Part 1: The Heartbreaking Discovery
It was a chilly evening when we stumbled upon the small, trembling puppy. The streets were mostly empty, save for a few scattered leaves drifting in the wind. As we walked down the sidewalk, something caught our attention—soft whimpering sounds, faint but undeniable. At first, we thought it might be a stray dog or perhaps even a cat in distress. But as we followed the sound, we turned a corner and saw something that stopped us dead in our tracks.
A tiny puppy, no more than a few months old, was curled up under an old, abandoned cart. His fur was matted and dirty, and he was shivering uncontrollably. The moment our eyes met, we could see the deep fear and confusion in his eyes. He was so small, so fragile, that it felt almost impossible to believe anyone would just leave him there.
The puppy’s whimpers grew louder as we got closer, and it became clear that he was in distress. He didn’t try to run or hide, though. Instead, he just lay there, looking at us with wide, sad eyes. It was as if he had given up hope, as if he had already resigned himself to the idea that no one would come for him.
We didn’t know how long he had been there. The cold was enough to make anyone shiver, let alone a puppy with no warmth or protection. His coat was damp, and he was visibly malnourished. It seemed as though someone had simply abandoned him without a second thought, leaving him to fend for himself in the harsh world.
“Poor little guy,” my friend murmured, crouching down to get a better look at the puppy. “What kind of person would leave him here?”
I felt a lump in my throat. I could barely comprehend how anyone could be so heartless. This puppy was so small, so helpless, and yet someone had simply walked away, leaving him alone to suffer. It broke my heart to think of how terrified and lonely he must have felt.
Slowly, I crouched down to the puppy’s level, trying to make myself as unthreatening as possible. He didn’t move at first, and I worried he might be too weak to react. But after a few moments, he lifted his head slightly, and his eyes met mine. There was no aggression, no attempt to flee—just a deep, sorrowful look that tugged at my heart.
“Hey there, little one,” I whispered softly. “It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you.”
The puppy’s tail twitched slightly, but he didn’t move. It was as if he was too tired to do anything at all. I extended my hand toward him slowly, making sure he saw my movements. I didn’t want to startle him, especially after everything he had likely been through. The moment my hand was close enough, the puppy hesitated for a brief moment before he nudged his head against it, as if asking for comfort, for reassurance.
I gently petted him, feeling his frail body under my hand. His fur was damp, and his skin felt thin and fragile. It was clear that he had been through a lot—maybe more than any puppy should ever have to endure. His body trembled, but as I continued to pet him, he seemed to relax a little.
“We’re going to take care of you,” I promised, my voice barely above a whisper. “You’re safe now.”
For a moment, I wondered if he could understand me, if he could somehow sense the sincerity in my words. His eyes seemed to soften, and I felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, he was starting to trust me.
But the reality of the situation hit me hard. He had been abandoned by someone—someone who had given up on him, someone who had left him to suffer alone. I couldn’t imagine what he had been through. What kind of person could do this to such an innocent creature?
Without wasting another second, I picked the puppy up gently, cradling him in my arms. He weighed next to nothing, his small body feeling almost too fragile to hold. He didn’t protest or try to escape. He simply rested his head on my chest, as if seeking the comfort of warmth and safety.
“Let’s get you out of here,” I said softly, carrying him carefully toward the car.
As we drove to the nearest vet clinic, I couldn’t stop thinking about the puppy’s eyes—the way they looked at me with such a mix of fear and hope. It was as if he was wondering if this was real, if he could finally be safe. We didn’t know much about him—how long he had been abandoned or how he had ended up in that alley. But we knew one thing for certain: he deserved better.
Inside the cabin there’s plenty of engine noise in the sportier modes – it’s more evocative than the similarly powered CLE 450, with a pleasing (if not slightly synthetic) burble and bass at low to mid revs. It’s less muscular towards the redline though, which sort of eggs you on to keep it in the mid-range and let it purr and surge rather than thrash it all the way up.
It’s quick, but not alarmingly quick in the way that the older 63 models tended to be. Instead, the CLE 53 gathers pace in a suitably confident way, pulling hard all the way through the rev counter’s sweep. All cars get 4Matic+ all-wheel drive, which gives confidence-inspiring grip and ensures all driving the CLE 53 is very much ‘point-and-shoot.’ So far, so user-friendly. We tested a model with the optional Pro Performance pack in Europe, but tested a model without in the UK.
You can liven things up with the AMG Driving Dynamics modes, by pushing more torque to the rear wheels. This adds another dimension of adjustability – in fact the character of the car can be suitably shifted, through Basic, Advanced and Pro settings.https://www.threads.net/@khurtizz/post/C_kz0goqTkr/embed/
Power shifts rearwards as you make your way past ESP Sport mode, and the attitude of the car changes completely, feeling much more neutral and able to push itself out of a corner from the rear, rather than scrabbling from the front.
AMG Ride Control adaptive suspension is aimed at bringing a wider range of comfort and performance and, even on the UK’s roads, it’s still a reasonable balance. Yes, it’s firmer than a standard CLE, but not uncomfortably so – even if there’s a marked increase in tyre noise here. In Sport+ mode is it really very firm indeed, which matches well to the more direct responses from the engine and gearbox, but is probably best reserved for only the smoothest roads (or race circuits).
Dialling it back a touch seems best; the CLE 53 felt more agile with the suspension in the relatively pliant Sport mode. Here it’s more able to soak up bumps mid-corner or under braking, and had a small amount of body roll, but not so much that it needed settling between bends.
The CLE 53’s flowing lines seem to keep going, but its considerable length is shrunken somewhat by rear-wheel steering. Operating at an angle of up to 2.5 degrees, this helps the rear of the car follow the front in slow corners, and aids stability when moving quickly. It takes some getting used to, and although useful in normal driving can be a little disconcerting when pushing on. Still, it’s better tuned here than in the all-electric EQE and EQS.
Few modern cars offer much in the way of feedback through the steering wheel and the CLE 53 is no different – but the rack is at least linear with predictably weighted steering. When combined with the rear-wheel-steering, you get a car that’s performant agile and responsive – but not particularly informative. That can often leave you in a No Man’s Land when you want to really want to lean on the car.
Before you buy
As with all AMG cars if you buy a CLE 53 you get a free driving experience at Mercedes-Benz World, with a chance to send huge low-speed drifts on the wet skid circle and get expert guidance from a Driving Specialist on the handling circuit. I’ve actually taken part in one of these events and it was a lot of fun, even if it’s not a reason to buy the car by itself.
Verdict
It’s possible to spend almost £90,000 on a CLE 53, which is frankly a lot of money, for what always used to be the second tier of AMG performance. But even without knowing whether a CLE 63 is coming, or even what engine it’ll feature if it does, this car wouldn’t feel out of place as the range topper.
The cars it replaces were great big bruisers that challenged you to extract as much power from them as you dared. But the CLE 53 is far more user-friendly, and feels sharper and more agile to boot. Driving it feels inherently more refined than you’d expect given its Black Series looks – and that’s even with the benefit of a (relatively) large and uncomplicated engine.
The CLE 53 looks great, and will certainly deliver the performance you’d hope of a car with the 53 badge. As for those truly ‘Affalterbach’ moments? We’re hoping the 63 will bring those.
Specs below are for the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ Coupe AMG Night Edition Premium Plus Performance Pro package
