Goodbye CLS....

[whitenemesis]

+1 no idea it existed...fab color.

I would expect the interior fit/finish/ and material quality to match MB as well...lots of italianesh exterior design lines, they do copy things well.

The leather quality is, I think, better than that in the CLS. Feels much softer, more like a fine glove leather. Just hope it holds up well. The seats are memory foam injected construction, rather than shaped foam cushions with leather covers. That might be interesting should a seat heater or ventilator fail...

All the switchgear operates with a very smooth, solid action. The doors close with a satisfying, well damped 'thunk'

 

[John]

How are you finding the reduction in performance?

OK, mine wasn't such a big drop but I was driving a newish A180d the other day and I was perfectly happy with it.

 

[whitenemesis]

How are you finding the reduction in performance?

OK, mine wasn't such a big drop but I was driving a newish A180d the other day and I was perfectly happy with it.

Actually not too bad, easily keeps up with traffic flow and when selecting Sport or Sport+ quite responsive to the throttle. The boost from the traction battery obviously helps at low speed/revs. Handling is also very good, near zero body roll and beautifully compliant over the bumps etc. The adaptive suspension tightens noticeably in Sport modes.

Probably the main reason for the change was to get away from the temptation of all that torque and the frustration of not being free to exploit the performance of the 55k.

I do miss the V8 growl and the whine from the supercharger though but hey, been there done that now

 

[crockers]

Hi Peter
Looks very nice and different. How do you find the CVT box? What you getting in the real world mpg?.

Enjoy

 

[whitenemesis]

Hiya!

The e-CVT transmission is a joy to use. Totally seemless, put your foot down and it just goes and goes. The clever bit is put into Sport mode and suddenly you have 6 gears that change instantly but you feel and hear the change. Best of both worlds....

Currently getting 42mpg ave over the 1k miles since new. That's mostly around town. Couple of long journeys showed 35mpg over the 120 mile trip. The hybrid is definitely more economical around town than on the motorway.

 

[whitenemesis]

Sun shining, car cleaned (everyone knows a car drives better when freshly cleaned ) and the roads dry so took the opportunity to explore the RC's sporty side on my favourite test route, used many times in my AMG.

I have to say I'm very impressed

Switching to Sport drive mode brings a much snappier throttle response and putting the gear selector into Sport gives a realistic manual (and instant) change mode, enabling a sort of 'kick-down' in preparation for cornering/overtaking. The RC may be way down in power compared with my old CLS55 but I was still able to attack corners with gusto. The RC definitely handles better than the air-sprung CLS, exhibiting virtually zero body roll in the bends. The straights feel somewhat longer, obviously, with the reduced power but using the 'gears' gives a strong push in the back.

Switching to the Sports+ drive mode stiffens up the suspension considerably, steering is very direct and responsive but on some of the B roads is a little too hard, deflecting the car in bumpy corners.

I have to say the different drive and transmission modes do transform the car's character. Far more than other cars I've experienced. It's like having three cars in one. A smooth relaxed urban cruiser, a sporty, comfortable long distance tourer and a sporty A/B road warrior.

No, it won't out-pace the usual Merc, VW and BMW competition but hey, the RC looks waaay better at any speed, even parked

 

[camerafodder]

Since you bought that WN I keep looking at them on autotrader! I've now laid eyes on the LC500H...oh boy! https://www.lexus.co.uk/car-models/lc/lc-500/#NewEra

 

[whitenemesis]

Yup, that LC is one gorgeous looking car !

 

[C36fan]

Actually not too bad, easily keeps up with traffic flow and when selecting Sport or Sport+ quite responsive to the throttle. The boost from the traction battery obviously helps at low speed/revs. Handling is also very good, near zero body roll and beautifully compliant over the bumps etc. The adaptive suspension tightens noticeably in Sport modes.

Probably the main reason for the change was to get away from the temptation of all that torque and the frustration of not being free to exploit the performance of the 55k.

I do miss the V8 growl and the whine from the supercharger though but hey, been there done that now

Exactly what Jeremy Clarkson said when test driving the RF ;-)