I have a 2005 CL65 with 21K miles in mint condition. I put it for sale on Autotrader recently because I felt a bit bored with it. I love the car but I thought I wanted more of a sports car for handling such as a Porsche Turbo or C6 Z06. I drove both cars and was unimpressed. The Z06 stock had very little torque compared to my car, was very rough on the street for an everyday driver, and the interior was crap. They don't even have one touch up buttons for the windows. The Porsche Turbo was much nicer but for the extra expense it didn't seem worth it to me. I know I would miss the luxury of the CL and the bells and whistles such as keyless go so I changed my mind and decided to keep the CL.

So I get a call from a guy from Germany as he saw my car on Autotrader and offered me 80K for my car. I bought my car one year ago for 85K. That was an amazing offer considering the car now goes for the high 60sK to low 70sK retail. I said ok and he got a local dealer involved that was going to buy the car for him and ship it to Germany. I couldn't think of any other car I wanted? I figured I would get a 2005 or 2006 SL65 since I was getting good money for my car and that is what they are approximately going for now wholesale. I went to test drive a 2005 SL65 and I realized how uncomfortable the car was for me. My right knee would rub against the leather of the console and I couldn't get comfortable no matter how I adjusted the seat. I then realized I was crazy for getting rid of a car that I actually really liked and that is so comfortable that I called the dealer and the guy in Germany and backed out of the deal. I know I was getting great money for the car but I really love my CL65. I'm so frustrated because the car depreciated over 20K in one year but what the hell else can I get with the power, comfort, and modification friendly nature as the CL65. Anyway, I'm happy I'm keeping my car but frustrated that I could have recouped almost what I paid for it one year ago. I just wanted to share this story and see if you all think I'm CRAZY.

 

I understand your dilemma completely, I feel the same way. What can I get to replace the overall package offered by the CL55?

Have you looked at the CLK Black Series? Don't make the mistake of driving it unless you're really ready to change.

You did the right thing in not selling overseas, chances are reasonable that it would be a scam.

 

Sounds like you made the right choice to me.

Off topic, but am also a huge Rush fan.

 

CLK Black was a thought but too much cash for me at this moment and I really love the V12TT.

The overseas deal was legit. This guy has bought from US before using a local dealership as the middle man. They were ready to take my car in on trade for the price offered my the guy in Germany and wire the money directly to my bank before they received the car.

Thanks for the reply.

 

I have a new license plate coming this week. It is going to read: YYZ YYZ. RUSH ROCKS. I've been a die hard fan since 1981!

 

I think you made the right choice buddy. I mean it's really something that the guy offered you so much for it. However another opportunity will come your way. By the time, look around and see if there's any other car you're interested in.

Good luck !

 

Thanks for the reply. Makes me feel better about the whole thing.

 

Its funny that you mention this right now... I just got rid of my 2005 CL65 within the last 24 hours! I got it slightly used from the dealership in mid '05 and enjoyed the power so much that there was nothing I was ready to trade it in for since. I mean with 604hp and 738ft-lbs it packs a hell of a punch!

My actually did the same thing that you did about a year when I agreed to sell it to a guy who lives on the west coast (I live in boston) but I backed because there was really nothing else that I wanted to get. I too drove the SL65 and found it to be painfully uncomfortable... Overall I know that you made the best choice, keep enjoying that V12TT Monster!

 

It was probably a scam, good thing you turned it down. Why would the guy offer you $80k when he could buy the same car for less money on the same website you had it listed? People who buy these cars are not idiots.

 

Maybe the OP had a car with the options/colour the guy wanted. You never know. And it's not like the buyer's from Nigeria.

 

You mad the correct decision

65>63 my friend.

 

Please correct me if I am wrong.

From what you wrote in this thread and where you are from, I am assuming that most likely you have the CL65 fully paid off. Additionally, I don't think your dilemma is based on financial concerns.

That being said, if I were in your shoes I would not have given up the CL65 for any of the aforementioned cars. I have friends and colleagues who seem to be happy with their Z06s and 911 turbos but at the same time, most of them don't have a long term plan to keep these cars due to the fact that compare to the CL, they are simply not comfortable cars at all.

I have personally been a passengers in all of these cars and frankly, I wouldn't even have sold my CL (even if it's only a CL500) for a Porsche/Corvette, even if it's a top of the line model.

While it's true that you may have taken a $20k depreciation/hit on the CL65, if you think the other way around you have actually had the chance to enjoy a pinnacle in automotive engineering that many people dreamed of but are unable to achieve. That to me is well worth more than $20k.

I'd say get the Corvette or Porsche if you have extra cash to play with. Otherwise, the fun factors, luxury, prestige, and power of the CL65 are good enough to outweigh the temptation to get the Vette or the Porsche. In your shoes a better dilemma would be an Aston Martin or a Bentley.

