2007 s6 or 2006 CLS 55

[diesel king]

My wife just isn't excited driving her Phaeton. Going from an E46 M3 to the Phaeton has just about killed her enthusiast spirit. We were hoping an S6 would rekindle her love of driving.

The first knock on the S6 was the limited interior colors. Christine is ticked that for $85,000 you can only get silver or black seats. I also have heard so many, only warm comments about the S6. I have started to consider other options. Even though we live through pretty tough snowy winters, the look of the CLS55 has her excited. It appears as though we can get a one year old CLS55 w low miles for about the same $$$$$$.

Has anyone here driven a high hp rear wheel drive car through much snow? Would winter wheels/tires keep her rolling.

How does the S6 stack up against the Merc? What would you rather drive? Why?

Many thanks-Chris

[gjg]

Has anyone here driven a high hp rear wheel drive car through much snow?
at the end of the day you're doomed .... unless roads are very well maintened and no hills ....

You can always buy good 4x4 for the "bad" days ..:thumb:

Another option would be S8 :wo:

[absent]

AWD will only help in quicker take off,it's the slowing down that is more important in snow or ice.
S10 comes withe performance tires which are useless in Winter so you have to replace them anyway and AMGs with Winter tires are not bad either.
Since you'd have to get new set of tires for both it is only a matter of personal preference which car you like better.
(Felt safer in E55 with snow tires then previous gen S8 with stock ones)

[AndyBG]

I usualy recomend that 55 AMG, but in this case my vote is for S6 !

New car is new car, and four wheel drive is MUTCH, MUTCH, MUTCH better solution in snowy conditions, no discusion there, specialy wehn that car should be your ''family transporter''.

Just my 0.3 cents...

[Fab]

I love the CLS 63 ! But would go for the S6 vs the CLS 55

[Leadfoot]

Originally posted by AndyBG
I usualy recomend that 55 AMG, but in this case my vote is for S6 !

New car is new car, and four wheel drive is MUTCH, MUTCH, MUTCH better solution in snowy conditions, no discusion there, specialy wehn that car should be your ''family transporter''.

Just my 0.3 cents...

Andy is right four wheel drive is a hell of a lot better at getting you to where you want to go in snowy conditions than any rwd car. But the problem with all awd cars is they don't stop any better than the rest of them, just because it can go up the hill better doesn't mean it can come down it any better. If you remember that you will be OK.

Anyway buy the S6 and keep the faith.

[Benman]

Originally posted by diesel king


How does the S6 stack up against the Merc? What would you rather drive? Why?

Many thanks-Chris

Diesel King (aka Chris),

First, welcome to the forum. Second, in your profile it states you already have a Ford Valdez (aka Excursion). My answer to your question is if your Valdez is 4 wheel drive, then like George says, enjoy the CLS55 as you already have a 4x4 for the "Bad Days". If it is not a 4x4, then opt for the S6. Either way, its a win, win scenario.:thumb:

Ben:addict:

[Klint]

I'm thinking out of the box on this one...or at least trying to, I think the new RS4 is the solution to your partners lust for a driving experience, safety and praticality.

Not sure how long the wait is on the RS4 in the states is, but for a similar price to those two mentioned:

You get yourself four wheel drive, performance that's up there and a driving experience that beats the E46 M3, your missus will let you back in the bed when you buy her that.

[Leadfoot]

I thought of that too Klint, but then remembered that the other two cars being considered were both automatics, which at present the RS4 isn't. This might not be a concern and if so, it the best choice as it's closest in size to the M3 and still offering the practicality of both the S6 and CLS55 what with it having 4 doors and 5seats.

[diesel king]

I appreciate the thoughts and suggestions thus far. We considered a RS4 (manual trans a major plus!) but we need something a bit bigger.

Several posters have mentioned stopping as a bigger issue than going in the winter. I think I understand their thinking but we take rural backroads into work and we see the occasional bimmer, merc and s line acura holding up long lines of cars trying to get rolling again at stop signs on hills or in parking lots. (I am guessing that in most situations these cars do not have winter tires.)

I still worry about Merc's quality slide, but Audi drivers are not strangers to the service bay.

I am glad we have a few more months to decide!

[SpinEcho]

You will definitely notice a lack of traction in a RWD CLS, even with snow tires, particularly given the monster torque and touchy drive-by-wire throttles all cars have now. Go with AWD, especially on rural roads, and especially if there are any hills.

IMO, get something other than an S6. All the reviews say it rides like sh*t. Why not an S8, or if that is out of your desired range, then how about a used :addict: ?

