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Walk Around

The Mercedes-Benz CLK is beautiful, and its beauty lies in its symmetry and balance. The CLK looks forceful, but also elegant and sophisticated, and it blends form and function nicely. Under the rear half of its sweeping roofline is a back seat with room for two adults, not the parcel shelf that passes for a seat in some high-end coupes.

The CLK is a fairly compact car, based on a lengthened version of the same chassis used for the small Mercedes C-Class sedans. Yet the designers have successfully infused it with the presence and bearing of a much larger coupe like the big Mercedes CL.

The coupe aesthetic starts with the profile. The CLK dispenses with a center roof pillar, so the roof sweeps uninterrupted from the base of the windshield to the trunk lid. The rear windows lower completely below the sill, emphasizing the smooth, open flow, and the effect is enhanced by the absence of any visible antenna for the radio, telephone or navigation system. The CLK replaces a conventional steel trunk lid with a composite panel that allows the antennas to be imbedded into the lid's structure.

The second, unmistakable coupe element is the CLK's front end. This Mercedes forgoes the traditional hood ornament in favor of a lower, much larger three-pointed star set into the wide, three-slat grille, which greets the world with just a hint of a sneer. On first impression, it seems the CLK has four headlights, but a closer look confirms a single ellipse-shaped cluster on each side. And there's more to the headlights than slick design. The optional bi-xenon lights swivel to point into curves and are equipped with high-pressure washing jets; they also change beam angle as the CLK moves up and down with road imperfections, keeping the high-intensity light below the sight line of the drivers in oncoming cars.

When its fabric top is closed, the CLK Cabriolet is nearly identical in silhouette to the coupe, with only a hint of a break in the roofline where it meets the trunk lid. The fabric top is fully lined and insulated, and opening or closing it is a one-button operation. Roughly 30 seconds after the driver hits the button, the top tucks neatly under a hard cover behind the rear seats. Rollover protection hoops are integrated into the rear-seat headrests, allowing the same clean look when the top is down. In the event of an imminent collision or rollover in the cabriolet, two roll bars deploy and lock in place within 0.3 seconds.

Details distinguish the CLK models. The CLK350 has neutral-tinted glass and gray vanes in its grille, while the CLK550 has blue-tinted glass, high-gloss black vanes with chrome trim on the grille, and a short rear spoiler.

The CLK350 and CLK550 come with 17-inch wheels, slightly wider with fatter tires in back, to create the staggered-wheel look of a race car. The wheels on the CLK350 are a light-alloy five-spoke design. Those on the CLK550 feature an AMG-styled monoblock design.

The optional Sport Appearance Package for the CLK350 includes special six-twin-spoke aluminum wheels, a sports suspension that lowers the CLK slightly, and cross-drilled brake rotors that are visible through the wheels.

Interior

2009 Mercedes-Benz CLK

The Mercedes-Benz CLK is a fairly compact car, but there is enough space and seat adjustment inside to accommodate very tall people in front. Generally, the cabin has the look and feel of success.

Materials are very good throughout. Soft polyurethane sprayed onto the dashboard provides an attractive appearance and a luxurious feel. Black-stained ash wood trim and black carpet is standard, though traditional burl walnut is available at no charge. Nice touches of wood and gathered leather on the door panels make for a very attractive cabin.

When front passengers close the doors, an electric arm on each side of the CLK extends to present the seatbelts, making it easier to reach the belts. The belt presenters retract once the belts are buckled. It works well, though we've seen passengers startled by them, fearing the return of the motorized mouse.

Most controls and switches, including climate adjustments and audio, are stacked in the center of the dash above the console. They're easy to locate and big enough to adjust without a lot of concentration. Standard features include digital dual-zone temperature control with a sun sensor to optimize air distribution. The rain-sensing wipers are operated with a stalk on the right side of the steering column.

Storage options have improved by Mercedes standards, but come up short when compared with other cars. The two-tiered glove box is large, but the optional CD changer will take up one of the shelves. The center console has two cup holders and a storage bin.

The gauge cluster is a mix of traditional analog gauges and LED graphics. A large round speedometer and tachometer dominate the center, flanked by two smaller, thermometer-like gauges for the fuel level and coolant temperature. It's both attractive and effective, with crisp illuminated script that's easy to read at a glance, though at first you may confuse full and empty on the gas gauge.

The CLK steering wheel is one of our favorites: Just the right size, thickness and firmness for this car, and power-adjustable for tilt and reach. Rocker buttons on its spokes allow operation of several systems, including stereo, climate and telephone.

These buttons also manage an LED information display in the center of the gauges. There's a wealth of information available, including trip functions such as average speed and distance to empty, but it takes a bit of concentration to scroll through and find what you're looking for.

Access to the rear seats is easier than it is in many coupes, but that's mostly because there is more room than in many coupes. The front seats help by tipping and sliding forward with a quick-release lever. If the front passengers don't have their seats moved too far rearward, there's enough room for two adults in back -- at least for traveling to dinner and a show, if not a cross country trek.

The rear seat folds down with a 60/40 split, and that's good. With 10.4 cubic feet of space in the trunk, the CLK will hold a load of luggage for two, but its trunk is smaller than typical in a sedan of its size. The fold-flat rear seat helps a bit with oversized items.

You won't lose much rear seat space with the CLK Cabriolet, but you will lose a lot of storage in the trunk, even when the convertible top is up. With the top up, there's enough space for four to six bags of groceries. When the top is down, it cuts the trunk space almost in half. Nonetheless, the top is thickly insulated and beautifully lined, and it's almost as pristinely quiet in the CLK Cabriolet as it is in the coupe, when the top is up.

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