C55 AMG and M3 SMG extensive test drive ( long )
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C55 AMG and M3 SMG extensive test drive ( long )
I had the chance to test drive extensively my friends C55 AMG and another M3-SMG ( drove both cars for few days
These are my Honest observations
Looks : Subjective but from the front M3 looks IMHO more sportier and menacing and the coupe design helps its looks , C55 amg is the best looking 4 door IMHO
Suspension : C55 has the ideal balance of Sport and Handling
Transmission: 95% of the time AMD speed shift is awesome may be for those extra thrills SMG is fun but at the cost of jerky shifts
Acceleration: Since SMG mimics a manual While accelerating hard and upshifting one has to ease off on the gas which pauses the acceleration momentarily till u get back on the gas after completing the shift. In C55 the accelration is seamless in various gears with no jerks/pauses etc
The thing going for the M3 are the Cool Throttle Blips while downshifting, there is no match for that in the C55
Handling: I used to think that M3 would have awesome handling. Awesome is relative , I used to own a 350Z and the Z cornered flatly around turns and the M3 to my surprise had more body lean around the turns. I think The C55 most of the time can corner as good as M3
Steering Feel: C55's new steering is awesome to hold just like the one in M3 but for some reason c55 feels better
Ride quality: The C55 is much harsher than a regular C320 but better than M3
Fit and finish: The new C55 is too new to comment as it had only 1800 miles but brand new it looks amazing. The m3 had 22K miles and there were lot of rattles especially on bumps , i dont know if it was specific to my friends car
Seats: C55's seats are amazing , very good lateral support. m3's seats are good but Not as good as the one in the c55 or 350Z or Honda S2000. The leather in the M and C55 is very supple as both are Nappa
The C55 can seat 4 JUST LIKE THE m3 BUT HAS TWO EXTRA DOORS FOR EASier entry. The rear seats in the C55 have lot of cushioning at the back , I dont know if that will be uncomfortable for long trips
Instrumentation: The c55 rocks in this category the coolest thing in the M3 are the shift lights
Audio: The HK in m3 is pretty good , the new Audio in C55 is amazing
Exhaust: Lot of reviews have liked the c55 Exhuast but I thought it was mellow compared to the M3 Exhaust
New Shift Buttons: This feature made me like the C55 a lot , U can use those buttons and shift, feels real good
Since Amg does not upshift automatically u feel more in control
MPG: I think the M3 is better in this category
Spare: the c55 has one and the m3 has none , for extra piece of mind U have to carry the spare in the m3 trunk
I dont know about track time But if the car is going to spend most of the time on road the C55 is much much better on a day to day basis. It could be very docile but can accelerate like a bat out of hell if needed. Even for track I think the C55 should be pretty close to M3. The M3 with SMg is brilliant on track and average for streets in IMHO
I used to be in awe of the M3 it is really great but With C55 In picture , I have to say C55 is better Overall
These are my Honest observations
Looks : Subjective but from the front M3 looks IMHO more sportier and menacing and the coupe design helps its looks , C55 amg is the best looking 4 door IMHO
Suspension : C55 has the ideal balance of Sport and Handling
Transmission: 95% of the time AMD speed shift is awesome may be for those extra thrills SMG is fun but at the cost of jerky shifts
Acceleration: Since SMG mimics a manual While accelerating hard and upshifting one has to ease off on the gas which pauses the acceleration momentarily till u get back on the gas after completing the shift. In C55 the accelration is seamless in various gears with no jerks/pauses etc
The thing going for the M3 are the Cool Throttle Blips while downshifting, there is no match for that in the C55
Handling: I used to think that M3 would have awesome handling. Awesome is relative , I used to own a 350Z and the Z cornered flatly around turns and the M3 to my surprise had more body lean around the turns. I think The C55 most of the time can corner as good as M3
Steering Feel: C55's new steering is awesome to hold just like the one in M3 but for some reason c55 feels better
Ride quality: The C55 is much harsher than a regular C320 but better than M3
