Admittedly the Mercedes CLS Class isn’t for everybody.

If you’re the type that doesn’t want to go against the grain or stand out, then forget about the CLS 550 or the CLS 63AMG and walk away.

But if you’re a person that says “damn the torpedoes-all ahead full!” then the CLS class is for you.

One simply cannot judge the CLS 550 or the entire Mercedes CLS class if you plan on basing your judgments on what a sedan should look like or what a coupé should be.

As stated in an earlier post, we were given a CLS 550 painted in Metallic Barolo Red and had Black Leather interior and Laurel Wood Trim to play with.

She also came equipped with three packages- the 318 Trim, Sport and the Premium package.

The optional Distronic Proximity Control and Parktronic system were also installed.

Upon engine start I’m pleased to report that the change in the exhaust tips shape did nothing to affect the sound of the all too familiar hum of the engine.

I then set the computer to comfort mode and the Airmatic semi active suspension to full soft.

I gently put a little pressure on my foot and it felt like we were gliding down the road.

The ride felt more like you were on the sofa in your living room and not in a car and the steering wheel was smooth and sensitive.

My friend/dealer then tells me to go ahead and set it to Sports mode.

Find out for yourself what sports mode does when you take a test drive at a San Antonio Mercedes Dealer.

I’m in Hong Kong and was driven around in a fire opal Mercedes SLK 55 AMG driven most probably by Schumi’s long lost sister.
65mph isn’t too fast but on a two-lane, two way winding road? (on the wrong side of the road even)!

My back was pinned to the Flamenco Red, Nappa leather, upholstery all the way to Stanley Market a famous tourist attraction.

Times like these are when you really appreciate Mercedes Benz’s attention to detail. T

he SLK 55 comes with Active Body Control System.

What happens is hydraulics eliminate excess body motion thereby improving the SLK 55s’ cornering performance.

Thanks to the great suspension, I barely noticed the bumps (or were we simply flying over them?).

On the way back, we brought the top out. It’s stored in a section of the boot or trunk which if I may add is quite spacious for a convertible.

With the top up, it was extremely quiet with barely little road and/or wind noise.

According to my friend, Mercedes Benz is doing a lot of business here.

In an area of only 415 square miles there are 8 Mercedes Benz dealers.

An integral consideration when purchasing a new Mercedes from the Dealership is the Service and Parts Department.
The parts and service departments have become a more integral part of the entire dealership.

More and more dealerships realize ability of a dealer to service a vehicle has a bearing on the repeat purchase.
Dealers definitely pay alot of attention to Customer Satisfaction and Service Satisfaction Indexes.
That’s why consumers get so many calls from their dealers about service.

It is one of the few areas for car dealers that have shown consistent growth and increasing profitability over the past three decades.

Service and parts revenue comes from two sources:  warranty work and customer-pay.
For warranty work, the factory pays for parts and the standard labor rate.
When a customer brings a car in for warranty work it gives the dealership a chance to interface with the customer in a different way than they did on the sales floor, thereby establishing a deeper relationship which might lead to other repair opportunities and future automobile sales.

So always be sure to factor in the reputation of the dealership’s parts and service centers when it comes to choosing a Mercedes dealership.