MB AMG CLS55 vs BMW M5 - Australian Motor Magazine Comparison Test
10-29-2005, 12:21 PM
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'10 Panamera S, '06 AMG CLS55, '07 Miata MX5, '02 MB SPRINTER, '99 Spec Miata Race Car (2X)
MB AMG CLS55 vs BMW M5 - Australian Motor Magazine Comparison Test
MB AMG CLS55 vs BMW M5 - Australian Motor Magazine Comparison Test
The links below are for the page scans of the Australian Motor Magazine comparison test of the MB AMG CLS 55 vs BMW M5 vs HSV SV6000 (domestic Australian muscle car)
page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5
Everyone will no doubt read this test with a different bias.
Us die hard AMG fans will declare victory – In summary the magazine proclaims the AMG CLS 55 the “Real Winner”
The M5 fans will declare victory due to the 5/100ths of a second ¼ mile victory and 3kph trap speed improvement (just under 2mph), and the fact that the magazine declares that …”on a track the M5 will certainly romp away from the others”…….but it does go on to say that ……”but here in the real world the BMW is kept honest.”
I know where I stand. I am personally thrilled that the M5 has arrived and has brought another level of performance to the street, and it will push the other manufacturers to keep pace. But I dont believe the M5 is for me – I want a fun car that is a pleasure to drive every day. And I love the instant delivery of that beastly torque. Here in Florida with nothing but traffic lights and short straights, with my E55 I can play with just about anything on the road with total confidence, and after reading this test, I cannot wait to go head to head with the new M5 from the lights. I can do it all day every day – I don’t have to nurse it, or worry about how many launches I have done. Nor do I want to go …..”Damn I really want to race that sucker but its only been ten minutes since my last hard launch!” Now if I lived in the mountains and had some canyon carving to do, maybe it would be a different story .
The fact that the BMW had to trailered away from the road test tells me plenty.
And that launch control is going to be an headache, just wait and see. For me the launch control issues are unacceptable (note the variability of the launch with launch control - they had to wait for the clutch to cool between launches and their 0-100kph times varied from 4.5 secs to 5.5 secs)
But we all have different preferences, and yes, this is only one magazine test and there will be many more comparison test for sure. But for now everyone will draw their own conclusions – and I am really keen to read them all – let the wars and flames begin
Siswati
The links below are for the page scans of the Australian Motor Magazine comparison test of the MB AMG CLS 55 vs BMW M5 vs HSV SV6000 (domestic Australian muscle car)
page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5
Everyone will no doubt read this test with a different bias.
Us die hard AMG fans will declare victory – In summary the magazine proclaims the AMG CLS 55 the “Real Winner”
The M5 fans will declare victory due to the 5/100ths of a second ¼ mile victory and 3kph trap speed improvement (just under 2mph), and the fact that the magazine declares that …”on a track the M5 will certainly romp away from the others”…….but it does go on to say that ……”but here in the real world the BMW is kept honest.”
I know where I stand. I am personally thrilled that the M5 has arrived and has brought another level of performance to the street, and it will push the other manufacturers to keep pace. But I dont believe the M5 is for me – I want a fun car that is a pleasure to drive every day. And I love the instant delivery of that beastly torque. Here in Florida with nothing but traffic lights and short straights, with my E55 I can play with just about anything on the road with total confidence, and after reading this test, I cannot wait to go head to head with the new M5 from the lights. I can do it all day every day – I don’t have to nurse it, or worry about how many launches I have done. Nor do I want to go …..”Damn I really want to race that sucker but its only been ten minutes since my last hard launch!” Now if I lived in the mountains and had some canyon carving to do, maybe it would be a different story .
The fact that the BMW had to trailered away from the road test tells me plenty.
And that launch control is going to be an headache, just wait and see. For me the launch control issues are unacceptable (note the variability of the launch with launch control - they had to wait for the clutch to cool between launches and their 0-100kph times varied from 4.5 secs to 5.5 secs)
But we all have different preferences, and yes, this is only one magazine test and there will be many more comparison test for sure. But for now everyone will draw their own conclusions – and I am really keen to read them all – let the wars and flames begin
Siswati
10-29-2005, 12:45 PM
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Originally Posted by siswati
...I cannot wait to go head to head with the new M5 from the lights. I can do it all day every day – I don’t have to nurse it, or worry about how many launches I have done. Nor do I want to go …..”Damn I really want to race that sucker but its only been ten minutes since my last hard launch!” Now if I lived in the mountains and had some canyon carving to do, maybe it would be a different story .
The fact that the BMW had to trailered away from the road test tells me plenty.
And that launch control is going to be an headache, just wait and see. For me the launch control issues are unacceptable (note the variability of the launch with launch control - they had to wait for the clutch to cool between launches and their 0-100kph times varied from 4.5 secs to 5.5 secs)
The fact that the BMW had to trailered away from the road test tells me plenty.
