Vic55

as the title says... I come here because I am a C63 brother now with my Black Series and you guys really do give honest and thorough input.

I have always been an AMG AND M guy- with each moniker having its advantages and opportunties. I get bored easily and my CLSTT (modded with tune) is a car I would actually dump for a new F10 M5. I actually really like the CLS, alot. Its very fast, sounds great with the resonator mod and looks appealing. I have no doubt the CLS tuned is faster than a stock M5 but thats not all Im about. There is something about the M5 that has me thinking right now. The best M Ive ever owned was a 2002 E39 M5- what a car and that was 10 years ago. I also have had an E46 M3, an E63 M6, and an E92 M3 with the DCT. I never thought a tranny would mean so much but after getting the DCT in the GTR, M3, and Porsche its really hard to not respect it.

I did test drive the M5 the other day--- its impressive in stock form. 560 hp with a DCT tranny seems to virtually remove its very heavy weight and the suspension is extremely BMW M like- super stiff and unforgiving in the firmest setting but I like this. The steering seemed a bit tight but no different than the electronic steering in the CLS which creates some heavy understeer in high speed turns. Stock vs. stock the M5 felt faster than my CLS with a much more responsive throttle. My CLS has be woken up throttle wise with a tune though.

I dont know, I could go either way here- keep the Benz and keep cruising very fast and have a really good handling coupe with 4 doors or I could travel to the dark side and test out an M that actually has TQ LOL.

Any of you driven the M5 and/or the M157 cars? Dont worry about my other cars in regards to this comparo- they are staying and serve their purposes so in regards to the M5 coming in, it would only be for the CLS. There is no way Im dumping the Black (best AMG Ive had) and the 997.2TT PDK is crazy good too... the GTR is a sunken investment and I have other plans for that.

CoolBDPhenom03

To add to the confusion, I've seen both 2-door and 4-door 6-Series and they look awesome. If/when they roll out the new M6, I think you'll have an even tougher decision.

olszowa12

I like the CLS but there is something appealling aobut the new M5 that makes me want it more... Can't really explain it.

If you like the car, get the new M5


But as CoolBDPhenom03 said, I would consider the new M6 as well.
Personally I love the design of the new Gran Coupe but it probably won't come out as an M-car. I've seen a few M6s and M5s a week ago and I have to say that the new M6 looks amazing.

arctichaze

When its time for me to buy a new slightly used car preloaded with HREs I'll just contact you. You seem to have a car that needs to be sold every few months

Back to your question, the M5 generally has more history behind it so more common people and car enthusiast alike recognize its heritage. The CLS however is a fairly new player but it does carry the AMG tag. Barring any aesthetic and maybe performance preferences the M5 will always be my favorite full size sports sedan. My neighbor has a white one and I drool every afternoon when I see it in his drive way.

CoolBDPhenom03

I like BMW's new design direction (finally) but all things being equal, I think I'd take an M6 over an M5.

cptdaz

I never like the look of older 6 series, but the new model looks HOT

danlnyc

I'm the opposite ^^ I loved the look of the older 6 series, but the new model has me cringing. Different tastes I suppose.

Vic - why not keep the CLS and trade in the IS-F for the M5?

Patrick B

This is an interesting debate, as both are great cars. I think the CLS63 is an awesome looking car, but the new M5 (finally!) is a very sharp car as well.

If I was starting from scratch, I'd probably be tempted to go the M5 route. I've driven an F10 M5, and it's pretty solid and competent (I've only driven it on city streets though...not on the track). A tad too quiet for my tastes, but excellent throttle response, and just tons of power. I've never driven the CLS63, but a former co-worker of mine has the 6.2L version, and he absolutely loves his (of course, he lives in Germany, where he can properly utilize it as well).

I also agree that the new Gran Coupe from BMW is a fantastic looking car. In fact, I might be tempted to buy one of those as a daily driver instead of an M5 (or equivalent). A proper 650i Gran Coupe could be a pretty sweet daily driver, especially given that you have the 997 and C63-BS for more intensive duties.

The other option I'd personally be tempted to look at is completely off the rails.....an Aston Martin Rapide. It's still a stretch from the M5 in terms of base price, and probably is nowhere near it in terms of performance. But man, does it look sweet. I think I could be satisfied with the C63-BS and an Aston Martin Rapide as my personal combo. I've been looking at an Aston Martin V8 Vantage S as a second car lately (possibly getting rid of the Range Rover completely).



Patrick

CoolBDPhenom03

This! Definitely this

jtrichel

I dont like the BMW M cars. I feel that the last good one was the E46 M3. I owned that car (6spd manual).

