Just a couple months into the new year my 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300SL got totaled while parked. Luckily I got a pretty great insurance payout, which I promptly spent on a one-owner 2006 Mercedes CLS500. I wanted something flashy and design-forward, especially following up a two-tone teal car with chrome wheels and gold badges, and the world’s first true four-door coupe in metallic gold is a worthy successor. You’d never guess that this design is more than two decades old; it looks just as fresh and striking as it did back then.
This is the newest car I’ve owned by at least twelve years and it has all sorts of features I’ve never had in my own car before, like heated and ventilated seats, a bangin’ surround sound system, parking sensors, a power sunshade, xenon headlights that swivel, keyless entry, and a lot more. I’m never going back to a shitbox again.
It’s also my first V8 and first car with over 300 horsepower, but thanks to a 7-speed automatic transmission I’ve been getting the same gas mileage as my inline-six SL around town and a lot better mileage on the freeway. This car is quiet, smooth and so comfortable — it’s got four-corner air suspension with adjustable dampers, which I love — and in terms of handling and overall driving feel it rivals today’s luxury cars.
It helps that this one was very well taken care of, with just over 80,000 miles when I bought it. I wish I could go back in time and talk to ten-year-old me, who was obsessed with the CLS from the moment he saw it on the December 2003 Automobile magazine cover. He’d be so happy to know that driving and owning the CLS has exceeded his hype.
