Looking the Part
CL550 necessitates acting the part, too

I received a massage the whole time I headed to Delhi last week ... from the car seat in the Mercedes CL550 4MATIC I was driving. There were four levels from which to choose. They not only soothe but help fight fatigue, according to Mercedes. You can also treat your passengers to an optimum seating position on every drive, courtesy of 11 adjustable pneumatic chambers in the seat. One friend noticed the system adjusting air chambers within the seat to support her through curves and turns. The engine generates 382 horsepower and 391 lb.-ft. of torque with an amazing 75 percent of peak torque available at just 1,000 rpm. To help reduce engine weight and increase durability, the engine block is made of cast aluminum with a solid bedplate, an ideal construction for performance. Indeed, the engine's smooth, immediate power delivery whisks the CL550 from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. But thank goodness the car slowed me down automatically when I got too close to someone else. With new and enhanced features, Distronic Adaptive Cruise Control has become Distronic Plus. This optional system uses two onboard radar systems to distance you from moving vehicles ahead. It offers true stop-and-go functionality by braking the vehicle to a complete stop or automatically adjusting the throttle up to 125 mph. Another feature of the CL550 was the blind spot assist. A triangle in the rear view mirrors illuminates when someone was in the blind spot. Then there's the beauty. Long, low and wide, the CL550 captivates. Each line fits the description of a luxury sport coupe, from the uninterrupted sweep of its signature pillar-less profile - a masterpiece of aesthetics and structural engineering - to the boldly flared fender wells. The spirit of performance takes form in the CL-Class sport body styling. An aggressive front air dam tames the wind, sending it past sculpted, lower side sills and around a seductively styled rear apron. While in this $120,000 car, passersby must have thought it was strange I was watching my pennies. At McDonald's, the cashier dropped my 30 cents of change at the drive-through, and I got out of the car and picked it up. I worried whether a letter I was mailing at the post office needed one stamp or two while this masterpiece was parked outside. I'd better learn how to play the part of a CL550 driver if I ever get the opportunity to test this vehicle again.

Chrysler offering program in Louisiana
Chrysler has joined the "Invest in America" credit union loan partnership, which offers affordable financing and added vehicle discounts to credit union members in 12 states, including Louisiana. Organized by the Michigan Credit Union League (MCUL), the program allows members who finance the purchase or lease of a new vehicle through their credit union to receive a "Credit Union Member Cash" discount of $500 or $1,000 on eligible Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicle purchases. This discount is in addition to most existing cash incentives that Chrysler offers on its vehicles. Roughly 2,500 credit unions, including the UAW credit unions, will participate in the "Invest in America" program offering $22 billion in auto loans, and nearly 25 million customers will be eligible to take advantage of the discounts and low-cost financing. The program will run through June 30.

Published March 2009