AMG2GO

I bought my CL600 last year. I decided on this car a year before that, and it took me a year to find the right one (which is why my girlfriend thought I was crazy). I bought it for many reasons and after much research, and think that it was a GREAT decision. But this body style will sadly, eventually be replaced in the next year or two.... and my thoughts have been turning towards a replacement car. But what could you replace this car with and not miss something?

I realize there are a lot of great cars out there, some have certain points that are stronger... but when you add up the points, the CL is like this athlete that is very good at almost everything, and bad at none.

It is beautiful. There are beautiful cars like a Ferrari for example, but the CL is understated, it does not say "look at me" but it is beautiful in a very elegant way. I have had admiration from my 14 year old neighbor, to my 73 year old client. The word I hear most used is "classy". I am 36, I am single, and I never feel like this car is too extroverted, or too understated. For me it is the Goldilox "just right".

It is purely luxurious. This is what got me in the test drive and pulled me away from the M5, 645Ci, and other similar cars I was test driving. It is ULTRA quiet... the V12 is like a giant electrical motor... smooth, linear, powerful. Every possible gadget and comfort you can ask for is here. I can fall asleep cruising in this car. After a long drive its the only car I actually get out of, and feel refreshed rather than tired.

It is quick. I don't even have the twin turbo or the S/C 55, but there is a smooth and pleasant grunt that is always there from the motor... sometimes late at night I drop the car lower to its lowest suspension setting, turn on ABC to sport, hold the gear selector to the left and let it choose the lowest gear... with the car just on the limits of grip, right about 3500 RPM's I fly through on and off ramps at exhilirating speeds. I have entered an empty highway in a nice 4 wheel drift at 70 MPH... I get a pure adrenalin rush... I had a G35 coupe trying to keep up with me the other day, we played around a bit and he was clearly outgunned, at the end he gave me a "thumbs up" and drove off.

It is safe. I know enough about MB and the build of this car to know that in terms of both active and passive safety, this car is one of, if not possibly the safest car on the road overall. I know in a serious accident, this thing will give up its own life to protect me better than 99% of what is out there.

It is reliable. Say what you will about MB quality, I personally have had some nigling small issues, I haved owned very reliable Japanese cars before, but when you consider the class of this car, in between the Maseratis, the Ferraris, the Bentleys etc. of this world, this car is screwed down pretty tightly and the dealer network/service sure beats having to deal with any sort of exotic brand.

It is a used super bargain. For whatever reason, probably the price, this car drops a lot on value in its first year or two (just like I am sure any other in this class). Perhaps this is bad for a new owner, but to me it was a delight, as I got into a car I normally would not have been able to afford. I don't know how I could have gotten more car for my 70K investment.

In short, this car has anything you would ever want. If you lean more towards performance, you can get the slightly higher tuned 55/65, if you like your pure luxury, you can get the super pamper 600.

So what I ask, do I replace this car with and not lose? Don't get me wrong, I like all the other cars I have mentioned.... but come in a year or two when the new one is out, what do I go to? what would you go to if all the above I have mentioned is important to you?

The only logical answer would be the new CL. But I honestly have a hard time spending what to me is a good sum of money on a brand new car that will probably depreciate heavily after only 10-15K. I like to buy my cars well kept, a year or two old, with low miles and the hard hit taken out already.

Would I enjoy a used Aston as much? would I miss my comfort/space with something like a 911 turbo? Will a used 360 Modena thrill me with its power but wear me out with its "look at me" styling and its lack of reliability? I can't afford a stable of cars. I have room for two. A daily driver and my weekend car. Right now those are my old body style Lexus SC400 and my CL600.

What cars interest you as a CL owner?

awiner

I agree with everything you have stated. I too have wondered what I will look at next. From the images I have seen of the new CL (W216), I am not very interested. I guess I will have to wait and see what it looks like in the flesh.

I'm not overly happy with how Mercedes is starting to re-design their cars. They are starting to look like Japanese inspired themes vs the Euro designs I have come to appreciate.

Same thing is happining with BMW however some of the BMW designs are starting to grow on me a little.

I will tell you something though, my motorcycle has taken a lot of the fun out of sports cars for me.

After zooming around on a sport bike a car feels well.... Like a car. A huge heavy piece of metal on four wheels.