And that launch control is going to be an headache, just wait and see. For me the launch control issues are unacceptable (note the variability of the launch with launch control - they had to wait for the clutch to cool between launches and their 0-100kph times varied from 4.5 secs to 5.5 secs)
The big M5 deal-breakers for me were looks and complexity. I've owned many BMWs and am appalled by the current styling trend as well as the addition of an insane amount of complex electronics. I agree with your assessment of launch control, etc. -- I like a car I can jump into and drive without a lot of thought. Sure; I realize you can program all the myriad choices available on the M5 into the "Sport" button (or whatever they're calling it), but BMW has simply gone too far down this road for their cars to interest me any longer.
That being said, the M5 vs. E55 debate is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. Everybody knows you have to choose the right tool for the job; I don't think one is inherently better than the other given the distinctly different focus that each company has. It's back to the old Mac vs. PC argument; people that can't see the validity of each need to get a life! Besides which, it's a yin-yang thing; the existence of one forces the other to improve their game...
FINALLY -- for those of you who haven't checked out siswati's home page -- HE RULES! Check out that van; it really is a magnificent piece and you did an amazing job.
Last edited by brt3; 10-29-2005 at 12:48 PM.
10-29-2005, 01:39 PM
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Originally Posted by brt3
Well stated! I had an M5 on order, but decided to stick with my E55T. It's not a true sports car, but I've reconciled myself to living with something that does more in one performance vehicle than any other high-performance car I've owned.
The big M5 deal-breakers for me were looks and complexity. I've owned many BMWs and am appalled by the current styling trend as well as the addition of an insane amount of complex electronics. I agree with your assessment of launch control, etc. -- I like a car I can jump into and drive without a lot of thought. Sure; I realize you can program all the myriad choices available on the M5 into the "Sport" button (or whatever they're calling it), but BMW has simply gone too far down this road for their cars to interest me any longer.
That being said, the M5 vs. E55 debate is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. Everybody knows you have to choose the right tool for the job; I don't think one is inherently better than the other given the distinctly different focus that each company has. It's back to the old Mac vs. PC argument; people that can't see the validity of each need to get a life! Besides which, it's a yin-yang thing; the existence of one forces the other to improve their game...
FINALLY -- for those of you who haven't checked out siswati's home page -- HE RULES! Check out that van; it really is a magnificent piece and you did an amazing job.
The big M5 deal-breakers for me were looks and complexity. I've owned many BMWs and am appalled by the current styling trend as well as the addition of an insane amount of complex electronics. I agree with your assessment of launch control, etc. -- I like a car I can jump into and drive without a lot of thought. Sure; I realize you can program all the myriad choices available on the M5 into the "Sport" button (or whatever they're calling it), but BMW has simply gone too far down this road for their cars to interest me any longer.
That being said, the M5 vs. E55 debate is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. Everybody knows you have to choose the right tool for the job; I don't think one is inherently better than the other given the distinctly different focus that each company has. It's back to the old Mac vs. PC argument; people that can't see the validity of each need to get a life! Besides which, it's a yin-yang thing; the existence of one forces the other to improve their game...
FINALLY -- for those of you who haven't checked out siswati's home page -- HE RULES! Check out that van; it really is a magnificent piece and you did an amazing job.
10-29-2005, 05:02 PM
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E63 biturbo
Near the end of the article its mentioned that a Gallardo would have destroyed the M5 and that there is a comparison on the next page. How did that turn out?? 
10-29-2005, 05:47 PM
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Can someone explain why the almighty M5 is running 14's in 400HP mode? What did the last M5 do with that much power? I know it was a helluva a lot better than a 14.2! And 0-100 KPH in 6.15 seconds?? Where is all this power going?? It makes no sense that the older one should kill the newer one with the same power and less sophisticated equipment, particularly without SMG III.
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10-29-2005, 05:56 PM
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Originally Posted by VelocitE55
Can someone explain why the almighty M5 is running 14's in 400HP mode? What did the last M5 do with that much power? I know it was a helluva a lot better than a 14.2! And 0-100 KPH in 6.15 seconds?? Where is all this power going?? It makes no sense that the older one should kill the newer one with the same power and less sophisticated equipment, particularly without SMG III.
But i hate that thing with the launch control... If i would buy the car i wanna hummer it from every trafic light... Thats why i loved my E55 i could just press the pedal and Go AND as many times as i want. I really dont like the fregialability of m5.... thats totally sucks...
Anyway i think we all should wait and see what Derek will comment on the car....
