2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE53 First Test: The Sleepy Assassin
Quiet and comfortable, AMGs don’t come more approachable than the CLE53.
Pros
- True AMG athleticism
- Best CLE exterior proportions
- Properly premium
Cons
- Mild-sounding powertrain
- Needs better tires for track days
- Small back seat
The 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE53’s big booty isn’t there just for looks. The additional 3.0 inches of width compared to other 2024 CLE coupes make room for the German automaker to cram 295-width tires under the flared rear fenders, a full 30 millimeters (1.2 inches) wider than the fronts. This bigger contact patch ostensibly helps the rear-biased all-wheel-drive setup to make the most of the luxury sports car’s 443 hp and 414 lb-ft of torque (443 lb-ft max thanks to overboost).
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The new Mercedes-AMG CLE53’s exterior body proportions, subtle aerodynamic bits, and staggered stance look fantastic on this new AMG model. How does the sporty trim compare to the lineup’s other, less powerful 3.0-liter turbo inline-six AWD offering, the CLE450? And how does the AMG fare against a BMW competitor? Let’s start with …
How Quick Is the AMG CLE?
Mercedes-Benz sent us a 2024 AMG CLE53 Coupe to find out, and not surprisingly it’s pretty darn quick. We launched the loaner to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds then went on to clear the quarter mile in 12.1 seconds at 113.8 mph. We got our best starts with pedal overlap until 2,200 rpm, whereupon we released the brake and shot down the dragstrip.
The powertrain never missed a beat in straight-line testing, though fully pinned we sensed some shift hesitation from the nine-speed automatic after a while. Also, in excess of 90 mph, the car wouldn’t always track straight and required steering input. Nevertheless, this new AMG is punchy and roller-coaster quick off the line. We should have figured as much ahead of time, as the CLE450 with its 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque was not too far off, a 0.5 second behind to 60 mph and posting a slower 12.9 seconds at 105.0 mph in the quarter mile.
Like the convertible, the AMG CLE hardtop isn’t one for overly loud displays of power. It gets the job done with a mild hybrid engine that’s also beltless and features an electric turbo. When it idles in Comfort mode, the engine turns not at a nearly imperceptible 600 rpm. You can even turn off the optional ($550) performance exhaust to make the car quieter. The CLE53’s Sport modes turn everything up, but not in any way that would piss off your neighbors (unless perhaps you’re doing burnies up and down the block).
One of the AMG CLE53’s clearest bogeys is the BMW M850i xDrive, another dreamy front-engine, AWD two-door luxury coupe. The BMW 8 Series is essentially the same length and more than an inch narrower than the AMG, and the 2019 8 model we tested weighed some 21 pounds less. But the M850i also features a bigger turbo V-8 engine with significantly more output, 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. That said, our AMG test car came close in straight-line swiftness. The BMW turned in a 0–60-mph performance that’s a scant 0.2 second quicker and ran a 0.4-second quicker quarter mile, 11.7 seconds at 120.4 mph.
Impressive Handling (Until It’s Not)
At-limit assessments turning left and right shine a different light on the comparisons. Mercedes outfits the AMG CLE with standard rear-axle steering, Ride Control adaptive air suspension, and Michelin Pilot Sport S5 summer tires. The newer coupe leverages these advantages to pull more than a 1.00 g average on our skidpad loop and an average lap of 24.0 seconds at 0.83 g around our racetrack-in-a-bottle figure-eight course. The 2019 M850i xDrive, with BMW’s active suspension and rear-axle steering, averaged a slightly worse 0.98 g on the skidpad and posted a slower 24.2 seconds but a more dug-in 0.85 g on the figure eight. Both showings are commendable, as is the non-AMG’s 0.91 g skidpad average.
Beyond its ability to jam, one of the first things we noticed about driving the CLE53 is its sharp turn-in. As with nearly all modern cars, feedback through the steering wheel is largely muted, but this AMG goes where you tell it and does so lickety-split.
Less endearing was the understeer we encountered after three full-tilt laps of the figure eight in Sport mode with traction control off. Before that, grip felt excellent, and the AMG’s limits were easy to find on the track. We wonder if the nose-heavy AWD car’s staggered tire setup might be partly to blame. Track days might need something meatier than the 265-wide tires up front we got with our CLE.