However, my CL is very comfy espically when in traffic here in California. It can not lane split though :p

DarrenCT

...our cars will remain desirable for many years to come, kinda like classic cars today. i still love the 560 sec of the mid 80's era. however, if you are wondering personally, "where do i go from here", consider mildly customizing "goldilox", and/or modding her for more power. i agree that the new preliminary pix of the w216 are not as desirable as our w215, and like you, it also took me about 1yr and 9 months to find my car, but if finances permitted, i would have gone for a tt600 or 65. for me, right now, there's nothing i'd rather have, and until i change my mind, or something else jumps out at me, i'll keep my "whip"

victoryroad

From what I have seen of the new MB design I am not interested in either the new CL or the new S. I, too, agree with everything in the first post about the CL. To me, it is likely to be a classic and will never look like a tired design. It is unlikely that it will be outclassed dynamically in a significant way for some time.

That said, I am going towards the upcoming Audi S8. Yes, it is a relatively benign design compared to the CL, but its interior, if anything like the A8, is certainly on par with the current CL, if not above. The new B&O sound system is likely to be much better than the Bose system in the CL (the only potentially very weak point in the CL IMO). Of course, Quattro is a mojor benefit in Boston, as I will be able to drive it year round and thus need only one car. If BMW's M version of the 6 series has much better interior appointments and if they do it in a convertible version, it may be worth a serious look as an alternative to the CL, old or new.

I am not pleased with MB for producing so many AMG's and seriously undermining the aftermarket values. Maybe they can continue to get away with it, but AMG's should be exclusive. Just consider the 2003 RS 6 if you think that limited production does not help maintain aftermarket values. Right now tht best value on the used market is the CL in any form, but especially the SC55's or 600's.

apdesign

I have my CL for about 6 months now and still really enjoy it, but somehow I keep on debating and hating myself for not picking up the Porsche 911 Turbo. For some reason I just love the look of it and all, except that it is basically a 2-seater which kinda push me away. Maybe if I did got the 911 I might of have regreted for not getting a CL.

I totally agreed with AWINER about Mercedes cars getting to look like Japanese. So far from what I have seen of the new CL, it doesn't look as tough, nice, elegant, and classy as our genearation CL(W215 and that's a good thing, so at least I can still enjoy my CL for another 2 or 3 years.

AMG2GO

The 911 is one nimble, sporty car. Feels like a glove around you. But it has NO room... probably not the safety nor the reliability of the CL... definitely not the luxury... you give up a lot to pickup speed. Its a great sports car but I don't know if I want to drive it everyday.

what else?

SL65amg

I'd recommend you wait to see the all-new CL up close and in person, and definitely test drive one, especially the CL 600.

Or, if like you said you want to get an exceptionally good deal and let the first owner take the depreciation hit, you could always wait another year until the all-new CL arrives, thereby allowing the current CL's to take another depreciation hit, and pick up a nice used 2005 Model CL 65 loaded with all the options. Drive that for couple years then pick up a slightly used 2008 or so model all-new CL 600 or CL 65 for another good bargain yet again.

Usually the new Mercedes models look much better in person when they finally arrive at the dealership than in the photos ... Mercedes most likely is going to be very careful and smart about the styling and dynamics of the all-new CL because they know it is supposed to be the cream of the crop, the top of the line, so they have to make it great. It's just too important to mess up on it.

James L.

If the new CL is what we've seen from current magazine scoops, then I would sadly have to agree with the others, the shapes are getting disorientated. Now to see that in flesh is another story but the pictures definately not impressing me at the moment. But its kinda odd at times with car designs, when I first saw CLS, i absolutely hate it, but as I've seen my friend drove it more often, it really kind of grows on you. Eventually I felt that car felt entirely sexy. My wife starts to love it as well. Initialy we just thought its an oddball shape.

No matter how good/bad the new CL will look, our current CL will always be one of the classics in Mercedes designs. The signature large and small headlights. The ridiculously long sexy *** of the CL (Heck my tuner can't even tie down my car on the first attempt of dyno because his tie down belt wasn't long enough due to my CL's long *** compared to other Jap cars he tunes) lol
The when you lower this car as many of you has done, it looks amazingly beautiful and screams class. Interiors though are a bit outdated due to S class based age, it still performs wonderfully. I have no complain no yearn on my car, be it new CL out or not.

Well, whats to complain on a car that can send you to 300km/h sub 20 ish?

AMG2GO I suggest you sell it when you get sick/bored of it, which i believe would be another 5 years at least. Good luck on your dilemma mate.

