Bentley Continental vs Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class burns about $2,700 of fuel annually against $4,000 for the Bentley Continental. That $1,300 yearly gap compounds to roughly $6,500 over five years and $10,400 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class leads in both cycles — 24 mpg city and 34 mpg highway against 17 and 26 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Bentley Continental is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI; PHEV, SIDI, SIDI & PFI), the Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class with 1 (SIDI; Mild Hybrid). Across 32 recorded Bentley Continental configurations and 23 for the Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Bentley Continental is offered with All-Wheel Drive, the Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class with All-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Subcompact Cars and Subcompact Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Bentley Continental emits 161 g/mile of CO2 versus 323 g/mile for the Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.