2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class AMG CLS 53

A consistently well-executed sedan, the CLS 53 impresses. Refinement pervades every aspect, from the cabin and its infotainment features to the innovative mild-hybrid engine. This is a thinking person's sport-luxury sedan. The only downside is that the E 53 does it all for less money, albeit with less visual panache.

We took the 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 to the Edmunds test track to put it through its paces. Read on to see all of the numbers and information from our proprietary testing process, plus exclusive driving impressions from the best testing crew in the business.

2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 Performance Testing Results

Price as tested: $107,295
Date of test: 4/8/2019
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Odometer: 2,212
Powertrain: 3.0L Inline-6 Turbo | 9-Speed Automatic | AWD
Horsepower: 429 hp @ 6,100 rpm
Torque: 384 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm

2019 AMG CLS 53 Acceleration

"Pretty solid out of the gates, very little delay leaving the line and immediately thrusty with low-end torque. There’s zero wheelspin (AWD) and the transmission shifts quick, smooth, but also with a little bit of crispiness. Not much difference in dynamic mode, shaves off a couple tenths at either end. Apparently this thing is supposed to do 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds, but thanks to the engine heat soak at higher midday temps, 4.9 was the best we could muster. Four hours later, and 6 degrees cooler, we were able to clock a 4.3 0-60 without any special tricks. There is no race start or launch control, just mash the brake, mash the gas and let it rip."

2019 AMG CLS 53 Braking

"The MBZ pre-safe brake system does the usual seat-belt cinching, but it's not as violating as systems we tested in the past. I guess choking the occupants before a crash was deemed unfavorable. The CLS under max braking feels solid and incredibly confident. Nosedive is nil. It tracks dead straight with virtually zero steering wheel wiggle. The ABS system operates quietly and quickly and isolates most of the brake noise from the cabin. The brake pedal maintains a medium firm pressure and feels confident. Casual braking presents featherlight pedal effort, but in a good and easy-to-modulate manner. Distances are consistent, too."

2019 AMG CLS 53 Handling

"Steering feels well-weighted and accurate, with marginal, muted feedback. There’s a bit of that all-wheel-drive front tire scrub driving through the corner, but overall this car feels decently balanced for its size. When it's fully on, stability control really limits the throttle, but less so when ESP sport is selected. You have to turn it off completely for the best results. Tire grip feels pretty generous; you can carry a lot of corner speed, but ultimately pushing past the limit means scrubbing the front end. It feels safe and confident around the track but not playful. It lacks a little bit of drive-out of the corner because of the open rear diff, but the front helps pull it through. You begin to feel the weight in fast, late-braking corners, and you know the brakes are working hard, but are pretty effective. They probably wouldn’t hold up for too many punishing laps, though."

2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 Vehicle Details

Drivetrain
Drive Type: All-Wheel Drive
Engine Type: Conventional Gasoline
Engine Configuration: Inline 6
Engine Displacement (liters): 3.0
Engine Induction Type: Turbocharged
Indicated Redline: 6,500
Actual Redline (rev limit): 6,750
Fuel Type: 91 octane
Transmission Type: Automatic
Transmission Speeds: 9
Paddle Shifters: Yes, wheel mounted
Downshift Rev Match/Throttle Blip: Yes
Holds Gears at Rev Limiter: Yes

Curb Weight and Weight Distribution
Curb weight as tested (lbs): 4,510
Weight L/F (lbs): 1,218
Weight L/R (lbs): 1,026
Weight R/F (lbs): 1,199
Weight R/R (lbs): 1,067
Weight distribution, front (%): 53.6 GVWR (lbs): 5,622

Brakes
ABS Type: Full ABS
Brake Rotor Type - Front: 1-Piece Disc
Brake Rotor (other) - Front: Vented and drilled
Brake Caliper Type - Front: Fixed
Brake Pistons - Front: 4
Brake Rotor Type - Rear: 1-Piece Disc
Brake Rotor (other) - Rear: Vented
Brake Caliper Type - Rear: Sliding
Brake Pistons - Rear: 1
Parking Brake: Button

Tires
Tire pressure spec - Front: 44
Tire pressure spec - Rear: 48
Tire Make: Pirelli
Tire Model: P Zero RSC MOE
Tire Tread: Asymmetrical
Tire Type: Run flat
Tire Season: Summer
Tire Size (sidewall) - Front: 245/35 R20 95Y
Tire Size (sidewall) - Rear: 275/30 R20 97Y
Spare Tire Type: Missing
Tire Treadwear Rating: 320
Tire Temperature Rating: A
Tire Traction Rating: AA

About the Driver
From radar guns to GPS-driven data loggers, Jonathan has been pushing cars to their limits (for science!) since 2005. Today, he helps manage Edmunds' testing dream team.

Summarizing the primary appeal of the Mercedes-Benz CLS has always been easy. It's all about attitude. As in prior versions, the redesigned 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS is an E-Class sedan wearing sleeker sheet metal. And, yes, the CLS is still a sedan with four doors despite the company's repeated insistence that it's a coupe.

This new 2019 CLS starts the model's third generation. It's 4 inches longer and an inch lower than the E-Class sedan upon which it is based. Two variants make up the CLS lineup: CLS 450 and CLS 53 AMG. The latter slots above the CLS 450 and offers a more performance-oriented mien.