CE750

One thing is better: CL65..

CLFREAK

I also have a CL600, fully loaded with 20" chrome rims and a customized Lorinser kit which I got with the car when I leased it. Leasing, I feel, is the only way to go with new or near-new cars exactly because of the depreciation hit; I would not become dissuaded by the hefty MSRP on the new CL. I would make sure and structure the lease so that my payments equal the depreciation. That's the way a lease should work, plus, you can deduct 100% of the payment if you own your own business.

Body style changes are an interesting phenomena. They are definitely an excercise in history repeating itself time and time again. It's always the exact same phenomenon that occurs every time the new body style comes out, and I've now been through it twice since the late 80s. I had the old 126 coupe SECs (380 and 500) and recall the change to the new 140 style and that everyone was saying the new style was cheap-looking, too Japanese, etc. - the same exact verbage I hear on the prior posts here. The same happened when the W140 was replaced by the W220 and W215. I remember HATING the round headlights on the new CL, that it looked too cheap, like the E-class, wanted the rectangular look back, etc. Now, I love the look. EVENTUALLY, new body styles have a way of gradually endearing themselves to the public at large. After all, it's evolution of that model's particular lineage and, like it or not, that's the way it works. It's progression that forces us to accept change. Sometimes, however that doesn't always work. The W220, I think, was a down-trend, as, for a sedan, was too small and feminine, and I think never really got to the point of commanding any "road presence" as I call it, like the predecesor W140 it replaced which was a very bold and dominating car. It was built like a tank and had the "get the hell outta my way" look when you saw it rearing up on you in your mirror. The W220 never successfully attained that image. Hopefully, the new W221 will bring back to the S-class lineage those qualities the W220 lacked that a flagship sedan requires, as it sounds like it will just by its body dimensions which are substantially larger than the W220.

Give the W216 new CL time to grow on you; it will by default anyway. The sheer advanced technology of it will blow your mind, just like the W215 did to the W140, and on down the line. Now, I look at the W140s and 126s - they bring back wonderful distant memories, but look soooooo damn dated! I hate to think my little love, my current CL600, will fall into this vat as well, but, unfortunately, it eventually will - - in approx. 12 mos. when the new CL is destined to hit showrooms. Until then, I juiced up its image with some fresh new rims, rubber, and subtle body style changes, and shall continue to enjoy it immensely because, as for now, I don't think you can beat its looks or performance in anything else in the coupe class. Up against a Bentley GT, I still like my CL's look better! Aston Martin DB9 - well, that's a different story.

AMG2GO

doing some web searches today, I sort of fell in love with the Aston V8 Vantage. This may be the next car... 110K... very reasonable for an Aston. And one of the best looking cars I have seen.

theboogers

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/ar...83736_1,00.html
looks better than it drives.

victoryroad

The CL55 is very hard to beat in terms of design, performance, safety, luxury, tedchnology and comfort and now value, as they are a steal in the aftermarket. Interestingly, the current Motor Trend comparison of the CL65, Scaglietti (sp), Bentley GT and the big AM complains about the intrusive electronics of the CL. The electronics never bothered me, but I never pushed the car to 100% in corners. The only drawbacks of the CL55 are that I can note after over two years are: MB overbuilt the CL55, driving down its exclusivity and aftermarket price, and that the driving position is a bit too high, as I would rather have the seat at least an inch or two lower (I am not that tall at 6 ft.).
The reviews that I have read about the new AM are favorable. The link to the UK site in the above post did not work for me. Based on what will be available in the next year or so, I am inclined to agree with AMG2GO, although I have just sold my 03 CL55 and am first on the list at my dealer for the new S8. In the real world of wet roads and in Boston, slippery ones in the winter, Quattro is quite amazing. Add to that the stealth factor of the Audi and it gets my vote for an everyday car. It will not beat any of the AMG's in straight line performance, unless one drives the RS6 perhaps, but the minute that the roads get wet there is absolutely no contest. Audis are not elegant in the same way as the CL or the new AM, but to design afficiandos, they are much better than average and the interior of the A8 and I suspect the new S8, is the best in the business, including Maybach. When MB figures out that all wheel drive is the way to go for street performance cars, they may be of interest to me if they get away from the Japanese design cues that abound in the new S and probably the new CL based on the Autoweek pictrure printed a couple of weeks ago.

AMG2GO

Steve the link is not working.... can't fit my TPS sensors in the renntechs after all... I am so bummed!