2009 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class 2-door CL550 4MATIC Coupe

Perhaps perfection has its limits, but Mercedes-Benz believes differently and proves it with the latest iteration of its flagship four-seat coupe, the 2009 CL550. Along with the cachet that comes with driving this $100,00-plus automobile is the acknowledgement that its fluid, flowing lines are accompanied by superb V8 performance and one of the most dazzling arrays of hi-tech equipment ever packed into a single vehicle. The successful entrepreneur's dream car, the CL-Class is neither showy nor obviously exotic. It demonstrates an arrival at the serious end of capitalism, and offers the visionary leader who likes to call all the shots a COMAND brain that, with a button on the console to press or rotate, can set a myriad of personal function preferences, including suspension settings. Other CL models include the twin-turbo V12 CL600 and the CL63 AMG

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If you're looking for the size, safety and status of an S-Class, but prefer the intimacy only a true coupe can provide, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz CL tops a very short contender's list.

If you're not much of a reader, the 700-page owner's manual offers a daunting prospect. The Cockpit Management and Data System (COMAND), which controls navigation, audio, telephone, seat massage, suspension and other crucial settings, requires studying no less than 240-plus pages to decipher the different functions. An additional 175 pages discuss COMAND in more detail. Power window instructions alone occupy a full four pages.

Mercedes-Benz's 4MATIC all-wheel drive system is made standard on the 2009 CL550. Other changes include standard heated and ventilated front seats plus Keyless Go, while the optional Distronic Plus gains a blind-spot alert function.