Martin280s
New Member
This Saturday was the open day at our "not-so-local' stealership.
There were only two models which stirred my curiosity, the E350 AMG and a standard CLS350. I had already driven the CLS500 and loved it but way too pricey (Then R$473,000
).
Anyway, 1st to go was the E350 AMG, well-appointed except for the ecologically correct Formica trim instead of wood and MB-Tex upholstery, although the salesman denied it saying it was real leather. I have nothing against MB-Tex, just at the price of a new MB I would have imagined real wood and leather...even Toyota have real leather!
Well, starting off in the E, smooth and quiet with an extremely light electronic throttle. Due to the lowered sports suspension system the car bottomed out at the slightest provocation, which really surprised me, and the brakes were stop-go around town but progressive at speed. It also has the Triptronic gearbox, I didn't get to use the paddles on the wheel, I'd used them in an ML350 and loved them!
Then the CLS, despite the aggressive appearance, was much more gentlemanly than the E and much less well-appointed to the point of being quite poor inside. IMO, the original CLS's exuded chic and luxury for those who wanted something different. Now the CLS has been on the market for a couple of years I think it has lost that mystique and MB have transformed it into just another model.
For pure driving, the CLS was more user-friendly to the point of being sedate, the AMG E showed the driver it meant business and should be driven so. The CLS is certainly not a car for four although the E is. The E's boot is quite small however, the CLS boot is vast, you could almost park a SLK in there!
IF I won the lottery which would I buy???? Hummm...I'd say either a CLS 500 or 6.3 AMG just because I could or the 'regular' E350AMG to use as I use my W124.
If you can try them out for yourself....and enjoy, afterall it's for free!!!
There were only two models which stirred my curiosity, the E350 AMG and a standard CLS350. I had already driven the CLS500 and loved it but way too pricey (Then R$473,000
).Anyway, 1st to go was the E350 AMG, well-appointed except for the ecologically correct Formica trim instead of wood and MB-Tex upholstery, although the salesman denied it saying it was real leather. I have nothing against MB-Tex, just at the price of a new MB I would have imagined real wood and leather...even Toyota have real leather!
Well, starting off in the E, smooth and quiet with an extremely light electronic throttle. Due to the lowered sports suspension system the car bottomed out at the slightest provocation, which really surprised me, and the brakes were stop-go around town but progressive at speed. It also has the Triptronic gearbox, I didn't get to use the paddles on the wheel, I'd used them in an ML350 and loved them!
Then the CLS, despite the aggressive appearance, was much more gentlemanly than the E and much less well-appointed to the point of being quite poor inside. IMO, the original CLS's exuded chic and luxury for those who wanted something different. Now the CLS has been on the market for a couple of years I think it has lost that mystique and MB have transformed it into just another model.
For pure driving, the CLS was more user-friendly to the point of being sedate, the AMG E showed the driver it meant business and should be driven so. The CLS is certainly not a car for four although the E is. The E's boot is quite small however, the CLS boot is vast, you could almost park a SLK in there!
IF I won the lottery which would I buy???? Hummm...I'd say either a CLS 500 or 6.3 AMG just because I could or the 'regular' E350AMG to use as I use my W124.
If you can try them out for yourself....and enjoy, afterall it's for free!!!
