dangold93

Hey guys, for several weeks now I've been looking into purchasing a C55 AMG. I daily drive a Stage II 2003 Subaru WRX wagon, and am not quite sure if I am looking to go ahead and replace it (as I love the car) or add another car to my garage. All I know is I am in the market for a new toy and narrowed it down to the C55. I'm just curious from an owner's perspective of what it's like to drive one. This car caught my attention as I honestly just don't ever see them, and for a 10+ year old car they have aged quite well, and still hold up in looks today. This isn't another "what's the maintenance like" thread, but more of just a general curiosity from an owner's perspective on the C55. Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks! Look forward to your responses.

petez1125

Well I think the C55 is one of the best/most fun cars I have ever driven. It is large enough to put four people in, two sets of golf clubs in the trunk or a hockey bag since I play hockey, but still small enough to throw around and have fun in. The NA engine has plenty of power and torque. Yes there are faster cars out there, but the C55 is a driver's car and really gives you good feedback and fun. I started with a 2006 C230 and while that car was fun, it was not fast or powerful. I then sold my 2001 Bullitt Mustang that I had done ton of work to including adding a supercharger and replaced it with the C55. I did not miss the Mustang at all. The c55 was the perfect replacement for me.


I then sold the C230 and replaced that with an E350 which is the perfect size IMO for carrying four people around. The C series is a bit tight in the back seat.


Hope that helps.

Pete

Werkzeug

Depending on the mileage I would be concerned whether or not the super charger pulley has been done. Its one of the more expensive repairs and they all eventually wear out. You can tell when its starting to wear when you accelerate and there is a quick squeak that happens. Just as an idea, the pulley by itself is 3k.

petez1125

Umm the C55 does not have a super charger, perhaps you are thinking of the E55?


I have owned my C55 for 6 six years and other than doing the spark plugs (16 of them), motor mounts and valve cover gaskets, it has only required oil changes and one transmission flush along with the rear diff. Mine has been very reliable to me.

RenC55AMG

I'm pushing 160k on mine and it's still a brilliant car; maintenance isn't difficult if you can turn a wrench and not as expensive as you fear when you hear 'AMG'.

Chest Rockwell

I only bought mine this past weekend, but so far zero regrets. Where are you located? Might help direct you to a suitable car for sale.

DFac Boy

I have had mine for almost three years. It has been very reliable though I note that I proactively replaced all parts identified on these forums as likely to fail (CPS, idler pulley, valve cover gaskets, motor mounts). I was pleasantly surprised at the relatively reasonable cost of OE parts. Working on this car is straightforward though you will need some Mercedes specific tools.
I like the sound and shove of the motor and the overall mechanical simplicity of the car. Minor demerits for ride quality and cramped interior. For me, if I wasn't moving, it would be a long term keeper.

Newzchspy

@dangold93 , here's a 2006 with the lowest mileage of any in the country. It has the Kleeman supercharger.

https://mbworld.org/forums/mercedes-...nal-miles.html

Newzchspy

I've had my 06 C55 for 7 years now. Zero maintenance issues. In fact, of the AMG C Class vehicles, its probably one of the lowest maintenance vehicles you'll find. Bang for the buck, its a great car and a sedan to boot for taking the family or friends for a ride. I've also owned other AMGs such as ML55 and C32, BUT this one is the lowest maintenance by far. The C55 is the closest you'll get to a C63 without the C63 price. A supercharged C55 is quicker and faster than a stock non-PP C63 from 08/09.

dangold93

Awesome! Congrats. I'm located just North of NYC. There are a few for sale in my area, as well as a few out in Jersey (all the good stuff is always out in Jersey).

dangold93

I'm liking what I'm hearing, as a former Audi S4 owner (2004, the V8) I couldn't stomach another trip to the garage. From a design standpoint, those cars were horrendous. Poor cooling system design, too cramped for its own space. It was a car that bit off more than it could chew. But I digress, the C55 seems much better designed. I need the practicality of a four door car, with decent enough power to make everyday driving fun. I am not looking to mod however, I am planning on keeping it stock and enjoying it as is.

Naugamanator

Go to Autotrader.com, or cars.com, and set up a nationwide search for C55's. They're out there.

I love my C55, although now that I'm doing Autocross, I've found out that it's just not competitive in F-Street, due to front wheel width. There is likely a BMW M3 in my future... :>

cblue55

I'm blessed to have 2 C55's and love them both. Bought the first one for my wife. Wanted to use it for open road racing but could not bring myself to drill holes for roll bar. So, bought another one. Put in the roll bar and ran our first open road race in it last Saturday (Big Bend Open Road Race). We averaged 135mph over 118 miles in West Texas. Highest speed we attained was 163mph. We could have easily exceeded 163, but the tech speed for our class was 168mph. Get caught above that and we're disqualified. The car performed great and was much more comfortable than the 1993 RX-7 we've ran for the last 14 years. We were only the 8th most accurate in our class of 18 cars, but considering it was our first run in the car, we were ok with that.
As for repairs, yep, be prepared to do valve cover gaskets and learn how to do motor mounts. If you're brave, you may have to do a fuel sending unit. I bit the bullet and had a independent Mercedes shop do that.

cblue55

Oh, we'll be running the Nevada Open Road Challenge on May 15th. Objective is to average 150mph over 90 miles.
sscc.us

Smokey31

I wish I lived in the US. That's awesome. Doing that on public road. Are they closed off or somet?

cblue55

The event organizers lease a section of Highway from the state for about 12 hours and close the road. They then post workers at every gate or side road to keep folks from coming on course during the event.

Mercedesamg5532

Great and fast car overall. Just don't get surprised when yu have some kind of problem because that's what is happening with mine at the moment with 75k miles

Mercedesamg5532

Me and my brother both have c55s great cars

mkonei

Funny you say that. I have a white on black 05 that I've been thinking of selling...and yes I'm in NJ. HIDs, Nav, mileage just about 76000. I never drive it, has just been sitting in my garage. If you're still looking, let me know.

kaona

I bought mine Feb 2016... I love this car. 2005 C55. I have just recently done a kleeman header and chip N tune.i live in Colorado and take mine to the track. For being 10yrs old it's amazing how much faster than some cars e.g. mustangs, camaro, wrx sti, and more. I've seen on YouTube the car run a 13.3 (stock) in the 1/4 at low altitude. I ran my best time before mods in denver(5,800ft) 14.22. Lol I'm really hoping this weds when I go I can break a 13.

joc

Hello I have a friend looking for a C55 as I have convinced him they are great value, I have have one and owned 3 more before.
What is the history on the car and price
Thanks
john

kaona

OK so got it to the track after the mods.. ran a 13.8 1/4 mile at 5800ft.. so mods are worth it on the car.. I love this car!!!!!! That sad thing about these cars, it seems they don't hold there value as well as they should.. so you can at this point in time pick one up for a reasonable price. I got mine for $8k because the dealer messed up the original price.. they actually want $13k but messed up and put it on the Internet for $7900. They are a couple still on car guru's for a decent price!!!