Would you pay 29k for a 2005 C55 with 11,000 miles?
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Ok, the C55 with 11k miles on it is worth what you're willing to pay for it... That's is the bottom line here IMHO. That sounds like it could be one of few left that are unmolested. Is it worth $29k to me??? If I had my heart set on a C55 then the mileage is a big factor. An unmolested C55 with that mileage is a rare find again IMHO.
Is the E55 a better car??? The true answer is yes and no... Faster yes! but do damage to it and your wallet will scream for mercy. The C55 ain't cheap either don't get me wrong. If you're looking for a fun car that there are less and less each day then that C55 providing it has no hidden issues may be the way to go. Is there room on the asking price... My guess is more than likely. If you could roll away in it for $25 to 27k with a true 11k miles you would probably be pretty happy IMHO again.
Is the E55 a better car??? The true answer is yes and no... Faster yes! but do damage to it and your wallet will scream for mercy. The C55 ain't cheap either don't get me wrong. If you're looking for a fun car that there are less and less each day then that C55 providing it has no hidden issues may be the way to go. Is there room on the asking price... My guess is more than likely. If you could roll away in it for $25 to 27k with a true 11k miles you would probably be pretty happy IMHO again.
Happiness is buying the car and "thinking" you got a good deal. If it makes you happy, then pull the trigger and get the car. 11,000 is low (although I'd almost have to ask why so low??). The only other car I've seen lower is Gene Gormans C32(for the year).
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2004 E55 AMG
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Current: C217 V12TT AMG Previously: C55 AMG, SL65 AMG
Don't forget about the options as well. Options included comand navigation, black birds eye maple wood interior, and bixenon. I think all of them came with the rain sensing/rear sunshade/HK audio/cd changer/sunroof.
I honestly prefer cars with 50,000 miles than cars with 10,000. That gives you many miles to get the bugs figured out. After looking at the previous owner's paperwork (broken steering column dogbone, funky wheel switches, diff fluid changed, rear main seal replaced, .....) I'm glad that was done on someone else's dime at the dealership.
The funny one was "customer states the transmission doesn't shift and revs high". I guess they didn't tell her about the AMG Sportshift under heavy cornering and braking.....
I honestly prefer cars with 50,000 miles than cars with 10,000. That gives you many miles to get the bugs figured out. After looking at the previous owner's paperwork (broken steering column dogbone, funky wheel switches, diff fluid changed, rear main seal replaced, .....) I'm glad that was done on someone else's dime at the dealership.
The funny one was "customer states the transmission doesn't shift and revs high". I guess they didn't tell her about the AMG Sportshift under heavy cornering and braking.....
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2021 Yukon XL Denali, 2017 GLS450 4MATIC, 1993 Chevy Corvette
It is my understanding that all C55s (2005-2006) came with a 4 year/50,000 mile manufacturer warranty. Pretty confident the vehicle OP has referenced would fall outside of the '4 year' part of that equation.
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From: Middle of IL in a corn field
2006 C55 AMG White/Ash
What I find funny is how many people go around and around about how much a C55 is worth and then seem fine in spending 10% of the cars price for a set of headers.
Lay out ten sets of headers on the ground next to a C55, hmmmmm suddenly they don't look like such a good value. I understand low volume and tooling etc. that drives the price, it's just funny how some things are justified and some things aren't.
Lay out ten sets of headers on the ground next to a C55, hmmmmm suddenly they don't look like such a good value. I understand low volume and tooling etc. that drives the price, it's just funny how some things are justified and some things aren't.
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What I find funny is how many people go around and around about how much a C55 is worth and then seem fine in spending 10% of the cars price for a set of headers. Lay out ten sets of headers on the ground next to a C55, hmmmmm suddenly they don't look like such a good value. I understand low volume and tooling etc. that drives the price, it's just funny how some things are justified and some things aren't.
Lay out ten sets of headers on the ground next to a C55, hmmmmm suddenly they don't look like such a good value. I understand low volume and tooling etc. that drives the price, it's just funny how some things are justified and some things aren't.
Although I can certainly see your logic. I also don't believe that headers alone are giving the C55 40-50 RWHP?? But that's just me??
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From: Middle of IL in a corn field
2006 C55 AMG White/Ash
Yeah, 50 rwhp...........seems a bit of a stretch to me. Just because I made a living by selling cars doesn't make me bad, just means I have a whole different perspective than most. A standard line I heard all the time was "you know when the customer is lying, it's when their mouth is moving". I caught a catholic priest lying to me and I said "father, you're not telling me the truth" he said "that's negotiating Phil" His justification of it. Don't get me wrong, on the whole the industry has the reputation it deserves.................probably always will. Now that I am away I hate it. After 8+ years away I still have nightmares about it. Feels like I did time in a POW camp.
