Ohji

Hi all,

I think I am almost ready to pull the trigger on the CLS550, but I have run into a point of stubborn indecision. I am a huge fan of two-tone interiors, and the standard leather choices for the CLS are somewhat anemic here in the US. I therefore might opt for the designo light brown interior to spice things up a bit.

The problem with the designo is that it can't be ordered with one of the wheel packages, which sadly means that there is no way to get the manual mode for the transmission. A couple of reviews have suggested that the sportiest driving in the CLS is achieved when in manual mode, and I am really reluctant to give that up. Does anyone out there have manual mode? If so, do you use it and find it significantly better than the sport/economy modes?

If I go designo, I'll probably do palladium silver exterior with light brown interior. If I decide the manual mode is too important, I would choose Diamond White with black interior (with the gray contrast stitching). I've attached a couple of sample pics of the light brown designo (in a CLS63) as well as the black sport interior. What do you guys think?

Light Brown:




Sport Black:

TonyKnicks

You can get the CLS63 AMG with the Designo Interior if you're worried about both performance and interior appearance. But if thats no option I'd stick with the manual over the brown interior. I drive a 2012 CLS550 4Matic Diamond White, Black Leather with Grey and White stitching, Black Ash Wood, and Black Leather/Black Ash Wood steering wheel with paddle shifters. I requested the AMG 19" Sport Package that include the paddle shifters. I just have to say I can't imagine driving this car without a manual mode. It has 3 different driving modes - Economy, Sport and Manual. I have yet to use Sporty mode but Economy does conserve gas more than Manual and manual is way more responsive than Economy. You can drive Economy in manual mode but if you forget to shift it'll shift for you or just bring it back to non-shifting mode, depending on the speed. I have pictures but I don't think I can upload them through an iPad. It all depends on your preference, but if you're buying a 402 HP car with 443 lb-ft of torque you'll never get to experience it fully if you went with the interior.

TonyKnicks

I have a video on YouTube, you can check it out there. Although I didn't show the inside.

Ohji

Thanks for the response, TonyKnicks -- for some reason, the link you posted doesn't work, but I was able to figure it out. Believe it or not, I watched your video yesterday on Youtube, as I am routinely checking to see if new videos are posted on the CLS (yes, I'm crazy).

Your CLS looks fantastic! Your video just makes me want the diamond white even more. As much as I love the designo interiors, I am thinking I might just stick with the black interior and keep the wheel package and manual mode.

TonyKnicks

I guess its different doing it on the iPad. I'm on a PC now and just uploaded some, I hope it works. Ordered this CLS550 in July 2011 and picked her up November 5, 2011.

Here's the link to youtube - I'm sure it works now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9PxQ8mqpM8


I'll try to post some pics of the interior soon.

BTW, the first two pics you posted is of a CLS63 AMG. But I'm sure you knew that.

Dabigkaluna

I have the Sport plus one/ 19" wheel package. The manual mode is essential if you plan to have some extra driving enjoyment. It shifts relatively quick to your inputs and will hold the gear as long as you want it to. I drove one with and without before I bought mine, and manual mode was the main reason for my desicion to go with the Wheel package. The contrast stitching also gives the interior that little differentiation than the standard. The contrast stitching is not over done and put in the right places. To me the driving experience would trump a decision over looks when choosing options, but that's just my 2 duckets. I'm just glad for my tastes, everything fell into place with this car.

nstanford99

i have a diamond white with black interior, with the wheel package, and i usually drive it in E mode, but when i get in the mood to drive fast and aggressive i go manual, it really opens up the car. i came from an 06 E55 and i think the performance is right there with the AMG, without the rip your head off torque thats in the AMG engine. i love the car and the look is gorgeous!

Ohji

Well, I walked into my dealer to put my order in for the CLS. I sent my sales associate an e-mail configuring a well-optioned CLS550 in Diamond White with black sport interior and wheel package + 1. I went in with a fellow car-nut friend of mine just to do a second test drive (last time I saw the car was in July), and the second they brought the launch edition CLS out front for the drive, he said "THAT'S the color you should get!"

We did a brief test drive, and if you put the transmission into Sport mode and then toggle the paddle, it puts it into a pseudo-manual mode. It holds the gears and won't upshift unless you redline it, and the gear changes seemed pretty quick.

Long story short, I now have a deposit down for a launch edition CLS550 4MATIC (the dealers launch edition was RWD so they are doing a trade). I absolutely hated the steel grey CLS in pictures and thought the anthracite finish wheels were too monotone with the grey exterior. In person, though, it is just an amazing color, and I like the look of the non-AMG 19-inch rims better. I also love BMW's oyster/black interiors, so the porcelain/black interior in the launch edition is perfect for me, even though it is very impractical.

