E55AMGFan

I agree, if he want's bonkers power, HPF is on call as it's turbo kit surpasses AA and VFs supercharger, it's a 20,000 premium but in the end you get a 770hp (630rwhp) E46 M3, with 550+rwhp available on pump gas alone.

blacksage

Ok. the M3 is gone and look what I found! Why the hell is this so cheap?

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

E55AMGFan

Mileage can be the mean reason and it's a 2004, atleast you're staying away from 2003 as there were some model bugs as it's the first year model of the E55. Keep looking and I suggest trying to get one with a warranty and proof of service history no matter how high or low the mileage is. Clean carfax, up-to-date service history and peace of mind with a warranty should be 3 staples to get in when getting your E55.

Hector-AMG

I own both cars C55 & M3. They're both different in all way. The C55 for me is a complete package of luxury and performance. This car really represent your civilize side. The M3 in the other hand is a complete sport car that you really want to drive it fast everytime and reprensent your mean side.

I do strongly believe that the quality of the MB parts all by far better than BMW. Even that both cars had very expensive maintenance, the C55 it's been very reliable!

Recommendation:

If you own one of this cars....buy an extended warranty! It's save me lots of headache!

Here some pics:

cheonn

my best friend has a e46 and we have raced probly a good 15 times and not 1 has he passed me in the last 5 month he modded his e46 heades mistersaft section 1 section 2 and sum titnium muffler, evo sport headers,sum kind of tune. and he jumps 1 and 2 but when i hit 3 i creep and pass him. now that i modded my car i beat him wayyy more then we did stock to stock. his brother has a 2007 335i and its a bit faster then the e46 but not faster then the c doesnt matter wat, its close but never have lost to him. but the 335 is a quick car he got a vishnu tune the other week and i still have to race but kinda intimidated not gonna lie and it waz only $1400 for nice power couldnt do that for our n/a v8.

blacksage

I test drove a C55 that I really liked. Mars red, navigation, CPO, warranty til 100k. They are asking 25k. KBB says a dealer should be asking 26k. I think I would happy in the 22k-23k range.

E55AMGFan

Did this car drive differently in comparison to the first one you tested?

blacksage

No I drove it exactly the same. That first car I drove was weird. It did not have the V8 sound. It did not have the V8 pull. The inside looked like a C55, in fact I believe it was a C55 but something must have been wrong with it. The brakes felt like they needed to be replaced as well. I dont think it was taken care of properly. This car I drove yesterday though was a monster. Even my wife commented on the V8 soundtrack. It felt torquey, still not as fast as my E46, but that is just a comparison from the drivers seat, who knows. It was really comfortable. I liked the navi, the ipod jack, cd changers, FOUR DOORS, the list goes on. But I want to pay around 22k for it. It just didnt seem like the dealer was willing to negotiate.

When I bought my wife's acura it was priced at 23k. The dealer marked it down to 21 and we bought it for 17k plus taxes, title, etc. that was a couple of years ago. I figured with the slow times we are going through, I could get a car marked at 25k for at least 22k. I have been watching it for a while now. When I saved it they had it priced at 27k, now it is priced at 25k. Plus I figured since it is red not a lot of mercedes owners would want a color so loud.

E55AMGFan

Great point, negotiate a bit more and see what happens, a mars red C55 is . I agree with you concerning the price, if they really want to move it they should have some wiggle room. Some carbon fiber pieces such as lip and diffuser and resonator delete and you have a beast lurking with a lot of growl. Any reason why it doesn't feel as fast as your M3 even though a stock C55 is faster than the M3. Perhaps it's the low end torque vs. peaky rev limit and powerband of the M3 once you compare the 2 cars.

blacksage

You know I dont know what is going on with my M3. Factory freak maybe? It had 18 inch rims and felt faster than other M3's I test drove. Maybe it had some secret modification I didnt know about like upgraded software. I dont really care though. Even if it is slower or faster I know it is not by much. I LOVE the TQ. All of my other cars have been high revving 4 or 6 cylinders. When I did get on it, it was during some curves on a backroad and merging on the freeway...I'm still drooling over that V8 sound. I am sure if I stepped on it from a dead stop it would kill the M3 cause of the TQ.