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2004 E55 AMG
I apologize.
Last edited by Mantooth; Sep 17, 2010 at 05:41 PM.
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From: Columbus, GA
2004 Audi S4
But to be honest, stay away from the dealerships. There is really no deal to be had at these places. At least by buying off of Autotrader, eBay (which I have bought two outstanding vehicles on), or Craigslist, you can buy the car for what it is worth. Also, you can screen the owner of the car (which is big to me), to see if it was a little 16 year old that ragged on it, or if it was an old dentist who drove it to work 2 days out of the week.
I have yet to feel like a dealership gives two *****s about me. I never try to seem desperate at a dealership for a car. I never walk into a dealership and walk-out with one on the same day. I always talk numbers and then if I like where we leave it at, then I will come back the following day. Even when I feel like I'm tracking a decent trade-in value/buying price, they always seem to say, "We will call you tomorrow." ...and they never do. That is just terrible business and it has happened at a ton of dealerships. As you can see, I am very bitter towards dealerships and I think they should all be avoided!
Last edited by whatthecrunchyo; Sep 17, 2010 at 08:51 PM.
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From: Columbus, GA
2004 Audi S4
Yeah, 50 rwhp...........seems a bit of a stretch to me. Just because I made a living by selling cars doesn't make me bad, just means I have a whole different perspective than most. A standard line I heard all the time was "you know when the customer is lying, it's when their mouth is moving". I caught a catholic priest lying to me and I said "father, you're not telling me the truth" he said "that's negotiating Phil" His justification of it. Don't get me wrong, on the whole the industry has the reputation it deserves.................probably always will. Now that I am away I hate it. After 8+ years away I still have nightmares about it. Feels like I did time in a POW camp.
1. car salesmen
2. tow truck drivers
No offense Phil!
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From: bay area, california
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
[quote=i_am_amused;4253073]is it twice the speed? no
is it twice the size? no
is it twice as rare? no
is it twice as comfortable? no
twice the cost brand new? yes, if not more
an amazing car? i still think it's amazing, just not my 19 year old style.
about the c55, i think 26 or 27k should be max on that car. i paid 25,500 for my car with cpo, 28k miles, no issues dents, rips etc. back in october from mercedes benz of san francisco. amazing car though don't pass it up.
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From: Columbus, GA
2004 Audi S4
[QUOTE=michael kuzni;4255807]
is it twice the speed? no
is it twice the size? no
is it twice as rare? no
is it twice as comfortable? no
twice the cost brand new? yes, if not more
an amazing car? i still think it's amazing, just not my 19 year old style.
about the c55, i think 26 or 27k should be max on that car. i paid 25,500 for my car with cpo, 28k miles, no issues dents, rips etc. back in october from mercedes benz of san francisco. amazing car though don't pass it up.
you're only 19?! dang, i thought i was ahead of the curve at 23 with a mid 20k car!
is it twice the speed? no
is it twice the size? no
is it twice as rare? no
is it twice as comfortable? no
twice the cost brand new? yes, if not more
an amazing car? i still think it's amazing, just not my 19 year old style.
about the c55, i think 26 or 27k should be max on that car. i paid 25,500 for my car with cpo, 28k miles, no issues dents, rips etc. back in october from mercedes benz of san francisco. amazing car though don't pass it up.
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From: Seattle, WA
C55
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[quote=RLx02;4255858]yea i noticed that, and holy crap i saw this kid on there that was 16 who basically just took his dad's c63. his posts were things such as "sooo like...omg....how do you open the windows with the remote?" and what not. i'm completely different, worked hard since i was 16 to buy a corvette c5, and then my dad just gave me his bmw x5 when i was 16 and i babied that and sold it last year when i was 18 for 6k above blue book. so i bought the c55 because all of my friends have bmw e46 m3's, 335's, audi s4's and my car is the fastest. in the summer i'm hoping to buy an e55 for about $20k as my daily driver.
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From: Columbus, GA
2004 Audi S4
[QUOTE=michael kuzni;4255870]
yea i noticed that, and holy crap i saw this kid on there that was 16 who basically just took his dad's c63. his posts were things such as "sooo like...omg....how do you open the windows with the remote?" and what not. i'm completely different, worked hard since i was 16 to buy a corvette c5, and then my dad just gave me his bmw x5 when i was 16 and i babied that and sold it last year when i was 18 for 6k above blue book. so i bought the c55 because all of my friends have bmw e46 m3's, 335's, audi s4's and my car is the fastest. in the summer i'm hoping to buy an e55 for about $20k as my daily driver.