Fit and finish: The new C55 is too new to comment as it had only 1800 miles but brand new it looks amazing. The m3 had 22K miles and there were lot of rattles especially on bumps , i dont know if it was specific to my friends car
Seats: C55's seats are amazing , very good lateral support. m3's seats are good but Not as good as the one in the c55 or 350Z or Honda S2000. The leather in the M and C55 is very supple as both are Nappa
The C55 can seat 4 JUST LIKE THE m3 BUT HAS TWO EXTRA DOORS FOR EASier entry. The rear seats in the C55 have lot of cushioning at the back , I dont know if that will be uncomfortable for long trips
Instrumentation: The c55 rocks in this category the coolest thing in the M3 are the shift lights
Audio: The HK in m3 is pretty good , the new Audio in C55 is amazing
Exhaust: Lot of reviews have liked the c55 Exhuast but I thought it was mellow compared to the M3 Exhaust
New Shift Buttons: This feature made me like the C55 a lot , U can use those buttons and shift, feels real good
Since Amg does not upshift automatically u feel more in control
MPG: I think the M3 is better in this category
Spare: the c55 has one and the m3 has none , for extra piece of mind U have to carry the spare in the m3 trunk
I dont know about track time But if the car is going to spend most of the time on road the C55 is much much better on a day to day basis. It could be very docile but can accelerate like a bat out of hell if needed. Even for track I think the C55 should be pretty close to M3. The M3 with SMg is brilliant on track and average for streets in IMHO
I used to be in awe of the M3 it is really great but With C55 In picture , I have to say C55 is better Overall
Last edited by smjc_99; Aug 20, 2004 at 09:27 PM.
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From: Hong Kong
C55AMG W203; 330i E90
My two cents being just one day on my C55 and several times long trips as a passenger on M3:-
Looks : Subjective but from the front M3 looks IMHO more sportier and menacing and the coupe design helps its looks , C55 amg is the best looking 4 door IMHO
AGREED 100% - C55 is much better looking in real than in photo
Suspension : C55 has the ideal balance of Sport and Handling
AGREED 100% - any your C55 passengers will not notice he/she is on a supercar until you start to push
Transmission: 95% of the time AMD speed shift is awesome may be for those extra thrills SMG is fun but at the cost of jerky shifts
AGREED 90% - Some one might still like the SMG as being a true manual
Acceleration: Since SMG mimics a manual While accelerating hard and upshifting one has to ease off on the gas which pauses the acceleration momentarily till u get back on the gas after completing the shift. In C55 the accelration is seamless in various gears with no jerks/pauses etc
AGREED 100%
The thing going for the M3 are the Cool Throttle Blips while downshifting, there is no match for that in the C55
AGREED 100% - this is where we cannot say Speedshift is 'better' than SMG
Handling: I used to think that M3 would have awesome handling. Awesome is relative , I used to own a 350Z and the Z cornered flatly around turns and the M3 to my surprise had more body lean around the turns. I think The C55 most of the time can corner as good as M3
Steering Feel: C55's new steering is awesome to hold just like the one in M3 but for some reason c55 feels better
AGREED 100% - My worry that an MB does not steer as perfect as an BMW is no longer true - I feel like a child playing his best toy whenever I am holding the steering wheel of the C55
Ride quality: The C55 is much harsher than a regular C320 but better than M3
Fit and finish: The new C55 is too new to comment as it had only 1800 miles but brand new it looks amazing. The m3 had 22K miles and there were lot of rattles especially on bumps , i dont know if it was specific to my friends car
AGREED 80% - both M3 and C55 are equally harsh but both have rigid bodies which minimises lots of side swingings.
Seats: C55's seats are amazing , very good lateral support. m3's seats are good but Not as good as the one in the c55 or 350Z or Honda S2000. The leather in the M and C55 is very supple as both are Nappa
DISAGREED SLIGHTLY - M3 has better nappa leather and the shape of the seats look and feel more expensive than the C55
The C55 can seat 4 JUST LIKE THE m3 BUT HAS TWO EXTRA DOORS FOR EASier entry.
