W210 Guy

Ah well since he's begging, then get it Why not buy him his first house too?

If you do decide to buy it then do the right thing and get him some lessons on how to drive performance cars.

Fraser

Why not get something more modest initially that isn't an AMG model. Something like a C350 and see how he handles that before going all out.

I guess it depends on what values you are looking to teach your kids. If they beg for something and they always get it is that a good thing? At some point you've got to cut the umbilical cord and they're going to be going it alone. If Dad's given them a $100k car to start off with where are they going to aspire to from there? There isn't that far to go...

I was at boarding school with some exceptionally wealthy people. One of whom learned to drive on a Ferrari 355, and in his first year of driving had a BMW M5, CL600, S500, BMW 760iL to name a few (his brother and him used to share them) and when a new Porsche 996 was delivered he gave it to one of our group of friends to drive and paid for the insurance and petrol for the 6 months he had it. He didn't have any room in his garage in Kensington (swanky-ish part of London) garage and didn't want to put it in storage or park it on the street. For him it was a good way to keep the car nearby and know it was "safe". We never got into any trouble so it is possible for sensible kids not to go off the rails in powerful machines.

MercedesFTW

Really is a trust thing...I got my C55 at 17. Granted it's less powerful...but it can reach illegal speeds mighty quick as is, but no tickets. The year after my senior year had a M5 and 911 Turbo S...both kids though, are car fanatics and treat their cars, and the road, with respect.

Actually I was just thinking...if I had only waited two years, the price on a brand new C55...I could have gotton such a beauty of an used CLS55!

regor60

Well, if your S600 is an 03 or newer then you know the power, however, if it's older, I'd suggest YOU test drive a 55K and see whether you'd be comfortable with him having that power.

And don't forget to try it with the traction control off at least once, cause then you'll really understand

C280 Sport

If he can show he is responsible enough to have a car with that much power then let him have it. If he is a good person inside then he wont be pressured into racing or doing anything stupid with it. If he can say no to drugs and other bad things I am sure he has enough common sense to drive safely. My oldest sons first car was a one year old Mustang GT with many upgrades. Had over 400bhp.(No where near as fast as the CLS AMG but you get what I am saying) I purchased for him I trusted him with it because I knew he would be stupid with it. I was right. No accidents, no speeding tickets and no court dates.

CLK Masters

I got my car when i turned 18, (Clk 500). Honestly, unless your son has been to a driving school ... (skip barber, bob bondurant..ect) it's too much power. I autocross regulary and have attended driving schools. my little 300 hp can get to be a handful in some situations. can't imagine 500 hp!

2000c230sport

Seems like an accident waiting to happen. The difference in my driving at 17 and now at 25 is night and day even though I was a good student, etc. Oh well, get it anyways. It may get banged up, keyed, cause a few speeding tickets and accidents, but it probably won't be that much different than any other car you get him. Plus it's safer than most lesser cars

MercedesBoss

I see the point of views from which some of you guys are coming from. Ever since he began driving he's been with me in the car. When he held his permit he drove my S600 with me and we had a discussion upon safety, responsibility, peer pressure etc. I know my son isn't intellectually lacking, but friends (especially a certain girl) can tweak your mind. If I think about it from my head rather than heart, I would be swayed not to get it for him not only because of the power but also because of the fact that an average 17 year old when never think about driving a car like this.

These stories about the kid with an M5 scared me beyond belief especially since this car packs a little more under the hood. I'm pretty sure that kids father went through the same safety precautions I did with my son.

Yet I come back to tell myself that if I can afford it and my son is deserving of it then I should. I would feel kind of disappointed in myself if I didn't give much effort into fulfilling my sons wishes. Or at least doing my part in helping him be satisfied.

I think I might enroll him into some classes which will teach him how to truly respect the power this car has. I'll take him to the dealer and have a talk with our local salesman. I'm thinking that my son is capable in deciding whether it would be wise to be handling a car such as this on an almost daily basis.

MHP

I respect what you're saying but keep in mind this is is a single well publicized case. Now think of how many other 18 year olds with similar cars we didn't read about in the news because they didn't attempt a similar stunt.

To the OP, it's really your call, obviously you know your son better than any of us. The best advice I can give you is that if you do purchase the car for him, send him off to a 3 day driving school. Otherwise, take him on an empty road/parking lot and show him what the car is capable of. Let him get the *** end loose coming out of a slow corner, do a burnout or two, etc.

Knowing what to do in a situation when a car is on the verge of losing control is powerful knowledge.

traumadoc

When I was his age, I was somewhere between the Buick Regal and the Mazda 626. We all need something to look forward to. The carrot that leads the horse so to speak. Too big of a carrot to begin with....?

I was the poorest kid in a well to do family. Disowned because my mother married out of her social class. All my wealthy cousins driving the nice cars never had anything more to look forward to or work for. They never did anything with their lives and now have gone through all the family money. I worked for mine because there always was a bigger carrot out there to chase.

