Car Sight

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz CLS ranks 7 out of 7 Super Luxury Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 54 published reviews and test drives of the Mercedes-Benz CLS, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

The Mercedes-Benz CLS has sprouted imitators, but none of them have ever come close to catching it. It’s a beautiful car, with a sweeping roofline and sports-car-like profile, yet has seating for four. It’s as powerful and opulent as a super-luxury car should be. Its extraordinary shape forces compromises -- limited rear seat space and a small trunk -- but the automotive press doesn’t care. For those who can afford to sacrifice a little practicality on the altar of style, the CLS has no peers.

Most automakers build just one flagship sedan to show off the best their designers can do. BMW, for instance, has the 7-Series. Audi has the A8. Lexus has the LS. The automotive press considers each the culmination of a company's talent. There is no feature those cars lack, they are among the most luxurious cars ever built, and most perform like sports cars half their size.

Mercedes, however, builds two. The S-Class fits the same description as the 7-Series or the A8. It’s everything Mercedes engineers can do, in one car.