AGREED 100%
The rear seats in the C55 have lot of cushioning at the back , I dont know if that will be uncomfortable for long trips
DON'T KNOW
Instrumentation: The c55 rocks in this category the coolest thing in the M3 are the shift lights
I LIKE THE M3 SHIFT LOOK AND FEEL MORE
Audio: The HK in m3 is pretty good , the new Audio in C55 is amazing
AGREED 100%
Exhaust: Lot of reviews have liked the c55 Exhuast but I thought it was mellow compared to the M3 Exhaust
AGREED 100%
New Shift Buttons: This feature made me like the C55 a lot , U can use those buttons and shift, feels real good
Since Amg does not upshift automatically u feel more in control
AGREED 90% - The placement location of the C55 shift buttons means one can change the shifts by accident
MPG: I think the M3 is better in this category
NOT SURE
Spare: the c55 has one and the m3 has none , for extra piece of mind U have to carry the spare in the m3 trunk
NOT SURE
I dont know about track time But if the car is going to spend most of the time on road the C55 is much much better on a day to day basis. It could be very docile but can accelerate like a bat out of hell if needed. Even for track I think the C55 should be pretty close to M3. The M3 with SMg is brilliant on track and average for streets in IMHO
NOT SURE
I used to be in awe of the M3 it is really great but With C55 In picture , I have to say C55 is better Overall
AGREED 75% - they are cars with different characters so it will be quite subjective - MB lovers taste are more subtle and that's why we are here.
Originally Posted by smjc_99
Looks : Subjective but from the front M3 looks IMHO more sportier and menacing and the coupe design helps its looks , C55 amg is the best looking 4 door IMHO
AGREED 100% - C55 is much better looking in real than in photo
Suspension : C55 has the ideal balance of Sport and Handling
AGREED 100% - any your C55 passengers will not notice he/she is on a supercar until you start to push
Transmission: 95% of the time AMD speed shift is awesome may be for those extra thrills SMG is fun but at the cost of jerky shifts
AGREED 90% - Some one might still like the SMG as being a true manual
Acceleration: Since SMG mimics a manual While accelerating hard and upshifting one has to ease off on the gas which pauses the acceleration momentarily till u get back on the gas after completing the shift. In C55 the accelration is seamless in various gears with no jerks/pauses etc
AGREED 100%
The thing going for the M3 are the Cool Throttle Blips while downshifting, there is no match for that in the C55
AGREED 100% - this is where we cannot say Speedshift is 'better' than SMG
Handling: I used to think that M3 would have awesome handling. Awesome is relative , I used to own a 350Z and the Z cornered flatly around turns and the M3 to my surprise had more body lean around the turns. I think The C55 most of the time can corner as good as M3
Steering Feel: C55's new steering is awesome to hold just like the one in M3 but for some reason c55 feels better
AGREED 100% - My worry that an MB does not steer as perfect as an BMW is no longer true - I feel like a child playing his best toy whenever I am holding the steering wheel of the C55
Ride quality: The C55 is much harsher than a regular C320 but better than M3
Fit and finish: The new C55 is too new to comment as it had only 1800 miles but brand new it looks amazing. The m3 had 22K miles and there were lot of rattles especially on bumps , i dont know if it was specific to my friends car
AGREED 80% - both M3 and C55 are equally harsh but both have rigid bodies which minimises lots of side swingings.
Seats: C55's seats are amazing , very good lateral support. m3's seats are good but Not as good as the one in the c55 or 350Z or Honda S2000. The leather in the M and C55 is very supple as both are Nappa
DISAGREED SLIGHTLY - M3 has better nappa leather and the shape of the seats look and feel more expensive than the C55
The C55 can seat 4 JUST LIKE THE m3 BUT HAS TWO EXTRA DOORS FOR EASier entry.
