2018 CLS a downmarket step?
Discussion
Am I on my own thinking that the new CLS looks really downmarket compared to the outgoing model?
First of all, there is no Shooting Brake option which in my eyes was always the better looking option. Very sleek, quite distictive. Probably the most elegant estate ever.
Then there are the styling details on the new car. The front looks OK but the rear lights make me think of an Audi. Probably an A4?
Then there's the interior which we know will end up a dull mixture of black and black in most customer cars but even the press car with its lighter colours look like something from Korea.
Overall, it still looks great, just not as accomplished in its styling as the car it replaces.
First of all, there is no Shooting Brake option which in my eyes was always the better looking option. Very sleek, quite distictive. Probably the most elegant estate ever.
Then there are the styling details on the new car. The front looks OK but the rear lights make me think of an Audi. Probably an A4?
Then there's the interior which we know will end up a dull mixture of black and black in most customer cars but even the press car with its lighter colours look like something from Korea.
Overall, it still looks great, just not as accomplished in its styling as the car it replaces.
Have you any thoughts yet on what you might replace it with?
I've no idea how well the new CLS will perform dynamically but it is the style of the CLS which won its customers over in the past. Lose that and it's just another bland European box at a price tag that would pribably make me look to Audi, BMW or maybe even Volvo.
I've no idea how well the new CLS will perform dynamically but it is the style of the CLS which won its customers over in the past. Lose that and it's just another bland European box at a price tag that would pribably make me look to Audi, BMW or maybe even Volvo.
I very much liked the first CLS, not to much the second gen but like the 2nd gen facelift. This new one is lovely!, the back will divide opinion and its not the nicest but the CLS 53 makes the best of an average ass.
Don't feel its "down market" are you like to put it. shoot brake certainly isnt nicer than the coupe but its nice for an estate.
Don't feel its "down market" are you like to put it. shoot brake certainly isnt nicer than the coupe but its nice for an estate.
XMT said:
I very much liked the first CLS, not to much the second gen but like the 2nd gen facelift. This new one is lovely!, the back will divide opinion and its not the nicest but the CLS 53 makes the best of an average ass.
Don't feel its "down market" are you like to put it. shoot brake certainly isnt nicer than the coupe but its nice for an estate.
I agree the first gen CLS was a real eye catcher for all the right reasons but it was the SB for me that looked like a concept car that had escaped the design studio.Don't feel its "down market" are you like to put it. shoot brake certainly isnt nicer than the coupe but its nice for an estate.
I couldn't think of a better phrase than down market. It doesn't deserve that but the CLS even in second gen saloon version has always looked a more expensive car than it was whereas this latest one doesn't.
2018 CLS a downmarket step? Yes, I'm afraid so.
Having owned a W219 and now a W218, and many, many other Mercedes over the years, this new CLS feels that they are continuing the intentional dumbing down of the products and brand.
The 218 exterior felt a little clumsy compared to its predecessor, particularly around the rear flanks. This new model looks awkward. Lights have sometimes been a styling challenge for Mercedes, and this car shows it and strangely the C pillar seems to have lost its flow to the boot.
Interior. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Tacky, vulgar, incoherent, ergonomically inelegant. And that steering wheel. And speakers. And seat controls. And 'stick LED strips everywhere' ambient lighting.
Then the real evidence of it being a downmarket step: there are a set of options I have on our current CLS (some were on the original as well) that have been bean-countered and down-marketeered out of the specification (certainly they are not easily evident in the configurator):
Light coloured interior: you can have any colour as long as it's depressing. Which means black upholstery and ugly trim
Night view assist
Ventilated seats
Dynamic seats/massage
Rear heated seats
Rear sunblind
Optimised interior headroom (i.e. no sunroof)
Superior security system (i.e. normal ignition key rather than the vulnerable and unnecessary Keyless Go)
And I feel the move to five seats is a step down as well. The loss of the centre console removes some of the styling excitement.
It's a big shame, but the CLS is not the only model in the range to feel downmarket nowadays. I've looked a buying replacements for the CLS, a C and an A class over the past 6 months. Any purchase would feel a downward step and a compromise compared to the cars we currently have.
It's become very, very difficult to spend money with Mercedes Benz now they have moved into the rental market.
Having owned a W219 and now a W218, and many, many other Mercedes over the years, this new CLS feels that they are continuing the intentional dumbing down of the products and brand.
The 218 exterior felt a little clumsy compared to its predecessor, particularly around the rear flanks. This new model looks awkward. Lights have sometimes been a styling challenge for Mercedes, and this car shows it and strangely the C pillar seems to have lost its flow to the boot.