Jon

 

Yes car is paid off. I bought it outright from the beginning. Thanks for the rational thinking. I now fully agree. I had a momentary lapse of reasoning because the kid in me really wanted a true sports car and owning both right now is not really wise financially for me. I just came home from a ride in my CL and I can't believe I was going to sell it. This car is truly amazing and mine is in such good condition. The interior is perfect with no rattles at all. Perfectly quiet with the radio off. I've had virtually no problems with the car in the year that I had it. I'm going to get an ECU upgrade and new intercooler pump with heat exchanger. Then I'm pulling out the head unit and getting a Kenwood touchscreen navigation with both front and back cameras, a larger subwoofer, and an upgraded amplifier. I'm going to keep this car for a while. Thanks again for the kind words.

Larry

 

I'm telling you it was not a scam. This guy has bought from my local dealership two other times. They know him. He was going to wire the money to the dealership and they were going to buy my car. They told me that they would either wire the money to my bank account or give me a cashiers check and wait till it clears until they took my car.

This guy liked my car because of the color, the 20" after market wheels, and the distronic. My car is fully loaded and he wanted all options. The Euro is much stronger because the dollar is so weak. Apparently the guy is pretty loaded anyway and wants the older style CL. It is very difficult to get these for so cheap in Germany. It only costs $2,000.00 to ship it to Germany from the Port of Miami. This is why he was particularly looking for a car in the South Florida area. It makes things easier. He was a super nice guy and I felt bad when I canceled the deal. He told me he understood and said he wouldn't part with the CL65 either. He has driven Bentleys, Rolls, and BMWs but when he drove the CL65 he was hooked. Anyway, that is the story.

 

You're welcome!

Please share some pictures of your car whenever you have the mods. done. That'll be something really cool to see.

You made a really smart move to share your dilemma here in this forum. After all, it's always better than seeing a thread next week or so with the following title, "Porsche 911 Turbo owner: did I buy this car too quickly??" I am just kidding.

Enjoy your ride!

Jon

 

I call it "new model syndrome" When I was younger I would have said go with the newer model. Now I would say "keep it"! Although it's not the newest and baddest Mercedes it's probably one of the best all around bang for the buck. Regardless of anyone's income I think it would be a stupid move to keep buying the newest model every time one comes out. Keep it and enjoy..Just be prepared to sell it for 50k in the next two years.

 

Larry, what was the dealer's interest in seeing the deal go through? Their involvement makes things almost failsafe but surely came at a cost.

-Rob

 

Good question. The dealer gets an inspection and handling fee. They are the ones who arrange the shipping. Apparently it is big business shipping cars to Europe. Who knew. The dealer owner told me they get a large percentage of business from Europe and he showed me 3 cars in his show room with sold signs on them that are headed for Germany. The owner of the dealership actually told me business is down not because the demand isn't their but because the backlog of car shipments to Europe. There is a one month wait just to get it sent out. I didn't ask how much the dealer gets but I'm sure it is worth their while. I guess even with the dealer fee, shipping, and price of the car it is still much cheaper then buying it locally for them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm usually the first to smell a rat. If it was a scam then it didn't get far enough along for me to catch it and it really did seem to be legitimate. The dealership has been around for 25 years with a pretty decent reputation but you never know.

 

It's probably not a scam if the dealership checks out to be a reputable one.

To rationalize, even though I have not sold/purchased a car for oversea use before, I do know that the U.S. is one of the least expensive places to purchase an expensive European car. Compare to other countries, we actually live in a car heaven.

In Asia for example, even a well used 5+ year old CL500 can fetch up to $70k U.S. dollars in your average used car market. With the CL65, be prepared to shell out a lot more dollars for one.

There's a Chinese adage that says, "no one will ever do a business with negative profits." Therefore, rest assured that the German buyer can probably re-sell the car for much more than $80k (especially given the weak U.S. currency nowadays) in Europe.

To top it off, most of Mercedes and BMWs sold in Europe are not marketed for the folks here in America, where the buyers usually prefer a "fully loaded" model for a luxury car. Finding a used CL65 in rare color and in pristine condition that's fully loaded with a reasonable price tag can indeed, be a challenge for many perspective buyers who are not facing the rising gas problems like we do here.

If it weren't for quota, unfavorable tax rates for an individual, and the fact that I don't personally have the time to do this, with a good broker I'd be more than happy to ship my CL500 to Asia and re-sell it for profits.

Jon

 

Larry- I told you before keep the 65 and mod it to another level. I am glad you still have it. I have mine and feel I will never trade it or let it go, lol!!

 

Gas is more than $10/gallon in Europe my friend.

Larry, thanks for the explanation. You can rest easy in that you made the correct decision. If and when you decide to part with your beautiful CL65 then using using this dealer's European sale policy will the best way to take the sting off the depreciation of these V12 monsters.

 

France, are going to ASR Tuning... for you engine upgrades ??

 

That may be so.

But what you've stated is not what I meant in my post. I was pointing out that the European market cars may not be always as well equipped as their U.S. counterpart. And a well equipped U.S. specimen my friend, is pretty desirable to the European customers who probably don't even care about gas prices.

Jon

 

Is there a reason why you didnt sell this car and get another CL just like it to pocket the 20k depreciation? Or did you preform mods on it

 

Probably not. ASR has never tuned a CL65 before. I know they have a lot of experience with BMWs and Porsches but I don't want my car to be their first try. I'll stick with either RennTech or Kleeman.

Larry