lexnoir

Ugh! Damn. They're almost identical, but being the car junkie that I am...the first one is the "S".

RonCL55

You are right! Go to the head of the class. Makes that extra $80K you paid worth it, doesnt it!

amgboy916

I appreciate the honesty from everyone and I DEFINITELY agree. the car looks like a CLA and a C class coupe its shameful. all the cars are beautiful even the C class coupe but come on nobody wants to pay $80k+ more for something people still think is a C class!. With that being said, I love the S coupe, everything about it as of now. I am shopping for a used one 2015-2017 so I am stuck with this CLA look but if I do get one I will definitely do a 2018 facelift.. As of right now the kit is $12k but give it some time there will be cheaper options on the market and thatll make me more than satisfied with the look. as far as the handling, well I dont know what to expect, I cant imagine it being horrible but I definitely expect more from a top of the line mercedes. Hopefully they address this in the future. As of now, I am still in love with the S coupe, simply because even with the drawbacks I still think its a better choice than other cars. Call me crazy but I like it better than a Bentley GT and its a fraction of the price. My only other choice I considered is an audi RS7 which is a winner in performance but thats about it. whole car inside and out isnt much different from a base model A7 which is also unappealing.

RonCL55

That is a very interesting observation. A year ago I went on a search for a replacement for my CL. I drove everything on the market. The Bentley GT was high on my list as was the Aston Martin Vanquish. This search also included Mercedes, BMWs, Maseratis, and Audis. I was inclined not to go with the S Coupe because I had a CL for 10 years and I thought a change up was in order. At the end of the day the finalists were the Aston Martin and the MB. I really wanted to make the Aston work because it was drop dead gorgeous and was different than what I had before. Unfortunately I had to be honest with myself and the S Coupe won notwithstanding the Aston’s looks.

Now this is not high praise because overall, the S Coupe is a shadow of its former self (as discussed, its styling is no longer unique and it doesn't handle well). Here is a Car and Driver article from 2005 which compared the high end cars of the day and, as you will see, the CL really kicked butt especially in terms of handling (in my opinion the Ferrari only won because of name recognition as they could not say a MB product beat the Ferrari):

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...mparison-tests

The point is that back then the CL was a world class unique GT car. Unfortunately fast forward to today and the S Coupe is certainly not that. BUT, also unfortunately, I don't know of a better option based on my search last year. So I agree, the S Coupe really wins by default.

For me to at least address the handling issue I have been toying with the idea of going to a S65, but then you have a car that looks like a C Coupe but has a 200K higher MSRP. At some point this is really insane.

amgboy916

yeah bro it’s the truth and you are also in a higher price range than me. I’m shopping for a 15-17 used one so in that price range it’s even more bang for your buck. Hard to think of any other competitors

RonCL55

That’s a very good strategy. One year ago I bought my 2016 S Coupe used and got it for $60K off MSRP. I was also looking at two-year-old versions of all the other cars I mentioned. If you buy a couple of years old, all of the price points tend to flatten out and there’s not much difference. For example the Vanquish was the most expensive car that I looked at and while it had an original MSRP of about $330K, I could’ve got it for $140K.

lexnoir

AMG:

Agreed. Even with the negligible cons on the car, it's still a freakin' beast. The effortless power, the way you feel when you get behind the wheel, the exhaust note. Definitely reminds me of my 2008 CL albeit with upgraded (and more) technology. But as Ron stated, doesn't handle as well as my CL, my Panamera, or my Jag XJL for that matter. Which is really odd! Especially an XJL that felt like it could out handle a Benz. But we can't have it all right! First world problems lol.

By the way mine is a 15 with 13k miles. I picked it up for $73K. White, performance package, sport package, driver assistance features, warmth/comfort package, designo saddle brown seats, wood/leather steering wheel. I never buy them new, always used with low miles. $73K was an OK deal. Not great. But for the mileage I couldn't complain. I also got exactly what I was looking for, color and options. Less those hideous AMG 5 star wheels that disgust me every time I look at them. Looks like something from 1990. I had to drive 70 miles to get it...not many in the DC metro area and the ones that are tend to me the wrong color lack the options I wanted.

