Skip advert
Advertisement
Long term tests

Mercedes CLS 350 CGI: Mercedes CLS 350 CGI

David Vivian is getting bad vibrations from his Mercedes CLS. It's either a steering problem, or he's just imagining things...

Mercedes CLS 350 CGI

Don’t know, think I may be going mad. After the exquisitely subtle but deeply irritating, now-you-hear-it, now-you-don’t driver’s door tizz, and the brake rumble that came out of nowhere and vanished just as quickly (read the May report here), the CLS is now taunting me with what may (or may not) be a steering, or possibly driveline, vibration. Again, it’s as subtle as hell – a kind of granular feedback felt more through the steering than the seat of the pants – and it seems to check in at precisely 83mph. Mostly (but not always) on the M2 coast-bound.

Advertisement - Article continues below

See what I mean? It’s the sort of thing that can induce paranoia. I suppose it could be that, as things bed in, the Merc’s steering is just that bit more sensitive to road surface changes. But I don’t think so.

Anyway, I’m letting designer Neil Carey have the car for a few days so he can drive his best mate to his wedding in style. Not Neil’s wedding, his best mate’s. If he doesn’t mention it, I’ll know it’s just me.

As I mentioned before, the trouble with a car like the CLS is that it’s such a smooth and all-but-silent operator, you tend to home in on the little things. Perhaps they’re there in the CLS 63 AMG as well, but you’d be too exhilarated or scared to notice…

One more thing. I think the CLS looks fabulous in black. So, it seems, does everyone else. No problem, it just makes life a bit more interesting when you see your car in a different colour. I never do.

Running Costs

Date acquiredDecember 2006
Total mileage4896
Costs this month£0
Mileage this month1349
MPG this month28.5mpg
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport deal
News

VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport in Mk8.5 guise makes for a tempting prospect at the right price
3 Jul 2025
New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement
Ferrari Amalfi front
News

New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement

The Ferrari Amalfi picks up where the Roma left off, as a more capable, debugged super GT that’s finally brought back buttons
1 Jul 2025
Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI
Cheap sports cars
Best cars

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI

With the sun shining and fuel prices palatable, now is the time to indulge your used sports car desires
1 Jul 2025