Interior. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Tacky, vulgar, incoherent, ergonomically inelegant. And that steering wheel. And speakers. And seat controls. And 'stick LED strips everywhere' ambient lighting.
Then the real evidence of it being a downmarket step: there are a set of options I have on our current CLS (some were on the original as well) that have been bean-countered and down-marketeered out of the specification (certainly they are not easily evident in the configurator):
Light coloured interior: you can have any colour as long as it's depressing. Which means black upholstery and ugly trim
Night view assist
Ventilated seats
Dynamic seats/massage
Rear heated seats
Rear sunblind
Optimised interior headroom (i.e. no sunroof)
Superior security system (i.e. normal ignition key rather than the vulnerable and unnecessary Keyless Go)
And I feel the move to five seats is a step down as well. The loss of the centre console removes some of the styling excitement.
It's a big shame, but the CLS is not the only model in the range to feel downmarket nowadays. I've looked a buying replacements for the CLS, a C and an A class over the past 6 months. Any purchase would feel a downward step and a compromise compared to the cars we currently have.
It's become very, very difficult to spend money with Mercedes Benz now they have moved into the rental market.
Couldn’t agree more with the sentiments in this thread.
Having had both previous generations of CLS I had a quick flick through the brochure for the new one. Interior is now lift and drop from the E-class and available in any colour as long as it’s black.
Exterior available in any shade of grey or black you like.
I don’t know what’s gone wrong at Mercedes but they are without doubt destroying the illustrious history of the marque one model at a time.
Having had both previous generations of CLS I had a quick flick through the brochure for the new one. Interior is now lift and drop from the E-class and available in any colour as long as it’s black.
Exterior available in any shade of grey or black you like.
I don’t know what’s gone wrong at Mercedes but they are without doubt destroying the illustrious history of the marque one model at a time.
Pistom said:
Have you any thoughts yet on what you might replace it with?
I've no idea how well the new CLS will perform dynamically but it is the style of the CLS which won its customers over in the past. Lose that and it's just another bland European box at a price tag that would pribably make me look to Audi, BMW or maybe even Volvo.
I’m having, possibly irrational, Italian leanings. If a Giulia QV fits the monthly price I set then I would be tempted. If not then possibly a Veloce. Beyond that nothing really appeals to me at the moment.I've no idea how well the new CLS will perform dynamically but it is the style of the CLS which won its customers over in the past. Lose that and it's just another bland European box at a price tag that would pribably make me look to Audi, BMW or maybe even Volvo.
Just had a play on the configurator - what are they thinking? Picked the petrol 450 in the hope that it isn’t a three pot engine with a washing machine motor nailed to the gearbox.
Black interior, no other choices.
Grey wood, no other choices. Bleurgh. Depressing.
You can get a sunroof and heated seats, but a lot of the clever 219 options are long gone.
It should be an event to sit in. The original 219 with cream leather and polished wood is like sitting in a German bentley. The new one just looks like everything else. Dull, grey, boring, predictable.
And no shooting brake is a daft move, I think they looked fantastic.
Black interior, no other choices.
Grey wood, no other choices. Bleurgh. Depressing.
You can get a sunroof and heated seats, but a lot of the clever 219 options are long gone.
It should be an event to sit in. The original 219 with cream leather and polished wood is like sitting in a German bentley. The new one just looks like everything else. Dull, grey, boring, predictable.
And no shooting brake is a daft move, I think they looked fantastic.
Maybe the configurator is not fully complete? For the C class, E class and E class there are a much fuller range of interior options. My E class estate was delivered in Sept 17 but there frequent changes to the configurator in the preceding 3 months.
With regards to the Shooting Brake, I agree that this is best looker - however, have MBZ said that they won't be making one or just that they're releasing the 'saloon' first? (as with all previous Mercedes model launches that I can remember)
With regards to the Shooting Brake, I agree that this is best looker - however, have MBZ said that they won't be making one or just that they're releasing the 'saloon' first? (as with all previous Mercedes model launches that I can remember)
Ian-27xza said:
Maybe the configurator is not fully complete?
I've just played with configurator for the E Class and there's no rear blind, ventilated seats, Night View Assist. And you're still forced to compromise and take certain (in our case) unwanted options such as sunroof and Keyless Go in order to get LED Intelligent Lights and memory seats.
On average we used to buy a new Mercedes every 2.7 years. We haven't been bought one for the last four years due to the option constraints. Downmarket, dumbing down, call it what you will... Mercedes Benz are making it impossible for us to spend money with them.
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