10-29-2005, 06:27 PM
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[QUOTE=BoBcanada]Well i think that BMW wanted p400 mode to be the comfortable one for the town?QUOTE]
I agree P400 mode is supposed to be the normal/less stress on the car mode but nonetheless, 400hp should be doing significantly more for the car than it actually is.
I agree P400 mode is supposed to be the normal/less stress on the car mode but nonetheless, 400hp should be doing significantly more for the car than it actually is.
10-29-2005, 07:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Jspeed
Near the end of the article its mentioned that a Gallardo would have destroyed the M5 and that there is a comparison on the next page. How did that turn out??
Around a 2.9km circiut the Gallardo is a full 6 seconds faster.
Heres a few quotes -
"M5's in front, but only in a straight line. And from a rolling start. In the dry."
"Gallardo has the traction to put the V10 to use"
"....the Gallardo was born great, the M5 has had greatness thrust upon it."
" its easy to see how the Gallardo can toy with the M5..........in a car thats 300kg less than the M5"
Cheers
OzE55 :p :p
10-29-2005, 07:34 PM
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08 E63
Originally Posted by siswati
MB AMG CLS55 vs BMW M5 - Australian Motor Magazine Comparison Test
The links below are for the page scans of the Australian Motor Magazine comparison test of the MB AMG CLS 55 vs BMW M5 vs HSV SV6000 (domestic Australian muscle car)
page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5
Everyone will no doubt read this test with a different bias.
Us die hard AMG fans will declare victory – In summary the magazine proclaims the AMG CLS 55 the “Real Winner”
The M5 fans will declare victory due to the 5/100ths of a second ¼ mile victory and 3kph trap speed improvement (just under 2mph), and the fact that the magazine declares that …”on a track the M5 will certainly romp away from the others”…….but it does go on to say that ……”but here in the real world the BMW is kept honest.”
I know where I stand. I am personally thrilled that the M5 has arrived and has brought another level of performance to the street, and it will push the other manufacturers to keep pace. But I dont believe the M5 is for me – I want a fun car that is a pleasure to drive every day. And I love the instant delivery of that beastly torque. Here in Florida with nothing but traffic lights and short straights, with my E55 I can play with just about anything on the road with total confidence, and after reading this test, I cannot wait to go head to head with the new M5 from the lights. I can do it all day every day – I don’t have to nurse it, or worry about how many launches I have done. Nor do I want to go …..”Damn I really want to race that sucker but its only been ten minutes since my last hard launch!” Now if I lived in the mountains and had some canyon carving to do, maybe it would be a different story .
The fact that the BMW had to trailered away from the road test tells me plenty.
And that launch control is going to be an headache, just wait and see. For me the launch control issues are unacceptable (note the variability of the launch with launch control - they had to wait for the clutch to cool between launches and their 0-100kph times varied from 4.5 secs to 5.5 secs)
But we all have different preferences, and yes, this is only one magazine test and there will be many more comparison test for sure. But for now everyone will draw their own conclusions – and I am really keen to read them all – let the wars and flames begin
Siswati
The links below are for the page scans of the Australian Motor Magazine comparison test of the MB AMG CLS 55 vs BMW M5 vs HSV SV6000 (domestic Australian muscle car)
page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5
Everyone will no doubt read this test with a different bias.
Us die hard AMG fans will declare victory – In summary the magazine proclaims the AMG CLS 55 the “Real Winner”
The M5 fans will declare victory due to the 5/100ths of a second ¼ mile victory and 3kph trap speed improvement (just under 2mph), and the fact that the magazine declares that …”on a track the M5 will certainly romp away from the others”…….but it does go on to say that ……”but here in the real world the BMW is kept honest.”
I know where I stand. I am personally thrilled that the M5 has arrived and has brought another level of performance to the street, and it will push the other manufacturers to keep pace. But I dont believe the M5 is for me – I want a fun car that is a pleasure to drive every day. And I love the instant delivery of that beastly torque. Here in Florida with nothing but traffic lights and short straights, with my E55 I can play with just about anything on the road with total confidence, and after reading this test, I cannot wait to go head to head with the new M5 from the lights. I can do it all day every day – I don’t have to nurse it, or worry about how many launches I have done. Nor do I want to go …..”Damn I really want to race that sucker but its only been ten minutes since my last hard launch!” Now if I lived in the mountains and had some canyon carving to do, maybe it would be a different story .
The fact that the BMW had to trailered away from the road test tells me plenty.
And that launch control is going to be an headache, just wait and see. For me the launch control issues are unacceptable (note the variability of the launch with launch control - they had to wait for the clutch to cool between launches and their 0-100kph times varied from 4.5 secs to 5.5 secs)
But we all have different preferences, and yes, this is only one magazine test and there will be many more comparison test for sure. But for now everyone will draw their own conclusions – and I am really keen to read them all – let the wars and flames begin
Siswati
10-29-2005, 08:07 PM
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Originally Posted by OzE55
The Gallardo spanked the M5.
