Mercedes' Amazing CL63 AMG

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The CL63's top speed is 155 mph, and there's a helpful little sticker on the inside of the fuel door reminding you to raise tire pressure to 46 pounds per square inch from 36 pounds if you plan to be cruising at over 100 mph. Even without altering the tire pressure, though, the car remains quiet and composed at over 100 mph.

Despite its performance orientation, the CL63 AMG is no less luxurious than the CL550.

The interior of my test CL63 was extremely elegant, with stitched leather upholstery and hand-polished burled walnut trim on the doors and dash. As a coupe, it's only a two-door, but the doors are very wide, making getting into the back seats relatively easy. The front seats also slide forward electronically at the push of a lever, and back into place once the passenger is seated in the back seat.

There are numerous helpful amenities built into the car. Backing up in a tight parking situation? The rearview monitor pops on automatically, and it has little graphic indicators that show you when you're getting close to an obstacle behind you (yellow lines) and a red zone when you're very close. Driving at night? The Xenon headlamps illuminate more of the road than with most cars, and swivel to point the way around curves. Plus, you can always flick a switch and turn on the optional night vision system, lighting up a screen that shows you the road ahead.

The night-vision system still seems a bit gimmicky, but it's growing on me as I use it more. True, its infrared sensors don't "see" much farther down the road than the naked eye. Also, even a light fog shows up on the screen as a white cloud, headlights from oncoming traffic often obscure the left half of the screen, and road glare from wet pavement is substantial. But I tested the system late one night after a huge rainstorm, and then test-drove another car without night vision immediately afterward. To my surprise, I felt much less safe without the night-vision system. Despite its flaws, it seems to focus your attention during difficult night-driving conditions. It's like Tai Chi. I'm not sure how it helps, but it does.

Buy it or Bag It?

The big question is whether the performance advantages of the CL63 AMG justify its premium price. The CL63 sells for an average of $142,007, according to the Power Information Network (PIN). Personally, I would save the 30 grand and go with the CL550, which is plenty fast, handles well enough for me, and gets better mileage. (PIN, like BusinessWeek, is a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies (MHP).)

Other performance-oriented models to consider in this price range include the Porsche 911 (which sells for an average of $106,120, PIN says), and the Audi R8 ($133,499). More luxury-oriented alternatives include the Audi A8 Sedan Coupe ($81,158) and BMW's (BMWG) 750i Sedan ($80,722).

Another possibility is Toyota's (TM) Lexus LS460, which starts at $63,665 but costs around $100,000 well-loaded in the long-wheel-base version.

Don't expect to get a discount. According to PIN, buyers aren't getting any price breaks on the Mercedes CL63 AMG or its main rivals. Obviously, if you have to count pennies, this isn't the segment for you.

Click here to see more of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG.

Thane Peterson reviews cars for BusinessWeek.com.