jthibou

First off I have to tell you all, I am very impressed by the overwhelming knowledge and advice that I have read on most of the threads in this forum. I have loved this car for 5 years but never pulled the trigger. This is a big jump for me bc I only own a G35 and a FX35 Infiniti. I am not technically savvy to understand any of the upgrades or mods. I still don’t know the difference between the 06 and 07!! (Go ahead and laugh at me but if you can, please tell me after you finish drying your eyes from laughing so hard)
This is a long post so please bear with me:
So I present you my toughest decision as a novice car buyer and MB virgin.

I think I have finally found the CLS 55 I have dreamt about. I just wanted the forums honest opinion.
Here are the specs:

Supercharged, 529 Horsepower RennTech Stage 2 Upgrade:
ECU Upgrade
Crankshaft Pulley
Carbon Fiber Airbox
Premium 21" Auto Couture Wheel Pkg.
Option Lorinser Front Fenders
Keyless Go Air Suspension
Navigation System
Premium Adjustable Power Seats
Traction Control Slip Control
Stability Control ABS (4-Wheel)
Air Conditioning Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Cruise Control
Power Steering
Telescoping Wheel
AM/FM Stereo CD (Single Disc)
Parking Sensors
Dual Air Bags
F&R Side Air Bags
Heated Seats
Dual Power Seats
Leather Moon Roof
Rear Spoiler
Trunk Spoiler

18K on the lileage and this car looks immaculate. 1 owner. I just question why the owner would sell this car. CAR FAX is gtg. NO WARRANTY!
Asking price is 56K

I keep hearing about the maintenance costs. Am I going to incur a huge amount of maintenance as the car gets older? I do not intend to drive it a lot (mostly weekends)

Are there certain things I should look for before purchasing? Are there items I should demand be fixed prior to just in case?

Any advice or opinions would be appreciated. This car is a classic and I intend to baby it like it was my child. I just want to have an informed decision before I buy one.

Thanks in advance

JT

xpl0sive

$56k is a lot of money for a 2006 with no warranty... IMHO

jthibou

ok

Thanks for the heads up. I am sure i can talk him down when I bring check in hand. any other advice?

xpl0sive

well i'm not sure how much you'll be able to talk him down, but it seems like the going price for low mileage cars is $40-45k. if the seller thinks his car is worth $50k+, he might have trouble accepting $10k less than asking price. I would also look into aftermarket warranty

keith954

That car sounds nice, seems like it is worth about 45k.. I know this car has higher miles but it seems nice and is priced well, and has a warranty.
https://mbworld.org/forums/mercedes-...-warranty.html

jthibou

This car looks sweet. I will look into it. Hey thanks for the link keith.

WRT to the previous post. I think your right. I dont think he will go down 10K for the car. I will keep looking.

jthibou

I am still looking for anwers on the related maintenance and what to look for before I purchase. any takers?

TopEndS62

i do not have the CLS55, however it is pretty similar to the E55. Personally i would never buy any car that already has engine upgrades, even with the low miles, I'm sure he didn't get the upgrades just to have his machine sit in the garage. Common items for repair are: Airmatic struts, intercooler pump, fuel pumps (both), crank position sensor, alternator, to name a few. Maintenance includes oil-change every 3-5k miles, 16 spark plugs recommended at 100k however most owners change them at 65-75k miles, brakes can be found well-priced (akebonos) mounts will eventually give out(also cheap, $90each). I do my own labor, so I cant chime in on labor costs, parts are not as bad as one would anticipate for a (once) $100k vehicle. So an aftermarket warranty should be highly considered. Furthermore, I have to echo the previous post in terms of price. It is over-priced. I was actually looking into ENTIZY1's cls55 as it seem to be one of the best deals out, however like i previously stated, i'm not a fan of purchasing modded machines. Hope i was some help.

VCA_AMG

A few tips/cautions...

- A car with such low mileage that's 5-6yrs old hasn't been driven much, obviously. What's less obvious is that a car that has only been driven 3000mi per year sometimes doesn't get regular maintenance to keep things fresh. If you can get an oil sample & send it in for evaluation that would be ideal.