That being said, the CLS may be a happy medium for your son. Give him a taste of the good life but not over the top.

As an ER physician, I always worry about the power. MB has a good safety profile and hey.... it's not a crotch rocket. Have you ever thought about a surveillance chip?

Kar don

Some things to think about.

When I was 17 I absolutely could not handle a CLS55. I have been a car nut ever since I was little and now an engineer in the automotive industry.. at my age now I feel I am ready to step up to the 500hp cars.

Anyway.. most the CLS55s are almost out of warranty and the repair bills can add up QUICK. Brake pads, rotors, tires, airmatic, supercharger clutch, SBC brakes (potential death trap), etc! Is your son ready to pay for that? Or will you foot the bill?

I think a CLS500 w/AMG kit or CLS550 would be a better bet... the car has PLENTY of power especially for a 17 year old. I also agree with traumadoc about something to look forward to. I think the CLS is a lot of car for his age and it will be hard to "downgrade" and he will want something bigger and better when he is 21. At 21 I he'll probably still be asking you to buy his cars... Keep it in mind.

DaCeptak0n

I do agree with many other members here that such a car would be quite lackadaisical in your thought process. To own such a machine, I believe, is a honor. Making him work for it will increase the value that much.

allied107

Crazy Thread

Well lets see I am only 24 right now. My first car was a 2002 Mustang GT (convertable) and I also had a 1968 California Special Mustang that me and my father put together. I bought the 02 Mustang when I was 16. About 2 month ago a crashed my 2002 Mustang I was driving on some back roads there was a bad storm that night and there where tons of oak trees branchs and crap in the road and as I was coming to a turn around a corner a tree branch fell in the middle of the road and I plowed right into it. I did not really care to the damage of the car but just that me and he passanger of my car where okay. Anyway make a long story short I have alot of respect for both my self and my car and other people on the road. When I purchased the car new I knew there was alot of power in the car as well as speed and I would have to say from the time of being 16 I could easly say it was more then plent for me. Alot of times I would take my car to a track and run the car really hard to get use to the car and safetly drive like a nut in a controlled enviorment and enjoyed it alot.

So 2 weeks ago I bought a E55 now I also have a CLS 550 so I think a more pratical car would be a CLS 550 for starters or a CLS 500 being that you are a very nice dad and would buy your son such a nice piece of machinary. I would tend to think that your son would want the car more of the killer looks it gets because the truth is the power of a 55 is enough to scare some of the most experiences drivers out there.

You need to think of alot of things like outside factors of friends and other people on the road alot of time you get people that wanna race you and its easy to give in and think if you give your son the tools for something he may not be ready for god forbid something happens to him.

Anyway good luck with your hard decision I am sure either way your son should be greatful with what ever it is you chose to give him. It's nice to see parents that are sucessfull give there kids something may not have had growing up.

Chinny4290

Wow...I wish you were my dad.

I bought my 320 and 280S all by myself when i was 17/18.

S-Clusiv

If he deserves the car, get it for him. Don't listen to anyone pointing out what any other kid has done, because no one here knows YOUR kid and don't listen to the ones who say it will bring negative attention.

The people who will be paying the negative attention suck anyways.

That CLS is one of the safest cars with such power that money can buy. Go. For. It.

AMGTestDriverNJ

Mercedes Boss - He is 17, he has quite a while to work his way up to a car of this breed. There are plenty of stimulating cars both asthetically and performance wise that are not as powerful/expensive as the 55k models. It is also hard to appreciate anything else when your first car was high performance mercedes whether you are a smart kid or not. Even smart kids sometimes make stupid decisions. What car did you first start driving when you were his age? Was it bought for you or did you purchase it? Whatever the answers to those questions are should be your guidelines. Its nice to want to give your kids everything you weren't able to, but sometimes it can be counterproductive even though it feels like your doing the right thing. Just my 2cents. I'm 24 now and worked my *** off to purchase my CL55k in 06. My first car as an 89 Camry I bought off my father. There is a huge difference between being given stuff like this and earning it.

Zax63

Let's say you are 95% sure that it is a good idea, so you do it for him. And lets say he races someone, crashes and is paralyzed. You think that was worth it? That 5% doubt will be eating at you until your death bed. The M5 story sucks, but I work with a guy who had the same thought process, same desire to reward his son, and is now suffering from a lifetime of remorse as his son relearns how to walk. I also know a guy who bought his 17 yr old son an E55. I'm friends with the owner of a local performance shop who told me the kid was in looking for performance mods that were invisible to his dad. He is a model kid too, but he still has a p*nis and testosterone and likes to impress girls. I told his father to cut the supercharger drive belt and replace it in a few years. Get the kid a CLS 550. If he doesn't appreciate it, disown him, he's no good anyway. I suspect if he is as good as you say he is, he will understand your desire to keep him around and in one piece.

