the road
However, in order to understand and feel CL, it is completely optional to rush into full speed, hanging on a speed limit. She more likes silently slide over the grayness and wretchedness of the surrounding world. To fly in the left row of Kutuzovsky Prospekt, occasionally pleasing with high light, not so much to drive the next shifting car (no matter what brand and model), how much to pay attention. Look, I am proud and impregnable, I have not ended up to reduce the speed because of you, mortals.
By the way, if you still have to slow down, CL is able to reduce speed independently: for these purposes, the active cruise control of Distronic, which can maintain a safe distance to the ahead of the car and, if necessary, use the brakes. Moreover, unlike similar competitors, Mercedes is able to provide a safe distance in the range from 0 to 200 km/h. And, accordingly, it can be used both on an autobahn and in traffic.
If you use the brakes for their intended purpose and control the machine yourself, and not according to the radar, then the electro -hydraulic brake system no longer seems so perfect. At first, she even scared, because the driver, in fact, does not press the pedal, but on the key that does not have a direct connection with the brakes. The dosage of slowdown is controlled by electronics, and not the driver's leg. It seems that the driver only gives the command that he wants to reduce flight speed, and the computer himself already calculates what the magnitude of the slowdown should be. Of course, this is not the case and the brakes still obey the driver, although this reaction is not linear and sometimes happened to be mistaken, re-emitting during smooth slowing or, conversely, resorting at the last moment to emergency braking. And this despite the fact that initially the distance made it possible to slow down carefully, but the car did not immediately understand my team. Fortunately, in the end, CL did everything right, but in order to switch with the brakes to you, it takes time.
The steering wheel also changes its susceptibility depending on the modes of movement and does it at first somewhat unusual. In the parking lot, the steering wheel is expected to be light and remains like that in the nearoral zone up to 70-80 km/h. However, it is worth laying the turn more abruptly, and already at a speed of 50 km/h of the steering wheel gets in a juicy reactive force. Turning the steering wheel further is not as easy as you expect: the developers explain this property by protecting from a fool, so that in an emergency, the driver does not twist the wheels. Only it is not very clear how to act smart in such a situation. At first, such tricks are somewhat scared, but then you get used to them, and this is not at all annoyed, especially given the fact that the steering wheel remains very informative, that it is important because this Mercedes is designed for the driver.
By the way, it is interesting how CL will behave in the summer in conditions of heat and active drive, even if in winter a couple of sharp slowdowns led to the appearance of the caustic smell of crushed pads. However, there is a hope that these are flaws of a test car, which went through the hands of many car journalists who experienced it in fairly strict conditions.
The latest 5.5 V8 motor was primarily pleased with the excellent soundtrack. Up to 3000 rpm, the engine is not heard at all, and after that it reminds of its presence with a muffled bass. As in any other Mercedes, even at maximum revolutions, the motor is heard in the cabin exactly so much as to report to the driver that he is now working at full strength, but in no case the engine does not cut his hearing and does not strain the drum membranes. But if versions with more modest engines simply work quietly, then CL500 does this with a special charm, enriching the standard soundtrack notes, characteristic only for V8 engines. Similar overtones can be heard on the outside, but they are not so impressive outside the luxurious interior.
The capabilities of the motor were said at the very beginning, they are sufficient. A 7G-Tronic company 7G-Tronic, finally received a sports algorithm of work and allows not only to sort out the steps on their own keys on the back of the steering wheel, but also adapt to the nature of the movement. Although in the first place, of course, there is comfort, and when the maximum revolutions, the box will prudently switch to the next step even when working in manual mode.
In the cabin
And of course it is impossible to ignore the luxurious intercope's interior. The front panel is borrowed from the new S-class (W221) and amazes the imagination with an abundance of incredible options. Through the Command interface system, you can turn soft front seats into a semblance of sports buckets, and the control range is so large that it is difficult to imagine such a large or so small person for whom they were designed. Absolutely everything is electrified, including the movements of the steering column and the headrest.
The central console is simplified to the limit for a massive wooden insert is decorated only by strict arrow clock and a line of climate control keys that you do not use so often. The REST function was very convenient in the parking lot - it allows you to heat the interior with residual heat when the engine is turned off, and given that the motor is equipped with an electricum tank and heats up in a matter of minutes, the system works very efficiently and can significantly save fuel.
The audio system is taken to the tunnel and is carried out through the Command system. Its interface is completely Russified and after meeting with IDRive from BMW is already perceived as a children's toy.
Result
It seems that the engineers managed to deduce their own original sports gene, when the power of the motor is converted not into the minimum circle on the racing track and not even at maximum speed on the German autobahn, but in a special feeling of lightness of being and intimacy between points A and B, which used to seem to seem to seem like much bigger. At the wheel of Mercedes Cl, as with a good friend, any road seems twice shorter, and the feeling does not live somewhere under the hood, but directly in the shower of the driver.
It should also be noted that despite the ability to move with incredible speed and ease of public roads, CL is completely unsuitable for extreme driving along the racing highway. The main task of the Mercedes to distance the driver from the road and instead of a sense of rolling to give him a sense of flight over asphalt, which is completely contrary to racing driving, when the driver should be pressed to the road extremely tightly and feel the coating and the car as a continuation of himself.
Choose a Mercedes Cl head Apriori is wrong: it is bought for beauty, and not for a set of options or a powerful motor. If the question is, which CL to choose, nevertheless will arise, guided by common meaning, we recommend the most modest 500th. Firstly, this is the most modern Mercedes motor, and secondly, its capacities are more than enough. Yes, and paying 50 thousand euros for an additional 130 horses is already too much, it is better to order incredible options for this amount, which could only be dreamed of a couple of years ago.
Although the wise sellers of the Mercedes say that if you are still interested in the price of our car, it is better to go to the competitors' car dealerships and pick up something simpler. After all, prices for expensive models fall very quickly. For example, now you can buy the previous generation CL500, released in 2000, for only 40-45 thousand dollars, while now the new CL in the basic configuration costs from 130 thousand euros (169 thousand dollars), and the tested car with an abundance of options costs all 168 thousand euros (220 thousand dollars).
Competitors
It is not easy to choose worthy rivals for CL, which guarantees the special status of Mercedes for all times. An attentive reader will ask: what about the BMW 6-series? Yes, the six is \u200b\u200bgood, but she lacks the gloss that CL has. The latest Jaguar XK? It’s also not bad, but again it does not smell like that comfort and an abundance of options, as in Mercedes. The only worthy opponent CL can be called Bentley Continental GT with its 560-horsepower engine, all-wheel drive and price of 220 thousand euros, but it has been produced for three years and managed to become awake even on Russian roads. Well, it's time to update the fleet
 
Leonid Pavlov
   

Source: Carclub.ru