RE: 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic | PH Review

RE: 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic | PH Review

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BikeSausage

423 posts

69 months

Monday 29th April
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Yet again…..that they’re launching it in matt (or matte if you’ve bought into the pretentiousness) with black wheels tells you a lot about its target market.

J4CKO

41,695 posts

201 months

Monday 29th April
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McRors said:
The old (2016) E class coupe weighed 1735kg according to Parkers so where Mercedes have found, in this age of aluminium and carbon fibre, an extra 300kg is beyond me.
Need to be careful around car weights, can be dry, wet or gross weights, also varies between specs and based on options, so need to ensure we are comparing like for like, I doubt they have managed to add another 300 kilos with a mild hybrid system ?

But, no lightweight, but then its a big posh coupe not a sports car or hot hatch.

Should go pretty well, but think our expectations have got a little out of hand on the power and performance aspect, based on the top versions like the C63 and obviously the power and performance of some of the spicier EVs. In reality, this would be plenty on the road, if not on forums or in the pub, most of it is the fact its not the top version, and us chaps do often feel the need to order the biggest, baddest, fastest one, but then that isnt that popular in the C class so you are stuck with this, bet its actually really nice.

HighwayStar

4,327 posts

145 months

Monday 29th April
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Mercs sporty stuff… I find them interesting, good to look at from a curious point of view but zero desire to own one. They are clearly good cars and over the years models that should spark some want but… nah, it’s never been there.

cerb4.5lee

30,931 posts

181 months

Monday 29th April
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HighwayStar said:
Mercs sporty stuff… I find them interesting, good to look at from a curious point of view but zero desire to own one. They are clearly good cars and over the years models that should spark some want but… nah, it’s never been there.
I always thought that I wasn't really old enough for a Mercedes-Benz in fairness, however...now that I've had a couple, I've really warmed to them a lot. I actually prefer Merc to BMW now, and I've had 8 BMWs for example.

I much prefer Mercs styling(inside and out) over BMW now as well. BMW do the sporty thing better I think, however Merc absolutely nail the comfort/luxury vibe far better though for me.

JJJ.

1,375 posts

16 months

Monday 29th April
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There's a 3.5k mile 928S4 for sale on here at c.40k. Just saying...smile

CG2020UK

1,573 posts

41 months

Monday 29th April
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All things considered I think it’s a great looking car.

I quite like Mercedes latest designs.

fflump

1,424 posts

39 months

Monday 29th April
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The interior with all its buttons and fancy lights and graphics would have appealed to a 15-year old me. 50 year old? Not so much.

HighwayStar

4,327 posts

145 months

Monday 29th April
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BikeSausage said:
Yet again…..that they’re launching it in matt (or matte if you’ve bought into the pretentiousness) with black wheels tells you a lot about its target market.
No it doesn’t… there are other colours and wheel options available. If it was rose gold would you believe its target market was women?

steveb8189

479 posts

192 months

Monday 29th April
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Chestrockwell said:
Let me be the first to say it


Why didnt they put this engine in the new C63 with a bit more power or an extra battery for it to produce 600 bhp. It wouldnt even need that much power, just an extra 60 bhp to match the M3 competition
Becuase the 2.0 is nearly 100kg lighter and this one produces the same power even with mild hybrid. No chance you're pushing it to 600 bhp without significant rework. This is a merc engine with a bit of AMG fettling whereas the 2.0 i4 is an AMG engine from scratch

Bloxxcreative

522 posts

46 months

Monday 29th April
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As a petrol lover, the latest gen engines and increased weight don't do a thing for me and I can see the attraction of EVs more and more.

It's a shame that it's the way the world has gone. Maybe by design to ease people into EVs given the trade offs.

Thankfully there's alot of 2nd hand metal.

fflump

1,424 posts

39 months

Monday 29th April
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Bloxxcreative said:
As a petrol lover, the latest gen engines and increased weight don't do a thing for me and I can see the attraction of EVs more and more.

It's a shame that it's the way the world has gone. Maybe by design to ease people into EVs given the trade offs.
Don't overthink it they are not *trying* to make ICE unattractive

akashzimzimma

187 posts

78 months

Monday 29th April
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Looks great, but it's overweight and needs a V8.

D4rez

1,414 posts

57 months

Monday 29th April
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Bloxxcreative said:
As a petrol lover, the latest gen engines and increased weight don't do a thing for me and I can see the attraction of EVs more and more.

It's a shame that it's the way the world has gone. Maybe by design to ease people into EVs given the trade offs.

