Part 1: The Fearful Beginning
The rain was pouring down in torrents, the sky heavy with dark clouds. It was the kind of storm that made you want to curl up in bed with a warm blanket and forget about the world outside. But on this particular day, the storm wasn’t just a weather pattern—it was the beginning of a heartbreaking journey for a small, terrified puppy.
She lay huddled beneath a tree, soaked to the bone. Her tiny body trembled in fear, and her bright eyes flicked anxiously from one direction to another, desperately seeking something—someone. But there was nothing. No sign of her mommy, the one who had always been there to comfort her, to protect her, to keep her safe from the world’s dangers. The puppy whimpered softly, a sound filled with sadness and confusion. Her mother was gone, and she was all alone.
The rain continued to fall, cold and unrelenting. The little puppy’s fur was matted and heavy with the moisture, but it wasn’t the cold that made her shiver. It was the fear. The overwhelming, suffocating fear of being abandoned. She didn’t understand what had happened. One moment, she had been nestled next to her mommy, feeling warm and safe, and the next, everything had changed. The absence of her mother was deafening.
She had been so young, so innocent. All she knew was the comfort of her mother’s warmth, the soft lull of her mommy’s voice, and the security of being nestled under her protective paws. But now, the world seemed unfamiliar and terrifying. Every rustle in the bushes, every gust of wind, made her jump in fear. She was alone, vulnerable, and helpless.
Her small paws shuffled in the wet grass as she tried to move, her tiny legs barely able to support her. She stumbled, her body too weak from hunger and exhaustion. She tried to cry out for her mother, but no sound came from her mouth—only a soft whimper that seemed to fade into the storm. Her eyes scanned the empty streets, the barren land, hoping that she would catch a glimpse of the familiar figure she had known since birth.
But there was nothing.
The puppy’s heart ached as she lay down again, her body curling into a tight ball for warmth. Her mother had always been there to protect her from the dangers of the world, to keep her close and safe. But now, all the warmth and comfort had disappeared, replaced by cold fear and uncertainty.
As the rain continued to pour down, the puppy’s eyes began to grow heavy with exhaustion. She hadn’t eaten in days, and her small body was starting to give in to the fatigue. Yet, despite the overwhelming exhaustion that weighed on her, she could not bring herself to close her eyes. She was too afraid to sleep. What if her mother came back and couldn’t find her? What if she missed her?
The little puppy whimpered again, her cries soft and pitiful, barely audible over the sound of the rain. She wished for her mommy. She wished for the familiar warmth, for the gentle nudge of her mother’s nose, for the sense of security she had always known. But that sense of security was gone now, and all that was left was the storm and the terrifying loneliness.
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