So in the end, I chose based on emotion and gut feeling. After over 6 months of obsessing over every single aspect of this car, I finally made a decision, and although it was somewhat spontaneous, I'm happy with it! There will always be a part of me, though, that will wonder what it would have been like to get the Diamond White . I absolutely love that color...

nstanford99

its a great color, ill try to put pictures of mine up tomorrow in a new thread, i saw the launch edition as well and loved the color and the white interior was gorgeous, but it wasnt awd. i love the rims on the launch edition too, only thing i wish i could have on my car

Ohji

BTW, I think it is hard to capture the essence of the steel grey in pictures or videos, but here is a video that gets pretty close (on the CLS63)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rukqH84_9_E

Ohji

I would definitely like to see those pics. TonyKnicks' video as well as a couple of other YouTube videos really put the Diamond White at the top of the list for me.

I hope I don't have any regrets, haha.

htn75

I am also a fan of the Diamond White, but I also noticed there's alot of white Mercs on the road. Black is notorious. I think Steel grey looks awesome. I would've gone with that color too, but my previous bmw gt was that color.
Glad you pulled the trigger. It's only a matter of time after you see and imagine owning the CLS.

cracker123

For me on the designo would be the Mocha Black with Platinum White interior.

The only reason I wont do the CLS63 is becuase of the lack of extended warranty past 50K miles which is a deal breaker for me.

There are too many nice cars on the Market at this price range and it is hard to decide on one, M5, CLS550, 6 GC, CLS63 .

cracker123

BTW off topic to maintain the white interior you need the following products. Leatherique Pristine Clean will be great for your monthly cleaning and oil for a yearly cleaning. We have two platinum white bmws a 7 individual and an m individual. After a year the seats still look brand new.


http://www.detailedimage.com/Leather...-P64/16-oz-S1/

nstanford99

I loved that video, beautiful car, beautiful color. I put up a new thread with pictures for you to look at. Enjoy!!

bobbymatthews

Tony...those flickering tail lights...is that something new for 2012....so cool
what are they my ml63AMG doesn't have that option

Ohji

They actually don't flicker in real life -- the strobe effect is just an artifact from the video recording process. It is similar to how you can see scrolling lines going down the old CRT computer monitors when you see them on the news...

TonyKnicks

Ohji I'm glad you finally pulled the trigger and bought this machine. It's an amazing car. Congrats! Im sure you'll love the color more and more every time you go to step in the car. I was considering Black, White or a Silver - not a dark silver but more of a regular tone silver I forget the name from MB. I hate how Black paint always shows every light scratch, especially those swirl marks! So I took Black of the list. My previous car was Satin Silver and decided for a change so I went with the White. I also have a 1995 MB E420 in White and think a MB looks good in that color.

Bobbymatthews - Sorry about the flickering. But for some reason when you video record some LED lights, they flicker in most videos and I don't know why.

TonyKnicks

Here are some pics of the interior. The pics of the backseat have a slight glare from the sun, but you can notice the stitching and the wood. You can also notice the windshield, how the tint reflects nicely.

nstanford99 - Love the car, it's abvious you have great taste! lol

nstanford99

i love your car tony! i thought that the white stitching came with the wheel package?? howd you do that? any way i love your wooden steering wheel, is it heated?

good choice in color and interior

TonyKnicks

Thank you and yes the white stitching does come with the wheel package. I'm a little confused on what you mean. But I got the AMG sport package plus one which comes with the paddle shifters, 19" AMG wheels and the stitching.

The wooden steering wheel isn't heated. It was either heated steering wheel or the wood, of course I went with the wood. I'll just wear gloves if it's cold. The dealer tried telling me that I couldn't get the CLS with the wood steering wheel and paddle shifters. I told them if it's available on the Launch Edition it should be no problem, my salesman looked into it and confirmed I could.

TonyKnicks

Nstanford, just saw your pics. I'm new on this site and didn't know I had to click your garage to view. Looks nice! I see you need the 4Matic too.

nstanford99

i didnt see yours was the sport steering wheel, that is a first ive never seen that, i have the leather sport wheel, i love it, has a bigger feel compared to the wheel on my old E55. the only things i wish i had was a heated wheel and the dynamic seating, other than that i love the car. i hope to put rims on my car at some point and maybe some darker tint. i have another thread up if you want to see more pictures of my car. unfortunately yes i need 4matic, if not i wouldve kept my E55. but i think that this 4.6TT is perfect and the car is awd, plus i think the cls is a sexier car compared to the E, i find that a lot more people are taking a glance at the car.