Skip advert
Advertisement

Mercedes CLS 350 CDI Shooting Brake

We hit UK roads in the new Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake, which adds style and luxury to the premium estate class

Overall Auto Express rating

4.0

How we review cars
Find your Mercedes CLS
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

The Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake is a stylish and desirable estate car, but it’s not a purchase that you can easily justify. While it rides well and comes loaded with kit like sat-nav and an automatic tailgate, you can get the luxurious E-Class Estate for around £10,000 less. That still won’t stop you wanting the Shooting Brake, though.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Estate cars aren’t the most desirable things in the world, but there’s something about the new Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake – driven here in the UK for the first time – that seems a whole lot more appealing.

Maybe it’s the fact that style comes first in this instance. The Shooting Brake has to be the most attractive estate car on the road, with the rear end looking particularly elegant. The narrow windows, coupe-like roofline and muscular rear arches areall a world away from the boxy-looking E-Class Estate.

And while that curvy shape reduces the amount of space, you couldn’t call the CLS cramped. There’s 590 litres of space with the seats up and 1,550 litres with them folded down – 100 litres and 400 litres less than in an E-Class Estate. All Shooting Brakes come with an electric tailgate as standard, too.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Octavia Estate

2022 Skoda

Octavia Estate

42,909 milesManualDiesel2.0L

Cash £15,537
View Octavia Estate
Focus

2020 Ford

Focus

31,458 milesAutomaticPetrol1.0L

Cash £14,573
View Focus
C1

2021 Citroen

C1

16,012 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £9,300
View C1
Range Rover Evoque

2023 Land Rover

Range Rover Evoque

20,995 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £26,800
View Range Rover Evoque

And in case you’re not happy with a carpeted boot, you can choose cherry wood decking for £4,030. It lends the CLS a sense of occasion, but the slippy floor isn’t perfect for all situations.

The four-cylinder 250 CDI will be the big seller, but we’re trying the more powerful CLS 350 CDI, and it feels like the perfect match for this car. The 3.0-litre V6 has 261bhp and 620Nm of torque, and takes the Mercedes from 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds.

It’s smooth and quiet, while economy of 47.1mpg is also good. If you’re looking for more power, there’s the CLS 63 AMG, with a 549bhp twin-turbo V8.

The slightly weak link is the seven-speed automatic gearbox, which works perfectly if you’re cruising around slowly, but feels a little like it’s struggling to keep up if you want to push on harder.

The handling tends to err on the side of comfort, so there’s a little bit of body roll and a fairly light power-steering set-up. This makes the Shooting Brake very easy to drive, and it’s agile and grippy, but it’s not the most involving or exciting experience.

On the plus side, the ride is great. Our car had the optional semi-active air-suspension, but self-levelling rear air-suspension is standard. It floats over cobbles and bumps, and settles down comfortably on the motorway. The luxurious interior and the impressive refinement both play their parts, too.

The Shooting Brake brings real style to the premium estate car class, but it could end up being a hard sell for a lot of customers – the more practical E-Class Estate costs about £10,000 less.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,655 off RRP*Used from £15,700
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,785Avg. savings £4,614 off RRP*Used from £9,600
Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £26,295Avg. savings £2,464 off RRP*Used from £10,695
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,415Avg. savings £5,924 off RRP*Used from £12,008
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Ford Escort Mexico gets new lease of life with MST Sports
MST Ford Escort - front 3/4

Ford Escort Mexico gets new lease of life with MST Sports

While not officially Fords, the MST Mk1 and Mk2 Sports should drive as sharply as they look
News
7 Jul 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Skoda Octavia vRS is the consummate all-rounder and only £255 a month!
Skoda Octavia vRS - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Skoda Octavia vRS is the consummate all-rounder and only £255 a month!

A three-time Auto Express Family Car of the Year winner, paired with Golf GTI power, is our Deal of the Day for 6 July
News
6 Jul 2025
New Volvo XC60 2025 facelift review: big-selling SUV gets a new lease of life
Volvo XC60 facelift - front tracking

New Volvo XC60 2025 facelift review: big-selling SUV gets a new lease of life

This refreshed Swedish SUV focuses on familiar areas of strength to take on BMW and Audi
Road tests
4 Jul 2025