Keep It on Sport
The AMG CLE53 feels like it loses some of its steam as the hybrid system’s battery loses some charge, but there’s never not enough grunt for making a pass or three on the highway (indeed, slicing through traffic is one of this car’s specialties). The transmission generally does a good job of holding the gear you want, and if it doesn’t, there’s always the responsive paddle shifters.
We don’t say this often, but Sport and even Sport+ modes seem to be the AMG Dynamic Select sweet spot for everyday driving. They deliver a stiffer ride, yes, but with the edge knocked off in a way most enthusiasts should appreciate. Tapping the AMG toggle under the lower left corner of the 11.9-inch touchscreen allows users to also select from additional Slippery and customizable Individual modes, or you can just do it through the steering wheel’s AMG Drive Units (the little LED screen doodads on both sides of the center spoke).
Even with Sport mode’s better reflexes and rawer experience, though, the car sounds pretty tame, especially from the driver’s seat, and that’s a bit of a shame. Driving the CLE is not as sensory depriving as driving an EV, but we miss a louder powertrain.
Big-Boy Brakes
Stopping this two-ton-plus coupe is no less impressive than anything else the car does, though there’s a touch of vagueness at the beginning of the brake pedal’s travel. Once you get there, engagement is easy to modulate. The AMG stops like a lawn dart, with zero drama and a best halt from 60 mph in 103 feet and no stop worse than 105 feet. That’s still 6 feet shorter than the M850i AWD’s best. The CLE450 needed 113 feet for its best stop.
Mercedes outfits the car with huge 14.6-inch front and 14.2-inch rear brake rotors, as well as four-piston front calipers. Without a ton of engine noise, the sporty brakes are surprisingly noticeable—with the windows down, we could hear them working.
Drinks Like an AMG
The AMG version is the least efficient of the new Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupes, which isn’t a surprise considering it’s the performance trim. The lineup’s other turbo inline-six, the CLE450, returns 23/33 mpg city/highway, significant improvements of 3/6 mpg city/highway compared to the CLE53.
With its somewhat large 17.2-gallon tank, the AMG manages as much as 396 miles of range between fillups. Its BMW 8 Series competitor has it worse (remember, it has a V-8), returning just 17/24 mpg. The BMW has a marginally bigger 18-gallon tank, too, but its maximum range is rated at just 342 miles.
Living That High Life
Luxury may start with the AMG CLE’s quiet, composed ride but it certainly doesn’t end there. Our test car’s aggressive exterior contours are sprayed in $3,250 Manufaktur Graphite Grey Magno paint and dressed in $750 AMG Night package accents, complimented by $1,150 AMG 20-inch wheels. Beyond the car’s wakeup sequence and three-pointed-star puddle lights and into the cabin, we found a lovely $2,590 Power Red/Black Nappa leather interior trimmed with a $975 AMG carbon-fiber kit.
Power heated front seats are standard, but we experienced the multicontour massaging front seats that add another $950 to the bottom line. If you can’t be bothered to find the touchscreen controls for a massage, the vehicle’s “Hey Mercedes” voice assistant happily summons the magic fingers. Those seats are also ventilated, which adds another $450, and Mercedes included a $250 heated steering wheel with our test car.
Not all AMG CLE53 content carries a price premium. The car’s panoramic roof and 17-speaker Burmester audio with front subwoofer are standard. So is the 12.3-inch driver display and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. CarPlay worked like a charm.
We love some of these cabin details, too. When you first sit down, an arm extends forward from the B-pillar to hand you your seat belt’s shoulder strap. The front vents deliver a nice click when they lock into their dead-center position. Ambient lighting is integrated into said vents as well as along the dash and doors. To access the rear seats, the front seats come with a classy leather strap on the outer shoulder to pull the seat forward (instead of some gross plastic lever).
Once the front seat is pulled forward, it’s a high step over the rocker panel. There’s also a low ceiling over the two-seat second row, and you won’t find much back there apart from a pair of vents, a shallow cubby, and two USB-Cs that come with the $300 Advance USB package. Blink and you might miss the front seat belt mounting hardware on the floor near the doors, which seems to be finished in fancy chrome.