[Leadfoot]

diesel king,

You didn't say if this would be used as your main mode of transport for the family.

I take it, that the reason you moved from a M3 to the Phaeton is the family increased. I understand why she not excited with the VW, it's a great luxury car, up there with the best of them but a lame duck when is comes to the corners. It's interesting that you see the manual gearbox as a plus, when both options are autos, though the Audi is the only one with proper paddles for changing gears, not the silly one that Merc offer.

I still think that the Audi is the way to go, the interior looks that little bit more special and sporty with the added carbon-fibre trim and though the interior colours aren't as varied as the Mercedes has, it still the only one that will get the heart rate going which is your prime objective. All Mercs that I had ever driven, after 5 minutes or so make you relax and go with the flow, I can't believe that the AMG for all of it's power will change this fact. There one other thing, if your driving it, do you really want to have to irritating ESP light flashing at you every time you took it out in the rain. I don't think so. Go for the S6 and this will never happen, the force is strong with this one.:D

[Aronis]

Get a Honda.

LOL.

I like the concept "New car is a New Car." but I would not shy away from the Merc due to rear wheel drive, with good snow tires and proper driving you will be fine 99% of the time. For years everyone drove rear wheel cars WITHOUT SNOWS, WITHOUT Limitted Slip, WITHOUT traction control, WITHOUT 50/50 weight distribution...etc...etc... and most did just fine. The AWD adds an edge, no doubt, but it's in the extremes and allows you to drive above the driving conditions, if you will,.

By the way 'much' is spelled 'much' even when all caps. LOLOLOLOOL

Mike

[Rad-RS6]

Diesel King - I see you also in Minneapolis (small world). We do have some seriously cold weather, but not that much snow, and not hilly, so its definitely feasible to do rwd with proper tires.

Before I ended up getting my RS6 (w/ 9K miles, CPO'd), I toyed with several MB's, and decided I just didnt want a MB. Aside from rear/awd issues, the MB is (deserved or not) considered a status symbol, and as a younger dude, I purposely wanted to be lower key, drawing attention away from me rather than towards .... May sound silly, but it was a factor for me (but may not be for you).

I also strongly considered a new S6, but decided the RS6 was a better car, but of course never having driven the new S6 I couldn't be 100% sure, but its not a strech to assert it is better in all ways, save for "newness" factor.

I would encourage you to seriously consider a low mileage CPO'd RS6!

If not, and you ultimately end up in said MB, you will also love it, dont let our weather dissuade you!

[s42ski]

One other thought on this - the S6 can be had with the Bang and Olufsen stereo - which is a KILLER system ( as it should be at the price they will charge). The top of the line Merc stereo will not hold a candle to it.

I hate to admit this, but that is what sold me on getting my wife a SC430 was the Mark Levinson sound system that came standard with that car.

[AndyBG]

Originally posted by Aronis
Get a Honda.

LOL.

I like the concept "New car is a New Car." but I would not shy away from the Merc due to rear wheel drive, with good snow tires and proper driving you will be fine 99% of the time. For years everyone drove rear wheel cars WITHOUT SNOWS, WITHOUT Limitted Slip, WITHOUT traction control, WITHOUT 50/50 weight distribution...etc...etc... and most did just fine. The AWD adds an edge, no doubt, but it's in the extremes and allows you to drive above the driving conditions, if you will,.

By the way 'much' is spelled 'much' even when all caps. LOLOLOLOOL

Mike

Hey, Mike, thank you for correcting my wrong spelling..., very nice thing to do. :hihi:

[diesel king]

We have had an S6 on "order" for about six months, and when the order was officially placed we ordered every option, but I believe the $7800 B/O system is reserved for the S8.

I lean Merc, but the interior seems so cheap for a 100K auto.

Audi is still the standard inside.

(My wife doesn't really want to park a Mercedes in her ramp at work. Her name is on her spot and her patients may be turned off.)

[AndyBG]

Congrat's... :0:

[Leadfoot]

Good choice,

I'm glad you didn't go over to the dark side. To use a phrase from LORD OF THE RINGS

Four rings to rule them all :D

[Aronis]

Originally posted by AndyBG
Hey, Mike, thank you for correcting my wrong spelling..., very nice thing to do. :hihi:

No offence intended. With all Caps we sometime all make a typo.....

Mike

[Aronis]

Originally posted by diesel king


(My wife doesn't really want to park a Mercedes in her ramp at work. Her name is on her spot and her patients may be turned off.)

Don't worry about what the PATIENTS think, they all think that all physicians are RICH by default. I have an RS6, but I don't have a boat, second home, jetski, snow mobile, four wheeler, gun collection, wine collection.....etc.....

