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The CL coupe stands out as something unique in the automotive firmament. No other manufacturer builds a coupe off its top-line luxury sedan; BMW's 6-series comes closest, but it's not really close at all. The CL is more a kindred spirit to a Bentley Continental GT or even a Brooklands. A huge, luxurious, and expensive coupe makes quite an extravagant statement, and one that's AMG-fortified makes it even more emphatically. The awesome, 6.2-liter V-8, which we know from so many AMG models, provides jet-thrust acceleration accompanied by a stock-car sound track, an utterly charming combination - especially for those with their own oil well.

We've just finished two weeks with Mercedes-Benz's brand-new GLK350, which goes on sale January 5, 2009, as a 2010 model. Prices have already been announced, and they are quite competitive: $34,775 for a rear-wheel-drive model and $36,775 for the GLK350 4Matic with all-wheel drive. This compares with $40,225 for a BMW X3 xDrive30i, the GLK's most obvious competitor. (Although it's worth noting that BMW practically gives these things away via leases; you can get one for $469 per month, or $565 per month over a 36-month lease including all cash due at signing.)