Rank
What's New for 2025?
The CLE is unchanged this year aside from the introduction of the AMG CLE 53 Cabriolet.
2025 CLE Selector
2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE
FAST FACTS
"It's hard to see the CLE as anything other than a fully competitive entrant in this segment. It's got a solid turbo four-cylinder engine for those who don't care that much about what's under the hood, while connoisseurs will be delighted by the turbo inline-6 that powers the CLE 450 variant. Ah, but there is one problem: the starting price. You can get a four-cylinder 4 Series for thousands less. The six-cylinder versions, however, cost about the same, and we'd be tempted to go with the Benz due to what you might call styling irregularities on the BMW side. Of course, the 2 Series trumps them all, in our view."—Ranked #3 out of 4 Compact Luxury Coupes
"The CLE variant we want to highlight here is the CLE 450, which you can think of as an AMG CLE 53 in stealth mode. Why? Because it features a very similar 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 engine that whisks you to 60 mph just two-tenths of a second slower than the more extroverted AMG model. We think the 450 is the CLE's best self, as this isn't really a high-performance car at heart — it's a luxury coupe, and the 450 gives it a far more satisfying engine than the base four-cylinder. Note that the base price above is for the entry-level CLE 300 with its underwhelming four-cylinder engine; you'll pay extra for the CLE 450 — figure $8k more to start — and it'll be well worth it."—Ranked #3 out of 3 Compact Performance Coupes
MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.
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Sharing the C300 4MATIC sedan's 112.8-inch wheelbase and turbo four-cylinder AWD powertrain, the CLE 300 4MATIC is a nice coupe, but it starts nearly $10k higher than that C300 four-door.
Now here comes something special, at least in the context of Benz's current lineup: You can't get the sweet turbocharged inline-6 engine in the C-Class sedan, but you can get it in the CLE 450 coupe. To us, that's the whole point of a coupe. It's an indulgence, so you want there to be something special about it. The base CLE 300 coupe swings and misses on that count, sharing its four-cylinder engine with the C300 sedan, but the CLE 450 delivers.
No one would argue that the CLE 300 convertible isn't a nice car, but for almost $65k to start, don't you want more under the hood than the C-Class sedan's base engine? When you put the top down, you want to hear a symphony from the tailpipes, not a four-cylinder buzz. Or we do, at least.
Like many current Mercedes models, the CLE gives you a choice between the regular-strength 3.0-liter inline-6 (that's the CLE 450) and the extra-strength version, which comes in the AMG CLE 53. Will the 450 leave you wanting more? That's ultimately a question for your test drive, but in our opinion, the 450 is just right and the AMG is simply louder and more caffeinated.
An extravagance like a luxury convertible deserves a world-class engine that sounds great, which is why we'd give zero consideration to the base CLE 300 Cabriolet and go straight to this CLE 450. Benz's stellar turbocharged inline-6 really transforms the sound and feel of the car. This is a no-brainer upgrade.
We love the six-cylinder CLE 450 Cabriolet, so the CLE 53 Cabriolet was always going to be a tough proposition given that its engine isn't a revolutionary upgrade. In fact, the CLE 53 utilizes a turbocharged inline-6 that's very similar to the one in the CLE 450, and Mercedes says the AMG version only improves by two-tenths of a second in the sprint to 60 mph. The CLE 53 also comes with many more look-at-me styling touches, so unless that's your thing, the cheaper CLE 450 is the easy pick here.
What are the different versions of the 2025 CLE, and how much do they cost? Select a version below or just hit the button to see our full 2025 CLE specs and model data.
| Version | Price | Fuel | MPG | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 4MATIC Coupe (2.0T AWD) | $58,000 | Gas | 28 | 255 hp | 295 lb-ft |
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 4MATIC Coupe (3.0T All-Wheel Drive) | $65,650 | Gas | 26 | 375 hp | 369 lb-ft |
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 4MATIC Cabriolet (2.0T All-Wheel Drive) | $67,450 | Gas | 26 | 255 hp | 295 lb-ft |
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 Coupe (3.0T AWD) | $74,300 | Gas | 23 | 443 hp | 413 lb-ft |
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 4MATIC Cabriolet (3.0T All-Wheel Drive) | $75,800 | Gas | 26 | 375 hp | 369 lb-ft |
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 Cabriolet (3.0T AWD) | $82,600 | Gas | 22 | 443 hp | 413 lb-ft |
Publisher and Donkey-in-Chief
Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008. Prior to founding MotorDonkey, he spent 15 years shaping Edmunds' expert automotive content in various capacities, starting as an associate editor and ultimately serving as a senior editor before wrapping up with a five-year term as the company's first-ever director of content strategy. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has driven, compared and critiqued thousands of cars in his career. Helping people find their perfect car never gets old—seriously!
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