K-A

I actually have checked out the new 6-Series in a Showroom. I will say first and foremost, that as a Coupe with the M-Pack, it's a gorgeous car. Not as arresting or fussy as the CLS, and it doesn't have any flaws that might stick out at you, so I think it's a lot more "right" and elegant. However, it doesn't have the presence of the CLS nor does it make a "statement" as much, as the 6-Series is almost passive and maybe a little unremarkable. Also, it's not as sharp cut or lean as the CLS (or M-B's design language) and still suffers from that kind of bloated BMW look, although much leaner than their other offerings.

My biggest gripe with the 6 is the PRICE. It's WAY TOO EXPENSIVE! At over $100K for a decently equipped M-Pack Coupe, it's just out of its league, the car doesn't command that price IMO. The CLS is a MUCH MUCH better value. At equal pricing, I'd pick the 650i Coupe M-Pack over the CLS for a few reasons, however.

As for the interior, I liked it in the 6, but IMO it isn't as special as it is in pics. In fact, I might prefer the 5/7 Series interiors, as they have more wood, etc. The quality of materials are all top notch in the 6, everything feels very sturdy and strong, heavy to the touch for the most part, but it certainly didn't blow me away, and again, isn't commanding of that price tag. The CLS's interior I find to be a bit nicer since it combines Sport with that classic M-B old-world Luxury and panache, while the 6 goes straight for a more modern Sport approach.

gaazmon

yes i sat in the new 640i (didn't get a chance to sit in the 650i or new 5). Imo it was nice. would still opt for the v8 because of the size and weight of the car. the CLS is still way better imo. and ya as KA said, the price for the new 6 is crazy. then again the CL550 starts at 115K and i really was not impressed at all with it (and the S550 is over 90K now, crazy). definitely in the 50 - 100k price range the CLS was my favorite. even though I like the w221 exterior a lot, still would take a CLS, i honestly refused to get out. lol i started listening to the radio and talking with the other guy in the car with me about random stuff too. i wouldn't bother with audi. i looked at an a7 and s5 and wasn't impressed for the price.

lol when i sat in the driver's seat, about 2 seconds later the passenger seat opened and this girl was like "oh im sorry" and i was like "nah hop in don't worry" lol

O/T but i really liked the 2008+ 650s with the black wood trim. they had a cpo 08+ 650i white at the show and honestly that's the next car i would really like to get. i mean i'd get the new CLS550 over that if i somehow got the money in time lol

Ohji

Thanks to both of you for the responses! Just out of curiosity, what color was the interior of the CLS at the show you went to?

I agree that the 6 series is overly expensive, but there is a good chance one will be able to get a 6 series "Gran Coupe" for around the same price as a CLS550, especially if BMW continues their ridiculous credits with this new model and you don't mind doing European Delivery. A loaded 650i coupe can be had for more than 15k off MSRP, whereas my local MB dealership only offered $1000 off MSRP for the CLS (that was a few months ago -- things might have changed).

The speculation that I've seen online has BMW pricing the 8-cylinder Gran Coupe around $75-80k, making it cheaper than the coupe and convertible, but still more than the CLS. With BMW's more liberal discounting, the car might actually end up being comparable to the MB, and I love the way the prototype cars are looking. So part of me wants to wait to see what BMW has in store. And if I'm lucky, maybe MB will decide to make the porcelain/black interior available for ordering while I'm waiting...

cracker123

same here waiting for the Gran Coupe, I did test drive the 6 coupe but it was very harsh and weird compared to the CLS550. I am going to assume the Gran Coupe is going to be lot better than the coupe ??

My estimation for the Gran Coupe pricing is , it will be aproximatly 10K less than the coupe with the same engine. By the time I add individual and all the options I am thinking it will be hitting the 100K range. CLS550 I priced out with the designo , 19" wheels and all the options came out to around 93K. Also BMW is definitly going to dole out discounts on the car.

gaazmon

Black if i remember correctly. then again that night did get quite crazy sooooo

Ohji

Wow -- I haven't driven the 6 series coupe, but most of the reviews I've read suggest the ride is pretty nice, perhaps even a bit too soft. It's nice to hear from someone that has actually driven it, though. Was the harshness in Sport/Sport+ mode? Did your test car have the 20-inch wheels? With all the recent press of the 5 and 6 series trending towards softer, less sporty ride quality, I imagine the Gran Coupe will definitely not be harsh.

I think the Gran Coupe and CLS550 will have a similar out-the-door price, even if the MSRP is different. As far as decision making (for me), it seems that the Gran Coupe beats the CLS in that is has more standard interior color options, premium leather as standard (in the 8-cylinder model, at least), the great full-color HUD, the option of active roll stabilization, a superior transmission (quicker up/downshifts and rev matching), flashier tech, and an amazing exhaust note (if it is similar to the 650i coupe). The CLS, on the other hand, trumps the Gran Coupe in interior quality, lack of run-flats, superior navigation (the COMAND screen may be smaller, but the quality of the map databases is supposedly awful on BMWs according to posts at Bimmerfest), and the Airmatic suspension (is this really better than BMW's adaptive suspension?). Both seem to have great engines, but my guess is that the CLS550 will be a bit quicker, based on the fact that it has consistently been faster than both the 550i and 650i models in magazine tests. I can't imagine the Gran Coupe being a bigger car but somehow weighing less than the 650i, so it seems fair to guess that it will be slower than the Mercedes.

I think this whole indecision thing is fun -- I'm worried I'll be let down when I actually buy something. Wish I could get both...

cracker123

The coupe I test drove had the M sport package and B&O sound system. The B&O sound system on the 6 was a complete POS , but does look nice and adds a little bit of flair.

If I test drive the GC and love it here is my option list and what I estimate will be the prices on the car.

Base $73,000
Citrin Black $1800
Opal White
Piano Black
Individual Composition package $7700
Driver Assistance Package $3700
Premium Sound Package + B&O $5,500
LED Lighting Package with 20" Individual Wheels $1900
Integral Active Steering $1750
Luxury Seating Package $3500
Active Roll Stabilization $2000

K-A

I looked at another 6 Coupe today. This time the interior had a dark tan and black 2-tone theme inside, which really warmed up the interior.

It was a White with M-Pack Coupe, which is the BEST and ONLY setup on this car that I would get.

It's just a gorgeous car. So elegant and graceful, it literally looks like an elegantly beautiful woman with a slight naughty side. IMO it's a much better balanced and executed design than the CLS, and you have a lot more up-front interior room too (shockingly, as again, M-B can't make the CLS's large design functional in terms of interior room.... And I'm not talking about backseats).

Problem with the 6 is the price. Over $100K for that setup is ridiculous. It isn't that expensive of a car, regardless of how striking and well engineered it is.

I still think the CLS has a nicer interior, as it mixes that classic M-B luxury, with the wood, etc. while the 6 just feels more Sport oriented and spartan. Again, for $100K, BMW needs that thing to be more dynamic than a 1-track interior, it would benefit from some wood and warming aspects.

cracker123

For the price the 6 GC hits after putting some options on , makes the CLS 63 more attractive. But my problem with CLS 63 currently is the extended warranty. AMG vehicles are not covered by the Mercedes extended warranty so after the initial warranty runs out, I might have a white elephant on my hands.

cracker123

I agree on the $100K price, but you got to remember BMW is going to dole out incentives, currently there is a $6K rebate on the 6 series.

K-A

Yeah, and I expect those incentives to get better as well as the car matures on the Market. $6K already says a lot actually. I think we'll see it nicely in the double digits (discounted off the MSRP) soon enough.

blipit

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