Comparison: 2010 Cadillac CTS-V vs. 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

MotorTrend

Having already conquered both BMW and Jaguar

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC]

00:08 What you're looking at behind me is one of the greatest sports sedans in the world,

00:13 the 556 horsepower supercharged Cadillac CTS-V.

00:17 Last July, we pitted this amazing Cadillac against one of the ultimate

00:22 sports sedans in the world, the BMW M5 and the Cadillac One.

00:26 A couple months later, we brought along Jaguar's new supercharged XFR.

00:32 And again, Cadillac emerged victorious.

00:35 But new for 2010 is perhaps the greatest sports sedan Mercedes-Benz has ever made.

00:43 This E63 AMG.

00:47 With the E63, Mercedes has increased the horsepower of the outgoing edition.

00:53 This new 6.2 liter hand-built V8 makes 518 horsepower,

00:58 and yet it's more fuel efficient than ever before.

01:02 It connects to a seven speed paddle shift automatic with a wet startup clutch.

01:06 It can shift as fast as 100 milliseconds in sport mode.

01:10 All new front suspension,

01:11 the track on this car is almost two inches wider than on the conventional E-Class.

01:16 You also get an air suspension in the back for exceptional body control and

01:20 a great ride.

01:22 With great interior upgrades, now it's time to pit this masterful new Mercedes

01:27 against Cadillac's formidable CTS-V.

01:31 First up, we'll head to the test track.

01:33 At the test track, the CTS-V and

01:36 the E63 are as close as two super sedans can get.

01:40 Zero to 60, they both run it in 4.1 seconds.

01:44 In the quarter mile, the Cadillac has a one-tenth of a second edge,

01:48 4 seconds at 117.9 miles an hour versus 12.5 at 114.5 for the Benz.

01:56 Braking, the Cadillac has a very slight edge,

01:59 stopping from 60 miles an hour in just 106 feet.

02:04 The E63 does the same in 108 feet.

02:07 Maximum grip on both cars is identical, an impressive 0.95 G.

02:13 But the Benz has a very slight edge in our patented figure eight test,

02:16 running it in 24.8 seconds versus the Cadillac's 25 flat.

02:21 So those are the instrumented numbers, and

02:24 now we know which of these two bad boys the computer likes best.

02:28 But today we've brought them out to the high desert of California,

02:31 specifically the streets of Willow Racetrack, for some full on hot laps.

02:35 This is where the real cage fight begins.

02:38 First up, the Cadillac CTS-V.

02:40 Okay, first up, we're in the reigning champion,

02:44 the Cadillac CTS-V here at Willow Springs.

02:47 Step deep into that 556 horsepower motor.

02:51 You can feel, if I wait till the red line to hit the shift button,

02:54 it will actually snag just a little bit.

02:57 You really gotta anticipate the upshift with the paddles here behind the wheel.

03:01 We're in full manual mode, competitive stability track session.

03:04 You can feel the rear end, well, I can feel the rear end coming around just

03:07 a little bit there.

03:08 And you gotta be quite gentle with the throttle because it easily,

03:12 easily rotates the car.

03:14 There's just so much wonderful, wonderful power with this supercharged Corvette

03:19 motor.

03:20 This being a conventional automatic six speed with paddles.

03:24 And nowadays you're getting more and more cars that have dual clutch manuals

03:30 that just shift so much quicker.

03:32 And you miss that in a car with this kind of motor, you really wanna exploit it.

03:36 [BLANK_AUDIO]

03:36 And coming on to the fastest part of the back spoiler.

03:47 You see how the transmission hangs just a little bit.

03:50 If I shift earlier like that, we're right on the button.

03:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]

03:58 Again, some new asphalt here, you gotta negotiate this carefully.

04:01 [BLANK_AUDIO]

04:05 Slow second gear corner, you see the tail comes right up.

04:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]

04:11 You can really play with the throttle if you want to,

04:13 makes this car a lot of fun to drive.

04:15 [BLANK_AUDIO]

04:24 And that's a lap of Willow Springs Street Circuit in the Cadillac CTS-V.

04:28 [BLANK_AUDIO]

04:30 Okay, time for the challenger.

04:32 We're in the Mercedes E63 AMG, onto the front straight,

04:37 my boot's all the way down into that 518 horsepower V8.

04:42 Wonderful sounds from this motor.

04:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]

04:51 Already I can feel that the Mercedes with its seven speed has a wet startup clutch

04:57 and the paddles and it just shifts a little bit more crisply than the Cadillac.

05:02 In fact, shifts can be as fast as 100 milliseconds in manual mode,

05:07 which is what we're in now.

05:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]

05:11 To me right now, I can feel the front end biting really nicely, and

05:15 the tail is just a little bit more planted than the Cadillac's.

05:18 Cadillac, of course, has more power, so

05:23 it's even easier to break those rear tires loose.

05:26 But this Mercedes is really turning in beautifully.

05:28 [BLANK_AUDIO]

05:31 Quick downshift there with the paddles.

05:33 Again, the transmission is just so well behaved.

05:35 Powering onto this back straightaway here.

05:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]

05:44 We've got the suspension in full stiff mode.

05:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]

05:49 Stability in sport mode.

05:50 [BLANK_AUDIO]

05:54 Just beautifully planted.

05:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]

06:01 Well, this is just a terrifically well-balanced and sorted car.

06:04 Really enjoying this.

06:06 [BLANK_AUDIO]

06:09 Back onto the front straightaway here at Streets of Willow Circuit in

06:13 the Mojave Desert, and that's a lap in the new Mercedes E63 AMG.

06:17 Around the Willow Springs Street Circuit, the two cars are so

06:22 close that we're gonna call their lap times a draw.

06:24 But the numbers only tell part of the story.

06:28 We still have our subjective driving impressions to consider.

06:31 And it's here that the E63 AMG edges ahead.

06:35 The CTS-V remains a monumental sports sedan.

06:39 The breathtaking 556 supercharged horsepower, impressive grip, and

06:44 outstanding brakes, it's a formidable contender.

06:48 And it deserved its win against the M5 and the Jaguar XFR.

06:52 The E63 AMG, though, is just that little bit more polished.

06:58 It's got a beautifully executed interior with none of the glitz of the Cadillac.

07:02 The ride is superior in the Benz, too.

07:05 And the control's just that much more fluid and accurate.

07:09 Is it worth some $20,000 more than the Cadillac CTS-V?

07:13 That's for you to decide.

07:15 But we're calling the winner in this comparison test, and

07:18 it's the brand new Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

07:22 [MUSIC]

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