Newbie needs some advice
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 536
Likes: 35
From: Seattle
2105 S63 Full Carbon - 2018 GTR
Newbie needs some advice
Hey guys- I'm a long time Porsche guy and new to the MB world. Wanted to say a quick howdy and ask you for some advice. I had a chance to go for a ride in a client's CL55 and I'm thinking I need one!! 
I thought I'd check in for some advice and opinions. Here's what I need to know:
- How good of a daily driver is this car? I put about 18-20k a year on my DD.
- What do you love about it
- What do you hate about it?
- Any 'must have' options that I can't live without?
- Is there a year that is more desirable that another?
- Are there any known service issues that I need to know about?
- What's a fair price given average miles?
- and last but not least, why do some of the cars have 'Kompressor' on the side and others dont? I am of the understanding that they are all V8 Supercharged motors.
Thanks in advance for the schooling guys
I thought I'd check in for some advice and opinions. Here's what I need to know:
- How good of a daily driver is this car? I put about 18-20k a year on my DD.
- What do you love about it
- What do you hate about it?
- Any 'must have' options that I can't live without?
- Is there a year that is more desirable that another?
- Are there any known service issues that I need to know about?
- What's a fair price given average miles?
- and last but not least, why do some of the cars have 'Kompressor' on the side and others dont? I am of the understanding that they are all V8 Supercharged motors.
Thanks in advance for the schooling guys
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 904
Likes: 3
2001 S500 Sport "Klaus"
2003 onwards have the kompressor supercharger, the earlier years do not. this has substantial effect on resale/secondhand values and pricing.
I love the CL55 too, but I found the rear seat too difficult to get in/out of with a baby seat, so I ended up buying an E55 wagon instead (new baby, blah blah blah). She's 10 months old now, and really once she's in a front-facing child seat in a few months none of this will matter anymore, and the secondhand values will have fallen still farther. Hmmmm....
I love the CL55 too, but I found the rear seat too difficult to get in/out of with a baby seat, so I ended up buying an E55 wagon instead (new baby, blah blah blah). She's 10 months old now, and really once she's in a front-facing child seat in a few months none of this will matter anymore, and the secondhand values will have fallen still farther. Hmmmm....
Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 86
Likes: 7
2023 AMG EQE 53 4MATIC+, Tesla Model Y
Hey guys- I'm a long time Porsche guy and new to the MB world. Wanted to say a quick howdy and ask you for some advice. I had a chance to go for a ride in a client's CL55 and I'm thinking I need one!!
I thought I'd check in for some advice and opinions. Here's what I need to know:
- How good of a daily driver is this car? I put about 18-20k a year on my DD.
- What do you love about it
- What do you hate about it?
- Any 'must have' options that I can't live without?
- Is there a year that is more desirable that another?
- Are there any known service issues that I need to know about?
- What's a fair price given average miles?
- and last but not least, why do some of the cars have 'Kompressor' on the side and others dont? I am of the understanding that they are all V8 Supercharged motors.
I thought I'd check in for some advice and opinions. Here's what I need to know:
- How good of a daily driver is this car? I put about 18-20k a year on my DD.
- What do you love about it
- What do you hate about it?
- Any 'must have' options that I can't live without?
- Is there a year that is more desirable that another?
- Are there any known service issues that I need to know about?
- What's a fair price given average miles?
- and last but not least, why do some of the cars have 'Kompressor' on the side and others dont? I am of the understanding that they are all V8 Supercharged motors.
- Love? The CL has all of the luxury of the S, but is nicely non-sedan-like.
- Hate? This is the Sixth Benz I've owned, so I obviously couldn't answer that.
- Options: Parktronic is practical and I think it's a necessity on any AMG car because of the low nose. If you do any highway driving, Distronic is very cool -- it works better than I thought it would and I use it often in traffic. Keyless Go is fun and fairly inexpensive, but not what I'd call a necessity. Handsfree is overpriced, but now you can use your own Bluetooth phone, so it's worth consideration. Satellite radio -- Sirius can't be added after the fact, so if you want it, make sure the car has it. So, that pretty much leaves "automatic trunk lowering" as the only useless option...
- Year: I think 2004 or later, if only because 04 has the DVD version of COMAND.
I think the other questions have been addressed.
Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 86
Likes: 7
2023 AMG EQE 53 4MATIC+, Tesla Model Y
2003 onwards have the kompressor supercharger, the earlier years do not. this has substantial effect on resale/secondhand values and pricing.
I love the CL55 too, but I found the rear seat too difficult to get in/out of with a baby seat, so I ended up buying an E55 wagon instead (new baby, blah blah blah). She's 10 months old now, and really once she's in a front-facing child seat in a few months none of this will matter anymore, and the secondhand values will have fallen still farther. Hmmmm....
I love the CL55 too, but I found the rear seat too difficult to get in/out of with a baby seat, so I ended up buying an E55 wagon instead (new baby, blah blah blah). She's 10 months old now, and really once she's in a front-facing child seat in a few months none of this will matter anymore, and the secondhand values will have fallen still farther. Hmmmm....
