Tale of the tape: Cadillac CTS Vsport vs. BMW 550i vs. Mercedes E550 4MATIC

96bigbody

0-60mph 4.2 for the Caddy, follow the link for prices, times, and well specs..

Quote:
Nothing exemplifies the arms race among German luxury automakers quite like the technology they've poured into their mid-size sedans, turning them into 400-hp dens with Internet access. Those models aren't their best-sellers, but they're the epitome of what a luxury car should be. With the 2014 Cadillac CTS, General Motors aims to close the perception gap between its U.S.-built challenger and the establishment — and on paper at least, that matchup looks too close to call.
For this tale of the tape, we've compared the top-end sport versions of the midsize luxury models — the new Cadillac CTS Vsport that will go on sale this fall, the BMW 550i and the Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic. The similarities spring forth instantly; all have more than 400 hp, use automatic transmissions of at least 7 gears and come within a fraction of a inch in many dimensions. The differences come down to some hard engineering choices: Cadillac chose a twin-turbo V-6 to replace the displacement that BMW and Mercedes rely on, winning the horsepower war while ceding the torque figures to the Germans. Yet the Caddy claims to be a few tenths of a second faster to 60 mph, largely due to the lightweight chassis that 200 lbs. lighter in base form than the BMW. (Mercedes surrenders this point entirely in favor of making all its E-Class sedans either hybrids or all-wheel-drive).

Stats only go so far, and many BMW and Mercedes buyers at this level barely care that they're required to use premium gas, as is the Cadillac. The real battle comes down to interiors, a struggle that Cadillac never contended with in the first-generation CTS, but vows to claw back now. The smaller ATS has proven Cadillac can build cars that deserve a look from import owners; whether the CTS can make the same argument to people shopping for a $60,000 car will depend on more than a stat sheet.
http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoram...220041573.html

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09 370z Pw 7at touring sport nav...
02 Som trans am ws7.. 408 & T76
96 black impala ss.. 396 & juice

UNKNOWN_370

CTS-V's, I would assume is probably the most fun to drive out that bunch. I know the benz gotta be a snoozer. If it's not AMG? It's not for me?

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bigsix

Difficult not to choose the Mercedes when presented with a choice of spending the same amount of money (for me, anyway). . .

shadoquad

I'm the complete opposite. Mercedes has never really enticed me.

bigsix

After driving/owning a 1980 S-class for a couple years, it completely changed my view of cars. In my mind, there's something very special about Mercedes-Benz cars