- Check on regular yearly maintenance records on fluids & engine oil.

- Have your dealer run the VIN and see if there have been any major repairs performed already.

- Have a significant amount of $$$ set aside at any given moment to repair the Airmatic suspension (it's a matter of time), engine mounts, supercharger IC pump, bearings and other engine related pieces. An out of warranty airmatic issue can cost several thousand dollars.

- Electrical gremlins in the seats, sunroof and bits & pieces can add up on repair costs.

- The price seems WAAAY out of line for a 5yr old car, even with low mileage. You can find '08 CLS63s with low mileage in the low 60's, still with warranty and (arguably) a better engine from a maintenance and sound perspective.

Cylinder Head

iTrader: (1)

Everything VCA AMG said you can take as gospel. He's right on point.

There is a guy in the W211 E55/E63 forum selling extended warranties, I highly recommend you get one. You do not want one of these cars out of warranty IMHO.

As for this car, I just picked up an '09 E63, completely loaded and in perfect shape with 18k miles AND a CPO warranty for a little more than what this guy is selling his car for. He can come down in price, just make an offer.

tymlesE500

I know this car. The original owner lived by me and kept it in good condition. Then dealer purchased it and sold it. Then dealer took it back as a trade after all 4 lorinser rims were changed due to pot hole damage. I was at the rim shop when the 2nd owner was picking out the replacement rims. Car was then leased to another customer and is now back at the dealership. Not sure who told you it was a 1 owner car but I know that's not true. The original owner did all the work to the car. IMOH it is priced a bit high but the dealer is the one who sets that price. I looked into this car from the ORIGINAL owner after I sold my cls55 a few years back. good luck with your search but if they are telling you one owner, I would walk.

jthibou

Thanks for the advice. I did talk him down to a great deal so I am happy with the purchase. I am thinking of upgrading to the DNYNAVIN MBE OEM this week.

I am excited about being in such an elite group

**Timeless** you were right but I was also looking at a CLS 63 and I think I got them confused.

So what should I do first to the beast of a car?

m_berman

Sounds like you are a new owner. First get an extended warranty for as long as possible-I paid about $6500 5 years/70k miles with Fidelity $100 ded
Hopefully you can get it with the mods-most co require inspection and no mods
I doubt that it is 529 HP without intercooler upgrades or headers Standard ecu + Pully = +30hp
Check to see if pump or intercooler is upgraded
A new stage 2 is about $8-10k and really does not bring extra $ at sale time
Better to find a already stage 2 than do it on your cash
As soon as you get it- change all fluids immediately
I have had no problems with mine at 30k miles except for routine front brakes & tires.

Fly by night

I would agree with this poster $43-44.000 is still alot of money for cls that has had changes to it since 2006. You can buy yourself a S65 for that kind of money and call it a day with a stock car.

m_berman

A 05-06 CL 65 is also within this price range

Fly by night

Good point. You would have a stronger car and yet still stock.

jpohl402

Well, since it hasn't been commented on -
the major difference between 06 and 07 are engine.
One is supercharged, the other is naturally aspirated. The 07+ also has various cosmetic upgrades....

xpl0sive

ya but honestly would you rather have an old v12 benz that looks outdated?
especially a v12 out of warranty... no thanks

m_berman

I have the 06 CLS 55. When the CLS 63 arrived at the same time I was considering my 55, I drove both. The 55 has more off the line torque that you can really feel. An interesting fact about the performance stats between the 55 and 63s. They are flipped.

55 63

HP 469 507 +/-

Torque 507 469 +/-

One more thing, the 55 was a one year only car. The engine with the supercharger was made only in 2006 with a production run of some 3300 cars or so. Maybe a future investment car ( in about 75 years )?

There is no comparison with the CL 65. Today prices put the $200K car within reach of a current pricing of $35-50K depending on 05 or 06 and mileage. A pocket rocket without leaving a hole in the wallet.

Fly by night

With an aftermarket warranty, I'd take the V12 Benz in either coupe or sedan 4 sure given the option of them or cls 55. Let's be real the cl is starting to look dated.
The V12 models still look classy.

xpl0sive

did you mean CLS is starting to look dated?