Category: Large Executive 
Price Range: £59,975 to £153,050
Ride quality, understated appearance, superb engineering, very civilised
Cabin not that special, a bit too tame for some
This is a very fast car, but it doesn't always feel that way as you're so insulated from the outside world
The CL coupe would be one of the world's symbols of conspicuous capitalist consumption - if only it weren't so subtle in its appearance and discreet in its dynamic capabilities and power delivery. The top-end model in the top-drawer Mercedes range, the CL costs more than a generously-sized house in some areas of the UK, and certainly more than a one-bedroom flat in London. It's not cheap, then. But for your money you get Mercedes' new Pre-Safe accident sensing system, an opulently appointed cabin and the choice of a 500 bhp bi-turbo V12 engine or one of two V8s, the supercharged 500 bhp unit of the CL 55 AMG or the 306 bhp motor of the CL 500. What you don't get is supercar-style thrills, but that's not the point of the CL; it is meant to be one of the most civilized coupes in the world. And, of course, if you can afford a CL, you can probably afford a Ferrari (or indeed, one of the forthcoming Mercedes SLR models) for fun as well. It's had a few minor tweaks to its styling for 2003, but the CL retains all the essential ingredients of a luxury purchase without going over the top or looking too tacky. This is how top executives and the world's wealthy pamper themselves. Lowly road testers can console themselves with the thought that the CL is not the most exciting car in the world to drive.
