test-drove an E55 AMG today: holy $#!^

crosvs · #1 03-17-2008, 02:59 AM

So there were THREE of us in the car, all of us guys. I'm about 200 lb. My buddy's about 160-170. The dealer looked about 200+. So let's say nearly 600 lb of weight. The ESP light was STILL flashing up to about 50 mph when I floored it on several occasions. I have NEVER felt thrust like that before in my life. I guess my Dad's 997 S felt pretty fast, but I dunno, somehow, nothing like this. I mean ..... holy crap.

Only complaints?

(1) The TouchShift is useless: while downshift DOES shift down gears on demand, the upshift button seems to simply limit the uppermost gear that will be selected. Ok that doesn't make sense, let me try again: if I was flooring it and tried to upshift, nothing would happen lol. But if I started to lift on the throttle, then it would upshift at last, but never exceeding the gear I selected. Man, even explaining it I can't make sense of it. Point is. It was stupidly uselessly annoying.

(2) The steering is definitely a little light for my taste. That said, definitely overboosted: as I turned around in a cul-de-sac, I floored it coming around. Being used to my M3, I expected the wheel to naturally unwind in a nice countersteer. Buuuuuuuuuuuut it didn't: it just kinda stayed as it was, and I had to wrestle it back over myself. No physics-induced unwinding thanks to the ridiculous powersteering.

Quite frankly though, if (1) I manage to successful lemon my car and (2) I'm really ready to give up the thrill of therapeutic effects (lol) of a convertible, that would defintiely be my next car. I mean seriously: it's got 4 doors; a trunk; it's supremely comfortable for long drives; it LOOKS fanTASTIC; and it's RIDICULOUSLY fast. What's not to love other than the two points i mentioned above, which, quite frankly, aren't that big a deal for a car like that?

Man it's sick. Wow.

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PersonaNonGrata · #2 03-17-2008, 03:15 AM

The E55 is a rocketship. I rode in the back for some freeway rips and was pasted to my seat the whole time. It's pretty scary-fast.

SuperGreg · #3 03-17-2008, 06:58 AM

My best friend has one. They are sick fast! Only downside is 12 mpg

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mrkbbd · #4 03-17-2008, 09:44 AM

If you had a little less weight, I have seen the light continue to flash on the 2nd-3rd shift which happens around 80 mph in the CLS55

FSETH · #5 03-17-2008, 10:14 AM

Lots of torque and horse power, but otherwise it's a Benz.

X5Dawg · #6 03-17-2008, 10:16 AM

One bad-ass ride!! As far as the shifting, that is the way the M-B is set up. Even on my wife's SLK350, if you have the pedal to the floor and try to upshift, it will hold the current gear until IT decides when it wants to shift to the next one - supposedly this is to maximize performance.