- Strange the XJ, Passat, A7, and others came after the CLS. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. The CLS is no more uglier thn the XJ. Both are nice looking cars. The main difference is this, in a way (in my view): The XJ is a sedan they tried to make look like a coupe. The CLS is like a coupe they put two more doors on, hence the reason your gargantuan aunt bertha has trouble getting in and out - but 100X easier than a real coupe, right? The XJ is too long to pull off the coupe look, but that is the trade off to having the bigger back seats it seems.

Regarding the 4 planes coming together, it certainly has a more aggressive look now, and with XJs and others trying to copy the first CLS concept the last few years, it appears Benz is just moving ahead of the heard again, I wouldn't be surprised to see others follow suit in a few years. I would be shocked, however, if the CLS, A7 or others have popping roofs!

 

I don't see the XJ as a copy of your precious CLS, and quite frankly you're going on and on about this...why don't you join a Mercedes forum and spout there?

 

Actually, that ugly VW Passat rear end came before the new CLS, so who copied who?

It just comes down to personal taste. I prefer a more voluptuous look in a large car like the Bentley Continental GT, Maserati QP, and even the Audi A8. That edgy, creased look that Mercedes and Cadillac have gravitated to for all of their cars that you call "aggressive" just does not appeal to me in a large car--in a small sporty car like my wife's E550 Coupe or the CTS it looks okay. I'm not sure that Jaguar tried to make the XJ look like a coupe--it just has a cab rearward design with broad hips like the Maserati QP and a nice slope to the rear glass. I just find that combination very attractive. If Jaguar ever starts moving their designs in the direction of MB they will lose my business.

As far as caring about back seat passengers' comfort and entry and exit, well that's personal preference as well. The reason I have always owned at least one large 4 door car is so I can take it out on the town with another couple in comfort instead of having to drive a big old SUV. Each to their own.

 

+1

You should also notice pwl that the XJ has that bold aggressive in your face grill that the new CLS has copied. You can look at the XJ at all angles and it looks terrific. The new CLS still looks hunch backed when looking at it from certain side angles. Jaguar did a much better job on the rear end including the lights. Those swoopy doopy things they put on it make the car look cheap from the back. They are not original at all.

 

I sure hope the 2 mercedes CLS's that PWL ordered come in soon, he's not going to make it.

 

When the first xj came out till the current xj , they were always 4 dr coupes in my book, the cls stole the idea from jaguar. I owned a 2000 xj , test drove a merc 500 at the time I chose the xj because it was low to the ground , sportier and felt like a 4 dr coupe.
Jaguar has mastered that concept they just didn't bs the publicnand call it a 4 dr coupe, that whole 4 dr coupe phrase is ridiculous.

 

In my opinion, the CLS Mercs from a few years ago are some of the most beautiful cars ever made.........except for the Jag. That, and the Jag seats 5, unlike the CLS' four.

The NEW CLS, and pretty much every other Mercedes I have seen recently looks like a ramp with wheels, far too angled and geometric.

No offense, and I don't know what Mercedes' exact demographics are, but every single Mercedes Benz I saw this weekend was driven by someone that looked like they were over the age 80. No joke.

 

That's not entirely correct - the Mazda RX8 is a 4-door coupe. It manages to look like a coupe yet with four doors; on the other hand, a saloon with coupe-like performance is a different thing; no matter how good the performance, it will always be a saloon.

The Cambridge Dictionary, however, says a coupe has two doors, and this is where I say that Mazda cheated and got two extra doors in while maintaining the appearance of a coupe!

 

Just to throw fuel on the fire , found this in my inbox this morning...

Motor Trend's comparison between the A7 vs CLS550 vs XJ

2012 Audi A7 vs 2011 Jaguar XJ vs 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 - Comparison - Motor Trend

I'm not sure I agree with their conclusion, but just another opinion...

 

I think it's funny how Audi has managed to pass their new C level car off as a D level car. A comparison to the A8 would have made more sense but it's not what they want to showcase right now.

 

Did you really think Motor Trend would have put the XJ over the Germans. Please. They compared the wrong cars.

 

Exactly, a coupe by definition has 2 doors and a sedan has 4 doors. The term "4 door coupe" is just a marketing ploy used to promote a sleek looking sedan.

 

Pretty good article. They certainly trashed the CLS's looks compared to the XJ and I definitely agree that better tires would have changed their opinion of the XJ's handling. But then, I didn't buy this car for the track--I wanted excellent street performance, beauty, and style and that's what I got. These critics seem to agree--wish they had used a supercharged model for the power comparison though. It would have waxed the CLS.

 

Exactly HouTexJag! They should have used the Supercharged since both the Merc and Audi had turbochargers. The XJ is not suppose to compete with those two cars. Can you believe they said the interior of the XJ looked old school??? I'm sorry I looked at the gallery in that article and they have the pictures lined up so that the same view of each car is lined up vertically so you can compare them better and believe me our car is hands down the better looking in all aspects.

 

Yeah, there certainly isn't anything old school about the new XJ interior--it's as big of a departure from the old XJ as the exterior is and has gotten nothing but accolades in every article I have read about it. One of my favorite features is the "sunken" dash with the band of wood below the windshield--nothing like anything else on the road.

 

Its a nice looking car inside and out, but I'm still not sure about the "hippoptamus nostrils" for air vents on the dashtop.

Oh, and you bang your head getting into the rear seats due to the downward sweep of the roofline.

 

That is an odd trio to compare. I just purchased my XJL in March and I crossed the A7 and CLS off the shopping list as soon as I realized they were 4-seaters. With 3 kids I need a 5 seater. I actually prefer the looks of the XJ but went long for the extra room so my dog can travel with us - she fits nicely on the floor in the rear seat. These are all really nice imo, but the XFSC would have fit better in the comparison.

By the way, I now have about 7,500 miles on my XJL and have experienced no problems. I live in Michigan and the roads here are terrible and my car has experienced no roof popping or rattles. I have mostly owned MB and I have to say I absolutely love the XJL. Biggest surprise? 27.5 mpg achieved on a 250 mile stretch of freeway driving at 80 mph. I did not but the car for fuel economy but that is pretty impressive.

 

Those big round air vents seem to be popular these days--check out the Ferrari California and FF.

I have heard complaints about the rear entry due to the roofline, but it really isn't that bad unless you're well over 6' tall. Price you pay for a sleek roofline--otherwise you get something bulbous like the Porsche Panamera.

 

MBWorld.org Forums.

 

What wheel tire package did you go with? I have a Supercharged, and everyone says that 19" rims will not fit due to the size of the brake rotors.
You can find a decent looking set of 20X8.5 or9 rims for around $400 each but the snow tires are in the $450 range! If you put snows on the OEM 20" wheels, they are $475 F and $525R! For comparison, a 19" snow can be found in the $275 range.
Has anyone successfully fitted a 19" rim on a 2012 XJ SC?
Thanks!