Hello, everyone. Here are some impressions of the CL55 after a few weeks:
Engine: the power curve is pretty flat, but definitely more powerful in the mid-range than down low. Let me be clear – it’s still very easy to light up the tires unintentionally from a standing start and throughout all of first gear and on through most of second, but the ESP (MB’s version of DSC+T) will kick in. Can turn it off, but I almost never do. Not good enough a driver. It’s just especially powerful in the mid-range.
Tranny: the car has 3 shifting options. (1) Regular automatic – throw it in D and go. (2) Touchtronic – put it in D and tip the shift lever left to downshift and right to upshift. It’s decent, used it almost all the time on the previous CL600 Sport, but shift times are pretty slow. Have noted before how it’s actually kind of boring. (3) Steering wheel shift buttons. You can see the side of the downshift (left) button in the pic from the link above, by the steering wheel stalks. I use this all the time. It’s kind of like a wanna-be SMG, but SMG is much faster in executing shifts, no question. The MB tranny downshifts automatically to 1st when you come to a stop or near-stop, in case you forget to click away. Otherwise, the car stays in the gear you have selected. Like the shift buttons a lot – they work seamlessly and give a nice sports car feel.
Handling: for a 4,200 pound car, it’s pretty darn good, about 90% that the M5 is around the corners in terms of effort / capability at 8/10th’s. It’s no slot car, however – you do feel the weight.
Braking: the brakes bite early, hard, and smoothly. They inspire confidence. Squeaked like crazy the first 30 miles and now they’re fine.
Exhaust: deep hum at idle and light cruising. When you get on the gas, it sounds like a muscle car. It’s easy to end up hunting for tunnels.
COMAND: much better than previous years. It is still CD-ROM based, I believe, but a lot more intuitive to use, plus previous annoyances are gone. For example, now there is a “delete” button just below the screen, whereas before you had to scroll around for the delete option and then click it, and then had to scroll some more to get it off the delete function and back to where you wanted it, such as to click “send.” There are some other tweaks, too.
Switchgear and interior: the buttons for windows and some of the other functions, such as by the center console / COMAND, are better quality in appearance and feel. Otherwise, it’s pretty much a carryover in terms of quality, look, and feel. The stainless steel door plates are a nice touch for ’03 on all S and CL models. You can see the AMG door plate and floor mats in one of the pics in the link above.
Seats: the side bolstering hugs me. You truly sit in the seat, not on it. Don’t know how somebody bigger than, say, 6 feet or 180 pounds could fit in the seats comfortably even when adjusting the side bolsters. And all the adjustable air bladders, heaters, and cooling fans are nice, too. There’s an AMG crest / button in the middle of the seatback. Nice touch.
Exterior design: it’s more or less a carryover. The 55 this year gets quad tips, whereas all CL’s before had the dual tips, and now the 500 and 600 keep them. The taillights get 4 white bars instead of 2, I believe. And the headlight cluster is a bit different. Mine has the Bi-Xenon option. Not sure what the non-Bi’s look like. In the previous CL, would occasionally get an approving nod from bystanders and other drivers but that was rare, which was good. Already with the 55, gotten a bunch of thumbs-ups and verbal compliments. Now, whether people know it’s the ’03 or just like the quad tips or the AMG badging, am not sure. But response has been more frequent and more noticeable. Not a lot, but definitely more than before.
Keyless Go: such a convenience. Basically, instead of a key (which you can still use and get with the car, anyway), you get a thick credit card that acts as a radio signal. You can leave the card in your pocket; never need to take it out. When you approach the car, the car “hears” your signal, knows you’re near, and you just have to touch the door handle and the door unlocks. To start the car, with credit card still in pocket, put your foot on the brake and just tap the button on the top of the shift lever. The car then fires up. You can barely see this button that is flush with the top of the shift lever, if you go to the link above, same pic as with the steering wheel shift button. When done driving, put the car in “P” and tap the top of the shift lever. The engine turns off. Also, radio and phone stay on until you exit the car. When exiting the car, to lock it there’s a tiny black rubber button, almost flush with the door handle. Just press it and the car locks and the side mirrors retract (they stay extended when using the key to lock the car). And you cannot lock the car from the outside if the credit card is left inside the car. The car knows that the card is still in the car and prevents you from locking out yourself. Keyless Go is a very cool and convenient option.
Compared to the SL55: they are quite similar. Another guy who took the CL55 for a ride said that he thought the CL was firmer than his SL55. But the cars really feel the same to me, all around. I prefer the CL as a daily driver because of the bigger trunk and for the 2 times per month I carry a third passenger or just need the extra back seat space for storage.
Compared to the twin-turbo 600’s: have been in an ’03 CL600, did not drive it, but have driven the ’03 S600 Sport. The 600 and 55 have about 500 horse, but the 600’s peak at 5000 rpm and 55’s peak at 6100 rpm. Also, the 600’s have 590 lb/ft from 1800 rpm straight through to 3500 rpm, instead of the 55’s 516 lb/ft from 2750 to 4000 rpm. The 600 is actually 5.5 liters and the 55 is 5.4 liters. The twin turbo 600 is a rocket but is very quiet, like a Lexus. In CL form, the 600 does not offer the 55’s sport seats, steering wheel shift buttons, exhaust, or firmness, so it was an easy decision to go with the 55. Easy choice when ordering and am even more thrilled now, post-purchase. The pre-03 CL55 was sporty but nothing like the ’03. Always considered the pre-03 CL55 to be what the CL600 Sport should have been, and wished the 55 was even sportier, which they’ve now done. Both ’03 CL55 and 600 are equally fast getting to reasonable public speeds, but you feel it more in the 55, whereas in the 600, you could be going 90 mph without even realizing it; it’s so smooth, quiet, and effortless.
Thanks for all the kind words. Hope to catch up in person soon enough with some of the Boston crew and any other visitors to our area.
Good to see that you're enjoying the CL55. Thank you for your comprehensive review! I enjoyed reading every bit of it.
One thing though is the Keyless-go. I was under the impression that it was no longer of the credit-card type but rather the key itself that serves as the transceiver. For instance, when I had the opportunity to test drive the new E500 the key itself can either be used to start the car or you could just leave it in your pocket and push the "on/off" button on top of the shifter. I wonder if this applies only for the E class. What I loved about it was that you could leave the "key" in your pocket and walk up to the car and just pull the door handle and it'd unlock and then open up. Just have to push the little square button in front of the door handle and it'd lock for you. Very convenient to have!
Do you also have the distronic cruise control option as well?
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. Adam sure does have great taste in automobiles. Hopefully we will see this beast at the next meet.
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I am looking forward to his review here
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