CLS53 and GTshitty3 4-door; my thoughts. Oops, err, I mean GT63

"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech) 05/03/2019 at 16:10 • Filed to: None

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Garbage. Straight garbage.

Ok, so they’re both perfectly acceptable if you look at them for what they actually are. But the badges are lies.

The CLS53 does not feel like an AMG in any way at all. 43's feel more like AMG’s. The exhaust is too quiet and I’m pretty certain they pump exhaust noise in through a speaker in sport+ mode.

It also doesn’t feel special when accelerating. Honestly it feels pretty similar to my 2001 E55. The CLS feels a bit more composed in corners, but 210's are not known for their handling. My car even sounds better and frankly I don’t think the old M113 sounds that amazing. Don’t get me wrong it’s still a V8, but it sounds closer to an American truck than a German super sedan. Nothing in this world would every make me want the CLS53 more than my E55, even if they were the same price.

The engine is smooth and I think could sound great with exhaust work, but straight out of the box it’s pretty lackluster. The 48v drive system engages seamlessly which is very nice. The interior is nice. Looks ok overall I guess. But AMG it is not.

As for the GTshitty3 4-door...

Fast, nice, looks decent I suppose. But, here’s the kicker...

IT DOESN’T SHARE A SINGLE COMPONENT WITH A REAL GT!!!

Now you’re wondering what exactly I mean by that. Well I’ll tell you. The chassis is based on the CLS which is based on the E. Most part numbers are from a 213 E. The engine is not a dry sump like on the real GT. It does not have a torque tube like a real GT. It does not have a rear mounted dual clutch transaxle like a real GT.

So basically it’s a CLS63, which is basically an E63.

So you want a fast sedan? Save yourself $70k fucking dollars and buy an E63.

I’m pissed at Mercedes for this unethical naming bullshit and purposely screwing over consumers by tricking them into these by telling them it’s something it’s not. It’s fucking horseshit. Fuck you Mercedes marketing team.

bob and john > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 16:19

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I dont think ANYONE on this site expected anything else but a E63 in a different body. I certianly didnt. 

fintail > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 16:23

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Yep, a CLS63 with a lot more profit margin. In this new belle epoque of untouchable unvetted increasingly concentrated wealth, that’s the game - take em for what they’ve got .

I am not seeing any tricking though. I’ll wager the average buyer of one just wants the most expensive thing on the lot, and doesn’t care. I’ve heard amusing stories from salesmen about some clientele.

Old school AMG is long gone. And if we go by numerics, virtually all MBsin this market are being dishonest.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 16:24

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I saw one of the GT’s in person, and holy shit is it ugly.

Milky > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 16:26

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Yea but I’d really like a E class coupe with a 430hp, 3.0 liter straight six mild hybrid. Oh baby all of that together  would be nice.

Despite whatever dumb it has.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 16:27

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Sorry, but MB hasn’t been on my radar for years and probably never will be again. I looked at an SLK when they came out with the manual transmission and I hated it. Growing up lots of neighbors, friends and family had MBs and I always wanted one. I wound up getting a W210, which, well, was quite a disappointment from a build quality and luxury standpoint; I should have gotten an E39 BMW, especially after the 530i came out.

Nowadays there is nothing that entices me in their entire lineup, and the only ones I could see buying are the ones from my youth. I figure that I’ll either get an R129 or a W126 as those are the cars that stand out to me as being from a time where quality and engineering triumphed over the marketing BS and the need to have a vehicle in every conceivable niche, real or imagined,  that’s so prevalent today.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 16:29

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Because B R A N D

Calling it an AMG GT 4-door is disingenuous at best.

RallyWrench > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 16:42

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This kind of stuff bugs the shit out of me with BMW and Mercedes. More BMW, but Mercedes has been getting worse with it.”It’s the fastback 4-door version of the coupe version of the 4-door version, but a little bit sportier, w ith the mid-grade engine from the 4-door coupe version of our inexplicably popular 5-door crossover SUV, but named after our flagship sports car and slot in above the existing 4-door version of the coupe version of the 4-door version of our best sedan, which will remain in production!”

Board: This makes perfect sense, put it in production right away.

