Two weeks in - 645ci vs CLS500

Two weeks in and I wanted share some of my thoughts about the CLS500. I tried being as objective as possible.

Exterior (BMW 1 | MB 1)
The CLS styling is fantastic. The strong shoulder line which extends from the front wheel arch to the rear of the car is something special, and the dramatic side profile makes the car look menacing.

The Bangle generation of BMW’s have always appealed to me. The 6-er is a strikingly handsome car. The long nose and sweeping lines cleverly disguise the car’s size.

Size wise the 6-er and the CLS are almost identical, with the latter being only marginally narrower.

Interior (BMW 0 | MB 1)
The CLS interior is of typical Mercedes standard. High quality materials abound, and the authentic stitching on the dashboard leather is a nice touch. All the controls are in comfortable reach. The car is a 2007 model, but the interior has aged brilliantly. There is only minimal wear on the side bolster of the driver seat.

The 6-series interior could easily have been a classic, but I feel that BMW missed the mark. The early concept car with its 7-series inspired console was much better looking than the final production version. In contrast to the CLS, BMW did use some cheap and nasty materials. The phone compartment, steering wheel, and window controls are all covered in soft touch material which had begun to peel. The airbag compartment lines on the dashboard and steering wheel are clearly visible, and the driver seat was looking particularly weathered.

All in all, the 6-er looked every bit its 10 year age while the Merc has aged gracefully. Yes, the Merc is 4 years younger, but I owned a 2004 E320 and it aged every bit as well as the CLS has.

Tech Toys (BMW 1 | MB 1)
All w219 CLS models in South Africa came standard with seat heaters, and Navigation. My CLS500 is optioned with both air suspension and radar cruise control. Both driver and passenger seats are full-electric with memory, and the controls are located on the door trim panel in typical Merc fashion. There is lumbar support on both front seats, though it is controlled by a manual lever located on the side of the seat. It is neither easy to reach nor adjust, and I find myself simply not bothering at all. COMAND, the Merc satnav and infotainment solution may seem primative in comparison to iDrive, but it still takes less time to enter an address for navigation. Front and rear parktronic are present as options, and they should be on this car since visibility is hampered by the small glasshouse. Parking would be a nightmare otherwise. A nice touch in the CLS is the 4-zone automatic climate control which allows passengers in the rear to set their own climate preferences.

The 6-er had all the standard features, and included the optional dynamic drive active stabilisers. Voice command was standard, and is missed in the CLS, but the phone option was limited to the built-in professional handset. Both front seats offer full electronic adjustment, but only the driver seat had memory functions. The seat controls are located on the side of the seat base, making them uncomfortable to manipulate. On the plus side both front seats offer electronic lumbar support. The 6-er had a TV function which never worked, and mp3 functionality was only available after a software upgrade, which I had to pay BMW to do. Front and rear parktronic are present as standard, and their function is enhanced by the iDrive display. This works much better than the system in the CLS which seems primitive by comparison.

Airmatic and Distronic put the CLS ahead initially, but BMW's superior parktronic system and voice command level the playing field.

Entertainment and Communication (BMW 0 | MB 1)
My CLS500 comes equipped with the optional Harman Kardon Logic 7 premium sound system. 14 speakers and an active powered amplifier deliver 610 Watts of audio pleasure. There is a DVD drive (for DVD movies or MP3 discs) and a 6-cd changer (slot loading) up front, both of which are MP3 capable. The Nav DVD goes in a separate drive unit located in the trunk. Telephony comes in the form of Merc UHI (univeral handy interface) which allows you to add a bluetooth puck or phone specific cradles to the system. Plug and play all the way. Aux input comes standard, and is fitted in the glovebox.

The 645ci by comparison also featured a Logic 7 system, though it provided only 420 Watts through 13 speakers. The DVD drive is shared by the Nav system, so you have to choose between maps or music. There is also a CD drive up front which is MP3 capable. The 6-cd changer is of the older cartridge type and does not support MP3 files. The mechanism would also jam from time to time, only working again after the car had gone to sleep. The 6-er came equipped with BMW Professional phone system, which used a sim card in the car and a portable handset (a la 7-series). No bluetooth option was available without considerable cost involved. Aux input was not present, but I was able to fabricate and install my own cable, and enable it with software coding. For a non DIY-er this would have cost RRR at the dealer.

