Infiniti M25 test drive since 2010 sedan
Comparative test: Infiniti M56 Sport against Mercedes-Benz E550
In this article you will not find a word about a luxury sedan that can be found in any prefecture of Japan or the provinces of Germany. We are only talking about Infiniti M56S and Mercedes-Benz E550. This time, this is not just a comparison of the randomly selected business class sedans. We are in our publication as a sommelier in an expensive restaurant, and this time we offer you two medium-sized luxury sedan with the largest engines in this class (V8), if you do not take into account the E63 and Cadillac CTS-M. Infiniti M56S and Mercedes-Benz E550 11 liters of the working volume of the engine for two. If you were old hardening, you would know that this is 672 cubic inch.
Even if you are not a connoisseur and not an amateur, you will appreciate the pleasure of a large torque that comes at your disposal every time when the infiniti M56S or Mercedes-Benz E550 accelerator pedal goes to the floor. These sedans are rolled along the roads with unshakable equanimity, on their rear sofas the heads of corporations break the whips about the back of middle -level managers.
Mercedes E-Class is a classic choice for someone who wants to declare their prosperity, but do not hit the extreme at the same time. And the E550 was just a winner from the recently held comparative test of luxury sedans with V8 engines (Mercedes-Benz E550 Sport vs BMW 550i Sport and Jaguar XF Premium).
Infiniti M56S, on the contrary, is a beginner and needs good advertising. He promises more complex technologies and more space than his predecessor M45 had. And he is also trying to get the title of sports sedan in a class that is rapidly losing interest in sports sedans, especially when it comes to a car with class S. This is a very difficult task for one car, especially if this car is a luxury sedan, all the advantages of which are usually exhibited for show.
More similarities than differences
Despite the fact that the Infiniti M56 and Mercedes-Benz E550 at the first glance differ greatly from each other, we were struck by the similarity of their basic specifications. The difference in the total length of the body is within 10 cm, the wheelbases are almost identical. Their weight differs only by 22 kg, each draws into 2 tons.
Nevertheless, Infiniti failed to hide behind smooth lines that it is almost 12.5 cm in the shoulders than the cheeky Mercedes. This is a direct consequence of the fact that the M56 is assembled on the basis of the Japanese Nissan, developed to perfectly fit into the tight landscapes of multimillion -dollar Japanese megacities.
So in the end, the M56 salon is more comfortable than the spacious Benz apartments. It definitely feels sports, and at the same time, the warmth, which was not in the design of previous Infiniti models. Despite the fact that in general, the M56 is inferior to the E550 in terms of equipment, it is not going to give up positions as the decoration of the cabin. There are more than enough places in the cabin of both cars, so in the end it all depends on your taste.
Mercedes has more lotions The competition started by this test is allowed for the most part in the cabin. In the case of luxury cars, the equipment of the cab plays a very large role, because if it were not so, we would all ride on empty three -tires. So in this test, 20% of the total estimate is precisely for the package of the cabin. The Mercedes-Benz E550 has a great advantage, and not at all because it is wider, but because it has more fillings.
It is quite logical to hope to find a richer inner world in the E550, since it costs $ 71,955 against $ 64,435, which are asked for our Infiniti M56S (do not worry, it also accounts for 20%in assessment). But everything is not so simple, since Benz has something that Infiniti cannot have for any money.
For example, airbags. Perhaps you are not experiencing any need for airbags for the pelvic area of \u200b\u200bthe driver and the front passenger and for their knees available in the E550, but you will certainly evaluate them in the event of a serious blow to the front of the car. And the standard Mercedes Teleaid system will also provide you with an ambulance as soon as possible. The optional system of the night vision of the E550, which takes the black and white picture of what is happening in front of the central monitor, is also very useful if your strange neighbors prefer to walk their dogs under cover of night.
We also like that the E550 has an electric trunk of the lug's lid (option), and the angle of inclination of the back of the rear seat has a 60/40 circuit. If necessary, it fully folds, forming a perfectly even surface. Such functions should even have a luxury sedan. To pretend that practicality does not matter, today only owners of sports coupe can.
Probably the most critical parameter in favor of the Mercedes-Benz E-class is a small button on the front console that activates the system of adaptive adjustment of the rigidity of the suspension. Infiniti M56S on its 20-inch wheels is going hard always and everywhere. And E550, meanwhile, is light and assembled.