The class envy is soooo powerful that it does not matter if you wife drives a Honda or a Ferrari, those patients who find fault will always do so.

Drive what YOU want not what will make anyone else happy.

Mike

[Rad-RS6]

Originally posted by Aronis
Don't worry about what the PATIENTS think, they all think that all physicians are RICH by default. I have an RS6, but I don't have a boat, second home, jetski, snow mobile, four wheeler, gun collection, wine collection.....etc.....

The class envy is soooo powerful that it does not matter if you wife drives a Honda or a Ferrari, those patients who find fault will always do so.

Drive what YOU want not what will make anyone else happy.

Mike

Yes and no.

No, you should not care specifically what patients think because they do have the pre-conveived notions about doctors, and yes you should drive the car you really want....

But I am also sensitive to keeping a lower (public) financial profile. Some of us work for managed care, or for non-profit medical entities, and would not want to project crazy income (even if the MB costs the same or less than the S6/S8, its the projection of $$$).

Also, as you know, there is quite a large disparity amongst physician's incomes (reated primarily to specialty), so I am sensitive (esp. as a younger doc) to not flaunt it around other docs, many of whom may make considerably less. Hence no 997 911TT's in my near future.

Having said all that, I still would have bought a MB if it had been the car I really wanted, but when comparing to used E55/S55 AMG, the lower profile nature of the RS6 was a factor in my chosing it...

[Aronis]

When I first got my M3 back in 1997 I got comments from internests about 'nice to be rich.' I looked at him, then his Eddie Bauwer Edition Ford Explorer and asked him what he paid for that? Yes, the Fancy Loaded Eddie Bauwer Explorer cost MORE than my M3. He did not know this and he is another physician......

Peoples opinions about other's cars usually come from ignorance and if you had a brand new Honda Accord V6 you'd get the same comments from the average patient driving a 3 year old Ford (which probably cost more than the Accord, but because it's a foreign car it must have been more!)

My opinion about medicine and car is very simple. Even the lasiest physician has already worked harder than 90 percent of the rest of the public to get where he/she is and deserves a MB.

Mike

[gregoryindiana]

Originally posted by Aronis
My opinion about medicine and car is very simple. Even the lasiest physician has already worked harder than 90 percent of the rest of the public to get where he/she is and deserves a MB.

Mike

Where I live, the VA doctors are the best paid; not necessarily making the most money, but paid the most for the little amount of work they do, or patients they see.

If you are in the VA system, and not at one of their tertiary hospitals, you see patients, and anything much more than a hernia, you refer to the big VA that might be a hundred miles down the road (ie, Indianapolis). You have every government holiday off, and you don't have any night call; your patients go to the regular hospitals for any real emergency anyway.

My knowledge of this is admittedly secondhand; I am friends of a urologist who for a few years had the contract to see patients at the VA twice a week, and occasionally do a surgical case there. But most of the patients with serious problems (even if not urologic) had to go to Indy, where there was medical backup. If you don't have a cardiologist on staff, how many vets can you take care of? Almost all of the ones I know have heart disease, for all the usual reasons. And, even kidney stones can't be done there, they don't have either a laser or a lithotriptor!

NOW, so I don't get accused of hijacking the thread. I would buy the Audi for all the reasons listed above. I traded a 993 C4S to get my RS6, not because I am a doctor; our parking lot is anonymous. It's because of EVERYWHERE ELSE that I park. This car just blends in better, and nobody knows what it's true capabilities are. I may yet have another Porsche, but it won't be a car that I need to drive to work.

[Rad-RS6]

Your post reminds me of an acronym I learned in medical school during my vascular surgery rotation at the VA, namely that VETS were "HONDAS" - Hypertensive Overweight Non-complinant Diabetic Alcoholic Smokers!

However, that was before the current war which is generating more younger vets, so probably no longer applicable....

Anyway, enough Dr talk. Sorry to have also digressed the conversation somewhat here.

[moldowan]

I own a 2006 cls55 and IMO it's the best car I have owned,but.........being your in MN i think the 4whl drive of the s6 would be better suited for your weather. Hands down the cls55 is MUCH faster and Much better looking.
I will trade the Merc when the new rs6 comes in. I always wanted a audi and wish I would have bought a New rs6 in 2003. truth be told though after reading many audi forums, the service of AOA worries me a bit. Parts avail, reliability etc...
I got my cls55 with 3k on the OD and it was 87K, you can do a bit better now that the cls63 is out.
my advice is the cls55, your wife will LOVE it!!!!
-Marc

[Rad-RS6]

Originally posted by moldowan
Hands down the cls55 is MUCH faster and Much better looking.
-Marc

Remind me what the CLS55 0-60 and 1/4 mile are again? Cause by my review of the MB website, the 0-60 on a cls55 is 5.4 seconds, and this is at least 0.5 seconds SLOWER than the upcoming S6.