Around a 2.9km circiut the Gallardo is a full 6 seconds faster.
Heres a few quotes -
"M5's in front, but only in a straight line. And from a rolling start. In the dry."
"Gallardo has the traction to put the V10 to use"
"....the Gallardo was born great, the M5 has had greatness thrust upon it."
" its easy to see how the Gallardo can toy with the M5..........in a car thats 300kg less than the M5"
Cheers
OzE55 :p :p
Around a 2.9km circiut the Gallardo is a full 6 seconds faster.
Heres a few quotes -
"M5's in front, but only in a straight line. And from a rolling start. In the dry."
"Gallardo has the traction to put the V10 to use"
"....the Gallardo was born great, the M5 has had greatness thrust upon it."
" its easy to see how the Gallardo can toy with the M5..........in a car thats 300kg less than the M5"
Cheers
OzE55 :p :p
10-29-2005, 08:09 PM
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Originally Posted by jtc55
the article isn't working for me for some reason. anyone else having problem retrieving the article?
It will resize to fit on the screen.
Left click on the picture (index finger) - at the bottom right will be an icon to resize back to full image size.
Click the icon and scroll around the picture to read it.
Enjoy.
10-29-2005, 08:12 PM
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Originally Posted by reggid
i believe that test was actually done by a euro mag and copied by Motor magazine becasue i have seen it before
Its likely to be syndicated.
I don't think the author is one of the usual staff guys.
The test was done in the UK, if that helps.
10-29-2005, 09:23 PM
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Originally Posted by OzE55
Click on the link for each page - one at a time.
It will resize to fit on the screen.
Left click on the picture (index finger) - at the bottom right will be an icon to resize back to full image size.
Click the icon and scroll around the picture to read it.
Enjoy.
It will resize to fit on the screen.
Left click on the picture (index finger) - at the bottom right will be an icon to resize back to full image size.
Click the icon and scroll around the picture to read it.
Enjoy.
10-29-2005, 10:34 PM
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'10 Panamera S, '06 AMG CLS55, '07 Miata MX5, '02 MB SPRINTER, '99 Spec Miata Race Car (2X)
when i click 1st page, i get a FORBIDDEN message w/o any picture. same for the remaining pages. maybe i'm being punished by the BMW Gods b/c i turned down the M5 when my turn was up on the waiting list. HAHAHA
If there are others getting this message, let me know
Siswati (and thanks to OZE55 for the scans)
10-30-2005, 03:21 AM
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2012 C63 Coupe Iridium Silver
Originally Posted by siswati
10-30-2005, 03:30 AM
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2000 W210 E55->2003 R230 SL500->2004 W211 E55->2007 997TT+2007 E63->2010 GLK350->2012 E550 4matic
In the next couple of months, we can only hope some users will ignore the LONG run-in period and have fun with us. But then even after the break-in, he/she must be generous enough to use up one of the 25 launch control allowance!
PS Just read the article, ouch another gear box failure leading to a flatbed.
PS Just read the article, ouch another gear box failure leading to a flatbed.
Last edited by W210; 10-30-2005 at 03:46 AM.
10-30-2005, 04:22 AM
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looks like we're might start hearing some...
"I Sooo would have smoked your E55 **** but I used my launch just before and I have to wait for it to cool down"
"I Sooo would have smoked your E55 **** but I used my launch just before and I have to wait for it to cool down"
10-30-2005, 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted by tommaey
How'd you get your hands on this mag. Does the U.S import them over?
I scanned them and emailed them to him.
OzE55
10-31-2005, 09:19 AM
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I have read that article too, interesting read.
the journalist gave me the impression that the M5 is the car for the track while the CLS55 is the best for everyday use.
I think the CLS fared very well against the M5 considering it weights at least 200kg more and has 30hp less. Not many hit the track everyday and as a daily driver, the CLS55 wins hands down :p
It would be interesting to see how the LC on the M5 fare after a few consecutive brutal launches
the journalist gave me the impression that the M5 is the car for the track while the CLS55 is the best for everyday use.
I think the CLS fared very well against the M5 considering it weights at least 200kg more and has 30hp less. Not many hit the track everyday and as a daily driver, the CLS55 wins hands down :p
It would be interesting to see how the LC on the M5 fare after a few consecutive brutal launches
11-01-2005, 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by siswati
if youre viewing the pages from work, your IT guy might have a filter preventing you from viewing sites that have "adult" content. The pics are hosted on my photography site. I am a photographer and there are some nude pics on my site (hardly adult) and that might be the issue.
If there are others getting this message, let me know
Siswati (and thanks to OZE55 for the scans)
If there are others getting this message, let me know
Siswati (and thanks to OZE55 for the scans)