AGREED 100%
The rear seats in the C55 have lot of cushioning at the back , I dont know if that will be uncomfortable for long trips
DON'T KNOW
Instrumentation: The c55 rocks in this category the coolest thing in the M3 are the shift lights
I LIKE THE M3 SHIFT LOOK AND FEEL MORE
Audio: The HK in m3 is pretty good , the new Audio in C55 is amazing
AGREED 100%
Exhaust: Lot of reviews have liked the c55 Exhuast but I thought it was mellow compared to the M3 Exhaust
AGREED 100%
New Shift Buttons: This feature made me like the C55 a lot , U can use those buttons and shift, feels real good
Since Amg does not upshift automatically u feel more in control
AGREED 90% - The placement location of the C55 shift buttons means one can change the shifts by accident
MPG: I think the M3 is better in this category
NOT SURE
Spare: the c55 has one and the m3 has none , for extra piece of mind U have to carry the spare in the m3 trunk
NOT SURE
I dont know about track time But if the car is going to spend most of the time on road the C55 is much much better on a day to day basis. It could be very docile but can accelerate like a bat out of hell if needed. Even for track I think the C55 should be pretty close to M3. The M3 with SMg is brilliant on track and average for streets in IMHO
NOT SURE
I used to be in awe of the M3 it is really great but With C55 In picture , I have to say C55 is better Overall
AGREED 75% - they are cars with different characters so it will be quite subjective - MB lovers taste are more subtle and that's why we are here.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Aug 2004
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CNTLAW,
Congrats on the new C55 AMG, i am sure you are enjoying it. M3 owners usually think their cars are far superior but I doint think thats really true. In an ideal world I would like to have both but If only one will do C55 is more enjoyable I think
Congrats on the new C55 AMG, i am sure you are enjoying it. M3 owners usually think their cars are far superior but I doint think thats really true. In an ideal world I would like to have both but If only one will do C55 is more enjoyable I think
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Hong Kong
C55AMG W203; 330i E90
Originally Posted by smjc_99
CNTLAW,
Congrats on the new C55 AMG, i am sure you are enjoying it. M3 owners usually think their cars are far superior but I doint think thats really true. In an ideal world I would like to have both but If only one will do C55 is more enjoyable I think
Congrats on the new C55 AMG, i am sure you are enjoying it. M3 owners usually think their cars are far superior but I doint think thats really true. In an ideal world I would like to have both but If only one will do C55 is more enjoyable I think
smjc
Thanks. I enjoy not a doubt.
To be fair to say, do we want to just please ourselves ? Or also to please certain styles of ladies .........
cnt
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Vraa,
I agree with you at full throttle and when shifting at redline you dont have to lift from throttle but in usual street driving we change gears at less than full throttle thats when u have to ease off on the gas for a smooth shift. I like m3 a lot Between M3 and C55, I prefer C55
I agree with you at full throttle and when shifting at redline you dont have to lift from throttle but in usual street driving we change gears at less than full throttle thats when u have to ease off on the gas for a smooth shift. I like m3 a lot Between M3 and C55, I prefer C55
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Originally Posted by smjc_99
Vraa,
I agree with you at full throttle and when shifting at redline you dont have to lift from throttle but in usual street driving we change gears at less than full throttle thats when u have to ease off on the gas for a smooth shift. I like m3 a lot Between M3 and C55, I prefer C55
I agree with you at full throttle and when shifting at redline you dont have to lift from throttle but in usual street driving we change gears at less than full throttle thats when u have to ease off on the gas for a smooth shift. I like m3 a lot Between M3 and C55, I prefer C55
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From: South Florida
Fast Cars!
Its the same way with Ferrari's F1 or Maserati's cambiocorsa tranny, for a comfortable shift u let off the gas a little. Now if u are looking for full performance thats not the way to go.
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From: Diamond Bar, CA
W206 PHEV AMG
C55 and 2005 C all have HK audio. I doubt they are any different than the one in the 3series and the M3.
From what I've heard on the same day in the 330i zhp w/ HK system and 05 C320 sport w/ HK system, they are about a wash.
on that same day it made me realize the C's door closing sound sounds like crap compare to the 3-series sedan's. But the 3-series coupe still has that crappy *** sound when you slam the door shut.
From what I've heard on the same day in the 330i zhp w/ HK system and 05 C320 sport w/ HK system, they are about a wash.
on that same day it made me realize the C's door closing sound sounds like crap compare to the 3-series sedan's. But the 3-series coupe still has that crappy *** sound when you slam the door shut.
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Fast Cars!
Originally Posted by FrankW
C55 and 2005 C all have HK audio. I doubt they are any different than the one in the 3series and the M3.
From what I've heard on the same day in the 330i zhp w/ HK system and 05 C320 sport w/ HK system, they are about a wash.
on that same day it made me realize the C's door closing sound sounds like crap compare to the 3-series sedan's. But the 3-series coupe still has that crappy *** sound when you slam the door shut.
