Harismne

Hi everyone!
Novice here

I love cars, and would consider my self that i know a few things but after spending a few days here and looking what you guys know i must say I KNOW NOTHING.

I have been in love with benz's since god knows how long, and after a few years of owning 2 E350's (2010 and 2014) I decided to move to a CLS63 AMG so i began looking for one and a came across a CLS 55 Amg IWC with 52k miles.
Good condition looking from pictures but a few concerns that i need some advice.

The car does NOT have factory wheels on it, (see attached)

Looking from pictures, they do not have any markings on them as AMG but the lady at the dealership keeps saying that they are.

2nd owner keep the car well maintained, all service records were done in MB of Chicago.

However the 3rd owner, no serivce shown on carfax not even the Milage except from "Registration issued or renewed"
from 25k to 52k. (my major issue)
I will be going to see the car as soon as i get some brake from work,the price they are asking is 25k

With all experience that you guys have, could you tell me what can i do to find more information about this car?
I called a serivce dep. MB dealer and they emailed me the MSRP which was 122k it does show that it is a IWC verzion.

It just does not seen right that someone would remove the factory wheels which come with a special order of the car and put some replicas on.


Some pictures of the car are below (its off from their website for some reason)

Sorry if i sound immature which i'm, i'm very exiced about this car, so forgive me.

Thanks so much for your time!

///AMGeeez

Hi and welcome

Its the exact same story with me,I joined the forum few days ago and started a thread just like your's but unfortunately didn't get a lot of help from the people in here (of course there was a couple of guys have been very helpful and explained their full experience on their car purchase and ownership for me)

Anyways,in your case;the car looks amazingly clean and beautiful.the exterior looks great and the color is my personal favorite. The interior on the other hand,looks nice and clean the seat color though,its the first time I see it and I love it (the leather on the seats is a bit loose but thats normal for a 10 YO car).I'm no expert in these cars but IMHO the car is in good shape.

As for your concerns,

For Cars with more than one or two previous owners you have to be extra careful.If tge carfax is a bit Suspicious to you,take the car for a spin drive it a couple of times and take it to a mechanic or MBspecialist that you trust(not the dealer's certification test) but you probably know that better so I hope it was helpful

Wish you the best of luck in your purchase

Amer

Harismne

Thank you very much!

CharlyE500

CLS55 with IWC edition 52K miles for only $25K is good deal. Not everybody likes the original rims, my CLS55 is fully equipped and have custom 20" lightweight forged wheels that fit 305 in the rear tires. In my opinion, this car is worth it for $25k however, every used car need some basic maintenance to begin. When I bought mine, always change oil, filter, cabin airfilter, flush coolant, brake fluid flush, SC belts, V belt, spark plugs. About $1K. I have owned 06 E55 for 7 years, CLS55 and W210 E55 for a while. They are really good car if you take care well. You should have extra $2K cash in hand just in case some major repair need such as Airmatic or you can convert to Coilover around $2K cost. Go test drive it and let us know how you feel.

clsjack

The IWC Cls55 amg came with the standard CLS55 wheels except that they were the same color as the IWC car's color. Also it came with a $7k wrist watch.

Speedriven1

Biggest concern is suspension- that's a hefty bill. If you're local to the car, have an independent shop do a pre-purchase inspection, and get an estimate to fix whatever they find.

hvacdude

What does "IWC" mean ?

clsjack

IWC is the name of a popular wrist watch company. The IWC CLS also had the IWC clock in place of the Mercedes dash clock.

brando111

LOVE THE COLORS OF THE IWC. I'd look for the factory wheels. As far as maintenance recrods, have your mechanic look it over before you pull the trigger. If you dont have your own guy, find one, you will need it if you drive the car the way it was designed for.

Harismne

Hey guys, decided not to take the car.

I'm currently taking to a MB dealer who has a CPO 55 amg, with 45k miles. and 2 owners all service records done at MB dealer i will post pictures if u buy it.

I also want to Thank ///AMGeeez, CharlyE500, clsjack, Speedriven1, brando111 for the help!!

AndreNY

Good choice I would never buy a IWC with aftermarket wheels....

