e90 m3 DCT vs 2014 CLS63 AMG S 4Matic

[akkando]

So a guy I know got a good deal on the 2014 CLS63 AMG S 4Matic and wanted to check out my e90 m3. I let him drive it and I drove his CLS63 S AMG.





So first of all #1 I don't know shit about Mercedes cars and all the modes etc so I was just letting him set the modes in the AMG but he said it was set to Manual mode. I don't know if the suspension was set to something sporty or what traction control was set to. #2 We were for the most part driving on straight-ish roads. #3 My M3 has 2 pipe exhaust mod, CF plenum, and stage 1 ESS tune.


The M3 just felt faster. Obviously by the numbers it's not, but he and I agreed the car felt faster. I think a big part of this was the weight, the transmission, and the noise.

The AMG sounded good with that classic AMG grunt sound coming from the car no matter how it was driven, but it was never loud from the cabin. It kind of always sounded the same just a bit louder under wide open throttle. The sound never made you think "Oh shit! here we go!" The M3 with the CF plenum was pretty much cheating because at WOT it sounds like you are driving for NASCAR. The rev matched downshifts on the M3 just bark scaring people on the sidewalk.

The AWD in the AMG really gets it off the line but the torque didn't really hit me in the chest like I thought it would. Maybe traction control was limiting the car here. The car rotated okay with some tire squeal when we took it around an empty paved circle that's part of an entrance/exit to a parking lot, but in a straight line the car had no drama when mashing the gas and shifting through the gears. The M3 with MDM on and the DCT set to 4 bars was chirping the tires and kicking like a mule when shifting at high revs.

My buddy noted the throttle response of the M3 made it feel very fast and responsive. I had it set to middle setting via M button. Sometimes it's a bit too sensitive at this setting honestly because at WOT when going over a crappy bump the little bit your foot moves makes the car feel jerky, but I still prefer this level of response under most driving conditions. On the AMG I didn't really register anything noteworthy about the throttle response, I had no issues with it on this short drive.

The transmission. The AMG MCT just isn't for me. I never drive in auto mode so I only tested using the paddles. I wasn't used to the lower redline and the sounds the car makes when it's close to its limits so I was hitting throttle cut off a handful for times. When I got used to it I was taken aback by the amount of lag and mushyness the gearbox had when upshifting to the next gear. I think perhaps the car wasn't really in the correct mode for sporty driving? I just can't handle a sporty car not having responsive inputs. I have found that I don't enjoy any machine that has lag between inputs whether it's a car, a device, a game etc. The shifts on the AMG MCT might have been quick but the time between the user input on the paddle and the shift was way too slow for me. Again could have been the car's settings.

The AMG engine must have been revving at a reasonable speed because I needed to shift often. I never noticed the power evaporating at the higher RPMs like one usually does on a turbo motor. Motor was just pulling steady all over the rev range. We all know the S65 in the M3 makes most of it's power in the upper RPMs. My buddy didn't mention anything about that but noted that car really revs out high.

For style I wish the AMG had large fender flares like the Black series cars but I am sure lots of people prefer the more classy Merc look. For the interior it was nice but it seemed like there was a lot going on. Def sitting in luxury and looked to be by far the more expensive car. Not what I prefer, I like high quality, simple, and utilitarian. I noticed in the AMG the tachometer was off to the side and smaller than the gauge showing vehicle speed, which I felt gave less emphasis on the engine than the layout of the gauges in the M3.



This experience really drove home how responsive inputs, aggressive sounding engine/exhaust, and the excitement and danger of spinning tires can create the illusion that the slower car is actually the faster car.

[GeorgeA]

I’ve driven both and the CLS63 feels and is faster than the M3. Maybe something was wrong with his car, those things hit 155mph+ so quickly. It’s a more comfortable and faster car.

M3 is a better driver’s car, much better balance/handling, better engine response and overall a more engaging experience if you’re into taking corners quickly.

[e90///M3]

Originally Posted by GeorgeA

I've driven both and the CLS63 feels and is faster than the M3. Maybe something was wrong with his car, those things hit 155mph+ so quickly. It's a more comfortable and faster car.

M3 is a better driver's car, much better balance/handling, better engine response and overall a more engaging experience if you're into taking corners quickly.

I agree. Something's definitely wrong with CLS63.

[kyrix1st]

My E92 M3 6MT feels faster than our LCI Panamera Turbo (520PS). 4matic is no good for top end acceleration.