S-Clusiv

I never understood why when someone asks something like this the replies consist of "when I was xx years of age, I drove a ___ and had to ____"

I'm sure there was a car that you wished to the heavens above that would come off the poster on your wall and into your driveway and you'd hate to be told you were too young to drive it, if it's the kid's dream car and the parents can afford to buy it, more power to them..no?

If anything he'd set his goals higher than the CLS next time and work his way up. I don't mean to sound like an *** but threads like this attract alot of haters that seem to think no teen should drive a car equal or a tier higher than the car they had to drive a ______ for or that they had to ______ for 8 summers/save for xx years and live off of rice & beans for. Some people have it better than others, don't hate.

BlackHammer

Too much beating around the bush, guys...

Don't do it. If he does not do something stupid with it one of his friends will if - and when - they get behind the wheel of it and your son or others near and dear to his heart and probably yours will be too.

16 = underdeveloped mind. As a parent I can only imagine your mind is developed fully. So, I guess the question really becomes "how developed is your mind?" I think you are nuts and way to optistic (don't care how good of a kid he is, I always let my friends and business associates drive my E55; they went absolutely NUTS with the car - now, get the keys to teenagers???)

Also, a serious point to consider is that the 55's are essentially luuxury Viper's, Corvette's and 911 Turbo's in straight lines. Does this put things in perspective at all? Gonna go get your kid a 500 HP Viper????

With that said...

TK

wusty

Come on, just remember back when you were 17.........It's all about dinkin' around. What would you have done with a 470 hp ride at that age??? You would have raced every person in the school, on the streets, then the city, you'd be burnin rubber and driving reckless daily.(you get the drift) and with that and no experience driving, is guaranteed problems. Most likely a serious wreck. It's not about whether you have the means to buy your son a sick ride or not, its about his safety. Buy him something cool lookin, smaller Benz with half the engine size. Then you can still live to see your son for a long long time, and he'll still be stoked! Just tell him he can take the 600 out on dates then he'll still get his need for speed taken care of . My $.02

auclutch

although I understand your sentiment, I don't think that everyone that's posted here is a hater. I for sure am not. Most MB owners certainly enjoy the finer things in life and hence we buy nice things for ourselves and those around us.

Contrarily, I just don't think its wise to give an inexperienced driver a 500hp car. I don't even think its wise for my wife to drive 500hp cars and she's been driving for many years now. I notice that many of those tossing opinions around are not owners of cls55's and so you are giving opinions on things that you are not fully experts on. the cls55's (like all 55's, 63's, or 65's) are monsters on the road and sometimes require quick thinking and instincts that are gained over time and through experience. even among the high powered cars, my sl55 or my 996 turbo are much more controllable, both with similar horse power but much better (and predictable) handling characteristics than the cls55. if you drive around a tight bend going 60mph in the sl or porsche you won't have any problems regaining control even if there is a slight oversteer (or understeer as the case my be). Even with all of the sophisticated electronics and controls on the cls, its not as easy to control as a lighter or more nimble car. sometimes, on a rainy, snowy, or otherwise slippery day, pressing on the gas instantly causes the car to lose control. with the lighter cars you regain quickly, with the heavier ones its not as easy.

look, all i'm saying is that you should learn to drive before you get behind the wheel of a car like this. if its the looks you want or the status or the luxury there are many other cars to buy. if you read my post above the cls55 is like a 911 turbo on drugs... sometimes its perfectly awesome and sometimes its a nightmare.

jbec.keane

Only you can judge your son's maturity, but I would certainly spend some money on advanced driver training before giving a 17 year old access to a car with that much power. Heck, I sent my sons to Skip Barber performance/defensive driving before giving them access to an Acura.

JK

khelawanb

I never understood why people start threads, then put restrictions on the replies and opinions that are given. If you don't need an opinion, then don't start a thread.

Anyway, most of us feel that kids need to be reminded that they are kids. Well, that's how I feel.
S-clusiv, we are speaking as fathers, not haters. I love motorcycles, but would I buy one for my 17 year old? No!
Do I wish I had one when I was 17 ? Yes!

Amituk

lol sorry but I think you are crazy..

even if I was bill gates.. I would not get my kid a $80k car, let alone with 500hp.

How is a kid supposed to learn the value of money, to work for what they want when they are given $80k for a 17th birthday.. If you want your kid to end up like paris hilton go ahead.

Spend the money on a top education.. or send him travelling for a year where he can see what its like in the real world..

My first car was 1.1 Litre Ford Fiesta. My dad would of described me exactly as you did your son.. but I still raced that car round with mates..

My dad used to lend me his 2.2 Audi 100 back in the day.. and that was when the real fun was had.

As you say.. your son is into his mechanics.. sounds just like me.. petrol flows in his vanes.. and to be honest.. there is only 1 reason your son wants an AMG! its that V8 lump under the bonnet.. if he just loved the car.. you could get him the base car with the AMG kit on it.

Amit

C280 Sport

The car was $80,000 in its day. I have found some nice used ones for around $45,000. Low miles here is a nice one.

http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/mer...z&distance=any