I think I am going to see what my interest rate is at and ask them to sell it to me for 20k hoping we can meet in the middle. I am prepared to walk because the only thing that would make this car better is if it were black. Red was my second color choice.

Do these cars really have warranties til 100k? What about the years? If thats the case I'll probably move on to something else before the warranty is up. I see myself keeping this car for a little over 3 years.

JG26_Irish

You have already gotten alot of feedback from owners on the forum, most of which I agree with. So, some of my comments may be redundant. The E46 M3 is not a slow car. Plus the high revving, highly tuned six in the M3 gives it a rush of accelleration that feels even faster than it is. They are in a word, great cars with outstanding road feel. I would be proud to own one. Also, they offer the 6 speed option which I wish I had in my AMG. That said, my experiences with AMG's (I'm on my 2nd one now) is all good. Compared to the M3 (E-46), I have a C32 with a mild pulley mod and C3P intake. Those two changes add about 42-43 horses to the already strong supercharged V6. In its current trim, I have pulled on highly modded E-46 M3's at the road racing track. Not head over heels faster but fast enough mind you. A modded C32 is not going to be afraid of too many C55's either. The instant torque of the supercharged engine is different than the C55's V8 but the sound track is lacking compared to the C55. Both are deceptive in the way they accellerate HARD but remain smooth, and comfortable as they do it. I have a highly tuned and very fast turbo, midengine sports car that "Feels" faster than the C32 but when lined up together the C32 kills it every time and by a good margin. If you like torque, test drive a C32 or a E55, you may come away amazed. Still if you already have an M3, why bother with trading? I mean, the M3 is a great car. Yeah, I know that the beemer community has alot of younger, cocky, testosterone soaked owners that can be mouthy, but we all have some of that. Hell, I'm still that way, and I am an "Old Fart", lol

As for cost of ownership, I had a C36 before the C32 and both have been no more costly than a Honda Accord to maintain. They would on occasion have small mechanical issues but both proved easy and inexpensive to fix. I remain a very happy customer. The dealerships I have been too are all first class and having the AMG badge on the car never seemed to give rise to gouging of the customer. The AMG is "Very Exclusive". There were only 1000 of the C36 made world wide and only about 3500 of the C32? I know there were about 832 of the 2003 model of the C32 that I have. This is not many by any count. Most models of Ferrari number more. Yet, getting parts and timely maintenance is not difficult. In all my years with the AMG's, I have seen only one other C36 and have never seen another C32 on the road. I like that little air of exclusivity that comes with the AMG, while delivering performance that will smoke a Ferrari Tesstarossa while hauling 4 passengers and their luggage, lol.

Irish

walee112

I gotta second that... lol even with a type R in a civic i was still getting 26/33 mpg

blacksage

I really appreciate all the help. I am deciding between two cars at the moment:

05 red C55 with 52k warranty til 100k 23k
05 blk C55 with 81k no warranty 20k

I'm really thinking of picking up the black one for 17k, if they'll take it.

I had a civic si for one of my first cars. Loved it til they stole it

JG26: there is a C32 up north for about 18k with 68k on the clock. I havent drove one yet, I am afraid i wont like it after driving the C55, we'll see though.

xplosiveg06

i own both as well. both have their pros and cons

c55
pros:
low end torque
four doors
sexy v8 exhaust with just resonator and sec. cats cut out
dead solid at highway speeds
sleeper until people see the amg badge
rear power shade, 200 mph speedo
girls my age love that its a "black mercedes" and always say they want one
reliable, parts cheaper than m3
rare car
has a donut spare tire
doesnt attract negative attention when you dont want it

cons:
slow shifting transmission
really tight cockpit console
when the windows are open the wind smacks you in the face
no lsd, pegleg burnouts lol
car feels heavy
spring rate is way too soft with harsh ride
rear is way too high stock, wish they widened the fenders a bit

e46 m3:

pros:
revs to 8k rpm
coupe
amazing engine with itbs that makes over 100 hp a liter
doesn't remind you the sunroof is open every time you leave it open
SMG transmission (past 3 cars were stickshift and i love smg more)
huge aftermarket
lsd
excellent road feel
more fun to drive
better seats
easy to diy
timeless design

cons:
needs to be wound up to get going
aftermarket parts are expensive and dont really add hp
19in ps2 tires can get expensive
doesn't have a center command display between the gauges
no spare tire, only air compressor catridge

stock for stock the c55 might very slightly edge out the m3 in a straight line race

