Hello Everyone, I am a total newbie to MB however I've been awaiting the time in my life to grab a used CL-55 for some time now (2004-05ish). I am aware their are some better alternatives out there however this will suit my needs fine and realistically, from what I have seen, the car would probably have say..30K miles on it.
Anyhow, I am a firm believer in Forums as I feel the "truth" comes out whether it's advice on mod's or general reliability/problem areas and I would use this knowledge along with a PPI to ensure the car is not a "problem child" from the start.
OK...So I have been reading through post after post (waaay back) and I keep noticing throughout that "50K miles" is "bad and get ready to drop alot of money in repairs" and alot of talk of aftermarket warranties.
Again, I am a newbie, are these cars not built that well?
Does 50K Miles on these cars really open up alot of issues? (assuming it hasn't been poorly maintained or had the life beat out of it)

My old 911 Turbo has many "modded miles" with no major problems whatsoever. Of course I am "versed" on the weak spots and have dealt with them or at least, aware of them. (I know the cars)

On another note, I am a very "hands-on" guy, I am fully equipped (Lifts, air tools, etc) and I usually do my own work regardless of what it is. Is this realistic on the MB's? (No problems at all on the Porsche )

Please help me out here (tell me their OK..LOL) As I feel a bit discouraged after reading through the boards in regards to reliability/longevity.
My intended use for the car would be a weekend/family cruiser (5-6Kmiles/Yr)
Garaged and not really modded (OK, Sounds like pulley/ECU are mandatory) and NEVER raced other than maybe a spirited drive.

BTW, I have nothing but the utmost respect for MB, this is why I am a bit surprised by these findings and looking for more clarification. If anyone thinks in anyway I am bashing or comparing to Porsche, 100% not the case, just looking for some reassurance is all. Thanks, Robert

 

My SL55 has been very reliable. I have had it since new ('03), and it has served as a test bed for allot of our 55K tuning. It has a few track miles and some top speed runs and has never failed me, except for a failed AC compressor last year.

These cars are strong and very well built. Seek out a good one, have it inspected and go have fun!

 

My '03 CL55 has 43k miles on it and I've put on 15k of that.

No major problems for me, the sc pump went (of course) as did a tranny and motor mount but nothing noteworthy beyond that.

I came out of a 996TT and my CL with just a pulley would kick my 911 up and down the street - in a straight line. That's important to me based on my daily driving. Maybe it's not quite fair because the 911 had no mods but, it also weighed 800 pounds less.

The 55K engine is a robust engine but has not proven to be as bullet proof as the 3.6TT ... but what has? That's not to say there's anything wrong with the 55k, but the 3.6TT is exceptional for modding and durability.

 

I own a 2004 CL55. Bought it new in November 2003. Don't put many miles on it (only about 9,000 currently on the odometer). No mechanical problems of any sort to report. It is a wonderful car. Extremely comfortable and very elegant combined with more than a fair amount of supercharged horsepower. Full throttle experiences are always impressive (especially if they are more than just quick little bursts).

Lovely car, elegant, powerful. A friend described it a wonderful road car.

JDB

 

Yes, I have no question at all regarding the overall experience in terms of comfort, luxury, beauty or speed. I've test drove one and very quickly found out the above mentioned and obviously, major eye candy...Unbelieveable.
Are their commmon weak links? I've noticed posts about the SC Pumps so I'll assume this is a troublesome area...The Transmission has me a bit concerned though, Weak Link? I ask b/c I would be purchasing a 3-4 Year old car and I am going to take a guess a rebuild on these Transmissions aren't cheap
Do the CL's suffer from eletrical gremlins? Throw lots of codes?

Sorry for all the questions, Just trying to plan is all. I can fix most anything R/R wise no problem, Trans rebuild...No. Diagnose eletrical, on most cars Yes on a complicated MB, probably not.
Thanks so far for all input, greatly appreciated.

 

Hi FX...

I bought my CL55 at 47,000 miles and have driven circa 6,000 miles. I've had to have to shock absorbers changed (both on the front left and right side). The symptoms were "squeaky noises" as you'd go over bumps for the right side. As for the left side, I got some sort of leak from the shock absorber / hydaulic suspension.

Fortunately I was able to extend the MB Warranty, so it didn't cost me a penny although, from what I understand, it could have cost over £1,000 each time !

Apart from that - I've not really experienced any difficulties. I must confess - it's a phenomenal car to drive, BUT my humble advice would be to ensure you bought one with a warranty (ideally from MB)!