2013 Mercedes-Benz CL Class vs. Its Competition

Martin Padgett Editorial Director

Four-seat coupes in the $100,000-and-up price bracket are rare birds.

The Mercedes-Benz CL compares well with the more expensive Bentley Continental GT, though it lacks that coupe's all-wheel drive and its handcrafted aura.

The BMW 6-Series can be priced far lower than the CL, but M6 versions are quite expensive and are more extreme performance machines than the CL AMG two-doors; they also can be had as convertibles, and this year, a new Gran Sport four-door model is also grouped under the 6-Series aegis.

The Maserati GranTurismo is exceptionally attractive as a coupe or convertible, and sports Ferrari-derived power and real rear-seat room.

The Aston Virage? Much the same, save for its Aston-built engines and its perfectly tasteful, impeccably refined style.

Finally, since the rear two seats of the CL are rarely used, the Mercedes SL roadsters are a suitable substitute; they're new this year, with a more emphatic, linear style and more muscular performance, especially in SL 63 AMG and in the coming SL 65 AMG editions.