In my quest for a used CL I stopped by to see how a brand new BMW 645Ci compares. I will hold off my impressions. I wonder if anyone has driven this car and what they think.

 

I looked at it before settling with my SL55. It was never really in the running but I do like its lines... I'm now considering between the 645 and the CLK55 as my second ride, though part of me says that waiting for the M6 would be the prudent thing to do.

My impressions?

Best car BMW makes right now... The engine while not overwhelming certainly has enough spunk and pull for the vast majority of us (AMG owners might not be satisfied but are we ever?). Handles like a car that feels smaller than it is (much like the 745i and the 740i before it does).

The interior is sharp, and while some may complain about the iDrive, I don't find it any more difficult to work with than say the COMMAND NAV (which is a nightmare while moving). The lines and style of this car are nothing short or gorgeous - if only the 5 series looked 1/2 as good it might be a car worth buying.

~ Ian

 

I looked at the 645 and liked it until my wife made me realize that it looks like Toyota Solara. Not as luxurious as a Benz. Nice driving, but I'll pass for now.

 

watch out for their latest recall

http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/28/pf/a....reut/?cnn=yes

 

I own both a 645 and a CL600.

The front of the BMW is gorgeous, but the back and the interior are not. The lines of the CL are classic, the engine is fantastic and the ABC makes it handle well for a large car. Ultimately, the CL drives like a big sedan and the BMW feels much smaller, lighter and livelier. The CL is more classic and the BMW contemporary. I don't understand why Mercedes cannot provide a sound system up to the rest of the engineering levels of their cars and the BMW premium sound system is outstanding. The architecture of the BMW is really quite excellent once you get past the I drive cyclops and the build quality of the BMW is quite tight and solid.

In summary, the CL is a wonderful GT while the BMW leans more sporting, kind of a less punishing 911. I would however recommend the 645 over the CLK, which lacks both sophistication and performance by comparison (even the CLK55).

 

I love the 6-Series, I think. The interior build quality isn't upto the Japanese, but it's still a BMW. And that's saying quite a lot. It is comparable to the 3-Series, but that's not a bad thing.

The drive is a great balance and hides the weight really well. I think it's one of those cars that is dynamic from day to day. Sometimes I feel that it's just too heavy for it's own good, and sometimes I wonder if there is a rear end at all because it feels so light.

 

The 645 is a fabulous car, i would say the best GT today?

One of my friends parents bought one this summer and my friends older brother took us for a cruise around town. I can promise you the car is an eye catcher for sure. The 4.4l V8 is a diamond, but in the E 65 and the E 60 the sound is so concealed, in the E 63 the engine realy shows its presence.
When your ride the car with the top down, what a sound! We raced a volvo C70 T5 and it was easy over taken, by that time the enigine hasnt been worn in, with only 300 km on the clock, so the driver didnt push to the edge.
The quality of everything is outstanding, and i mean everything, the car is filled with harmony. Im like 184 cm tall, by i fitted perfect in the backseat, unlike other coupes and cabriolets i have ridden, for instance the BMW E46.
The only thing i can remember who wasnt perfect, is when you bring the top down you have to dodge when your sitting in the back seat, or else you will be getting the whole roft in our head.

AMG2GO are you tempted to buy one, my advise to you do so, no offence CL lovers

over and out / Andrée the swede.

 

I am really torn. A 2002 CL 600 sport certified used with all the options and 19K miles is costing me $66K with 2 years of warranty. With a 4 year warranty it will be 70K. I have been offered at BMW dealers, brand new 645Ci's loaded with everything except the adaptive cruise for about 71K.

Almost identical in price. I like the idea of a 6 speed stick. I think the BMW is very stylish as well, inside and out. But the CL is a more luxurious car. Pneumatic doors and electronic trunks, do not exist in BMW land. The Merc FEELS like a more expensive car.

As for the audio system.... a 2002 CL has a Cassette player... I need not say more. The BMW system is excellent.

I am in my early 30's and find the sporty nature of the BMW appealing. But I can see why a CL costs so much more.

I appreciate all the input from everybody.

 

I can see why you’re cross-shopping the CL and the 645, but they’re quite different cars. I had a deposit in on the 645 for almost three years, and when the car came out, I couldn’t get all the goodies I wanted, so I held off for a few months. When I saw all the teething problems the car was having, I converted my deposit to an M6 deposit, and bought a Mercedes. But I didn’t buy a CL; I didn’t even seriously consider one. I bought an SL55. I wasn’t willing to make the handling compromises that the CL would have brought.