Under the hood
Perhaps you think that the Infiniti M56S is the time to collect things and get out of it. But the possession of a luxury medium -sized sedan lies not only in calculating the number of functions of the cabin and discuss the degree of soft suspension. Sometimes you just get into the car and just go ahead, and at such moments the M56S suddenly begins to play with unexpected colors against the background of an overly clamped E550.
The difference in characters begins to be felt as soon as your leg presses the gas pedal.
The 5.5-liter V8 Mercedes-Benz E550 incredibly smoothly gives out the existing power, you can feel how predictable it is. The V-shaped eight Mercedes feels great at high speeds. So, despite the fact that the peak 382 hp. They are achieved at 6,000 revolutions, this 5.5-liter unit does not lose vigor until the cut-off set at 6,400 rpm. The maximum torque is 530 nm in the range from 2,800 to 4,800 revolutions per minute.
Few people doubt that the 5.6-liter V8, installed on Infiniti M56S, is a response to the respected Mercedesov V8. It easily gives over 400 horses, more precisely, then 420 hp. At the mark of 6,000 revolutions and 565 Nm for 4,400. But this engine has a more explosive character with a direct fuel injection system than the Mercedes power unit.
This is partly due to the fact that the fuel card is not prescribed for our taste. The review of the pressure of the gas pedal is first unnaturally soft, and then the M56S shoots forward, like a core released from the catapult.
But at the same time, there is a feeling that the 5.6-liter Infiniti engine wants to play your muscles in front of you. Its power is more noticeable. This V8 knows how to behave at high speeds, and he wants you to know about it.
Actually, the test
Both Infiniti and Mercedes equipped their luxury sedans with seven -speed automatic gearboxes and a drive to the rear axle. In general, they are very similar, each car has two increasing gears and a sufficiently large transfer of the main pair, which provides optimal fuel savings, both engines at a speed of 110 km/h hardly spin up to 2,000 revolutions.
Nevertheless, the demanding driver will immediately feel the differences in the behavior of these two machines. And again, E550 puts smoothness above all. Its seven -speed automatic has Comfort (comfortable), Sport (sports) and manual (manual), but first of all it seeks to be just a good automatic gearbox. He does not have a system of synchronization of revolutions when switching to a reduced gear, but this seven -speed transmission seems to be always on the right program, without attracting special attention.
Infiniti M56S, on the contrary, longs for your attention. Its transmission has Normal (ordinary), Sport (sports) and manual (manual) plus two more neutral ECO (economical) and Snow (for snow covering) and a system synchronization system when switching to a reduced gear. Choose the Sport mode, and the car will not let you down on a winding mountain road. You will receive a lot of pleasure from playing with gas at the entrance to the turn, and at the exit from the apex with sharp acceleration, all engine power is at your disposal due to the excellent operation of this transmission.
It is interesting that sometimes the seven -speed M56S automatic machine is slightly slow with switching upwards (and the same thing happens in manual mode) that, in the end, coupled with a strange fuel card, this car does not allow this car to significantly surpass the E550 abuse.
From zero to 60 miles/hour, Infiniti accelerates in 5.2 seconds against 5.3 seconds of Mercedes. This gap is also preserved on a quota, which the M56S overcomes in 13.4 seconds against 13.5 seconds E550. But at the same time, the speed at the finish, developed by the M56S and equal to 170 km/h, against the background of 168 km/h achieved E550, still implies some advantage of Infiniti in terms of dynamics.
Sports sedan against the luxury class sedan
Do not expect an especially outstanding performance on the secondary road from Infiniti M56S. He wants to be a sports sedan, and in most aspects he is exactly what he is. Remember how BMW was the 5th series, and you will understand what the new Infiniti is.
The passage of turns in this car gives almost children's joy. There is a feeling that you can simply hit the brakes with all your strength (more powerful due to the Sport Package options and the R-SPEC brake pads installed by the dealer) several times, and they will not lose efficiency. The braking distance at a speed of 60 miles/hour before the full stop of the M56 amounted to 34.13 m, and after the seventh attempt increased to only 34.74 m. Night Bridgestone Potenza Re050A 245/40 R20 95W tires contribute to the quality of the clutch of the car with the road with the road .
This clutch is felt when you turn the steering wheel steeper, feeling the delight of the response received at the same time and the effort that occurs on the steering wheel. I would like to note that the M56S steering wheel is a little heavy, but at the same time it is never too heavy for this car. M56 turns very accurately, with a minimum body roll. If you have the courage to turn off the stabilization system, then in the end you will get a small skid of the rear, which, however, is unlikely to scare you.