Meanwhile, dealers (mine, at least) can’t stock things as simple as wiper blades for 7 year old E-classes or 5-series and parts for models over 10 years old are rapidly going NLA because they can’t keep up with these insane model ranges.

WilliamsSW > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 17:31

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If I was in this market, there’s only 2 of these I’d even look at - E63 sedan, or E63 wagon.   Screw this fake GT fake coupe crap .

WilliamsSW > fintail 05/03/2019 at 17:34

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To be fair, BMW gave up on tying numerics well before Mercedes did.   Lexus seems to be hanging on to it, for now, but that’s mainly because Toyota is behind the Germans on turbocharged engines...

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > fintail 05/03/2019 at 17:41

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Current E63 is pretty sweet and I think fits old school AMG pretty  well. Otherwise yeah.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > RallyWrench 05/03/2019 at 17:43

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Mercedes is only just getting this way. It's one of the reasons I've avoided BMW so much in the past. Looks like their crap is catching up to me.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Milky 05/03/2019 at 17:43

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I think that’s a real thing though. I can’t remember. E450 coupe.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 05/03/2019 at 17:43

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The shitty3 4-door? Yeah.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 17:46

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Yeah, the real GT looks great.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 05/03/2019 at 17:55

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That’s fine. Frankly you screwed up by looking at an SLK. They’ve never been good. 210's are amazing if you get the right  one. Personally I wouldn't touch a 129 or 126, but that's just me. Actually most techs wouldn't own a 129, or any SL for that matter.

fintail > WilliamsSW 05/03/2019 at 21:16

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I am trying to think when MB first got goofy. By 1998 at the latest with the 5.4 liter E55. Even Lexus has moved on for some models, like the IS.

fintail > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/03/2019 at 21:19

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From a performance standpoint, definitely. But the modern ones are sold in such larger numbers, it kind of rubs me the wrong way. Cars before the supercharged era were a lot less common. As you know, the 210s sold around 500 units per year here. They were special - my 202 C43 and 210 E55 always got positive attention for their rarity. I think the 211s were 4 or 5 times those sales numbers , and even more from there on. And now with the 43/53s, well, I suppose they are still nice cars from an objective standpoint.

WilliamsSW > fintail 05/03/2019 at 21:46

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That’s just rounding though. BMW went to the trouble of renaming their 325i to 323i in 1998 - both cars had a 2.5 liter engine ( as does my 2000 323ci).

I don’t think BMW has had an accurate numeric model since the NA 2.8 died. 

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > fintail 05/03/2019 at 23:16

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True.

fintail > WilliamsSW 05/03/2019 at 23:17

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Rounding up though :) MB didn’t really get wacky until the next decade I guess, and now it there’s no relation outside of heirarchy. My 2.1 liter E250 and current 3 liter E430 speak of what we see today.

As you probably recall, back in the day, MB just dual badged the cars.  Starting with 300SEL 6.3 I think, then 280SE/L and 300SE/L 3.5 and 4.5, 450SEL 6.9, 190E 2.3, 300E 2.8, and so on.

fintail > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/04/2019 at 11:49

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Speaking of new MBs, any issues with the recently uprated TTV6 in the E450?  Bluetec lease ended, I decided not to buy it out as it was my 3rd W212 and I started leasing to sample different cars, so I am now in an S213.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > fintail 05/04/2019 at 14:33

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Nope! It's been great. Sounds like a nice upgrade. How do you like it so far?

No Prius Needed > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/04/2019 at 19:00

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:(

I’m actually a fan of the way the 53 drives. The 4matic plus actually gets the rear to rotate just a bit and I do like the extra power of the new inline six. I’ve only driven the E53 and 43 but I thought the 53 was a decent upgrade over the 43. Also I'm pretty sure both cars mic in engine noise in sport+.  The GT4 is just tragic though.

fintail > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/04/2019 at 19:49

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Lovely car, like a 3:4 scale S-class. The 212 was a nice good car, but this seems to be on another level of refinement.  The engine is silky smooth, and build quality is huge.  Mine is a moderately loaded lux trim car, which I like with the hood star, and might have also helped me work a deal, as the salesman flatly said “people don’t like this” in reference to the formal grille and star. It pushed my desired budget to the max, but it is such a nice car that I can see where the money goes. Diamond white on nut brown/espresso brown:

