Hikingslo

Hi everyone and thanks for taking the time to read this! I am new to the Mercedes world but have been wanting a cl55 or cl65 AMG for a few years now. I have found this 2003 cl 55 AMG with 78000 miles on it. The car fax shows no accidents and the valve bodies have been replaced in 2005 and the air pump was replaced a few years later as well as the motor mounts. Other than normal maintenance those are the only major repairs shown. The car looks to be in beautiful condition but was wondering what common issues with these cars I should be expecting to arise in the near future. One other question is I am torn between the cl55 and the cl65 and was wondering what everyone's opinion is on which car is better and what years I should look at and avoid. Thanks in advance for any help and I'm looking forward to my new to me AMG!!!!

Hikingslo

So I've found 2 cars so far one is the cl55 amg which is the silver one. I just found this 2005 cl65 amg with 73000 miles. Asking price is 14000 for the cl55 and 23000 for the cl65. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

RonCL55

I have a 05 CL55 that i have owned for 10 years. I bought it with 20K miles and it now has 95K. It is the most reliable car i have ever owned and i view it as a luxury super car. I personally love the 55 because it is awesome when the supercharger kicks in.

However, the 65 is viewed is an incredible car and it is faster 0 to 60. Since i dont see a huge price difference and the 65 is newer and even faster, so i would probably go with it. Also the 03 was the first year of the supercharger and I always shy away from anything that is the first year.

Note, you should read some of the posts on this site. While i have had no significant problems others have reported some, especially in the area of ABC. So buyer beware but i love my car and at 95K it feels and looks brand new.

Good luck

Ron

Hikingslo

Thanks for the input Ron! I've been doing research on both cars and both have their quirks and problems that I'll have to deal with either way. I didn't realize though that 03 was the first year of the supercharger and like you I tend to wait a model year or two for the bugs to get worked out. I am truly torn between the two cars but either way I go I'm going to be like a kid in the proverbial candy store lol. I'll keep looking for a little bit later model 55 and the 65 I found is about 6 hours away so will be talking to the dealership and then maybe find a mechanic in that area that could take a look at it for me before I spend the time to go look at it. When looking at other 55 anything in particular to look for? Is there anyway to check on the abc system without having a mechanic look at it? Thanks again for the input!

Rob CL

You might want to familiarize yourself with maintenance costs on the 65, if you have not already done so.

Basic wear items can be quite pricey: rotors, coil packs, etc.

Personally, if that's no issue I would go with the 65.

Hikingslo

Yeah I've been doing some research into that. I've done most of the work to my own cars in the past although I understand that these are different beasts even compared to the 2 BMWs that I've owned. My biggest concern I guess is the abc system but since both cars have it not sure how much difference that makes unless it's crazy more on the 65. My best friend owns an excellent tire/ brake and suspension shop that does great work and thankfully he gives me everything at cost plus 5%. I've seen very high end cars in there before so have no issues with them working on my car but not sure if they could handle the abc system. I'll call him and see what he says about that. As far as the bi turbo compared to the supercharger any significant difference betwen the two in terms of reliability of the systems and repair costs? Thanks for your help Rob I appreciate it!

RonCL55

Whether you are looking at a 55 or a 65, this is a very complex car and personally i would not endeavor repairs myself. I am fortunate enough to have a very good and inexpensive independent MB mechanic, so i leave everything regarding repairs and maintenance to him. Fortunately i have not had any significant problems.

In terms of the supercharger, my mechanic says it is relatively bullet proof (and i have never had any problems with it, it has 95K miles on it and every time i drive it i try to set a land speed record from 0 to 60--so it is not babied at all--i just love to hear the supercharger wail).

Overall the 65 is just that much more of a super car but i cannot comment of the longevity of the turbochargers.

Either way you go, if you can find a good one you will be the proud owner of a great car for very little money. Also, but for a few 1/10ths of a second it keeps up with every luxury super car that is out there today and in its day, it was way ahead of every thing out there. Note that there is a 2005 Road and Track Article comparing the CL to a Ferrrari, Bentley, Jag and AM. You should read it. The CL was the clear winner but for the Ferrrari name.

Lastly one point occurs to me with respect to the 65. Around the 05 model year the 55 came with a one piece 18 inch AMG wheel. The 65 came wth a similar looking wheel but it was a 2 piece 19 inch wheel. The 65 wheel was of a softer metal and it has known cracking problems. The 55 wheel never gave me any problems. However, the 65 in your pictures has after market wheels so this will not be an issue for that one.

Ron

pancholi

as RonCL55 has said:
make sure you know the costs of parts re CL65.
e.g. OEM rotors/pads, coil packs
also a lot of the parts are unique to the S/CL 65 range e.g. air con condenser . pipework etc.
some of the costs will scare you. unless cost is not an issue

these cars are coming on age. and parts will need replacing if not done so already.
i currently have a CL55k having had a CL600TT. the torque on the 600TT was mind boggling, but was not easy maintenance, esp with coil packs and oil drips.
the CL55 has one of the best performance engines ever made( my opinion) thats why i have a E55k, SL55k as well!!!