In mixed driving along a stretch of Detroit's Woodward Avenue that varied from 1900-style brick to pool-table smooth asphalt, the coupe's suspension swallowed unpleasant bumps without complaint while communicating steering input fluently back to the steering wheel.

A few miles north of downtown Detroit, on the winding lakeside roads of Oakland County, the coupe handled curves at speed with the easy grace of a thoroughbred horse stretching out in the home stretch.

A spirited romp along the California coast and through the Golden State's coastal range in the cabriolet was similarly impressive and more enjoyable. Unlike many convertibles, the CLK feels solid, like it's carved from one thick piece of rigid material. Extensive use of high-strength steel alloys of varying thickness in the cabriolet's unibody panels and structure combine with liberal reinforcements of transmission tunnel, cross struts and rear bulkhead to add torsional stiffness and bending resistance and minimize vibration. Mercedes claims, in fact, that the stiffness of the cabriolet's body is equal to that of the coupe. All of this contributes to its precise handling and taut but comfortable ride quality.

The CLK's front suspension combines two low-mass lower control arms with a strut, coil springs, dual-tube shocks and a stabilizer bar. Mercedes chose to use the two lower control arms to improve impact absorption for better wheel control and damping. The rear suspension is the latest refinement of Mercedes proven multi-link design. It has been tuned for improved absorption of vibration and more predictable handling when driven hard. The CLK has very little squat or dive during hard acceleration or braking.

The CLK320 feels softer than the CLK500. We're not sure it has to do with the tires or the suspension tuning, but it wanders a little and floats a bit at high speeds. It just doesn't have that same level of Gibraltar feel of the CLK500. The steering in the CLK320 felt lighter on center, with a little more play. Transient response (left, right, left) and turn-in response for corners wasn't as crisp.

Another welcome improvement to the new CLK is the addition of rack-and-pinion steering. It was the last Mercedes car to abandon the automaker's old recirculating-ball system, and the steering response and feel are a massive improvement over the previous model.

Mercedes continues to improve its electronic stability program. In the CLK, the system is virtually transparent, intervening unobtrusively to prevent wheel spin, but without the heavy-handed reduction in power that marred some of its early applications.

The brakes on the CLK are superb. They're easy to modulate for smooth stops in normal, everyday driving, and respond very linearly.

The Mercedes V6 and V8 engines perform admirably and both benefit from a five-speed automatic transmission. The 215-horsepower CLK320 has all the power most drivers need, accelerating ably from a stoplight and driving the car smoothly through the gears.

The 302-horsepower CLK500 is a refined German muscle car, offering pin-your-head-back acceleration with barely any deterioration in handling due to its greater weight. The CLK500 cabriolet can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 6 seconds, according to Mercedes. The automatic transmission is very responsive. The engine exhaust makes a pleasant sound.

Drop the top on the cabriolet and all your cares are whisked away. This is an easy convertible to live with. Buffeting from the wind when the top down is fairly low with the windblocker in place. Put the top up and there's very little wind noise.