chris7469

My wife and I just got back from the Mercedes and Maserati dealerships. We drove the 04 Maserati GT coupe and the 03 CL 500 Sport. I have owned two CLK 430s and had my heart set on the CL 500. Now I am up in the air??

Both cars are about $60,000. Both are sharp. In NJ, I see many Cls.

The CL seems like a sweet cruiser and the Maserati is more engine and performance. Inside they have similar ****pits. I think the Maserati will cost more to maintain.

I think the Maserati looks a little more aggresive than the CL 500. But the CL seems longer and smooth.

What do you think? I want this to be my daily driver.

Any and all comments are appreciated. Thanks. CM

elbimmer

Maserati all the way.
CL is nice, but there are millions of those all over the place....and its old car, it will be replaced by the new one in 2007.
So MASERATI for sure.

WIldcat465

My neighbor has the Maserait and I've always seen them as the poor man's Ferrari. To each his own; however, the CL is sthe ultimate cruiser and I didn't realize it until weeks after I bought it. It will have more convenience and safety features than the Maser and the MB is more comfortable. The MB has a wider dealer support network and most will wash your car for free and give you a loaner if it breaks. Get what you love.

elbimmer

OK, I disagree with you. Maserati is not the poor man's Ferrari. Its just more practical than a Ferrari. Have you ever seen somebody using a Ferrari as an every day ride? Probably not.
The CL is an ultimate cruiser? Yes it is, but wait, its more likely a boat. Its the way too big and heavy. The friend of mine has bought CL55 AMG 5 months ago and 2 of them it was at the dealership having some major issues with electronics. Well, everybody knows that MBs quality sucks, although its getting better and better, its still not on the certain level when you can say that the car is reliable....
And the CL is going to be replaced by the new one in 2007. And CL is not as exotic as Maserati. Maserati is just fabulous!

mjr24

Maserati? Eh...don't like them much. They are smaller, reminds me of a Honda Del Sol. The interior is nowhere near as nice as the CL either, not even close.

WIldcat465

Elbimmer, you drive a C-class and are probably not qualified to provide an informed assessment of either car or you would not have made your comments the way you did. Your opinion carries no weight in this discussion. Have you ever driven a CL? or a Maserati? I have.

In any event, both are fine cars with different missions.

RJ55AMG

Hey this is somewhat similar since the CLK is the CL-Kids Model

http://www.maseratiforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=578

Hope this helps!

Let me know what you decide... I'm kinda interested in the change too

mjr24

CLK is a far cry from a CL. A CL55 is a far cry from a CL. You can get a CLK55 for $45k these days.

WIldcat465

That's like saying watching **** on TV is the same as "sleeping" with a **** star. The CLK is closer to a C-class than a CL.

BiTurboBenz

I will take a CLK55 over a CL500 any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

Also, a CLK55 will smoke a CL500 any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

Now the CL55 is a different story - but I bet if the CLK55 had the blower everyone would stop trashing the CLK55. That is why I bought it because there are so many haters trashing the CLK55.

-my $0.02

S-Clusiv

Not cool at all and very unnecessary.

WIldcat465

Give me a break. How can one be qualified to state the merits of a vehicle's performance without having driven or owned one? All too often there are people who continue to criticize my purchase (e.g., "CL is an ultimate cruiser? Yes it is, but wait, its more likely a boat," or "everybody knows that MBs quality sucks.") suggesting that I'm an idiot for buying what I know to be one of the best cars produced.

The orignal post requested information upon which to make a purchase and I don't see how Elbimmer's comments were anything but exaggerations about MBs (e.g., major issues with electronics).

mjr24

CLK, no one is trashing your car, CLK's are very nice cars, CLK55's at that. This is not a speed discussion though. There are probably a hundred Civics who could smash your car and my car, that does not make it better. If you could bring up speed, I could bring up how the CL gets 100 times more looks than a CLK55. (By the way, I am not the one who called the CLK the CL Kids car). (Even though it was funny )

mjr24

Here, decide for yourself...does this look like the interior of a $75k car. It sure as hell does not compare to a CL interior, which is among the nicest I have ever been in this side of a Bentley. Below, Maserati interior-a 2005 GT. It looks a like a $25k interior.

mjr24

CLK55 interior...it is not much better than the Maserati.

RJ55AMG

lol, okay i realize i made a mistake!

AMG2GO

If I was buying one as a weekend car, a second car, I would give the maserati serious consideration. Its less luxury but maybe more fun. If it was my daily driver, CL, easy. You will enjoy the luxury more, you will be more comfortablein it, and the CL on its worst reliability day will be better than the Maserati on a good day. I am not pulling this info out of thin air, if you look at reliability reports almost all of them will show this.

As far as a CLK its a nice car but it is not a CL. They are completely different cars in different price classes.

BiTurboBenz

or I could bring up how the CLK DTM gets 1000 times more looks than a CL.

Actually, I almost went with a 2002 CL600 but I wanted a car not a boat :v

The CL is a beautiful car, but I see no other advantages on driving it other than the higher price=more prestige=more looks(in some people's eyes, not mine) they are still both MB's made in Deutschland.

When I buy an MB, I want a blend of performance, handling and luxury not simply luxury. Maybe when I get older I will go with the 2003 CL55, still a little out of my price range

AMG2GO

I guess its all a matter of opinion, but I find the CL to have plenty of performance. It handles beautifuly, brakes confidently, and accelerates quickly and smoothly. I have owned many sports cars in my life, and I do not miss anything they had in my CL. I don't think calling it a boat is accurate at all. You won't know if you haven't owned one long term.

It is a very quick and very comfortable car. A near perfect blend in my opinion. If I wanted to race or make canyon runs then I would get a 911 or something similar. For everyday driving, the CL has more performance than 98% of all cars out there. The absolute silence, smoothness, and pure luxury is just a bonus.

mjr24

A CLK DTM is a friggin race car. That is like saying an F1 car would get more looks than a CL, I mean, no ****. Thing is, noone here has a DTM, we are talking Maserati v. CL v. CLK55, so that really is not relevant, otherwise I could say...well, a CL65 is faster than a CLK55. :p

elbimmer

I've had CL500 before, but it was to painful for me to keep it. I've had many issues with navigation and buttons (they were falling off [yes] all the time).
Sold it for 65k USD in Russia. I've never had a Maserati, but I've driven 02 4200GT and I liked it a lot.

elbimmer

How can you know which cars I've driven and which I havent?!?

BiTurboBenz

Yeah, it is just a lowly CLK class

elbimmer

mjr24

Again, like it matters, you do not have a DTM, what is your point? A CLK55 is a nice car, but is NOT a CL, END OF STORY. I do not even know how the CLK got brought into this, someone just saw this and had hurt feelings apparently.

As for elbimmer, if you had a CL500, why did you mention your friend's car in your original post instead of using your supposed own story to prove your point? The Navigation had problems, huh? Seems odd...not to mention going from a CL to a C Class.