2025 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG CLE

The 2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 comes from the AMG division of Mercedes-Benz. For anyone just landed here from Mars, first, welcome to Earth. And sorry about the mess — we weren’t expecting company. Second, AMG signifies high performance, like BMW’s M cars (oh boy, dear Martian, there’s a lot of fun in store for you).

Having made its debut for the 2024 model year, the CLE in general is still all shiny and new, replacing 2-door versions of both the previous compact C-Class and midsize E-Class generations, fitting roughly between the two, size-wise. And then there’s a choice of body styles — either a coupe with a fixed metal roof, or a cabriolet with a folding fabric roof. All-wheel drive (AWD) is also part of the standard package. Every single aspect contributes to a luxury car that’s both exceptionally swift and sophisticated. And coming from Mercedes-Benz, there’s also plenty of tech, safety and style.

The regular, non-AMG Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe and CLE Cabriolet are reviewed separately.

The CLE 53 Cabriolet is all-new this year. There was a 2024 CLE 53 Coupe that came in for the tail end of the previous model year, so this is the first full year for the fixed-roof variant. The soft-top Cabriolet is also a newcomer to the non-AMG CLE lineup.

The closest rivals would be the BMW M440i xDrive models or even the M4 versions. That’s a pricing spread between $60K and $95K. Before buying a new Mercedes-AMG CLE coupe or cabriolet, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying.

Every CLE AMG 53 enjoys 443 horsepower, with the ability to accelerate from standstill to 60 mph in a rapid four seconds. For comparison, the BMW M440i xDrive Coupe has 386 horsepower and needs another 0.3 of a second to hit 60 mph. Or splash out for an M4 Coupe to get 473 horsepower and come within 0.1 of a second of the CLE 53 Coupe’s time.

Compared with the regular CLE, these AMG versions also have stronger brakes and specially tuned automatic transmissions to manage the greater forces. A standard adaptive suspension, known as AMG Ride Control, provides a range of settings from tolerable to taut. Driving modes are Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ that, according to Mercedes-Benz, “provide a noticeable difference between ride comfort and dynamic driving characteristics.”

Rear-wheel steering is standard in the CLE 53, bringing extra maneuverability and stability. We’ve found this system in the E-Class to be superb — it feels like the car is pouring itself around corners.

One aspect of the latest C-Class that has migrated into the CLE is the overall cabin design. There’s the same large (11.9-inch) center touchscreen oriented vertically and angled slightly toward the driver, along with a trio of air vents just above it. The driver has a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, and gets to really enjoy the standard surround-sound system because that seat has speakers in its headrest.

We’ve always liked the extending arms in Mercedes-Benz coupes that bring the seat belt into a more reachable position. They’re present and correct in the CLE. There’s plenty of room up front, and we appreciate how there are soft places for our elbows to land. Naturally, the cabin materials are high-quality.

We’ve found outward vision in the CLE coupe to be quite acceptable. Nevertheless, we’re pleased that blind-spot monitoring and parking sensors are standard. The CLE has two small rear seats. We won’t gripe about tight rear legroom, since adults are unlikely to be sitting in the back regularly. Most of the time, that part of the car will be where bags and jackets are kept.

The coupe’s 11.2 cubic feet of trunk space is kind of cozy, but the rear seats fold for extra room. The CLE Cabriolet’s trunk area measures 9.6 cubic feet.

Speaking of the Cabriolet model, its optional leather upholstery has a special coating to stay cooler in direct sunlight than the regular stuff. The neck-heating Airscarf feature with warm-air vents in the front seats is standard. We also like how this car’s infotainment touchscreen can tilt to help reduce reflections during top-down motoring.

The term Coupe has taken a bit of a beating in recent years, with some 4-door SUVs laying claim to the name just because they have a sloping roof. The CLE Coupe is a proper coupe, with two doors, long hood, short tail, and yes — a sloping roof. The Cabriolet is the version with a folding fabric roof. It might be called a convertible, but the “cabriolet” word tends to be used when the car has four seats instead of a typical convertible’s two.

Pedantry aside, the CLE has that usual Mercedes-Benz sleekness with well-considered proportions, and these AMG models have vertical grille slats along with a huge 3-pointed star taking pride of place. We also think the Cabriolet deserves extra kudos for retaining that sleekness with the roof in either position. The roof opens or closes in around 20 seconds at speeds of up to 37 mph. Based on the newest C-Class platform, but about half an inch longer than the erstwhile E-Class coupe, the CLE straddles the line between compact and midsize.

Artificial intelligence
The CLE’s infotainment system is able to recognize and learn patterns of behavior. For example, suggesting a navigation destination that’s visited regularly or making a phone call that’s usually done at a certain time. It can even go beyond this to create things like a cold weather setting (activating the heated front seats when the outside temperature falls below a certain point) or a date night ambience — playing romantic music and selecting rose-colored cabin lighting.

Burmester audio
Often on the options lists of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, a 710-watt/17-speaker Burmester surround-sound system is standard in every CLE. To make it especially immersive, there are speakers set into the headrest of the driver’s seat. Dolby Atmos — which really enriches the sound — is also part of the setup.

Just talk
The infotainment system in the CLE knows when there’s a solo driver and is always listening out for instructions. So there’s no need to begin voice commands with “Hey Mercedes” if you’re by yourself.

Apps
Mercedes-Benz calls the CLE the most intelligent 2-door car to wear its famous star badge. This includes the ability to download third-party apps like Zoom, TikTok, and the Angry Birds video game — that’s intelligent, right?

Driver assistance
This optional bundle helps with things like busy intersections and evasive steering, and it can even move the front seats closer to the center if a side impact is imminent. We think this would be a good addition.

AMG Dynamic Plus package
This optional bundle includes Race Start and Drift features, plus active engine mounts for a broader spectrum between comfort and sportiness.

The 2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 employs a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6-cylinder engine augmented by a 48-volt mild hybrid setup. Total output is a substantial 443 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. There’s also an overboost function that adds another 30 lb-ft of torque for 10 seconds. All this energy goes to a standard all-wheel-drive system through a 9-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Mercedes-Benz provides new-car and powertrain warranties lasting four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. This is typical among European luxury car makers.

Safety Equipment

The current C-Class sedan has taken Top Safety Pick+ honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Considering the CLE is based on the C-Class, we expect similar performance. Mercedes-Benz has a well-earned reputation for innovating and installing many safety features. Standard safety equipment in the new CLE 53 includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. Cabriolet models come with rollover protection.