MerzadY_BoY

Just a bit curious...

I know the CL looks nice and all, but for that kind of money, wouldn't you rather have a bentley contnental gt? Plus they depreciate like rocks in a lake!

DarrenCT

drive one

WIldcat465

I have a fully loaded CL500 which stickered for $110k (I paid $90k for it) but even if I paid full sticker, the GT is still at least $50k more and I had just bought an SL600 for my wife. I wanted a daily driver coupe that is beautiful, comfortable---and I just didn't want to spend any more money. Some of us have a budget.

I suspect that I'll look for a CPO GT in 18 months when my lease CL lease is up--buying new doesn't make sense to me anymore especially when there are so many high-end low mileage used cars.

Also, the CL is more than just good looks. It's a Big Pappa car that has no equal it it's category in terms of style, comfort, and convenience.

AMG2GO

I'll bet you when all is said and done that Bentley will drop more in value than a comparable CL. I'll bet you the Bentley won't be as reliable as a CL. VW does not inspire confidence of reliability in me.

I will bet you that it is not as safe a car as is the CL.

Having said all this, its an awesome car, but its still more money than a loaded CL600.

I would not buy any of these cars new, unless money was no object. They all drop like rocks. On the used market, they are the BEST bargains! I got mine with 15K on the clock. At a $67,000 discount.

But really unless you spend extensive time behind a CL, you just aren't going to be convinced by anyone's reply here. I drove one by accident and bought one eventualy. I went to buy an M5 originaly. A Cl was on the dealer's lot. One long drive did it for me. The CL is the quietest, most comfortable car I have owned.

You can read all the car magazines in the world, and listen to all the reviews, but you really won't get it unless you drive for yourself.

Besides the CL is somewhat of a sleeper (for this class of car) and I like that.

mjr24

Yes, Bentleys are a good $50k more than a CL new. I bought mine used, but would never consider spending $100k on a new one because of the mileage I put on mine (40k since Jan. 04) and the depreciation off that would be a joke. I bought mine for $64k with 11k on the clock, that is a $30-35k depreciation for what most people drive in one year.

If you think a Benz is alot to repair, try a Bentley. Have any of you guys ever had to have bodywork done to your CL, pray you never have to. The Benz dealers charge 35% more for labor and paint because it is an aluminum body and it has to be taken to an authorized CL center, and not all Benz dealers are CL certified. When my car was in an accident last June, there were 6 CL certified dealers in the COUNTRY. I luckily had one 30 minutes away. It is an awesome car, but there are some worst case scenarios you do not want. It relates to insurance too....because in my case, my insurance company did not understand how the labor was 35% more for just this model Mercedes....and would not pay it because it was unreasonable.

Also, I love my CL...but the car has given me more problems than any car ever. The ABC is a constant problem. It is something little every other week, and as I said, this was a well-taken care of car....Starmarked and everything. If I ever spend $150k on a car, it will not be on a CL...CL65...or GT....it will be a Gallardo. Being 23 when I bought the CL, it obviously is a rare thing, so I certainly am not complaining. I would bet the Bentley is alot more dependable...but this is Mercedes...I am not sure that is saying much these days that something is more dependable, and even Mercedes will admit that.

To be honest though...once you have a hardtop...as Wildcat will attest to I am sure, you really crave for the convertible. I will likely get rid of my CL in the next year and get an 03-06 SL. Point is...CL is a great car, it is THE car....but if you ever have problems with it, it can make all that not even worth it.

BklynBenz

cause its a gentlemans car - sporty, refined, strong presence

Chas Jr

I bought my 03 with 10,000 miles for $76,000..When the Gt drops like that I will consider it too...

shoes

I have owned a CL500, CL600, CL65 and a Bentley. My favorite among these four is the CL600. When I sold it, I took a beating, no question.

What I like about the CL is ABC which makes the car feel much smaller and more fun to drive fast. Performance with the twin turbo twelve is strong- I couldn't tell much difference between the CL600 and CL65.

I ordered a Bentley Continental GT as soon as I read about it. I felt very let down when I actually owned it. My mistake was owning a VW Phaeton about six months prior. There is way too much overlap between those two cars- I would describe the Bentley as a Phaeton Coupe, which changes the paradigm from an inexpensive Bentley to a very expensive VW.

The issue with the Bentley (and the Phaeton) is the weight- you never forget you are dragging around nearly three tons of automobile when accelerating or braking. Forget handling, there isn't any. Both the Bentley and Phaeton desperately need ABC or a serious diet. Also, what's up with no sunroof in the Bentley, no cooled seats, no keyless go, and so on?

The interior of the Bentley is a definate step up over the CL and overall if image is your thing, Bentley might be your ride.

Chip

Ever try getting a Bently fixed in Utah? Besides that the CL is the ultimate long range cruiser. More than any other car I have ever owned I find that's hard to get out of the car even after spend a day in it. Why beat yourself up in the airports when you can surrond yourself in luxury.

WIldcat465

After seeing this thread, I visited the local Bentley dealer to look at the Bentley GT close-up. It's nice, but I don't think it's better than a CL600 in terms of looks and everyday driveability. Does it have more panache than the CL? Perhaps. Would it be cool to say I drive a Bentley? Sure. A loaded CL600 is about $150k and approaches the GT's cost. The CL looks as good at the GT (although I think the GT has more presence), has more features. I submit why don't GT buyers purchase CLs?

MerzadY_BoY

The depriciation was the major thing i was shooting at why you would buy one, but as i can see, most of you buy them used anyways to save. Still, they depreciate very rapid when you buy them even a few years used.

Imagine when this new CL comes out, all you current CL owners are going to be SCREWED!

can you imagine what you could buy and OWN just with the first year of depreciation of this car. 10,000 miles- a year later, and $60,000 gone (IF YOUR LUCKY!)