Am I missing something here? Were you referrring to the CLS63 AMG?

[Speedou]

5.4? :D Heh, CSL55 is bloody fast car. I think about all the tests are clearly under 5sec. It's faster than old RS6 and almost as fast as a new M5. So it really is faster than new S6.

[Rad-RS6]

Originally posted by Speedou
5.4? :D Heh, CSL55 is bloody fast car. I think about all the tests are clearly under 5sec. It's faster than old RS6 and almost as fast as a new M5. So it really is faster than new S6.

Oops, I now see the CLS55 AMG is indeed an unqualified BEAST, sporting a 469-hp supercharged V-8 which gets to 60 in 4.2 seconds. So without a doubt, in a straight line on dry pavement, a CLS55AMG would beat an S6, and RS6, and about 98% of all non-exotics out there. A truly stupid fast car.

I guess I was looking at the '06 CLS550 (don't see the CLS55 AMG on the site, I guess it was replaced with CLS63 AMG) when I stated 5.4s 0-60.

Sorry, my mistake!

[Speedou]

Originally posted by Rad-RS6
Oops, I now see the CLS55 AMG is indeed an unqualified BEAST, sporting a 469-hp supercharged V-8 which gets to 60 in 4.2 seconds. So without a doubt, in a straight line on dry pavement, a CLS55AMG would beat an S6, and RS6, and about 98% of all non-exotics out there. A truly stupid fast car.

I guess I was looking at the '06 CLS550 (don't see the CLS55 AMG on the site, I guess it was replaced with CLS63 AMG) when I stated 5.4s 0-60.

Sorry, my mistake!

Don't worry we all do mistakes :thumb:

[SoCal]

Originally posted by diesel king
We have had an S6 on "order" for about six months, and when the order was officially placed we ordered every option, but I believe the $7800 B/O system is reserved for the S8.


B&O stereo is currently available only on the S8, not the S6. That should change next year.

Get the Audi over the Benz. With the S6 vs CLS, you'll have a better interior, more road feel, stealthy performance, possibly better reliability, and AWD. AWD should be considered a basic safety feature now for most daily drivers, especially if you deal with real winter weather. If you can get an AWD performance sedan, why take the RWD? Not worth the risk IMHO.

If you have room in your garage and budget for a bigger car, then the S8 is the ideal choice. Much better rider than the S6 and not much of a weight penalty despite larger size. And you can order the B&O stereo now.

[chutia]

moldowan-
I asked you before re your cls55 and see that you reside in SAn Antonio. I may be there on business in the very near future. After selling my RS6, the other car I'm seriously considering is the cls55. Any chance I could contact you (email??) and perhaps have the pleasure of checking out your cls55 if I'm in SA please? thanks.

[moldowan]

sure,
just ring me on my cell 210-683-0804
just give me 2-3 days notice to when you'll be here.
-marc

[chutia]

moldowan-
Thanks indeed for your kind offer. I'll do that.

[noushy]

Diesel King, I think I can give you an interesting perspective. I am a physician, and my RS6 is my daily driver most of the time, unless I need the SUV or trying to keep the miles under my lease. The first day I drove it to the Drs. parking lot, a colleague stated 'nice A6'. The fact that I could drive a 90k car to work and most people only saw it as a nice Audi, says it all. I have friends with CLS cars, and E cars and lots of AMG cars, but they draw much more attention because of the benz symbol. Also, I drove the new CLS63 with two of my partners (all ob/gyn physicians) and their first impression was, nice car, but for 100k? I drives nice, is very quiet (the cls), very smooth and a sharper turning radius do to the lack of all wheel drive. But in the rain, the traction control kicks in constantly, and for me that was the nail in the coffin. I live in Michigan where it snows similar to Minnesota, and I drive all hours of the night. The RS6 with 4 performance snow tires is just amazing. Quattro is the best awd period. Now I am facing the same dilemna because my lease is coming to an end and I have to decide what new car to get too. I am hoping tommorow makes the decision (I get to drive one of the first S6/S8 sedans in the country) and maybe even order one. The benz is cool, but not a regular daily driver for a physician. Even my colleague with the E55 drives his car on occasion, and has an old S class that he drives daily.

Noushy