Of course, with a BabySmart seat, the little man has the occasional ride up front.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,566
Likes: 7
'14 ML BT
You probably won't drive as aggressively in the CL as you do in the 911 but that's not a bad thing either, because the CL won't corner like the 911 ... but it will cruise in utter quiet and comfort, which the 911 will definitely not do.
Nothing to hate about the CL, you will love the ride and comfort but you may miss the adoring stares of those who wish they were driving your 911.
Driving the CL, you will on occasion get a reverent bow from one of the automotive cognoscenti.
Get one that's fully optioned, IMO distronic is the only thing that I'd sacrifice. Keyless Go and Parktronic are a must for the CL55.
Put in a pulley and maybe ECU tune it, then get headers and let me know if they help. (I'm considering headers but don't want to be a trailblazer.)
Get a car that has MB warranty left, I've not had a problem but I'd hate to pay for a new AMG Kompressor engine (rumor is $35K +).
Don't get black unless you have the time (or help) to keep it looking like it should.
Check Ebay Luxury option to the 911TT
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: S. Fl.
03 CL55AMG Blk/Grey
Hi,
I'm looking to buy the exact same car that your looking for, in Fl. 03's are running through the auctions at 44-47K for clean cars with 25-40k, which is where I'm looking to buy through a dealer friend.
Retail I personally wouldn't pay more than 50-52 for a nice car.
I'm coming out of a 03 Corvette convert. with 600hp that runs high tens,after much grief from my wife(happy wife happy life) I now need a vehicle with a back seat for my daughter of 18 months
If you look on cars.com and look at Cl class and add AMG keyword, 03's will range in price from 45-59 with the nicer cars sitting about 53 and up these are asking prices so work from there. Hope this helps.
John
I'm looking to buy the exact same car that your looking for, in Fl. 03's are running through the auctions at 44-47K for clean cars with 25-40k, which is where I'm looking to buy through a dealer friend.
Retail I personally wouldn't pay more than 50-52 for a nice car.
I'm coming out of a 03 Corvette convert. with 600hp that runs high tens,after much grief from my wife(happy wife happy life) I now need a vehicle with a back seat for my daughter of 18 months
If you look on cars.com and look at Cl class and add AMG keyword, 03's will range in price from 45-59 with the nicer cars sitting about 53 and up these are asking prices so work from there. Hope this helps.
John
Last edited by John59; Nov 28, 2006 at 12:24 PM.
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Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 536
Likes: 35
From: Seattle
2105 S63 Full Carbon - 2018 GTR
Hi,
I'm looking to buy the exact same car that your looking for, in Fl. 03's are running through the auctions at 44-47K for clean cars with 25-40k, which is where I'm looking to buy through a dealer friend.
Retail I personally wouldn't pay more than 50-52 for a nice car.
I'm coming out of a 03 Corvette convert. with 600hp that runs high tens,after much grief from my wife(happy wife happy life) I now need a vehicle with a back seat for my daughter of 18 months
If you look on cars.com and look at Cl class and add AMG keyword, 03's will range in price from 45-59 with the nicer cars sitting about 53 and up these are asking prices so work from there. Hope this helps.
John
I'm looking to buy the exact same car that your looking for, in Fl. 03's are running through the auctions at 44-47K for clean cars with 25-40k, which is where I'm looking to buy through a dealer friend.
Retail I personally wouldn't pay more than 50-52 for a nice car.
I'm coming out of a 03 Corvette convert. with 600hp that runs high tens,after much grief from my wife(happy wife happy life) I now need a vehicle with a back seat for my daughter of 18 months
If you look on cars.com and look at Cl class and add AMG keyword, 03's will range in price from 45-59 with the nicer cars sitting about 53 and up these are asking prices so work from there. Hope this helps.
John
Thanks John! it does help. That is the same price range as I am finding out here and I have a wholesale contact looking around as well. if you were in CT, this would be a GREAT deal... take a look: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...1&cardist=2426
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Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 536
Likes: 35
From: Seattle
2105 S63 Full Carbon - 2018 GTR
Hey Guys- I just found an 03 with 21k miles with all the right options. It's a 2 owner car. According to the guy selling it (doesn't know a whole lot about cars and THAT makes me nervous 
), it used to belong to his brother-in-law and was sold to him a year ago. He says that the car has been lowered with 'brackets'! has no clue what brand or any additional info. He also says that the Brother had something past the Cats removed in order to have better sound and breathe better. It's a nice car but dealing with someone who can not give me proper history makes me nervous. He's asking for 65k which I think to be 10k too much. Please give me your thoughts on these lowering "L Brackets" as he calls them and speculation about what is behind the Cats (other than the muffler) that could be removed to improve power or sound?
wha'd'ya think?
), it used to belong to his brother-in-law and was sold to him a year ago. He says that the car has been lowered with 'brackets'! has no clue what brand or any additional info. He also says that the Brother had something past the Cats removed in order to have better sound and breathe better. It's a nice car but dealing with someone who can not give me proper history makes me nervous. He's asking for 65k which I think to be 10k too much. Please give me your thoughts on these lowering "L Brackets" as he calls them and speculation about what is behind the Cats (other than the muffler) that could be removed to improve power or sound? wha'd'ya think?