If you get the 645, you’re going to get a car that’s substantially down on go from a CL600, but one that handles better. Even in the SL55, there’s more isolation from the road than in the 645. The CL600 has a usable back seat. I consider the 645 back seat useless for adults, so I figured I wasn’t giving up anything in passenger-carrying capacity by going with the SL. The CL is quieter, more luxurious, and in general a more pleasant place to be if you want to cover the long distances over straightish roads quickly and safely. The 645 is more involving, and the interior is austere – some would say Spartan.

The active steering is controversial; it isolates you from what the tires are doing, but means that you really never have to take your hands away from the 9 and 3 position. I consider the dynamic suspension to be a real winner, but the Mercedes ABC system is also quite good. There’s a great list of gizmos: HUD, Bluetooth, etc.

The iDrive system is sort of like COMAND once you get to going through on-screen menus, but COMAND uses buttons instead of the knob to get at the first screen (A minus from my perspective, since there’s no tactile differentiation of the buttons), and COMAND has more direct access buttons, like radio, zoom in and out, mute, NAV info, that avoid your having to look at the screen (A plus from my perspective).

The 645 has had more than its share of electronic gremlins. I would expect that most, but by no means all, of the bugs are worked out by now.

If you get a new 645, you’ll have a new car warranty and included maintenance. Maintenance and repairs on the CL will not be cheap.

The CL600 is a big, powerful GT with one foot in the luxury sedan camp. The 645 is a mid-size GT with one foot in the sports car camp. Which way do you want to lean?

Jim

 

Which will depreciate more?

A 2002 CL600 bought for $70,000 with a 4 year 100K mile starmark warranty... with every option (and I mean every one available), 19,000 miles with me being the 2nd owner

OR

A 2005 645Ci with all options bought at $71,000, with me as the only owner.

I take very good care of all my cars. I average 15,000 miles a year. Which is more likely to sell for more money in say 3 years with 45,000 miles added onto it?

Does anyone want to take a shot at this one?

 

unfortunately, they let fisher-price in on the project. very 95 chevy lumina knobs and dials. it really feels as cheap as it looks. as for the trunk lid? it's the crap-cherry on top

 

i think the 645 b/c the cl already droped most of the value in the first 2 years and its an amg. the 645 will drop i minute you walk out of the dealer.

 

I would have thought the bmw would have held it's resale better b/c supposedly they have the strongest reasale in the luxury car business

 

yup i agree!

 

When is the CL due for a makeover? If it's in the next 3 years you may be looking at trying to sell a dated car (style wise).

~ Ian

 

i think i makeover is do in 2007

 

I test drove a 2004 545i and 2004 e500 on a test course sponsored by Lexus last yr Sept 2004 and I was dissappointed in the power of the engine. The E55 was alot torquier down low even though the HP and torque ratings for the 545i was higher.However I have to say for a car it's size(545i) it handled somewhat better than the E500 but the E500 impressed me handling wise as well. The power and torque of the 545i motor comes in much later than the E500 so I got around the track much faster in the E believe it or not.The 645i is nice but I like the feel of the E55 better than both the 645i and 545i.Especially the motor.Handling I'd give to either the 645i or 545i.Just my thoughts.

Lexus does this test drive comparison annually. I drove the GS430 and actually liked the GS430 performance wise(engine,handling), better than both cars.

 

I talked to a lot of dealer friends.... they all said the used CL will have less depreciation. The CL has already taken its biggest hit in the first 2-3 years. The BMW is yet to do so.

I bought a CL600. I couldn't help but to feel a "cheap" quality in the BMW after long test drives in both cars, although I loved the stick and sporty nature of the 6.

Luckily this 600 is very low milage with every option available. It was starmark warrantied and I am covered for another 4.5 years and 85,000 miles. That warranty cost me a bundle but I figure the next owner will appreciate it and it will add to the car's resale value.

New body style CL last I heard was 2007-2008. Thats still 3 years away before it starts affecting the old car's price. So I figure I have 3 good years with this car, keep it clean and low milage and I should get a fair amount back at the end of this body's life.

Thanks to everyone for their very helpful input.

 

i agree 100%