Sledge M56S takes place at a speed of 107.5 km/h, doing it faster than the BMW 550i (104.4 km/h), but much more slowly than the unreal E63 AMG and Cadillac CTS-V. In the test for lateral acceleration, the M56S shows 0.88G, which puts it in a par with 550i.
We have a Mercedes-Benz E550, next to the athletic Infiniti M56S that does not show any interest in such tricks. E-class has a slight accurate steering wheel, but it does not have much informativeness, I do not want to talk about it. Its all -season tires Continental ContiProcontact 245/45 R17 99H cannot boast of a particularly good clutch. Sledges E550 overcomes at speeds only 101 km/h and develops 0.81G in the test for lateral acceleration.
It is impossible not to note the large course of the brake pedal, although the response to its pressing is quite predictable. This is an ideal option in case of an unforeseen situation in the German autobahn. The brakes are quite mediocre, because he is shown the car in mediocre tires. The best result of the E550 when stopping from 60 miles/hour is 38.1 m.
Undoubtedly, they look very harmonious on your driveway, but the total working volume of their engines exceeds 11 liters.
Mercedes won
Despite the obvious superiority of the M56S of dynamics, it is difficult for us to blame the Mercedes-Benz E550 of a lack of fun. This is a luxury sedan, and he is not trying to pretend to be something else. It is indescribably soft and impressive in everything, starting with the transmission switches and before absorption by the suspension of all road irregularities, it is equipped with the latest technologies and old -fashioned amenities.
Since the victory of the E550 over the Infiniti M56S in this test provided only 3 points, the connoisseurs have a very intriguing opportunity to purchase a real sports sedan. Where Mercedes is fresh and sterile, Infiniti is energetic and bright. Infiniti M56S of those cars, which I want to get drunk at the first opportunity. About Mercedes E550 this cannot be said.
Personal preferences are a significant factor when choosing between these sedans. But with the final decision, you should not delay. Due to the upcoming tightening of the standards of fuel consumption Infiniti M56S and Mercedes-Benz E550, very soon they can turn out to be a kind of tyrannosaurus of Rex and Louis of the sixteenth, hand in hand walking to sunset. It is unlikely that they will be left to these delicious V8.
Another opinion
Executive Editor Michael Jordan:
Perhaps I was just arranged by German sedans. They turned into the same average Bavarian sausages, differing from each other now only in length. Differences in character and style look like a result of a long time as a forgotten battle. The Mercedes-Benz E550 incorporated everything that has lost its meaning in these machines, from the unpleasant fixation of the style that returned to the past, to overly refined controllability. As always, I am looking for real things, and he is not one of them.
Therefore, it is not surprising that I vote for Infiniti M56S. In this pair of Infiniti, it is clearly the one who embodies modernity in itself, it is felt in how its unusual and ergonomic interior was finally beaten, which turned into a unique space, the creation of which the brand engineers worked since the first model of the Q45 brand was released in 1990. The quality of elaboration of the exterior does not quite correspond to the high standard set by the salon, but at least it carries something fresh.
The M56S rides as in my view was to go Q45. On the road, he demonstrates an excellent balance that gives him energy against the backdrop of a damp model without a letter S in a name, which I also managed to go behind the wheel. The car is somewhat heavy, it throws her considerable weight from side to side and as if blesses in her own wheels, too heavy for her. But, despite all this, when it comes to fast driving, it shows stiffness, which I really like. Like any Nissan, M56S is in the grip of its engine, and I am especially impressed by how its V8 behaves at high speeds, it suddenly becomes much more dynamic than a distinguished (albeit powerful) engine under the hood of E-class. German cars of this category turned into reduced clones of their larger luxury counterparts, and the BMW 5-Series, which is expected in the near future, proves that even BMW has been influenced by this trend. Infiniti M56S is very trying to be the right size, as until recently he did the BMW 5 series, and it was in this car that I would like to drive in the future.
The results of the test
The weight
Mercedes-Benz E550
Infiniti M56
Subjective rating
2.5%
66.7
83.3
The rating must be taken! (Which of the cars from the point of view of the editorial office is better for the average buyer in this segment of cars)
2.5%
66.7
83.3
Assessment for 28 pre -agreed points (from the characteristics of the engine to the convenience of the rear seats)
twenty%
80.0
78.8
Equipment
twenty%
75.6
24.4
Driving qualities
25%
84.4
100.0
Fuel consumption
ten%
97.7
100.0
Price
twenty%
88.3
100.0
Total score
100%
83.0
79.8
The final rating
one
2
Source: Insideline