Driving on the narrow mountain roads of the Spanish island of Tenerife, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 coupe bites the brakes. Too big to feel comfortable on narrow roads with short run-off areas that range from steep drop-offs to nearby barriers, the coupe can fly in the worst ways. However, it’s too powerful to lag behind a wave of Toyota and Citroën C3 pickup trucks cruising around the island.
The AMG 53 coupe is the most extreme model yet in the new CLE lineup that combines elements from the outgoing C-Class and E-Class coupe and convertible (Cabriolet) models. It’s the largest, most powerful and best-performing model in a lineup that includes CLE 300 and CLE 450 coupes and droptops. While it has some track capability, it’s still a grand tourer, and the most extreme and most track capable will probably still come in the form of a AMG CLE 63 SE Performance plug-in hybrid.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53: Faster, faster, more agile
Although it combines elements of compact and midsize cars, the CLE 53 coupe is entirely midsize, and its performance suspension requires it to be wider than the already substantial CLE 450. It’s 0.6 inch longer than the E-Class coupe output on a 0.1-inch longer wheelbase. Its fenders are 2.3 inches wider in the front and 3.0 inches wider in the rear compared to the CLE 450 coupe to give it a serious, planted stance and make room for a wider 2.0-inch front track. 2 inches and 2.4 inch rear and staggered size 265/35 front and 295/30 rear on 19 or 20 inch wheels.
My tester’s optional Michelin Pilot Sport S5 summer tires provide excellent grip to help me position the car precisely at moments when I can overtake slow movers. The latest generation of performance tires from Michelin, these S5s are much grippier and scream much less in fast corners than the Continental EcoContact 6Q summer tires I tried in the CLE 450 4Matic Cabriolet earlier in the day.
The AMG-tuned steering also helps. It’s a heavier, quicker version of the familiar steering in today’s Mercedes models: quick, a bit light, but firmer in Sport modes and with a good road feel.
AMG also offers more chassis technology in the AMG 53 than in other CLE models. It comes standard with adaptive dampers and rear-wheel steering that are not available on the CLE 300 and CLE 450. Rear-wheel steering can turn up to 2.5 degrees opposite the front tires at up to 62 mph, and turns with the rears above of this speed. The chassis is also more rigid thanks to a strut tower brace, a shear plate below the engine, and stiffer suspension mounting points.
I can’t give it my all on these narrow roads, but the twists and turns show that the CLE 53 turns faster, stays flatter through corners, and responds to my steering, acceleration, and braking inputs more readily than other CLEs, too. A performance display on the dash shows that rear-wheel steering only slightly shortens the turning radius, reading 0.2 to 0.3 degrees of rear steering in 40 mph corners, and perhaps as much as 0.7 degrees in steeper turns. from 20-25mph. The full 2.5 degrees would be reserved for parking speeds. Handling feels balanced in these tight corners, and it’s fun to push despite the dips and encroaching guardrails.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
Stronger brakes are also useful here. It gets 14.6-inch ventilated front rotors with 4-piston calipers and 14.2-inch internally ventilated rear discs with single-piston calipers. They handle everything I have to do on climbs and, more importantly, on descents, without fading or getting hot enough to emit the odor that I experienced in the CLE 450.
AMG claims the CLE 53 is tuned for the performance and agility of the C-Class with the comfort and elegance of the E-Class. The adjustable adaptive dampers have three settings that change depending on the chosen driving mode, and Mercedes says that They have a wider range of smoothness and performance than the last E-Class coupe. I find myself using the Sport and Sport+ settings in corners and switching back to Comfort mode on long straights.
I can change modes with a dial on the right side of the steering wheel. I can also use Individual mode to customize the shock absorbers, engine, transmission, sound and AMG Dynamics settings. A dial on the left side of the steering wheel also allows me to adjust various control systems individually. I could opt for the Sport engine setting with the Comfort damper setting in daily driving, but for now I’m letting the modes determine the car’s character.
The AMG Dynamics system controls stability control and the all-wheel drive system. Its settings include Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master, and also change with the driving mode. Sport and Sport+ allow more freedom to spin the tires or kick the tail out, and I didn’t detect any stability control intervention when using either of these modes, despite quick driving. The sportier modes also send more power to the rear wheels for the fully variable all-wheel-drive system AMG calls 4Matic+.
An available Dynamic Plus package adds an additional driving mode called Race, a launch control feature called Race Start, a drift mode, red brake calipers, and active engine mounts that brace into corners for even more body rigidity.
What’s missing is also notable. A track car would add a limited-slip rear differential to help the car hook up better when exiting corners, and even larger brakes with a higher caliper count for sustained performance on the track. Without these fussy elements or adjustments, this car doesn’t chase track times like a CLE 63 would, and that leaves it comfortable enough for daily driving.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53
Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53: twin turbos, but not the usual
The AMG CLE 53 shares its engine with the CLE 450, but here it has been AMGified. It’s a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 with an electric turbocharger that fills boost pressure until the exhaust gas turbo accelerates. It has 443 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque that can rise to 443 lb-ft in 10-second bursts with an overboost function. A 48-volt starter generator located in the transmission can add another 23 hp and 151 lb-ft at lower speeds to aid takeoff. Power flows through a 9-speed automatic transmission with torque converter (not wet clutch as in AMG 63 models).
The engine becomes especially talkative in Sport+ mode, with pops and pops when overtaking and subtle burps between gears to accompany its smooth growl. Power arrives quickly and builds strongly, which makes passing those Toyota pickups a breeze. However, the power lacks the sudden, relentless nature of an AMG V-8, and the 53 isn’t appreciably quicker than the CLE 450, with an equivalent 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds. Race Start mode reduces the time to 4.0 seconds.
The transmission shifts smoothly in the Comfort setting and responds more quickly in Sport and even more so in Sport+. When it’s time to overtake islanders or exit a corner to move onto the next, Sport+ usually chooses the right gear to make the most of the power. However, the transmission sometimes gets confused when corners come together quickly, sometimes downshifting abruptly and upsetting the car’s balance.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
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2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ coupe
Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53: special interior
The AMG CLE 53 also looks a little more special inside than the models in the standard lineup. It combines the dashboard of the C-Class with the space of the latest E-Class coupe. It’s a luxurious, high-tech cabin with some sporty extras that include standard sports seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel and some AMG-specific performance displays in the dash. 12.3-inch digital instruments and 11.9-inch central touchscreen.
Digital displays include a Supersport theme for the gauge cluster and touchscreen performance displays that include front and rear steering angle, shock absorber movement, tire temperatures, brake and accelerator percentage, g-forces, hp and torque real-time and an IWC watch stopwatch.
Leather upholstery is standard, and the sport seats offer excellent lateral support, leaving enough room for my very wide rear end. Nappa leather is optional, as are more tailored AMG Performance seats with suede inserts, a suede steering wheel, carbon fiber trim and red seat belts. Everything is high quality and well put together, with options or not.
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 coupe is expected to go on sale this summer. Pricing will be announced closer to launch, but expect at least $10,000 more than the $66,800 CLE 450 4Matic coupe. For that money, buyers will get a powerful, sinister-looking, seriously sporty car that isn’t too uptight or too track-focused. If you can get on one, look for a winding road that’s wider than the one you find in Tenerife, and be sure to put the slowpokes in the rearview mirror quickly to unleash the fun.
Mercedes-Benz paid for travel and lodging for Motor Authority to bring you this report firsthand.