Summary: This is the only car I have owned where I have separation anxiety! Mercedes outdid themselves in my opinion. I won't take it by the dealership to fix the remote mbrace unlock just because I don't want to let this car out of my sight. I used to try to get the closest parking space, now I am constantly parking as far away from others as possible. I never used to hand wash my cars, but now this baby gets hand-washed once a week.
In response to the Cnet reviewer who drove this car, he doesn't know how to drive a car with this kind of power. He needs to quit trying to be automotive version of Alton Brown reviewing a recipe. A little too cute.....He apparently feels obligated to be critical. There is nothing wrong with the power delivery of this car. It is as smooth as silk while being cat-quick responsive in both economy and sport modes. My CLS has never tached itself down to 1,000 RPM. It knows when to go to 7th gear for a nice fuel economy, but does not "seek it out like a hound dog".
And this nonsense about jerking forward and back in city traffic is just that....nonsense. I If the car drove like this guy suggests, my wife could go nowhere with me, as I would have to constantly be stopping for her to throw-up.
It is true that you can pin yourself against the seat if you wish, and I do many times getting around turtles in the passing lane. And you can do this while already going highway speeds. It's amazing having that kind of power at your disposal! But in the city she is polite and well-mannered, with stop & go traffic being no issue whatsoever. His gas-pedal-like-a-light-switch analogy is ridiculous.
I would like to be able to re-configure the driving power mode so that "sport" is the default, or at least just stay in the last mode used. But it always comes up in "economy" mode at start-up. In economy, there is the slightest delay between depressing the pedal and revving up, and this is a bit annoying when I want to take off quickly or pulling out into crossing traffic. Sport mode takes care of this.
This car is heaven to drive. I don't just "grin" when I drive this car, I smile...an inner smile knowing that I have one of the most amazing cars on the road today. The 402 horsepower is everything as advertised but the
0-60 time is wrong. In "sport mode" it is faster! Mine tested out at 4.0 seconds, which is the same or better than a lot of the AMGs out there!
I went a long time between my S500 and this car, primarily because I just didn't like the Mercedes styling...a bit too stogy for my taste. But this car is an absolute beauty. The styling coupled to this engine is the beauty and the beast in one package.
Anyone considering this car need simply test drive it, and they will fall in love. Thats what happened to me. I went to the dealership to look at something else, a BMW 6 series. But once I test drove this cheetah on wheels, that was it for me. It was truly love at first drive and the honeymoon continues.
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2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 