Thankfully there's alot of 2nd hand metal.
Don’t think it’s by design but the thing that has actually killed performance ICE cars isn’t actually a ban, it’s way more subtle than that and it probably happened about 5 years ago

akashzimzimma

187 posts

78 months

Monday 29th April
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steveb8189 said:
Chestrockwell said:
Let me be the first to say it


Why didnt they put this engine in the new C63 with a bit more power or an extra battery for it to produce 600 bhp. It wouldnt even need that much power, just an extra 60 bhp to match the M3 competition
Becuase the 2.0 is nearly 100kg lighter and this one produces the same power even with mild hybrid. No chance you're pushing it to 600 bhp without significant rework. This is a merc engine with a bit of AMG fettling whereas the 2.0 i4 is an AMG engine from scratch
Except the car is in ( w206 C63) is laden with heavy electric motors and batteries, passively off-setting any weight savings from the 2.0. This is why all versions of the C63 E are well over tons, which is ridiculous. Don't forget on sustained full acceleration, the E charge quickly depletes, then you're left with a about 470 bhp and much less torque, with the same massive weight. The V8 205 obviously sounded night and day and better, 200 kg lighter and much less complex. There's a reason Mercedes are not selling any C63Es. There hasn't been a single glowing review and its clear why.

J4CKO

41,695 posts

201 months

Monday 29th April
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Bloxxcreative said:
As a petrol lover, the latest gen engines and increased weight don't do a thing for me and I can see the attraction of EVs more and more.

It's a shame that it's the way the world has gone. Maybe by design to ease people into EVs given the trade offs.

Thankfully there's alot of 2nd hand metal.
I cant imagine Mercedes would go to all the trouble of developing more ICE cars to make EVs seem better.

Be interesting to see whether there is more scope in that engine (M256) it looks suspiciously similar spec wise to the BMW B58, and those make good power as standard and the sky is the limit for tuning, The B58 spawned the S58 in the M3/4 etc, so wouldn't seem impossible for Mercedes to do similar. There are S58s making 1000 bhp, not suggesting that Mercedes would go like some mad tuner special but the point being that the scope is likely there to produce 500/600 bhp, if they can get 400 odd out of a 2 litre 4, they can get that from a 3 litre straight six, if they wanted to.

Maybe consign the current C63 to the history books as seems unloved, usher in a 550/600 bhp mild hybrid six cylinder C63 ?

V 02

2,061 posts

61 months

Monday 29th April
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J4CKO said:
Bloxxcreative said:
As a petrol lover, the latest gen engines and increased weight don't do a thing for me and I can see the attraction of EVs more and more.

It's a shame that it's the way the world has gone. Maybe by design to ease people into EVs given the trade offs.

Thankfully there's alot of 2nd hand metal.
I cant imagine Mercedes would go to all the trouble of developing more ICE cars to make EVs seem better.

Be interesting to see whether there is more scope in that engine (M256) it looks suspiciously similar spec wise to the BMW B58, and those make good power as standard and the sky is the limit for tuning, The B58 spawned the S58 in the M3/4 etc, so wouldn't seem impossible for Mercedes to do similar. There are S58s making 1000 bhp, not suggesting that Mercedes would go like some mad tuner special but the point being that the scope is likely there to produce 500/600 bhp, if they can get 400 odd out of a 2 litre 4, they can get that from a 3 litre straight six, if they wanted to.

Maybe consign the current C63 to the history books as seems unloved, usher in a 550/600 bhp mild hybrid six cylinder C63 ?
I love electric vehicles, but the thought of a 6 cylinder AMG just seems so wrong. (Yes aware of C32 AMG)


I think MB should just forget the 6cyl altogether and find a way to have a small capacity V8 hybrid , or just forget it and go full EV instead.


The C63 AMG is just a tragic affair all round. And I would much rather buy a 6 cyl BMW M Car over an AMG 6 cyl.




HazzaT

482 posts

46 months

Monday 29th April
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I think big performance PHEVs like the C63, XM etc will be looked at a bit like we view the malaise era yank tanks.

They're massively heavy, overly complex Rube Goldberg machines that only deliver quoted performance and economy under very ideal conditions, they're built primarily to game emissions tests and they require a lot of engineering fudges to make them work. They don't offer the simplicity and sheer performance of a purely electric drivetrain and they don't offer the excitement and interaction you get from a good combustion engine.

Wololo

249 posts

36 months

Monday 29th April
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fflump said:
The interior with all its buttons and fancy lights and graphics would have appealed to a 15-year old me. 50 year old? Not so much.
Curious. 40 year old me loves it as much as 14 year old me would have.

Mackofthejungle

1,074 posts

196 months

Monday 29th April
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Wololo said:
Curious. 40 year old me loves it as much as 14 year old me would have.
What about the dodgy graphic of the car you're sitting in on the screen in front of you? Do people not find it all a bit naff?

fantheman80

1,470 posts

50 months

Monday 29th April
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That's the best looking new car I have seen in ages, those wheels of the first pics and even the matt colour are giving me the fiz..