The CLS came out of nowhere, really. Mercedes-Benz cars are generally designed with function at the forefront, and styling as function allows. Their cars are generally not haute couture, even if often attractive.

Not so the CLS, or "the German Jaguar." It was styled for the sake of style alone, with function down the ladder on the priority list. It might even have been considered experimental for Mercedes, and it would have surely gone quietly away, like the R-Class, if it didn't work very well. But work well it did - this 4-door coupe really got noticed, and more importantly - bought. That's why it continued development and is still being produced today.

Full review and test drive of this 26K mile 2006 CLS 500 by Bill. Vehicle is available at Autohaus of Naples, on the web at www.AutohausFL.com, or at (239) 263-8500.