Sephiroth

I would take the one with warranty. One trip to the dealers in an AMG would make up the difference in price between the two cars. the 80k car will need new belts, spark plugs, fluid flush, brakes, rotors...etc

ask me how i know

ZE55

I assume that warranty is 12 months or 100k miles, and not absolutely 100k miles?

blacksage

Ouch, how much did that set you back? 3k trips to the dealer?! I didnt even spend that much there in the M3! I actually started DIY and found a good indy shop. Cut my maintenance bill in half...twice!

I loved my M3, but I would like a car with more room and some TQ. all of my cars have had 8k redlines which is fun, but they usually lack TQ for the engine size. I dont like the idea of no LSD and pegleg burnouts

xplosiveg06

that can be fixed for around 1k "quaife lsd". the 335i will pegleg as well

why would you take an out of warranty car to a dealer? take it to a mercedes independent shop they do the same quality work for half the price

malahhaor

Bimmers feel faster because of their responsive transmissions. My girlfriends 06' 325 "feels" faster than my CLK500, but if you put them up against each other i'm sure i don't have to tell you what the outcome will be.
The trany that bimmers have is much more responsive and geared exceptionally so even a slower car can feel peppier.

JG26_Irish

Luv the blue color of the M3 in Xplosive's garage shot. Black, go and drive the C32 before you decide. They are enough different that it might surprise you. The first time I drove my C32, I was rolling at about 20 mph and punched it and it lit up the tires. I was sold from that point on. It makes even the C55 V8 feel like you have to rev it to get it to go, lol. The difference in power between the two is negligible as is the performance stock for stock and mods in the C32 make it easy to gain at least 40-50 hp with reliability out of a few straightforward, easy mods. Mine is a low 13 sec car but there are guys running mid 12's and better. Try to get there with a C55... Not gonna happen unless you go the supercharger way that Hooley did and that is not a chelp option. You may still buy the C55 for alot of good reasons but at least try out the other car first. I looked at both and took the only supercharged C-Klasse to ever come out of Afalterbach.

Irish

Sephiroth

I would if there was a good Merc shop around me. I bring my own parts and get a 20% discount on labor. Considering the convinience + loaner car, it's boarderline acceptable. The SA's know the prices are outragous and will almost always give you 15% - 20% discount for everything.

The D-bags tried to charge me $35 per spark plug...16 x $35


All that crap was about 3k.
-change plugs (i brought my own)
-power steering / brake flush
-change oil (i brought my own)
-new valve cover gasket + rubber hoses/breathers... that was leaking on both sides
-new V-belt
-cabin filter
-fuel pump / filter replace


I will need new front brakes and rotors next time. Save yourself the hassel and get the car with less mileage. Even if you do go to an indy shop, all these maintenance items + preventative repairs will add up. Also look for a car with fresh rear tires. Our cars eat rear tires even if you drive like a grandma.

blacksage

OK. thanks. I am going to test drive a C32 today. I like your user name, FF7 fan?

blacksage

So I test drove both...C32 seems faster but I liked the C55 exhaust note and interior. Here are my choices and I dont really care either way

Black C32 68k $18.3k no navi
Silver C55 87k $17k with navi

I am actually leaning towards the C55 cause of the navi, interior, reliability and exhaust note. Since this will be a weekend car the mileage will become normal eventually.

Newzchspy

So whats it going to be????

TemjinX2

i think you can get a better deal then that on the c32 in this economy. $18k is close to that i paid for my c32 almost 2yrs ago.