I don't care if you say "drive one to find out" NO CAR IS WORTH IT!

vraa

Because a CL500 will never cost 150$k

MBZFAN55

After 3 S-Classes in a row, I'm seriously considering the new CL. The "S" will be out for a year or so before the CL, and possibly some of the early model quirks will be out of the new W221. Also, the CL still offers the larger size that I have grown comfortable in driving. The only question will be how much horsepower will I need in this package ?

mjr24

I love when people come to the CL board and try to flame us. Of all the boards on MBWorld, they come to the CL board. Let me ask you "Merzady Boy", why in the hell did you buy a 3 series when you could have bought a fully loaded Hyundai for the same price? I guess we are all screwed when the new CL comes out, kind of like Merzady Boy is with a new 3 series already out. Moron.

vraa

Well said for the most part!

Merzady Boy, I really don't do this often, but honestly, you have a 325ci and a E320. Some of us don't really care about depreciation because we buy our cars for what they are, not what they'll be worth in a few years, much less what they'll be worth in one year.

Chip

I put 600 miles on my CL 500 yesterday and will put almost 700 today cross country. I didn't stop to think how much money I lost all I could think about is what a fine car this is and how lucky I am to own one.

WIldcat465

I drove 900 miles this weekend. I had a choice to drive a Ford Taurus (for which my wife's company pays the gas), our SL600, or the CL500. For me, the only choice is the CL for it's superior comfort, road manners and style. There is also the safety issue and accident avoidance feature (e.g., Distronic) that give us a heightened sense on security. For this, the CL is on of the best cars on the planet.

Merzady Boy,

Depreciation is not a consideration for me. I bought My CL new after taking a beating on an SL500 that I drove for 3 months. So what's your point? Safety and and high style are what's important to me. You drive average vehicles and it sounds like price is what dictates what you drive--it does for me also, but it's not the main consideration. I leased my CL for two years anticipating the new body style. My family's security and safety are what's important, not the pennies lost in depreciation. I can always make more money.

MBZFAN55

Isn't that what it's really all about ? If we were so intent on the lowest-cost-per-mile of driving we would be posting on the Toyota Prius boards.

MerzadY_BoY

I didn't flam anyone when i created this thread moron, but NOW im about to.

Well, oh look at me i drive a little p.o.s. 325Ci in all your eyes like ricky stated, well maybe you didnt realize im only 17 and graduated highschool- thats a pretty decent car to own at my age, i could have gotten a CLK 320 if i wanted. But my cars not going to depreciated $60,000 in a month after driving it, yours will SUCKAS! :v The way some of you make it seem is that your car is EVERYTHING important to you. Seriously, its just a car, it does not make you more popular or the 'dawg!'

Mine will only depreciate $10k- a fraction of yours :P and i still have a nice car with a whole lot of money left over biatches.

ricky- you really creep me out when i saw a pic of your reflection in the car, and also your hairy hand holding a piece of paper- kinda sick so i try to avoid ya without confrontation

phat-ho

ok, let's be civil about this. when i graduated from college in december of 2000, i was driving a 1997 honda prelude. it was the best ownership experience to date. it was fun to drive, fuel economy was great, sporty design, and reliability that was astronomically better than ANY german car. out of curiosity, i wanted to drive some other cars because after 127,000 miles i was just tired of it. i thought about a new a4, 328i, i30, and so forth (they're all the same to me). so i bought a 2001 740iL and it was a shocking experience. the difference was night and day, especially without extending my warranty (duh!). i am now wanting to buy a CL55 and this thread asks the same question on every board: 'is it worth it?' now i do agree these cars are extremely overpriced, all of you know damn well they are. for the money, i think CL's should be right around $80k new. s-class/7-series should be around $65. and ford focuses should be free with a valid driver's license. there should be NO car over $100k if it comes off an assembly line. BUT, when you are buying a CL, you are not buying reliability, safety (safe, although not safer than a toyota sienna), fuel efficiency, or 911 turbo performance, you are buying an EXECUTIVE LONG RANGE CRUISER, with refined exterior styling, pillarless design, with a unique, solid presence to a trained automotive eye. it is exclusivity. they should be cheaper but they are not, and i am glad...it just makes me want it more. if they were $80-90K, i would be pissed that it is in the same price, or exclusivity bracket as an nsx, a honda! oh, hell no! pay to play bro. high rollers only. and damn, i can't wait to get mine!!!

WIldcat465

It amazes me how many judge value for other people (e.g., "the CL is overpriced.") If the CL were overpriced none us us owners would buy it.

or make stupid comments, ("it's not as safe as a Toyota")

If you don't own a CL then you're probably not quaified to judge the car's merits and certainly can't answer the question, "Why did you buy a CL?".

I'm done with this thread, it's going down the tubes fast.

MBZFAN55

HELP ! Wildcat, you're not going to leave me here alone to deal with this, are you ?

DarrenCT

obviousely if we can afford a CL, Bentey, or anything remotely in that price range, depreciation is the least of our concerns.

MerzadY_BoY

The question was why didn't you buy the bentley GT over the CL, comparable cars, but one is from a way more exclusive brand then the other.

Even this guy agree'd and got the bentley, pretty WISE decision to me.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...=107131&page=1

If you guys say "obviously if we can afford a CL, depreciation is least of our concerns" Well if loosing $60,000 in a month of driving it doesn't bother you, why don't you just shell out the $30-$40 more for the Bentley, i mean i thought $60,000 was nohting to you, right?????

EDIT: just curious why people get so damn mad and defensive about their car, i just asked why didn't you get a bentley and you flip out and start the flamming wars

MBZFAN55

If you really want to know, mis-statements, mis-information, attitude, and arrogance, are just few of the "flame inducing" items.