Haha, I was in your shoes once. I went to a ritzy school in an upper-class town (where all of the Dallas Cowboys live if you can guess). I was given everything by silver spoon, but always took for granted and was jealous of my friends with the Skylines, M3s, HMMWVs, STis, Evos, S4s, and believe it or not, a Ford GT. Well anyway, I went to school at Texas A&M and the independence hit. My parents started easing me off of the "teat" and I wasn't able to buy as much. Finally, when I graduated, I became fiscally and financially responsible to myself and have accrued enough to be more than comfortable, with some to spare.
The reason I say all this, is because, at one point I genuinely gave two *****s about what my friends thought. But I realized, that I am more than happy with saving my money and making quarterly purchases. While I certainly wouldn't mind a free lunch every now and then, there is certainly a sense of pride when you can say something is yours; when you are free of any liens, loans, or obligation. I get paid a very basic government wage and it is more than enough to be happy
Long story short, don't get caught up in vehicles. They are money traps and they will never do anything more than take your money. A car generally won't appreciate (at least not in your lifetime). Save your dollars and invest. It is a great time to!
yea i noticed that, and holy crap i saw this kid on there that was 16 who basically just took his dad's c63. his posts were things such as "sooo like...omg....how do you open the windows with the remote?" and what not. i'm completely different, worked hard since i was 16 to buy a corvette c5, and then my dad just gave me his bmw x5 when i was 16 and i babied that and sold it last year when i was 18 for 6k above blue book. so i bought the c55 because all of my friends have bmw e46 m3's, 335's, audi s4's and my car is the fastest. in the summer i'm hoping to buy an e55 for about $20k as my daily driver.
The reason I say all this, is because, at one point I genuinely gave two *****s about what my friends thought. But I realized, that I am more than happy with saving my money and making quarterly purchases. While I certainly wouldn't mind a free lunch every now and then, there is certainly a sense of pride when you can say something is yours; when you are free of any liens, loans, or obligation. I get paid a very basic government wage and it is more than enough to be happy
Long story short, don't get caught up in vehicles. They are money traps and they will never do anything more than take your money. A car generally won't appreciate (at least not in your lifetime). Save your dollars and invest. It is a great time to!
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From: Seattle, WA
C55
Everytime i see my friend's 3.7 mill condo at the age of 24 i feel my soul wither just a little bit.
Lol. In addition to that, a friend of mine (who is 1 year older than me...27) is going to have his ferrari f430 scuderia featured in sir mix a lot's new music video coming out...called 'cars' of course lol.
Lol. In addition to that, a friend of mine (who is 1 year older than me...27) is going to have his ferrari f430 scuderia featured in sir mix a lot's new music video coming out...called 'cars' of course lol.
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From: North Carolina
2004 E55 AMG
Everytime i see my friend's 3.7 mill condo at the age of 24 i feel my soul wither just a little bit.
Lol. In addition to that, a friend of mine (who is 1 year older than me...27) is going to have his ferrari f430 scuderia featured in sir mix a lot's new music video coming out...called 'cars' of course lol.
Lol. In addition to that, a friend of mine (who is 1 year older than me...27) is going to have his ferrari f430 scuderia featured in sir mix a lot's new music video coming out...called 'cars' of course lol.
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From: Texas
C63 507 AMG DA Car #19
For a somewhat rare car with unusually low miles KBB does not apply as much.
You have to look at how many examples of clean c55's are available locally to you, your time frame to buy, and make a relative comparison from there.
* I would get as low mlg example as I could find. Just that many less miles that could have been hot-rodded.
* A used benz from a dealership is not a bad thing. It all dep on your relationship with the dealership. I'm comfortable with mine over our dealings over the past few years. Beware of auction cars and craigslist flippers, and craigslist scammers.
* If you really have the mod bug, AND you're want the most bang for your MOD dollar..... I'd get a factory supercharges iteration to start with: C32, or E55. I'm modding a clk55 which is N/a...... and I'll get where I want to go mod/hp wise..... but I'm putting the value of the car back into it to get there...... (not bragging......... trust me...... each dollar above KBB is lost I realize)........
Good luck and enjoy the search for the new car, and be happy you have a better half who is OPEN to the idea of getting an AMG.
You have to look at how many examples of clean c55's are available locally to you, your time frame to buy, and make a relative comparison from there.
* I would get as low mlg example as I could find. Just that many less miles that could have been hot-rodded.
* A used benz from a dealership is not a bad thing. It all dep on your relationship with the dealership. I'm comfortable with mine over our dealings over the past few years. Beware of auction cars and craigslist flippers, and craigslist scammers.
