Can anyone tell me what car has the performance edge between the cls55 and the e55. I have heard that the cls is heavier and a bit slower to 60mph but then I read that the cls is actually lighter by about 50lbs. So is the cls worth the extra 5k or is it just an e55 with a different body??

 

50 lbs is a non-issue. You can get the 030 package on the CLS and that would make it a better choice with everything else being equal. My $.02

 

ok, I have both and I have done acceleration tests (did the same break in method for both) and they are basically dead even, its pretty remarkable. the CLS driving though does have a distinctly sporty feel with a firmer suspension but not too rough. and the drama of that car and those wheels and everything about it is great, but not so much the cavernous interior. Kinda makes you feel like you are in a hole, but one filled with leather and every necessity you need. and then theres the exhaust note of the CLS, wow.

but then I do love the E, it is so much more livable in my eyes. such classic lines but such distinct performance and character. The E just seems to say enough to those who know. It is one absolutely sweet machine, nothing else like it and Im lovin every minute of it. The way people can look and think not too shocking but it really is, thats one of the things I love about it.

So really its too choices, The CLS is dramatic, it is epic. Everything about it is austentacious and so.... well, great. The E has a little more refined character, kind of a subtle look but the demon lies beneath. So then theres the question of... how can we not be dreaming in this world of endless horsepower wars and the companies saying "I can do better than that?"

One thing great about being in this day and age, the king only stands for moments in most cars, because everything is always been done up a notch and I would not trade a moment of any of this.

 

The E is an arguably perfect MBZ AMG. MBZ E-Classes are sold and utilized all over the world for a very good reason. The CLS is new. Has some real flair to it. Performance-wise? At the AMG Challenge events both cars were thrown around the track -- both cars. The 030 Performance Package is available on the CLS and I don't believe that it is available on the E. One differentiation that I would want you to make apart from the above is: what do you want for backseat room? I advise you to sit in the backseat of an E and of a CLS, because there is a difference there.

 

oh no ive already decided that my everyday is the E without a doubt. I love the backseats on my E. Im 6'4 and I fit fine back there and the seats are nice. The CLS, well its not that bad, but it is a nice bit shorter with only two seats due to the console between the two. and headroom for me is at the limit with the windows kinda a joke. but its nice and yea you know by now.

 

i just raced my friends cls 55 and we were dead even, identical, also raced the new m5, it pulled away on third by almost a car length

 

I've had both, as already mentioned the performance is even, with one exception, and that would be on the track. I've drove them back to back and the CLS not only feels sportier it is quicker on a circuit. Tires could be one of the factors, but the steering response is better.

Day to day the E has more utility. But lets face it, deny it if you must its an emotional decision, and the drop dead looks of the CLS got me out of the E.

 

i can imagine how it would be faster, does feel dynamically different.

and you are right about the looks, absolutely dramatic but for me right now, I like to fly a little bit lower on the radar, so Im stickin with the debadged E.

 

Having owned a CLS I did not care much for it. It looks cool but is simply not what I expected. I traded it in for the E55 I have now after just a few months. Your mileage may vary.

 

I test drove a used CLS55 in Dallas a month or so ago. It could have been yours. I am still happy with my E and I would not trade it for a CLS right now. However, the 030 package interests me a lot.