Out of the box MP3 support, UHI and better sound make the CLS trump the 6-er.

Engine, Performance and Transmission. (BMW 0 | MB 1)
At the heart of the CLS500 is the M273 5.5l V8 naturally aspirated engine, developing an impressive 285kw and 520nm Torque. Mercedes says the CLS500 does 0-100 in 5.3s and I tend to agree with them...the CLS is very quick! Fuel economy is improved in the CLS by innovative measures such as Airmatic lowering the car at certain speeds and aerodynamic body parts to reduce drag. Overall the CLS returns an average economy of 16l/100km in peak daily Jo’Burg traffic. At freeway speeds you see the fuel economy dropping to 8l/100km. It could possibly dip lower on long drives, though I would not expect too much from such a large displacement power plant. The M273 engine is mated to the phenomenal 7G-Tronic auto box. Acceleration is silky smooth, and the harsh downshifts which plagued the early models are gone. In my experience this slushbox is second only to the Audi/VW DSG. The engine runs super quiet. So quiet in fact that one can easily forget that the engine is running at all while waiting at a traffic light.

The 645ci 4.4l V8 by comparison delivered 244kw and 449nm Torque. BMW pegged the 6-er’s 0-100 at 6.1s, though in reality it felt more like 7.1s. The 645ci fuel economy figures were always in the high 10’s and low 20s. On the freeway the economy improved somewhat, but when the roof was down the economy suffered no matter where you were driving. The 6-speed steptronic box in the 6-er is not bad by any stretch though it did hesitate at times, and engaging reverse gear was always greeted with a jerk. The engine in the 6-er was always audible, but the sound was generally pleasant and the exhaust note was phenomenal.

Fuel economy, performance and a kick-ass auto box make the CLS the clear winner.

Driving Dynamics and Comfort (BMW 1 | MB 1)
The CLS drives like a big Benz, though it is more engaging and fun than the E-Class whose platform it shares. The steering can be vague, but Airmatic allows you to set the suspension as soft or sporty as you want it to be. The ability to raise the suspension also helps absorb road imperfections on all but the worst roads. The ride is very comfortable and super quiet. The rear seats are strictly for two people. Getting in the back is a tad tricky owing to the sloping roof line, but once inside the seats are not merely adequate but genuinely comfortable. Those people taller than 6ft will bump heads with the roof lining though.

The 6-er’s low profile, huge runflat tyres, and stiff suspension made the ride generally bouncy and rough. Cornering though was eerily flat and stable thanks to Dynamic Drive. The steering was not as sporty as some BMW models, and the car always felt large, more like a 7-series than a sports convertible. The rear seats in the 6-er are a joke. Anyone larger than a garden gnome would find a journey in the back of the 6-er to be uncomfortable at best…bordering on unbearable. There are no air vents in the back, and the windows can only be lowered by the driver. The roof can also only be put down if no one is sitting in the back, unless the unfortunate person/s lay down on top of each other.

Both cars have their merits, and while the CLS is hands-down a more comfortable ride than the 6-er, the BMW had virtually zero body roll and cornered flawlessly at high speed.

Conclusion (BMW 3+1 | MB 6)
The Benz is a remarkable car. It is one of the most solid cars I have owned, building on the strengths of the E-Class while adding more style and sporting appeal. While the E-Class is a car for Doctors and Diplomats, the CLS is for the young (or young at heart) movers and shakers. A combination of sophisticated technology and cutting edge design, the W219 CLS is a bargain buy on the used car market offering allot of car for little money.

I give the 6-er a +1 because of the DIY-ability of the mechanics and software. The 645ci is not a bad car, but if you are looking at a 6-er rather opt for a later 650i model and have another car on standby for long trips with 3 or more people.

(I will post some comparative photos later)

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