* If you really have the mod bug, AND you're want the most bang for your MOD dollar..... I'd get a factory supercharges iteration to start with: C32, or E55. I'm modding a clk55 which is N/a...... and I'll get where I want to go mod/hp wise..... but I'm putting the value of the car back into it to get there...... (not bragging......... trust me...... each dollar above KBB is lost I realize)........
Good luck and enjoy the search for the new car, and be happy you have a better half who is OPEN to the idea of getting an AMG.
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From: Corona, CA
03 g35 coupe...........02 c32 Sold
Everytime i see my friend's 3.7 mill condo at the age of 24 i feel my soul wither just a little bit.
Lol. In addition to that, a friend of mine (who is 1 year older than me...27) is going to have his ferrari f430 scuderia featured in sir mix a lot's new music video coming out...called 'cars' of course lol.
Lol. In addition to that, a friend of mine (who is 1 year older than me...27) is going to have his ferrari f430 scuderia featured in sir mix a lot's new music video coming out...called 'cars' of course lol.
But i know how you feel, I even told my friend, knowing you makes me depressed some times..lol. Of course its a joke.
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From: bay area, california
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
[quote=whatthecrunchyo;4255890]
Haha, I was in your shoes once. I went to a ritzy school in an upper-class town (where all of the Dallas Cowboys live if you can guess). I was given everything by silver spoon, but always took for granted and was jealous of my friends with the Skylines, M3s, HMMWVs, STis, Evos, S4s, and believe it or not, a Ford GT. Well anyway, I went to school at Texas A&M and the independence hit. My parents started easing me off of the "teat" and I wasn't able to buy as much. Finally, when I graduated, I became fiscally and financially responsible to myself and have accrued enough to be more than comfortable, with some to spare.
The reason I say all this, is because, at one point I genuinely gave two *****s about what my friends thought. But I realized, that I am more than happy with saving my money and making quarterly purchases. While I certainly wouldn't mind a free lunch every now and then, there is certainly a sense of pride when you can say something is yours; when you are free of any liens, loans, or obligation. I get paid a very basic government wage and it is more than enough to be happy
Long story short, don't get caught up in vehicles. They are money traps and they will never do anything more than take your money. A car generally won't appreciate (at least not in your lifetime). Save your dollars and invest. It is a great time to!
thanks for the advice, it's what i needed to hear. my life is already financially, but i don't want to jinx it. everytime i pull up to my friends houses or just go out in the company 416m, it gets the people my age and much older. especially when i go to pf changs. my whole life is centered around cars since we have a car stereo wholesale/retail business, but i am currently concentrated on school working to earn my bachelors in business admin.
Haha, I was in your shoes once. I went to a ritzy school in an upper-class town (where all of the Dallas Cowboys live if you can guess). I was given everything by silver spoon, but always took for granted and was jealous of my friends with the Skylines, M3s, HMMWVs, STis, Evos, S4s, and believe it or not, a Ford GT. Well anyway, I went to school at Texas A&M and the independence hit. My parents started easing me off of the "teat" and I wasn't able to buy as much. Finally, when I graduated, I became fiscally and financially responsible to myself and have accrued enough to be more than comfortable, with some to spare.
The reason I say all this, is because, at one point I genuinely gave two *****s about what my friends thought. But I realized, that I am more than happy with saving my money and making quarterly purchases. While I certainly wouldn't mind a free lunch every now and then, there is certainly a sense of pride when you can say something is yours; when you are free of any liens, loans, or obligation. I get paid a very basic government wage and it is more than enough to be happy
Long story short, don't get caught up in vehicles. They are money traps and they will never do anything more than take your money. A car generally won't appreciate (at least not in your lifetime). Save your dollars and invest. It is a great time to!
thanks for the advice, it's what i needed to hear. my life is already financially, but i don't want to jinx it. everytime i pull up to my friends houses or just go out in the company 416m, it gets the people my age and much older. especially when i go to pf changs. my whole life is centered around cars since we have a car stereo wholesale/retail business, but i am currently concentrated on school working to earn my bachelors in business admin.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Los Angeles
2005 C55
Well guys I got the car for $24,500,black/black with every option I can think of plus a lorenzo body package and lorenzo 20 inch rims and two emblems in the front. I dont mind the body kit, the rims will get replaced so if anyone wants to trade for stocks lets make a deal, and I will have to remove one of the front emblems since it has the clk style and the stock one on. 20 inch wheels is not my taste for a AMG but I was impressed on how it drove with them on, no rubbing issues. Alot better than my E500 with 20's, still cant wait to put some stock or lighter 19's on to see the performance difference. It's a great car, barely drove it yesterday, hopefully today is a better day the the C55!
