2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4 MATIC: Handsome, Heavy and Habit Forming

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4 MATC is heavy. How heavy? Well, heavier that the Pittsburg Steelers' defensive line. The car's official weight is 4699 pounds! Furthermore, the CL550 4 MATC is a large four-passenger four-door coupe as only the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe is bigger.

This Mercedes is powerful as it is motivated by a 4.7-liter direct injected twin-turbo V8 belting out 529 hp and 516 lb. ft. of torque. Of note is this engine puts out an additional 47 hp and 125 ft. lb. of torque than the larger naturally aspired 5.5-liter V8 of the past. And with its seven-speed automatic, including shift paddles near the steering wheel, the car sprints from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds. The new engine gains an extra 2 mpg (rated at 15 mpg city and 23 mpg highway), and this results in the CL550 4 MATIC not incurring the gas guzzler tax as part of the car's $114,025 base price!

The brakes are four-wheel disc (13.2 inch at the front and 11.8 inch at the rear) with anti-lock (ABS) and a Brake Assist System (BAS) enabling this Mercedes to stop from 60 mph in 159 feet. The tires are 255/45 R 18 inch all-season rubber. The all-wheel drive system means that this Mercedes will prevail through any kind of weather.

The exterior is good looking and the body has a sweeping but crisp profile. New for this 2011 car is a V shaped grille with thinner chrome strips and a larger three-point star. Additionally, the headlights and taillights are restyled and include LED turn signals. The LED driving lights are set off by chrome strips on the bumper. Last, but not least, Adaptive Highbeam Assist automatically lowers the high beams when he CL 550 encounters oncoming traffic. Visit the slide show to see if the Mercedes CL550 4 MATIC is up to your standards!

The interior is luxurious and classy. It involves a combination of handsome stitched leather (four leather color combinations), elegant textures (four grains of wood), and excellent ergonomic layout. The seats are supportive for spirited back road hustling and comfortable for long legged highway cruising. The front and rear legroom is adequate for those over six-feet tall.

Standard equipment includes a COMAND system with 40GB hard-drive GPS navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, an 11 speaker Harmon-Kardon LOGIC7 5.1-channel surround system, power sun roof, bi-xenon headlights with swiveling curve illumination, electronic closing trunk, a tire pressure monitoring system, premium leather, a performance steering wheel with aluminum shift paddles, and 14 way power heated seats.

On the road this Mercedes has much grip, well-controlled body motions, and powerful brakes. The car's air suspension swallows road irregularities, and the cabin filters out all outside noise. This luxury car provides one of the best driving experiences available.

Mercedes is known as one of the safest cars on the road and the CL550 4 MATIC maintains the automaker's safety standard. The CL550 4 MATIC comes with roadside assistance, adaptive dual-state front airbags, driver knee airbag, side and full-length curtain airbags, as well as active head restraints. Furthermore, electronic safety includes an electronic stability program, an occupant protection system, a roll-over sensor, anti-theft alarm with engine shut-down, as well as a night time security system.

If you want the best of the best automotive experience, be sure to test drive the 2011 Mercedes CL550 4 MATIC. Indeed, it provides a yardstick to measure all other vehicles!

Kyle Busch is the author of "Drive the Best for the Price..." He welcomes your comments or car questions at his auto web site: www.DriveTheBestBook.com. Follow Kyle on Facebookand Twitter.