With the market shifting from cars to sport utility vehicles, if there’s one type of vehicle hit significantly hard with slowing sales, it’s coupes. Fewer people are opting for cars with fewer doors, to the point where many brands—both luxury and non-luxury—are cutting them altogether. Mercedes-Benz isn’t doing that, instead opting to consolidate the C- and E-Class coupes into one all-new model. Say hello to the 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe.
Right off the bat, the CLE 53 looks simply stunning. Front to back, Mercedes-Benz hit a home run with its overall design. Its front and rear fascias are styled more aggressively than the CLE 300, with AMG-specific bits like a vertical-slat front grille, quad-tipped exhausts, and widened fenders that are perfectly filled by the wide rear tires. The cherry on top are the intricately designed 20-inch AMG Y-spoke wheels. They look like a pain to keep clean—as a former detailer, I shudder to think how much my hands would hurt after brushing every single spoke—but they’re easily among the best-looking factory wheels available on any new car right now.
Inside, the CLE 53’s overall look is very corporate and familiar to most other recently redesigned Benzes. There are differences from lesser-priced models, like carbon fibre trim, AMG logos embossed into the headrests, and a thicker steering wheel to justify its status (and price tag) as a sportier model. You’ll be overwhelmed with ambient lighting, large screens, and a busy steering wheel. It’s intimidating at first, but once you get used to it all, going through them is almost second nature.
We had a few things to note with this particular CLE 53. As with other AMG models, it has two dials on the steering wheel for quick adjustments to the drive modes, exhaust, and other settings. These dials were inoperable in our particular tester, but fortunately, you can still adjust those settings through the main display. Some drivers may also find the standard seats lacking in bolsters and support for a sporty car, but they were otherwise quite comfortable for my tall frame.
While enthusiasts—myself included—harp about Mercedes using turbo-fours in their bigger AMGs, not all hope is lost here. The CLE 53 uses an “AMG-enhanced” 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six. It’s a potent powertrain, working with an electric supercharger powered by a 48-volt mild hybrid setup, a nine-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel-drive system to put the power down.
It’s rated at 443 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque—and for an extra rush, an overboost function bumps peak torque to 443 lb-ft for 10 seconds. All-in, the CLE 53 rockets from zero to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds; it certainly feels as fast, accelerating with gusto, delivering quick shifts, and certainly sounding the part with the pops and burbles you’d expect in its most aggressive drive modes.
As with most other AMGs, the CLE 53 is certainly usable as a daily driver, but look for a stiff ride. It’s far from brutal or uncomfortable, but you can tell performance is its top priority. Still, its easy to live with; you can quiet down the exhaust, and the standard rear-wheel steering that helps the CLE 53 carve corners with authority makes my condo parking garage a breeze.
And even though the hybrid assist attached to the engine is meant to enhance performance rather than fuel economy, the CLE 53 is surprisingly good on gas. It’s rated at 11.7 L/100 km city, 8.7 highway, and 10.2 combined. Better yet, I averaged 10.1 L/100 km in my week of commuting with it.
Where the CLE 300 starts at $61,900, the CLE 53 will set you back at least $80,900. To get it as you see it here, you need to fork over almost $19,000 worth of options—and it doesn’t end there—bringing the grand total to $99,700 as-tested before fees, taxes, and all else. That’s BMW M2 money—and its main competitor, the BMW M440i Coupe, can be had for well under $90,000 with all the right option boxes ticked. Of course, the CLE 53 is arguably prettier.
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 Coupe hits the right notes on several levels. While not the obnoxious 63 that we all know and love, it fills a niche that is quickly declining. Coupes are becoming a rare breed, but I’m happy to see Mercedes-Benz stick with them, rather than axing them outright. And even though the CLE 53 costs more than its competitors, it has the swagger inside and out to back it up.