I dont like the exterior or interior design of the M cars. They are too common. And what really kills it for me is the fact that they syntesize exhaust sound and then push through the radio speakers. I honestly could just never get over that. The way I cant get over the way that the back of a Panamera looks. I took a ride in a GTS and it was so sweet from inside the car. But then look at that back end and forget about it, wont work!

c63edition1

i say keep the CLS, its a merc, but yeh it's a biased opinion .. M5.s interior is too similar to a diesel 5 series with M package, seats, dash, steering. In then end it boils down to what you feel like doing.
Now if they come out with a 4 door M6, that's going to be disgustingly good ..
PLEASE let us know if u want to get rid of that CLS

jsc1234

how was the engine sound through the speakers? this the only thing thats throwing me off but im also considering getting an m5

Rock

Okay, I have not driven the M5 but I spent some time with one at a dealership and I've read almost every review out there. Both the M5 and CLS63 are beautiful cars and each has its strong points. When faced with a decision like this, I like to make a scorecard to help make the choice easier. Below is my card.

Acceleration- Draw (some test show the M5 a 10th or so faster, others give it to the CLS63)
Road course- M5 (I think the M5 will edge out the CLS63 most of the time but how many owners are taking these cars to the track?)
Exterior style- CLS63 (not even close)
Interior design- M5 (I love the materials used in the new M5)
Gearbox- M5 (Cars with a DSG for the MFW)
Steering- CLS63 (The steering feel of the new CLS63 is fantastic while the reviews on the M5's steering all seem to be negative)
Driving excitement- M5 (I am sure the gearbox allows for a more satisfying driving experience)
Exclusivity- CLS63 (They have and will continue to flood the market with the M5)
Ride Quality- M5 (BMWs always seem to absorb the road better than Mercs)
Engine- CLS63 (a true monster)
Exhaust note- CLS63 (Real sport sedans don't need to pipe in exhaust sounds)
Ergonomics- M5 (very well thought out)
Fuel economy- (who gives a fukk)
Mod potential- CLS63 (I think its engines bigger displacement is key)

So there you have it.......looks like a tie. Sorry Vic, not much help here but since you already have and love the Mercedes C63 Black, adding a BWM M car is a fantastic way to round out your garage.

Fung63

I had the privilege to first drive the new 5 series (535) and then test drove the M5 variant.

I honestly can say if I was in the market to move out of my c63 and into a bigger sedan I would absolutely take the M5 over the E63 and the CLS63. the styling on the M5 is wonderful (although the E63 and cls63is nice too). But the size, handling of it and BMW's interpretation of luxury is very very nice.

I have to add however, my passengers preferred the e63 over the M5 lol... but hey if you are mostly driving solo or with just another person, that doesnt matter

callmiro

I drove the M5 last week. It does feel alot snappier with a crisper throttle response, but the exhaust note was completely lacking. The tranny is just amazing.

As well, the interior felt like every other 5 series. I'm just not feeling that long dash and the seats look like lazyboys.

The styling is pretty weak. Outside of the vents and tailpipes you'd be hard pressed to definitively say its an M5.

It does feel sharper but the CLS feels stronger...

I just love the CLS's styling too much to drop it for an M5.

And PS....I would take an SL63 over the M6


White girl problems

jtrichel

I know this has been posted, and not saying that Car and Driver is the ultimate source of what is right/wrong. But they compared M5 vs. E63 vs S6 and scored the M5 dead last. They scored the S6 first, largely based on the fact that for the price it keeps up with the other two. But they said the E63 was the most exciting to drive.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test

GrnLantern

+1 to the mod-ability comments on the CLS63 vs the F10 M5.

While the M5 is and should be pretty mod-able, it's not going to come anywhere near the CLS63 (in the last 5 - 8 years, AMG's have notoriously been more mod-able than M's, and I respect that).

I was not a huge fan of the M5's steering, but then again, I haven't been a fan of BMW / M steering lately (and I used to be a huge M fan). I still am a little bit of an M fan, but the fanboy characteristic has definitely died out, whereas it's alive and kicking when it comes to AMG. The engine sound does kill me a bit. As Rock said, real sport sedans don't need to pipe in exhaust sounds.

hhughes1

Comparison tests won't solve this dilemma. You already know it's going to come down to which one connects most directly with you and stirs the soul.

zneB-sedecreM

My opinion is that every new BMW made today looks almost identical to the next body.. One big ugly family if you ask me. I wouldn't consider getting rid of the CLS for the 5 series

Guilty

Ok there is something that I don't get... Why is the IS-F a keeper?

Kaiba

+63

Guilty

The exhaust tips on all the BMWs look cheap and small, and yeah they all look the same besides the 6series which I'm in love with.

dcm95ss

i would not drop cls63 for f10 m5 no way but for the new m6...hell yea

hyperion667

BMW- engine sound chip............

enough said.....but I am incredibly biased......

Vic55

Thanks guys for the input... I appreciate your honest thoughts and as expected, this forum did indeed deliver. I think I need to drive the F10 more and see it on the road.

Looks are very subjective and I absolutely agree that the CLS is more appealing. I think I need more seat time behind the F10 to truly gauge its driveability and involvement.

As for a the sound of the M5- at cold startup from the outside it sounded very good. I actually completely forgot about the "speaker exhaust" inside and didnt notice much, if any, internal noise but then again I forgot about that terrible feature.