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > No Prius Needed 05/04/2019 at 19:59

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It drives fine but it doesn't feel like an AMG. The 43's feel a bit more raw and their speed is pretty comparable. I don't remember the 43's pumping fake exhaust in but I could be wrong, it's not something they like to advertise. If they do it's much less obvious. 4matic+ is great, no argument. But the 53 only has torque below 25mph and ESP kicks in way too easily and completely kills the e-motor, even in sport+. Punch it while rolling and my 20 year old AMG would walk away. Don't take this as me saying the 43's are real AMG's though, they're not, unless we're talking OG C43.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > fintail 05/04/2019 at 20:15

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Excellent interior choice! For the most part, e ach new generation seems to be that big of a leap lately. It’s awesome.

No Prius Needed > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/04/2019 at 21:42

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Yeah I do have to agree about the ESP killing the fun. It seems like Merc is really behind in that respect. Are 53s really that weak in rolls though? I’ve only gotten to compare it with a 43 from a launch and it pulled a car length ahead . I definetly agree that t hey are really more like E550s that can handle instead of full AMGs though.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > No Prius Needed 05/05/2019 at 00:14

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They are. Without the electric motor the 53 doesn’t have much more power than my car, and mine probably weighs 5-600lbs less. I didn’t try putting ESP in sport mode (assuming this is a separate setting from the dynamic select switch, like on the previous gen) , or turn it off, but either of those would probably make a difference. E550 feels like it pulls  harder than 53! That V8 punch is great! I know the 53 is slightly faster than the 43, but it doesn't seem like enough. Change the tires, different drivers, they're basically the same.

fintail > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/05/2019 at 00:46

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I think the engineering is still there, even if some of the models and nomenclature are goofy, and AMG has kind of given in to profits over tradition.  They are just playing the same game as BMW and Audi, seeking every niche and ounce of profit.  At least the cars are good.

If you like brown, this is the interior for you:

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > fintail 05/05/2019 at 01:46

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I’ll liken it to Hollywood ruining adaptations.

I love the dark brown interiors they've been doing lately. 

No Prius Needed > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/05/2019 at 03:48

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Damn that's disappointing. Are there any rumors of mb dropping the base C63 engine in? It seems like it would be a perfect match since the M550i has a TT V8 with the same power. 

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > No Prius Needed 05/05/2019 at 09:57

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Not that I’ve heard. The way the lineup is set right now they’d basically be shooting themselves in the foot of they did that. Too much overlap. For clarification; I’m assuming by “base C 63 engine” you mean the non-AMG M176 that’s in the S560 and G-wagen? Because if they put even the 450hp tune of the M177 in it might as well be a 63. That would be the same as what the GTshitty3 and E63 use but with smaller turbos.

fintail > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/05/2019 at 17:03

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Indeed, don’t do any retro cars please, MB.

Any color than black is good for me.    I wish blue was more common.

No Prius Needed > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/06/2019 at 00:42

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Yeah I was talking about the M177 . You're right, i t would probably be too close to the 63 but one can dream. 

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/10/2019 at 23:23

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Oh you mean the CLS500 Sport and the AMG Panamera?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/11/2019 at 00:51

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Exactly. 

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/11/2019 at 08:59

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Truthfully, I don’t really mind either of them. The CLS 53 is “AMG” in the same way the old CLS500s had AMG sport packages. Sporty looking, smooth, not necessarily a performance car but that’s okay. The AMG Panamera looks neat, competes with the Panamera and the upcoming 2nd-generation RS7 and will probably be bought in droves and depreciate quite quickly. Considering they don’t sell many E63 wagons, the AMG Panamera’s liftback will probably be useful on the used market.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/11/2019 at 10:23

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As cars and for what they actually are, they're fine. But the old AMG sport packages didn't masquerade as actual AMG's. And having GT badges on the shitty3 version is nothing more than a lie and a cash grab. The S560 uses the same drivetrain as the CLS53. Why not call it a CLS560 instead. The shitty3 should be called a CLS63. If that were the case I'd be totally cool with both.