2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE53 First Drive: Comfort Food for the Car-Fanatic Soul

It’s comforting to realize most of Mercedes-Benz’s new-vehicle launches are as predictable as a Disney movie. First, we’ll see the luxury-oriented models, followed perhaps by a body variation or two. Then, with a roll of thunder and a tremor that shakes the earth, the AMG models storm the scene. Such is the case with Mercedes’ new CLE-Class two-door: The plush coupes and drop-tops are in, and now the AMG model is here to kick ass and chew bubblegum (and it’s all out of bubblegum).

A quick recap of the CLE story: This is a new two-door model from Mercedes that takes over for both the C- and E-Class coupes and is sized somewhere between the two. We’ve been favorably impressed by both coupe and convertible versions; the former looks good and has plenty of stretch-out space, while the latter has some nifty convertible-exclusive touches, like a center screen that tilts to reduce glare and seat upholstery designed to stay cool in the sun. (In today’s technological race to the bottom, it’s nice to see such practical advances.) What we wanted was a bit more muscle, and now we have it.

See All 25 Photos25

More Power and Agility for a Coupe We Love 

Let us turn to the newest and most exciting edition: the 2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe. By now, you probably know how these AMG things work: They tend to run in 43, 53, and 63 series, with higher numbers denoting higher levels of potency. Not all models get all series, and for the CLE, Mercedes begins at the 53 level.  

Under the hood is a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine as seen in the CLE450, with an electric supercharger and mild hybrid system to fill in the low end and power delivered to all four wheels. But while the version fitted to the new CLE450 delivers 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, the CLE53 AMG ratchets up to 443 hp and 413 lb-ft, with a 10-second, 30-lb-ft overboost function. Per Mercedes, the extra power should shave 0.2 second from the 0–60-mph time, getting it down to an even 4.0. Top speed, as with most of these autobahn bruisers, is electronically limited to 155 mph. 

Other dynamic changes include an adjustable suspension and rear-wheel steering, items available on lesser CLEs in other markets but until now denied to us in North America. Bulging fenders, a complex rear diffuser, and deep-dish wheels are among the visual changes that make the AMG version of the CLE look more aggressive. Inside, you’ll find functional updates like deeply bolstered seats and an AMG-specific steering wheel. The latter features dials with tiny, embedded video screens to select a drive mode and customize it—suspension stiffness, exhaust volume, and so on. Given the complexity of in-car interfaces these days, it’s nice to have these options right at our fingertips.

Is It Even Running? 

Our initial driving impression was muted. Literally. We pressed the start button, and, thanks largely to the super-smooth Integrated Starter Generator (ISG—that’s the mild hybrid device), we couldn’t even tell the engine had fired. A fiddle with the steering-wheel dial that cranks up the exhaust sound solved that little first-world problem, and off we went into the twisty hills of Tenerife, a Spanish island off the coast of Africa that serves as Europe’s stand-in for Hawaii. 

We found what we expected (we mean from the car, not Tenerife; the latter’s lava-strewn mountainous landscape was quite a surprise). The 2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE53’s engine power is prodigious, strong off the line and pulling hard into the midrange, though acceleration trails off as the tachometer approaches its redline. The noises coming from the exhaust are spectacular, deep and rich in bass, more like a V-8 rumble than the thin flatulence you might expect from a straight-six. (And, of course, you can restore the exhaust to hush-hush levels should you wish to temporarily act like a grownup.)

See All 25 Photos25

The Classic Grand Tourer: Fast and Hard, But Not Too Hard 

The AMG version of the CLE comes with all the technical goodies we talked about in our CLE Coupe first drive, and this time ’round we could barely be bothered with any of them. Tenerife is ribboned with lovely curvy roads, and we were here to drive. Right away, the CLE AMG proved a willing partner. When pushed, it has a classic grand tourer feel: big and heavy on the road, though not so big that it feels unwieldy, with a ride that, even in its stiffest setting, is firm but never uncivil.  

We drove at James-Bond-on-his-way-to-what-he-knows-is-a-trap speeds (as opposed to James-Bond-going-to-rescue-the-love-interest-who-is-going-to-die-if-he-doesn’t-get-there-in-time-but-who-the-hell-are-they-fooling-we-know-she’s-going-to-die-anyway speeds), and the overarching feel was that of poise that refused to be broken. The rear end remained planted solidly, even when we got clumsy with our inputs, and our progress through the curves was punctuated only by the occasional chirp from the front tires. The brakes felt good but showed strain when overworked. Driving as fast as a reasonably skilled driver might dare, on unfamiliar roads in a foreign country—which, as it happens, is exactly who and where we were—the CLE53 found its happy place. 

Still, there was something about the experience that felt a bit … curated. The steering feels artificially heavy, and feedback is minimal, as it is in other CLEs we’ve driven. While the suspension closely followed the pavement’s vertical contours, what few big bumps we hit were not so much cushioned as bludgeoned and ejected from the car’s wake before they could pester us. The nine-speed automatic transmission is a torque converter-planetary unit, delivering slower but more cushioned shifts than a wet-clutch or twin-clutch design. Performance and comfort run neck and neck in the CLE53, but in the event of a conflict, as with the lesser CLE models, comfort wins every time.

Are We Really Here Right Now? 

As we raced through the hills, there was the slightest feeling of isolation, as if an extraordinarily thin layer of latex was placed between us and the driving experience, lest the word “raw” edge its way into our impressions. No gauze over the lens, mind you, but sufficient bokeh to make the experience feel just a bit dreamier than it was.  

And that’s OK. There’s room in this world for high-performance coupes with a healthy dose of civility, and that’s the role the 2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE53 plays—the open-road cruiser that you can pack for a trip and have good fun with in the curves until your spouse shoots you a martial marital glare. There’s plenty here, but also plenty of room for something more, perhaps something with a “63” in the name. You saw that coming, too, right? Right?