From what I've heard on the same day in the 330i zhp w/ HK system and 05 C320 sport w/ HK system, they are about a wash.
on that same day it made me realize the C's door closing sound sounds like crap compare to the 3-series sedan's. But the 3-series coupe still has that crappy *** sound when you slam the door shut.
I never closed a regular 3 series coupe door, but i closed a M3 door which i am sure is the same thing, and DAMN! it sounded like something was going to break!
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From: Diamond Bar, CA
W206 PHEV AMG
Originally Posted by BlackC230Coupe
I never closed a regular 3 series coupe door, but i closed a M3 door which i am sure is the same thing, and DAMN! it sounded like something was going to break!
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From: Hong Kong
C55AMG W203; 330i E90
Originally Posted by FrankW
on that same day it made me realize the C's door closing sound sounds like crap compare to the 3-series sedan's. But the 3-series coupe still has that crappy *** sound when you slam the door shut.
C class doors sound doesn't deserve to be an MB.
Any of the Japanese cars , BMW , W21o had better 'sound' than that.
Coupe door is always heavier than 4-door saloon and the M3 door sound is awsome.
This is why I insist how can a C class be a luxury car just because it has nappa seats
cnt
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From: Hong Kong
C55AMG W203; 330i E90
Originally Posted by BlackC230Coupe
I never closed a regular 3 series coupe door, but i closed a M3 door which i am sure is the same thing, and DAMN! it sounded like something was going to break!
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From: GTA
haha sorry i must not agree with that this time, when i close my good budds M3, its not as solid as you said... i feel like somethings gonna break, my C32 front doors in contrast are more solid to me although the sound is not as loud and deep
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Originally Posted by cntlaw
C class doors sound doesn't deserve to be an MB.
Any of the Japanese cars , BMW , W21o had better 'sound' than that.
Coupe door is always heavier than 4-door saloon and the M3 door sound is awsome.
This is why I insist how can a C class be a luxury car just because it has nappa seats
cnt
Any of the Japanese cars , BMW , W21o had better 'sound' than that.
Coupe door is always heavier than 4-door saloon and the M3 door sound is awsome.
This is why I insist how can a C class be a luxury car just because it has nappa seats
cnt
IMO the M3 sound is no where near awesome. I cant imagine how the sound of something that sounds like the glass is going to break to sound good?
The C class to me has a nice soild well sealed sound.
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From: Hong Kong
C55AMG W203; 330i E90
Originally Posted by derAMG
haha sorry i must not agree with that this time, when i close my good budds M3, its not as solid as you said... i feel like somethings gonna break, my C32 front doors in contrast are more solid to me although the sound is not as loud and deep
my c55 doors slam sounds like glass breaking
Let me blame , the doors are made in SA not Germany
cnt
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From: SF Bay Area, CA
2006 E55 and 2002 E320
Originally Posted by vraa
Were you sure that you had to let off the gas a little bit?
I drove my cousins 2004 M3 w. SMG and I found that it gave the quickest smoothest shift when at full throttle.
I drove my cousins 2004 M3 w. SMG and I found that it gave the quickest smoothest shift when at full throttle.
However, when you drive it normally, say shifting at a moderate 2000-3000 RPM, the car blips the throttle, rev matches, and then engages the gear. All very slowly and this can be uncomfortable because your head goes back and forth. The new M5 with the SMG is the same way.
When BMW improves this to my satisfaction, I will possibly make the switch from Mercedes to BMW.
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2006 E55 and 2002 E320
Originally Posted by cldriver
From my experience, the door close sounds are different based on whether you have the windows up or if they are down. They sound crappy when the window is down.
Out of all the car doors I like, I think the Infiniti J30's car doors sound the most delightful. It has a pleasant mechanical clunk when you open it, and a soft rubbery sealed thunk when you close it. You seriously gotta try it. Infiniti does one thing right with their cars, the car's exhaust and doors sound alright.
The Rolls Royce Phantom doors also possess a nice thunk but not that special of an opening sound. This is only applicable to the front doors, the rear doors don't sound special at all.
