2019 Mercedes Benz AMG CLS53 Sedan: Stylin’!

This year, Mercedes Benz decided that sedans in its E Class and S Class weren’t enough, so it has introduced a sedan to the traditional CLS coupe model. The result is a very sharp-looking car with room for five-passengers who aren’t of any considerable size, and Mercedes has given it the AMG racecar treatment for even more performance enhancement.

(The AMG badge is for the performance wing of Mercedes Benz, and it is an acronym for Aufecht, Melcher, and Großaspach – yeah, I didn’t know that either.)

The CLS53 sedan is meant to be the practical car that can tear up the road, and to the best of my delicate capabilities, it can.  You’ll definitely feel the performance when you drive it, which will hopefully make the base price of $79K US worth it for you. Performance and style are key to this year’s CLS53.

The engine is upgraded this year. It’s a 3.0-liter AMG-enhanced inline-6 turbo, offering 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque. You’ll get AMG Speedshift 9-speed transmission, ECO Stop/Start, AMG Sport Suspension and a rear body spoiler. You will also get AMG badging everywhere, to include an AMG Performance Steering Wheel, which can feel a little stiff in normal traffic but really is a jewel when you let it rip and have the wind and your back.

(There are no separate trims for the CLS53, but there are optional equipment and ‘value-added’ packages, such as an Acoustic Sound Package or AMG Night Package.)

I like the idea of having a sedan at the C level. As much as we would all love to have a variety of cars for all our driving needs (and as much room as necessary to park and store them), more and more, everyone is needing to buy a car that can be everything to them all at once.  If you want a luxury car and can afford a luxury car – and need something that can be both sporty and practical – an E Class or S Class doesn’t make much sense. Then again, if you are seriously considering buying an E Class or S Class, what’s practicality got to do with it, right?

Given the money you will spend on this car, my biggest complaint is still the outdated COMAND infotainment system that Mercedes still uses. It’s pretty enough, yes, but honestly, I still have not been able to figure out this system.  There is a dial in the middle, and hovering over it is a thingy which feels like a laser reader or something like that, even though that’s not what it is.  My chief complaint is that it’s not an intuitive system.  Doing something as simple as advancing songs on your playlist takes some figuring out (you have to spin the dial), and once you do, you are set, but prior to that, well, you really do need to study up.  Maybe that’s the exclusiveness of the Mercedes brand: their clients know stuff you don’t.  IDK, I did not care for it.

No doubt about it, this year’s MB AMG CLS53 is a very attractive car.  Everywhere I went, even at the snazzy places, people stopped me and asked about the car.  It’s a looker, alright.  And if you can afford it, there’s something to be said for that. 

Indeed, I felt twice as beautiful driving it around the Rocky Mountains.