REKON32

Im contemplating what my next vehicle should be. I want to stay under the $30,000 range. I want something with lots of horsepower since im upgrading from a v6 mustang. I know im on a MB forum but try not to be bias. Im just looking for the most bang for the buck.

Vehicles I have in mind are:
2006 C55 AMG
2004 SVT COBRA
2009 Mustang GT
2009 RT CHALLENGER
2006 BMW 3 SERIES
2006 INFINITI G35


Input and recommendations of other vehicles are appriciated.
Also just a note i am a modder, and plan to modify whichever vehicle i get.

dirty k

also not being bias, but it is relatively cheap to get the sc cobra to 500 hp's on pump gas.

Biscuit

You can pick up the 2003+ E55 AMG for under that price. In stock form they churn out 469HP & 516 ft-lb's.

Krytech

my 3c

1. C55
2. Cobra
3. Challenger

Good luck!

SilverBulletAMG

My vote:

1. C32/C55 (I know the 32 isn't on your list but talk about bang for the buck!)
2. BMW 335i or 135i (huge tuning potential!)
3. Cobra

rockjock

bang for the buck powa, or all around? MBZ for both on the high end, Cobra for powa (or E55-those are nice, wish I had one now and not the C55)
Ignore the Infinity, the 335 wont get you there on dollars (the 135 wont either) and a 330 is weak at best-RT Challenger weighs in at like 7,258lbs-do you really want a Ford. I mean, REALLY? (I used to work for them, so I can say that....)

turbo16lbs

Id go with this option first if it were me.

alkrstev

Definitely get a 2004 E55 with about 60k for $24,000 and also make sure you get a warranty. The E55 is by far the best bang for the buck $20k to $30k range, while the C32 is the best bang for the buck from 15k to 20k. I love the 03 cobra its just that it is not really an all season car. Anyways, good luck with your choice and keep us posted. MY VOTE GOES TO THE W211 E55 AMG.

jturkel

+1.....my exact list.

TemjinX2

i think you should state wheather you want to drag the car or track the car. A good drag car isn't always so great on the track and vice versa.

EVOII_Racer

Hoonestly bro go with the c55 and spend an extra 11.000 EUR with Kleeman...

Then you have a sick AMG Benz thats reliable with around 460 HP and gear shift behind the steering...

Thats what I am going to do

SilverBulletAMG

Why not just get a C63 then?

MercedesFTW

Do you have to deal with snow? Need to have bigger back seats?

If not, get the Termie Cobra!

mustang281man

here is my c32 thats forsale. brett

https://mbworld.org/forums/mercedes-...ml#post3442873

c32used

prior post is a great choice but I would pick a C55 from your original choices.

wawy

How much money would you be willing to spend on top of your vehicle budget to mod? Is it something you would do over time or would you want to do it asap after purchasing the vehicle?

viper501

e55 > c55 > 135, though your modding budget and use is really what should drive the choices. You can obviously buy a whole lot more a whole lot cheaper for any non-German vehicle. OTOH, no Ford Rustang is going to compare to even a used c55 for fit, finish, design, quality of materials etc, and it just gets worse if you go to the e55 for comparisons. I'd *seriously* pick up a used e55 w/ an extended warranty (preferably from MBZ) even if I had to pay a little more and mod a little less.

REKON32

Well im not going to race it. But I want it to good in a line but still maintain decent handling.

I would perfer a little more space and I live in sunny california =)

About 10k maybe more but It would be over time.

I really like the E55. The HP numbers are impressive (I thought they were in the 45-50k price range for some reason.) i was just looking at one on carmax and buying one at around 30k is going to have roughly 45k miles. Now you did mention extended warranty which is a must. My question is how reliable are these cars? How long of a warranty do i need to buy? Also does anyone know what this car does in a 1/4 mile stock?

alumar

The W211 E55 forums have a sticky with drag times... that will give you an idea of a range of stock and slightly modified E55 times. Generally speaking its on driver but 11.9s to 12.5's stock @ 115-120mph; 03 cobras in stock form are a little slower @ 12.2-12.9 @ 111-116 but you can drop a 1500 in them and hit 11.5-12.00 @ 120s

But why are we comparing a 03 cobra to a e55 i would go e55 all day long

Same performance level, seat 5, luxury of a E class merc ... its a no brainer

REKON32

That's impressive! I also forgot to mention this car will be my daily driver. Is there a big difference with MPG with the C55 and E55?

openroad

if you are looking for reliability I would go for the Infinity then the BMW, but much less horsepower.

viper501

Not sure what the e55 is getting mpg wise but my c55 is my dd and it averages about 22 w/ mixed city / highway driving. Of course, if I am bad it can be *much* worse.

As far as reliability, its my understanding, just from rumor (the w211 forum can certainly help with more reliable data) that the 04+ cars are the way to go. The 5.5 engine is a beast and should be super reliable. Warrant will cover stupid electrical stuff. If you can find a MBZ CPO'd car that is probably the most reliable warranty to go with. You need to read the fine print though. If you aren't buying from a MBZ dealer, you really need to do your research on the aftermarket warranty companies. A lot, read most, are near worthless. I can tell horror stories about folks that have had to sue to get the aftermarket warranty company to pay their claims. In a number of cases the warranty company folds up shop before they ever pay a claim on your policy.

Also, be aware that warranties are a major profit center for dealers with a typical 100% or more markup. They can negotiate a *lot* off of their 'costs' for the warranty.

MJ50

from that list, i'd go with C55

MercedesAMG

I would say an 08 or 07 C300...

TemjinX2

too slow