Harismne

Well, besides not having factory wheels, and having Chinese on tells me alot about previous owner/s and the dealer telling me that "Yes they are the special option Wheels" the car had no service records from 25k to 52k miles, 4 owners... and also i would never saparate beautiful car like that, wheels = gone watch = gone.

Just did not feel right buying the car, and i always trust my guts.

If i don't get this CPO from the MB dealer, i will probbably be looking for a low milage CLS 63
they seem to pop up from time to time just have to be quick and buy it.

Speedriven1

Totally different animal. IMO, either get the 55AMG or go to a Biturbo 550/63 AMG. Skip the NA 63s altogether.

m_berman

I looked at the IWC edition prior to purchasing my CLS 55 new. The matte bronze in lieu of the standard bright trim is gorgous, especially when it comes with the Designo interior. It came with the IWC wrist watch.
It has standard CLS wheels. Only the CLS with the performance pack 030 option had the 2 piece rims besides the SL & CL 65s.
It's a great deal at $25k if everthing is perfect. Your gut reaction might be right. A multi owner is not a good sign. These cars are bullet proof except that the airmatic struts don't last forever. Extremely pricey if repaired by Dealer. Expensive if done by an Indy shop.
My CLS 55 had only 1 issue in 50k miles. The valve cover gaskets have a known issue of leaking. Dealer charged $1,100.00 to replace. Not bad in all of ten years.
Keep looking and you will find a 1 Owner with all the Dealer service records. These are amazing cars.
Good luck.

AndreNY

Wow $1100 for Valve cover Gaskets?? They Cost $15 each and take an hour to replace

equitiesguy

At 50k miles, and ten years old, unless you have proof that the transmission was serviced somewhere previously in the last ten years walk away.

Low mileage does not equal a trouble free car.

Here's what you're looking at realistically to replace on this car as soon as you buy it:

Air filter for Airmatic ($20). Engine oil change ($60). Full transmission service, flush and filter ($200 if you do it yourself). Rear differential flush ($100). Spark plus x 16 --- Parts $200, labor = LOL unless you do it yourself. Air filters for engine ($50). Fuel pumps ($700). Fuel Sender Unit (Filter) - $500. Check headlights for leveling malfunctions and wire degradation internally. Expect to replace Xenon bulbs. Check airmatic system all four wheels, and run STAR test on pump. Check wear on front and rear rotors for brakes --- IWC is an 030 car which means front rotors and pads cost about $1200 to do. Rear is $300. New battery front and rear -- $300 (ten years old).

I could go on. You get the point. This is without running into major repairs --- just to bring the car back up to spec.

m_berman

The factory are not really a gasket but a liquid applied sealant applied by robotics in the assembly line. The fuel rail and other stuff has to be removed to get to the valve covers. It was done at the Dealer and therefore the big $$. Its hard to find anything on a MB for $15.00.

These are expensive cars to maintain. That's why they take a big hit in depreciation once the warranty expires.
If you can't afford the big $$ to maintain these cars, its best to find something else.

I have the 030 option. The front rotors are $1k each, $800 on line with no OEMs available. Even DIY brakes are expensive.

StarvingArtist

I've been considering adapting my car to the 63 or 65 rotors. The ones on it are ridiculously rare and so few options. I can deal with the extra 10mm diameter, just unsure about the offsets.

AndreNY

I guess you like getting porked by the "Stealer" (why would anyone take a 10 year old car to the dealer for service is beyond me) I just did the gaskets on my car (as I powdercoated the valve covers) Gaskets were $17.51 each from Mercedes and labor was $160 to change both of them so less then $200 for the whole job, ohh and BTW the High pressure Fuel line on the driver side does not need to be removed the Valve Cover can just slide out

Speedriven1

Yeah, $1100 seems way high.

CharlyE500

+1 I paid $300 for my indy...

m_berman

I don't enjoy overpaying. Since I have the Fidelity extended warranty, my out of pocket was $200.00


The best part of the Dealer experience is looking/driving the new stuff.

mtheumer

Hey m_berman

I am thinking about getting an extended warranty. Can you PM me some info on the rates at Fidelity?