You'll love the car period. It's impossible not to love. We all can't drive a Ferrari or a Vanquish (RON!!).

RonCL55

Actually lexnoir, everyone that can afford a S Coupe can also drive a Ferrari or Vanquish if you follow what you, amgboy and I do—which is buy it with a couple of years on it. I bought my Ferrari 5 years ago with 12K miles on it for $110K and it had a MSRP of over $300K.

Fern one

Probably the finest car on the road,it seems rediculous unable to locate parts after a rear end collision.
car laid up two weeks with no sign of parts

lexnoir

That sucks and I feel your pain. But I will say we have exclusive cars. I haven't seen a single S550 Coupe in the DC metro area. Not one. So when you have a car that doesn't sell as well (likely due to price tag and demographics) regardless of how bad *** it is... parts delays are inevitable.

I remember when I had a Volkswagen Phaeton. Most people don't even know what it is. It was sold in the US from 2004 to 2006 (don't quote me on that). I saw maaaaaybe 2 in my lifetime. It was $70K for the V8 and $120K for the V12. It basically looked like an Audi A8L. But who the hell is paying that for a VW? Not me (used for $45K).

All I remember is my local VW dealership couldn't even work on it and I swear getting inside that car was like playing an arcade game. What lights and bells are going to ring today. I swear I crossed my fingers every time I started it praying no issues. I had to drive 25 miles to a dealer in Bethesda (rich area) and they had some idea of how to work on it. But every single time they had to order parts from Germany. And trust me when I say that car lived in the shop. They didn't stock parts for that car because it was so rare. VW and Audi are the same company and let me tell you both were complete garbage. I had an Audi Q7... always in the shop.

My point is... you gotta pay to play! Next time it's in the shop demand something nice for a loaner or tell them you will take to a shop that will accommodate you. Your mileage may vary but you're not putting me in C class when I bring you an S or in my past a CL. They usually will accommodate you.

Another option is check your insurance, I had an option to bump my rental car coverage to $50/day. Standard rental is about $30 with their negotiated rates. $50/day tends to get me a Tahoe, Suburban, or a Cadillac. None are the S but it beats driving a Kia for $30/day. And honestly I'm impressed with the Tahoe. Quite nice actually.

And when someone hits my car I demand their insurance company match my coverage ($50/day) and also put me I something nice.

One more thing... never forget DV (diminished value). If someone hits your car, their insurance will repair it yes. But your car went down in value because it was hit, painted and may go on Carfax. Many states recognize DV and if you pay a third party DV company you can get thousands back in your pocket to spend as you wish. I had someone hit my Jag XJL (****ing Uber) right in front of two cops. They repaired my car I hit them for DV and got a personal check for $4500. Just hit a pot hole in my state with a Panamera... still in the claims process but I'm looking at $8K after they repaired my vehicle which was $10K due to suspension damage.

I'm not saying abuse any systems I'm saying if your car is hit the value plummets and you do have recourse. There are companies that specialize in this because often adjusters will pretend to have never heard of it. There are very specific things they need to approve a DV claim. So most of the companies do appraisals.

I digress but you mentioned an accident so while you wait on parts you can ponder a few things. One thing to keep in mind, you can't file a DV claim against your own insurance company. It has to be against the party that hit your car and their insurance company has to claim responsibility. In other words they're paying to repair the damage to your car. In which case you then go after them separately for a DV claim.

