Ohji

I have seen this debated in other forums, but I just wanted to post here and see if anyone has any thoughts as to whether 4MATIC is worth adding to the C218 CLS550. I live in Portland, OR, and while we rarely see snow here, there roads are wet for most of the year. If I buy the CLS, it will be the non-FWD car I have owned, and so I am unfamiliar with what to expect with a RWD platform in the rain...

I know MBUSA has made the 4MATIC standard on the CL550 and the upcoming '12 E550, so it seems that there is a movement towards adding it to models equipped with the new twin turbo, torque-monster V8. Is the performance of the CLS550 at all traction limited? I imagine that if it was, the CLS63 would be even worse off. Any chance the straight-line performance of the CLS550 will actually be BETTER with the 4MATIC?

The 4MATIC is also an extra $2500 and according to my crude calculations, the 1 MPG penalty will cost an additional $750+ in added fuel costs if I keep the car for 60k miles. I don't mind paying the extra $3250 over the life of the car if it is a huge improvement in safety or performance, but I don't want to increase the unsprung weight of the car and potentially add complex, expensive-to-repair equipment to the car for minimal to no gain.

Thanks for any opinions.

dakrisht

No

BRETT0429

I'm between this and BMW 550xi m sport I have to go drive a cls

pmb600

If you only have rain, you'll be fine without it. 4Matic is only necissary in climates like the Northeast where we have snow.

LILRAJA

i think you will be fine.
my rule of thumb. it snows stay home. even if you are best driver and safest driver - you are still prone to accident. It's the stupidity of others that you can't control.

bigben320e

+1