INTERIOR
In stark contrast to the fresh, forward-thinking exterior styling, the CLS550's interior comes off as stodgy and conservative. Frankly, it's got quite the boys-club feel inside. No luxury has been overlooked inside the CLS550's cabin. Allow me to gush about a few of its most hedonistic features: available heated and cooled leather seats, a massaging driver's seat and active seat bolsters that automatically adjust to "hug" you and prevent you from sliding in your seat as you turn a corner. All I needed was a robot under the dash painting my toenails and it would be a spa on wheels.
The CLS does have more down-to-earth features that can make it a great family car. First, the cabin is roomy, and whether transporting infants in rear-facing seats or adults, everybody's got ample personal space in front or back. There's also a generous storage-to-passenger ratio. Along with the usual storage spaces, there's a sizable covered storage bin in back that was perfect for hiding all my daughter's toys, and in front of it there are cupholders. Underneath the front seats there's concealed storage that can stash a small purse.
The CLS-Class only seats two in the backseat. The front row's center console flows into the rear seats and acts as a barrier between them. It could lessen the "Mom, he's touching me!" battles on long trips. My favorite surprise feature was an optional power sunshade for the rear window. It eliminates the beating sun on those poor rear-facing infants and toddlers.
Mercedes-Benz definitely delivers when it comes to its luxury features that help make the CLS550 an absolute dream to drive. However, its multimedia system has a learning curve and I was underwhelmed by its antiquated displays. Controlling functions via the knob in the front row's center console wasn't exactly intuitive.
IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample
See also:
Folding the seat backrest forward
Folding the seat backrest forward
Move the driver's or
front-passenger seat
forward if necessary.
Open the trunk.
Pull right-hand or left-hand rear
seat
backrest release handle 1.
The ...
Daytime running lamps
Daytime running lamps in Canada
The daytime running lamps function is
required by law in Canada. It cannot therefore
be deactivated.
Turn the light switch to or
.
With the engine running: de ...
Warning displays
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is in the
instrument cluster. The warning display for
the rear area is locat ...