Lucky

The Italian Auto magazine has just tested the two "rocket sedans", as they call them. The result is bit disappointing, with the Benz performing marginally better than the race-oriented M5, notwithstanding the lower power-to-weight ratio and, generally, more comfort-oriented set up.

The M5 has an advantage in pure accelaration, with 0-100 kmh time of 4"54 versus 4"90, 0-160 kmh time of 9"09 versus 9"81 and 0-1000 m. time of 22"20 versus 22"78; but when recovering speed from 40 and 80 kmh in D, the Benz is always slightly faster, due to its huge torque of more than 700 Nm from 2600 to 4500 rpm.

What is strange is that, tested along a very twisted 6 km track where max speed is about 190 kmh and minimum speed is about 55 kmh, the heavier and softer CLS was able to get a slightly better record time of 2'59"47 versus the M5 best lap time of 2'59"80. According to the Italian magazine, the reason are the huge torque of the Benz supercharged V8 and its softer suspension set-up that, literally shoot the big sport-sedan out of any corner a bit quicker than the stiffer and high revving M5.

Concerning the quality of the two packages, the Benz in Italy costs about 10% more of the M5, is better refined and uses materials (plastics, leather etc.) of slight better quality and seems to be, generally, a bit more refined than the BMW. Brakes, steering, driving seat and driving position, transmission, autotranny, engine design and sophistication are all better on the BMW. But nevertheless, the big CLS is still able to stay ahed of the BMW on that short track!

By comparison, on the same track Auto tested other sport cars, with this result:
1st place Ford GT 2'52"20
2nd place Dodge Viper 2'52"60
3rd place Aston Martin V8 Vantage 2'53"51
4th place Porsche Carrera S '05 2'54"30
5th ?
6th ?
7th place Porsche Boxster S '05 2'58"10
8th place MB CLS55 AMG 2'59"47
9th place BMW M5 2'59"80
10th place Corvette C6 coup? 2'59"95
11th place MB SL55 AMG 3'00"00

Did any anglosaxon magazine test in a comparative trial the two cars? With which result?

Cheers

subterFUSE

My feeling on these tests is that the magazines often handicap BMW out of spite.

We saw this when those dirty Swedes tested the E60 with traction control turned off.... a minor tidbit which they failed to disclose in their report.


For some reason, everyone LOVES to make BMW look bad..... and they will play dirty just to make that happen.

It is not unlike American politics, in that respect.

znod

Check out the "Our Fearless Forecasts" topic in the M5 discussion.

SergeyM

Here is the link to Car and Driver (US magazine): http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?se...rticle_id=10433

BetterMakeWay

While some my call me biased there is only one car for me...and that's the m5. Alot of strange magazines or massmedia test the e60 m5 not in the best settings the car can give (as the other member pointed before me). Let's remember the thread with the masserati quattroporte where the masserati got a better lap time then the m5. If we lean to those few megazines and trust their statements then we achive nothing. All the best shows on the world (for ex Top Gear and Best Motoring) showed the m5 as the better overall performance car, also the best magazines in the world hit the same verdict. The only place where the merc has smth to say is the acceleration (and even there i think they are neck to neck, not to mention if LC is used on the m5), but that's about all. Oh and yeah the lateral G forces of the merc are slightly higher. In the rest: slalom, braking and in all the other chapters there is only one real winner like i said earlier and that's the m5.

Lucky

Well, for Car&Driver the M5 is the queen of the small supersedans kingdom. That's interesting and quite understandable, giving the tech spec of the two (BMW and M cars. And again much importance is given to the correct suspension setting of the M5, capable of changing drastically the handling of the car.

Concerning the Cady in the comparo, it's a unknown piece of machinery here in Italy but, IMO, notwithstanding its power and performance it's an unpressive package, far far away in class and refinement from the two German stallions. Just my opinion, don't want to hurt anybody.