FloridaE55

...in regards of 0-60mph-times? looking at the numbers (hp/torque), I find the listed 5.1 secs. from mbusa.com VERY conservative. Does a 4Matic have a better acceleration due to better traction?

The 550i xdrive is listed at 4.7 secs. with almost identical power so the 2012 CLS550 4Matic should be closer to that number and not in the 5s. What would you say?

I also stumbled upon some online-sources, claiming the new CLS550 to be as quick to 60 as the old CLS55 (4.3 secs.)...

ODoyleRulz

Well the CLS550 0-60 is 5.1sec and CLS63AMG is 4.4sec and CLS63AMG w/ Performance Package is 4.3 secs with some sites claiming 3.9secs few months back.

btw all wheel drive is always slower than rear wheel drive.

Seanmag

Motortrend seems to think the '12 CLS550 will do 0-60 in 4.3 seconds: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/specs.html

My local Merc dealer let me take a CLS550 home last week overnight and I'm turning in to a fan.. definately felt quick and the engine wasn't even broken in. With so many options new or used in this price range I'm struggling to pull the trigger on an order until I test drive a few more optoins...

I have ~4 months left on my '08 BMW 550i lease and have been test driving and researching everything from (new) BMW 550i xDrive and CLS550 to (1-2 year's used) BMW M5, E63, CLS63, C63 and an '08 CL63 and CL65. I love German made NA engines, but the immediate torque of the German TT's coupled w/ the updated cabin tech make the new cars very compelling.

Dinan Stage 2 would probably get that BMW 550i xDrive close, if not nose-to-nose, to the upcoming BMW M5 at a bargain price.

ODoyleRulz

Motortrend is wrong.. very very wrong

FloridaE55

Well, on the 550i (xDrive), this statement is def. wrong. The xDrive has a quicker acceleration. 4.7 on the all-wheel-drive compared to 5.0 on the rear-wheel-drive from 0-60mph. It is the better traction that does the trick on the xDrive. The RWD is going to catch up at higher speeds - but not from 0-60.

FloridaE55

Yeah, these are the numbers I found as well. I'm assuming that 4.3 is a bit optimistic (maybe they used a "roll-start"?) but the 4matic should be capable of reaching 60 in the high 4s (4.7-4.9).

erifly

Car and driver ran a test and I think they got it 4.7s in 0-60 mph. And I'm pretty sure the all wheel drive would have a slight faster 0-60 mph time..more traction gives it a better jump.

Seanmag

The 2012 BMW 550i xDrive is rated 0-60mph on the BMW NA site at 4.7s while the RWD is 5.0s. Some of this is more traction from the AWD, some I've heard may be attributable to the difference in drive ratios of the AWD vs. RWD. Either way, both are quick for a BIG Saloon.

OK, so I had to go look at the C/D article... the link is below. It says 0-60mph n 4.2s for the CLS550. I wonder if Merc is providing some of these guys w/ additional performance tuned in for their test reviews. Or if they are doing rolling starts.. anyone know how much time is gained on avg. from a rolling?

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/11q2/2012_mercedes-benz_cls550-short_take_road_test

LETO

This car pulls very strongly off the line. It is definitely significantly faster than Merc's claimed 5.1 Sec. It feels as fast as my old SLK55 did

If I had to guess from the past 2 months of driving it feels like a 4.5sec or even slightly faster car.

Past the 0-60, the low end torque is simply fantastic and the weight balance has significantly reduced understeer from the previous model

Dueclaws

Just a thought: if the 2012 CLS is that much quicker how will the '12 E550 respond? Isn't it lighter than the CLS by a couple of hundred pounds? Traction might be an issue though (like it is with our SLK 55).

Seanmag

Achieving mid 4s performance out of the '12 CLS550 and/or upcoming '12 E550 4Matic may be a compelling value poposition for someone looking to save roughly $30K over the '12 CLS/E 63 AMGs. While you wouldn't have the coolness factor or all out performance of the AMG, straight line performance sounds very respectable and they'd be gread DD's imho.

FloridaE55

Thanks for your input, folks - and it really seems that there is a reason to doubt MB's conservative times..

vtandon

Its definitley a 4 second car. When I first got mine and drove it, I was expecting similar acceleration or a bit better than my old CLS550. But I was blown away of how fast the car was. Felt like the previous CLS 63 that I had driven. Imagine how much faster it would be once some mods come out for it.

BrabusClK04

I believe the CLS550 engine has a lot of potential! I mean, if your looking to upgrade the ECU, headers, 200 cell cats, intake filters and exhaust, your bound to reach 80+ hps on these engines. Although the car is still new to the tuning market, wait a few more months and see what these tuners can make out of the 550. Check out the link below for ECU tuning group as they claim to add roughly 55-60hp & 80lbs tq on the 550 engines

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/m...u-upgrade.html