Part 1: The Struggle for Survival
The sun had just begun to rise, casting a soft glow over the quiet town. It was a peaceful morning, the kind where birds chirped gently in the trees, and the world seemed calm. But for one small creature, this day would bring a darkness unlike anything he had ever known.
He was just a puppy, only a few months old, and he had never known anything but the warmth of his mother’s care. She had always been there for him, providing everything he needed—comfort, food, protection. He trusted her with his little heart, and every time she licked his face or nuzzled him close, he felt safe. He was too young to understand the dangers of the world, but he felt an undeniable love from her, something that assured him that nothing could harm him.
But one fateful day, everything changed.
The puppy, whose name was Max, woke up to an empty space beside him. His mother was gone. At first, he didn’t understand. He searched the house, sniffing around every corner, looking for the familiar scent that was so comforting. He whimpered, his small voice rising with worry, but there was no answer. He couldn’t hear her soft whines, her footsteps, or the rhythmic sound of her breathing. The world was silent except for his desperate calls.
He ventured outside, hoping to find her, but the world outside felt much larger and far more terrifying than he had ever realized. The grass seemed taller, the shadows seemed darker, and the wind howled eerily in the distance. Max was a small, fragile puppy, with barely enough strength to make it through a few steps on his own. His stomach growled in hunger, and his body trembled from both fear and the cold. He had no idea how to survive without his mother.
The hours passed, and Max wandered aimlessly through the unfamiliar streets. He had no direction, no safety net. He was just a tiny creature lost in a world that didn’t seem to care. People passed him by, some noticing his sad eyes, but none stopping to help. Max’s small body was growing weaker with each passing moment, and his tiny paws were sore from walking on the hard pavement.
As the day turned to night, the cold became unbearable. Max found a small corner near a dumpster and huddled against the cold concrete, trying to keep warm. His small body shivered uncontrollably as he lay there, too afraid to sleep, too weak to move. His stomach was empty, and his energy was drained. The darkness around him felt suffocating, and he began to realize that he might not make it through the night. His breathing grew shallow, and he let out a soft cry, though he knew no one could hear him.
He barely survived that night.
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