Pricing
As well as the options already mentioned, our test car came with the $550 exhaust-note-enhancing AMG Real Performance Sound and the $1,950 Driver Assistance package. With $13,085 in available equipment, this 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE53 jumps from a base price of $75,450 to $88,535, and somehow that doesn’t include a head-up display.
This all may not be unnecessary bloat to everyone, but we would be content to uncheck some items from the CLE53’s order sheet. Skipping the premium paint, AMG Night package, 20-inch wheels, exhaust-sound enhancer, carbon interior bits, Nappa leather, and heated steering wheel saves $9,515 and puts the price of our fantasy AMG CLE closer to $79,020.
Is the AMG CLE53 Worth It?
Almost $80,000 is a lot of money, but the competition asks for considerably more. A 2024 BMW M850i xDrive starts at $107,475. Granted it comes with a few more niceties (like a head-up display, bigger touchscreen, and many standard driver assists), but even a much less capable rival like the Lexus LC500, which comes with two fewer driven wheels, starts in the six-figure range.
The Mercedes-AMG CLE53 doesn’t quite meet the description of “hardcore sport coupe.” It’s powerful and capable, though you wouldn’t know by listening to it—and that’s part of the performance experience we miss. Extended on-the-limit driving exposes some weaknesses in the car’s factory setup, which seem both easy to avoid and easy to fix. The staggered wheel fitment may look cool and give off a RWD performance vibe, but wider rubber up front might be the real key to unlocking the CLE53’s chops.
As it stands, however, we’re keen on the new AMG coupe. It drives like a product from the tuning house, inspiring confidence to keep pushing the car’s limits. And when you’re not blasting around, the CLE53 delivers convincing levels of posh most owners should appreciate. Plus, it looks like a proper two-door coupe. The CLE450 might be the lineup’s better value, but the sportiness is real with the AMG (despite the lack of noise), and it’s worth the dough. Athletic, upscale, and supremely livable, the CLE53 is our kind of AMG—but if you need gnarlier, expect an even better-performing CLE63 model before long.
My dad was a do-it-yourselfer, which is where my interest in cars began. To save money, he used to service his own vehicles, and I often got sent to the garage to hold a flashlight or fetch a tool for him while he was on his back under a car. Those formative experiences activated and fostered a curiosity in Japanese automobiles because that’s all my Mexican immigrant folks owned then. For as far back as I can remember, my family always had Hondas and Toyotas. There was a Mazda and a Subaru in there, too, a Datsun as well. My dad loved their fuel efficiency and build quality, so that’s how he spent and still chooses to spend his vehicle budget. Then, like a lot of young men in Southern California, fast modified cars entered the picture in my late teens and early 20s. Back then my best bud and I occasionally got into inadvisable high-speed shenanigans in his Honda. Coincidentally, that same dear friend got me my first job in publishing, where I wrote and copy edited for action sports lifestyle magazines. It was my first “real job” post college, and it gave me the experience to move just a couple years later to Auto Sound & Security magazine, my first gig in the car enthusiast space. From there, I was extremely fortunate to land staff positions at some highly regarded tuner media brands: Honda Tuning, UrbanRacer.com, and Super Street. I see myself as a Honda guy, and that’s mostly what I’ve owned, though not that many—I’ve had one each Civic, Accord, and, currently, an Acura RSX Type S. I also had a fourth-gen Toyota pickup when I met my wife, with its bulletproof single-cam 22R inline-four, way before the brand started calling its trucks Tacoma and Tundra. I’m seriously in lust with the motorsport of drifting, partly because it reminds me of my boarding and BMX days, partly because it’s uncorked vehicle performance, and partly because it has Japanese roots. I’ve never been much of a car modifier, but my DC5 is lowered, has a few bolt-ons, and the ECU is re-flashed. I love being behind the wheel of most vehicles, whether that’s road tripping or circuit flogging, although a lifetime exposed to traffic in the greater L.A. area has dulled that passion some. And unlike my dear ol’ dad, I am not a DIYer, because frankly I break everything I touch.
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