Car&Driver: STS-V vs CLS 55 vs M5

[Just_me]

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/2277/10vi.th.jpg (http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10vi.jpg)
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8233/29wv.th.jpg (http://img521.imageshack.us/my.php?image=29wv.jpg)
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2226/31ha.th.jpg (http://img521.imageshack.us/my.php?image=31ha.jpg)
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/3200/44fr.th.jpg (http://img454.imageshack.us/my.php?image=44fr.jpg)
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/8476/53fb.th.jpg (http://img357.imageshack.us/my.php?image=53fb.jpg)
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/2379/66gy.th.jpg (http://img219.imageshack.us/my.php?image=66gy.jpg)
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/7996/79ud.th.jpg (http://img40.imageshack.us/my.php?image=79ud.jpg)

[Ghostbat]

I really don't bother reading when I see that the STS-V finished before the CLS. Only in America.. :roll: :wink:

Thanks alot for the scans anyhow..

The Merc finished the roadcourse faster than the Caddy and still gets less points in the handling department. Brilliant.. As a remiinder the CLS55 had similar performance as the 575 GTC on the TG test track.

Well well at least the Caddy didn't beat the Mighty V10. That's something..

[Just_me]

The Merc finished the roadcourse faster than the Caddy and still gets less points in the handling department. Brilliant.. As a remiinder the CLS55 had similar performance as the 575 GTC on the TG test track.

..

well all tracks dont look the same. there are tracks were one car will do great but there is also tracks were the same car will do bad.

CLS getting less points than STS I dont know why. Even lane changing STS had lower speed than CLS so I dont know why it scored higher than CLS55. Weird.

[5vz-fe]

Money / benifits at work? :roll:

[Guibo]

I think it's pretty apparent where the STS-V compared with the CLS: just look at the points awarded. Unlike many other mags, C&D puts down into objective points what they feel subjectively, so that the degree of subjectivity can at least be weighted in relative context. If you don't like the same attributes they do, then you can adjust the points to your liking (or disregard them entirely). Besides, the difference in points between them is so small as to essentially be a wash: this says that AMG has brought a lot to the table even though it costs more.
From the points (not to mention the text of the article), it's apparent the STS-V had a good combination of handling without sacrifice to ride (something generally pretty hard to attain with runflats). It also scored well in subjective braking (I think the CLS is equipped with brake-by-wire, isn't it? I've heard that's pretty devoid of brake pedal feel important for modulation), as well as steering.

It's funny that when an American mag favors an American car over a Euro or Japanese one, the automatic reaction is either bias or greased palms (or any combination of both). So they picked the STS-V. So what? They also picked the M5 over the STS-V. (If any of you have followed C&D comparos in the past, if any BMW is included, it's almost a sure bet the BMW will win; is that automatically bias?)
C&D also picked the F430 and Gallardo over the Ford GT, and even included performance points for the Gallardo on test even though its clutch gave out before that testing could be done. Is that bias in favor of American machinery? It should be noted that I can count the # of Ferrari ads in C&D over the past decade on less than 1 finger.

The truth of the matter is, up until a couple of years ago, if any American car were placed up against any group of Euro or Japanese cars, it's a sure bet the American cars would place dead last, or pretty well near it (just look at any comparo involving the STS's FWD predecessor). Now, many American cars are built and performing much better than before. This is not lost even on the Euro mags, at least one of which has already openly admitted to a snobbish prejudice against American machines.
As an example, look at recent reviews of these Cadillacs:

STS:
http://www.autocarmagazine.com/FirstDrive_Summary.asp?RT=210423

CTS-V:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/driven/55720/cadillac_ctsv.html

If those kinds of comments were written about Cadillacs 3-4 years ago, I would have thought the author were smoking crack. But times change.

[Shinigami]

Personally, the Caddy should deserve a 1 on exterior styling, it's just too boxy and uneventful in the looks department (like all Cadillacs). But meh, that's just my opinion, and opinions vary.

Interesting comparo nevertheless. The CLS lost due to the smaller points gathering where the Caddy was just a point or two ahead of it on several categories, but it faired better in some of the more important categories where the points total was out of 20, or 50, rather then 10.

You buy what you like *shrug*

[BADMIHAI]

LMAO on giving the Cadillac more points on handling. I think American journalists should not be allowed to comment on a car's handling...ever. :mrgreen:

[ferrari550]

As i am sure you all know, car and driver does not have a clue in the world. sts before the cls? they must be mad!

atleast they came up with the right 1st place answer. M5 ALL THE WAY!!