2010 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 4-Door Coupe vs. E550 Sedan

2010 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 4-Door Coupe vs. E550 Sedan.
(April 2nd, 2010 by BenzOnly - Exclusive Editorial Review)

   Increased number of people is trying to make their buying decision between 2010 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 4 door coupe and E550 Sedan. The simple facts that both models are mid-size, have the same engine and transmission, and both of them have 4 doors - make a lot of people wonder: which one to pick? BenzOnly.com tries to show you the clear differences between 2 models in this overview.

    Design difference:
    Here is the key differentiation. 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 was designed as a classic SEDAN: room, comfort and space for 5 passengers with 15.9 cu of cargo. On another hand, CLS550 was designed as a classic COUPE: low air-dynamic profile and it seats only 4 passengers with limited space. Basically, CLS sacrifices COMFORT toward the performance sports design. CLS550 is a unique coupe, because it has 4 doors instead of 2 – normally found in any coupe. That makes a lot of people speculate in the decision of replacing their sedans. But when you attempt to enter the rear seats through the CLS rear door, take our advice: “Watch your head!”, because there is no much clearance to get in. Nevertheless, it is still better to have 4 doors, since it may be even more difficult to get to the rear seats through the regular coupes front doors.

    Dimensions difference:
    As a true coupe, 2010 CLS550's height is 2 inches lower, and its length is 2 inches longer, than E550 Sedan. Also, CLS550 is wider than E550 Sedan by almost an inch. Due to its coupe design, CLS550 has almost an inch more leg room for the front seats. On another hand, E550 sedan leads interior space in every other category: Head room, Hip room, rear seat Leg room and Shoulder room – by few inches. Surprisingly, E550 Sedan's Wheelbase is actually longer than CLS550's wheelbase, even though E550 is a little shorter in length (!). This proves that E550's design is a blueprint of the REAL Sports Sedan. Additionally, E550 has a little better turning radius from curb to curb (!). Another surprising fact: CLS550 ground clearance is almost 2 inches higher than E550 (!), which is unusual for a coupe. For complete specifications or to download brochure, please visit E-Class Sedan Page or CLS-Class Page.

    Performance:
    Prepare to be surprised again! Although both CLS550 and E550 have the same engine, transmission, horsepower, drivetrain and braking system; at the same time – E550 accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 5.2 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds faster than CLS550! Besides being faster, E550 also consumes less gasoline: 15 miles per gallon in the City drive and 24 miles per gallon on the Highway. Compare it to CLS’s 14 MPG (City) and 21 MPG (Highway). Almost every other performance characteristic of both models is identical, except E550 comes with 17” Wheels (18” Wheels are available with optional Sport package) and CLS550 comes with 18” Wheels as Standard equipment.

    Toys:
    Both models feature very generous Standard equipment including Leather interior, Wood trim and tons of “bell and whistles”. However, there is the most noticeable difference: 2010 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 comes with 480 Watt Harmon/Kardon Logic7 Surround sound, Sirius Satellite Radio, GPS and Hard Drive Voice Activated Navigation system – as Standard equipment. To get the same sound and Navigation system into the E550 Sedan, you have to add a whopping $4,400 Premium 1 Package. This reduces the price difference gap, but still even if you add Premium 1 package to E550 Sedan – it is still about $13,000 less expensive than CLS550 without any options.

    Bottom line:
    BenzOnly.com recommends E550 Sedan, unless you can't stand sedans and want something out of ordinary. Here is why: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Sedan outperforms CLS550 in all major categories: Performance, Roominess, Fuel Efficiency, Comfort and it cost a lot less. In addition Mercedes-Benz E-Class has tendency to keep a very good Resale Value over the years, but it’s a question mark in regards to CLS. We attribute our recommendation to the fact that 2010 E550 encompasses the newest and latest technology, as it was completely redesigned in 2010. On contrary: CLS Class has never been redesigned since 2006. However, CLS550 can be a good choice for someone who wants to be different and stand out in the crowd, because it has small production and it is more exclusive.
After all, BenzOnly.com aims to give you useful information to digest, but lets you decide.

2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan Photos, Models, Options and Brochures.
2010 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Photos, Models, Options and Brochures.
Mercedes-Benz Financial Specials.
2010 Mercedes-Benz Dealer Quotes, Test Drive or Information.
Read other reviews

If you have existing account with:
You can use it to sign-in to BenzOnly.com to rate this article and leave comments!