My brother recently bought a C55. I was shocked by how fast it was. The feel and response of the car were also great, or at least very enjoyable. The Manual gear mode and paddles made a huge difference in feel and acceleration.

I have a CL600 twin turbo, obviously much faster and more luxurious, but not as fun and maneuverable. It's also always in the wrong gear, although with 700 lbs ft torque, not a huge deal. I'm realizing a manual mode and paddle shifters (CL55 or CL65?) would probably make it much sportier.

I previously had a E55 N/A, and it was nowhere near as fast as the C55, even with the same engine. Again, it was always in the wrong gear and the manu-matic shifter hardly helped.

I have a kid on the way, so I am debating swapping the CL for a 4 door, either C, E, or S. So far I'm leaning towards a C55 for the sportiness, although an S600 would keep the same luxury and acceleration I have now. I can't find a single E55k for sale locally to test drive, so my question: does the E55k provide the balance between sportiness and luxury/acceleration to make it the perfect of the 3 sedans?

 

I'm local to you....my E isn't for sale but you are more than welcome to take a ride in it if you'd like.

 

The E is a good size for a family, the C is a bit small when you start talking car seats, strollers and everything else, especially if you go on a road trip and include luggage.

 

Get the E55... fastest 55 of all of them.

 

C55 backseat isnt ideal for young ones. Get a 05-06 E55......
It wont have the handling of the C55 but it will put a smile on your face.

 

E doesnt turn as well as the c55 but its alot fast and have room for everything.

 

I think you would feel very crammed going from a big CL to a C class. The E is great as its not too big, yet not tiny either..

 

The CL is actually tiny. I am 5'9" and can't fit in the back seat. It is practically a 2 seater.

My wife's w204 backseat is very comfortable even for a 6 footer. I need to try the backseat on the w203. I suspect a C63 would be big enough, but a E55 would be better than the C55. I take it the w204 is bigger than the w203, almost w211 size.

 

That's pretty cool of you.

 

I think E is small. I had my nephew in the back seat and he is always kicking the seat in front of him even though seat is mostly to the front. I think an S55 would be awesome but DEF. get warranty on that *****. You can get a S55 for the same price as an E55 anyways.

 

Yeah, it is!

 

I have the same mindset. The CL (215 especially) is really a glorified 2 seater, unless you have two slim girls to fit in the back.
The CL btw is one of the worst cars to have sex in, especially since the car is so damn long. Was going to make a thread about that issue but don't know how well it'd be received lol. You basically have to put a pillow or something on the rear wood center console slider and both front seats in the most upfront position to have any "room" to do anything :/
I would say since your used to all the gizmos and luxury and top of the line marque, I'd say maybe a 220 S65 (can be had for amazing prices) early 221 S63/S600, G55 (not agile but spacious, rare and fast in a building kind of way), CLS55/63.
Don't know if you're really going to like having a car you don't see everyday, to a car that's very common everywhere (although the E55 is amazing)
But if that's something you're not concerned about, it should fit your criteria very nicely.

 

The E55k is always in the wrong gear too, at least mine is when in auto (using the manual is fun but feels weird or artificial... I still use it half the time I drive though..). And then it will hold gears far longer than you want it to and you can't even upshift out of it -__-

There are many w211's on the road, and the differences aren't really extreme and you might wish your E55 stood out a bit more, but I don't. It's an amazing looking and performing car and my dream car. Although if I were you I'd stick with the twin turbo lol. My 2cents..

 

I've driven a mate's C55 before he sold it and the car isn't exactly on rails. Yes its "zippy" in a chuck-able way but I don't think it's ahead of my car. Get some good rubber on the E and lower it or even do the coilover swap if you want and it will be maneuverable enough. Sure this car is a boat compared to a 911 GT3 but it's not a bad handling car even with the boaty Airmatic. The E is just the right size IMO, the C55 is just too small and ugly from the outside and inside. The interior of the E is eons ahead of the C55 and so is the exterior. Never was a fan of the C55 and the car is outdated. IMO leave it out of your selection entirely.

 

You can reset that you know, the holding gear in auto mod. It's supposed to adjust to your driving style but of course your driving style varies from time to time but you can reset it.