... this has been a public service announcement 📢

Fern one

Thank you for your input your information was very helpful ,just think the
company , not the dealer, Could expedite part orders more Efficiently As
for the dealers could not ask for anything More. They have been nothing
more than professional
Thanks again for your comments

Wolfman

Agree on extensive test drives. All these cars have dramatically different characters. Getting a car fr the weekend would be best.
That said, the CLS has springs only. No ABC. And while the handling is fine, ride comfort is another question. The question also isn't just the model but also the year. The face lifted S63 coupe will have an updated Airmatic system, variable AWD and a 9 speed MCT. Much better car and barely comparable to the 15-17 S63 coupe. The CLS will have the fixed AWD and 7 speed MCT; same as the prior S63 coupe. The only difference is Airmatic vs springs. The S65 coupe has MBC (ABC plus camera/software for road surface scanning and damper adaption).
While ABC is superior to Airmatic without a doubt, AMG Airmatic is not as comfy as in a regular S-Coupe.

For example, our E63s Airmatic is stiffer with less body roll that any ABC equipped car.

jbattan

Agreed. The High End 3D Burmester is much better, but at $6,400 it better be!

KT88

Hrmm, this is my first Benz so I think more time in the car is only fair, but after a few months, and what I pretty much disliked from the start, still bought the car though:

1) sunroof does not tilt up. I love an open sunroof and while this huge sunroof is fantastic and never expect it to open on this car, a tilt would be super nice. I am known to crack the windows down to below freezing. Just love fresh, crisp air.
2) steering wheel and seat heat settings not retained in memory. it's a pain to turn them on every single time I get in the car all winter.
3) creaks, buzzes and rattles. I'm surprised that this car not screwed together better than it is. I just test drove a two year old Macan turbo with 47k miles and not one creak or buzz despite my best efforts. Just weird. My buddies S550 sedan same deal.
4) piano black inlay steering wheel. same as wood ... it's plastic and plastic is either slippery or sticky depending plus it makes the heating uneven with the plastic never really getting up to speed with the leather. give me full-leather w/ air-leather combo .. till then, I wear gloves
5) and like most, the new cars from MB look too much like the S-Class cars. Takes a trained eye to know the difference so we all blend together.

lexnoir

How could I forget the non-tilting at a minimum sunroof. I second that! I have a friend with the new Jetta it has a large roof like ours, and it tilts!

As far as squeaks and rattles, I have zero, you might want to look into that.

By the way KT I'm not far from you. I haven't seen a single coupe on the road.

KT88

I have only seen one other at MB Annapolis service. I think Selenite Gray. You, perhaps?

RonCL55

You should come out to my neck of the woods. The C/E/S coupes (who can really tell the difference) are everywhere. I envy you guys.

KT88

NOVA?

RonCL55

No, Southern California.

KT88

Ah, ok. Wrong coast

teksurv

Yeah it's interesting. Here in San Diego I'll sooner see a RR Wraith than a S coupe. One or two E coupes and a few C coupes in a given week. Guess that just speaks to the market.

lexnoir

KT: No mine is white and I'm in the Howard County area and I work in NOVA rarely in the Annapolis area.

As far as coupes. I see E, CLA, all day. I mean I never see an S Coupe. S550 sedans all day.

badbenzz

I have had my S cab since December 2018 and have yet to see another one here in Las Vegas

Heisenberg

Correct.

My 2006 CLS had airmatic rear and front, the front struts seemed to be very problematic. Front was changed to springs at some point, my 2014 CLS63S had airmatic rear with springs in the front. ABS never trickled down into the E/CLS.

With the S Coupe C217 and sedan W222 in AMG form, you have to choice between 4MATIC and ABS, having both is verboten which is a shame. Hydraulic independent suspensions are just awesome. But AWD really helps put the torque to the ground, which is why the S63 has a lower 0-60mph time than the S65. The S65 has lower drivetrain loss being RWD, so it will eventually catch and overtake the S63 but not at any street speed. And weighing in at 2-1/2 tons these are not cars to go ***** out on racetrack.

as.thompson

RonCL55, Interesting story that exactly mirrors mine. I had a 2006 CL500 and decided it was time to look for a replacement. I looked at many different choices and narrowed it down to Aston Martin Vantage or S550 Coupe. The deciding factor was the closest AM dealer is about 80 miles away and modern high-end cars do, on occasion need specialized service. So I went with the S550 C4 and really enjoy it.