While the CLS 53 AMG model wears an AMG badge, it's not the full AMG experience. It's tamer than the fire-breathing, V8-equipped AMGs found elsewhere in Mercedes-Benz's lineup. Nevertheless, it convincingly bridges the gap between those range-topping models and the traditional non-AMG models. Think of the CLS 53 AMG as "AMG-lite."

Innovative Engine That's a 48-Volt Mild Hybrid

CLS buyers have historically been more than happy to accept a few trade-offs for the car's bolder road presence. Compared to the largely similar 2019 E 53 AMG, the CLS 53 AMG is 100 pounds heavier, $7,350 more expensive, and 1 mpg less efficient on the EPA combined cycle. Nobody said attitude would come for free.

All CLS 53 AMG models are equipped with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six cylinder engine, a nine-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive and an air suspension. The most interesting bit is the engine, and not because of the potency typically expected of an AMG.

This innovative engine features an integrated 48-volt mild hybrid system that augments the car's efficiency, torque and drivability. The keystone of this system is the electric starter-generator that's mounted to the aft end of the crankshaft. Beyond simply replacing the traditional starter and alternator, it provides for a variety of functions such as auto stop-start, torque filling, idle stabilization and launch assistance.

This electric motor contributes up to 21 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque at low engine speeds to help get the car off the line promptly. The power delivery is further abetted by a 48-volt auxiliary electric compressor (essentially an electrically driven supercharger) that can rapidly spin up to bolster the engine's torque during those occasions when the turbo is still winding up. The addition of this compressor allowed engineers to fit a larger turbo than the one found on the non-AMG version to increase the engine's output. The CLS 53 AMG's headlining figures of 429 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque eclipse the CLS 450's engine by 67 hp and 15 lb-ft of torque.

There are no belt-driven accessories on this engine at all. The air-conditioning compressor and water pump are electrically driven at 48 volts, allowing them to be smaller and more efficient than traditional 12-volt units. Of course, they're also able to remain operational when the engine is switched off at, say, a stoplight. On EPA's combined city/highway driving cycle, the CLS 53 AMG returns 23 mpg.

Driving Impressions

The engine has masterful refinement. Its idle-stop function quickly and imperceptibly restarts the engine. Even when idling, the engine has no detectable vibration. Acceleration is very smooth and linear at all times — you won't notice any flat spots or lag. This seamless performance is especially noteworthy given all of the technological machinations occurring behind the scenes. Thrust is so deceptively drama-free that you might not guess the CLS 53 AMG can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds.

Its variable-ratio steering is well-weighted, although feel is in short supply when probing the edges of the tires' grip. The CLS is a capable handler, too. But to find this out you need to take matters into your own hands — the stability control system is simply too eager to intervene. On a particularly sinuous coastal drive, we found even the stability control's looser Sport setting to be overzealous in blunting the throttle when exiting corners. Switching it off completely livens up the CLS 53 AMG's willingness to play considerably.

The all-wheel-drive system offers predictable, if benign, traction. The lack of a limited-slip rear differential ultimately lets the inside rear tire spin fruitlessly rather than meaningfully guiding the sedan's trajectory. In anything short of this kind of vigorous use, though, the CLS 53 AMG is undeniably rapid, composed and tidier than a near-4,500-pound luxury sedan has a right to be.

Meanwhile, the CLS' ride quality generally delivers a keen balance between comfort and control, plus exemplary refinement elsewhere. Wind noise at freeway-passing speeds is astonishingly minimal. The sole demerit to the ride is the impact harshness and associated noise when driving on broken or seamed pavement. Perhaps the shorter tire sidewalls on our test car's optional 20-inch wheels are partly to blame. Unfortunately, the standard 19s are equipped with all-season tires instead of summer tires like those on the 20s.

A Rich Cabin

Inside, the CLS doesn't disappoint. Leather, wood and metal abound, and its build quality appears impeccable. The elegant dashboard houses two 12.3-inch screens, which are controlled via a console-mounted knob, the hard keys on the dash or the buttons on the steering wheel. The redundancy among these interfaces allows you to choose which one you prefer to use.

Five driving modes — Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Eco and Individual — provide for varying degrees of throttle sharpness, shift aggression, exhaust vocality and stability control intervention. Even in Sport+, the CLS 53 AMG is never shouty or overtly aggressive. Its driver assistance features, such as the adaptive cruise control system, are among the best-honed in the business, intervening only when necessary and registering few false alerts.

Tops the CLS Range

Mercedes-Benz is content to allow the CLS 53 AMG to hold duty as the range-topping variant in the CLS family for the foreseeable future. That is, an AMG V8-equipped CLS isn't expected to make an appearance because of the existence of the company's AMG GT sedan offerings, which also share their underpinnings with the E-Class sedan. Things are getting crowded in Mercedes' lineup.

It's not a challenge to option a CLS 53 AMG to the point where its price exceeds an AMG GT 53 sedan's roughly $100,000 entry point. Our CLS 53 AMG tester's $80,895 base price (including $995 destination) was inflated to more than $107,000 with the aid of myriad add-ons such as its Designo leather interior ($4,900), Burmester premium audio system ($4,550), Driving Assistance package ($2,250), cosmetic carbon-fiber exterior bits ($1,750), massaging seats ($1,320), and so on.

Available in dealers now, the 2019 CLS 53 AMG is a thoughtful and nuanced vehicle. It's first and foremost a luxury sedan, albeit one with a broad spectrum of talents. Approach it as an enhanced Mercedes rather than a diluted AMG and you'll revel in its well-rounded nature.