PDC

I am visiting from the W211 board. I drive a mildly modified W211 E55. It's an absolute rocket. However, I have always prefered the appearance and syling of a coupe over a sedan. Moreover, I have always been infatuated with HP and have lusted after the big TT V12 in the 65 class cars. I have an "opportunity" to step into a very reasonably priced 2005 CL65 with a tic over 15K miles. I am just looking for general feedback from folks who have actually owned and driven these monsters. Any pronounced service issues I shuod be aware of??? For example, we kompressor drivers have all had to learn about IC pump failures and upgrades. I'm basically looking for general (or specific!) first hand feedback. Any thoughts or observations at all are greatly appreciated. Thank You!!!

retardedmunk

The best car you will ever own.....PERIOD...

Only 194 were ever built in the 2 years produced!!! and the prestige as well as power and comfort is by far the best in the world....

I have owned a few CL65's...
I have also owned a E55, E63 , S65 , C63 , and so on....

CL65 nothing like it ......

The higher mileage cars are IMO better mechanicaly.....These cars are meant to be driven and when they are not...problems do come up
So if you get a lower mile car.....drive the hell out of it....SERIOUSLY....

THEY are very reliable for what they offer....and more reliable then any other exotic built.....just make sure you get a warranty ....there are a few CL65's out there for sale with no warranty and after the factory expires it is hard to get an extended without paying a lot of money

TMC M5

In less than two weeks I will have owned my 2005 CL65 for 1 year. I bought the car with 17k miles on it. It is an absolutely amazing blend of phenominal performance (straight line) and luxury. I still think it is one of the most elegant shapes ro come from any manufacturer...I still sneak peaks at it from all angles and smile.

Now the "down" side of CL65 ownership. It isn't cheap to maintain. Here is a quick listing of some of the expenses I have incurred:

-front pad change and Service B at MB dealership= $1,300
-rear pad change using MB master tech who is a buddy and akebono pads from Tire Rack = $300
-Service A at MB dealership: $350
-Bad Bosch I/C pump...had MB Master tech replace with Johnson CM030..$175
-Aftermarket warranty 7yr/100K mile, $0 deductible (a very good one...PM me if you want the co name) $3,100
-rear strut replacement due to bad sensor covered under above warranty but would be $2,800 if I had to pay out of my own pocket.
-front ESP sensor replacement and bad control arms covered under above warranty but would be $1,850 if I had to come out of pocket.
-front rotor and pad replacement-MB dealer would normally charge $3K...but MB master tech buddy discounted to $1,700 (paid an additional $200 to Tire Rack for the akebono front pads).

The morales of the story...first get a good aftermarket extended warranty...specifically one that covers ABC...second be prepared to spend money to maintain the car. With all that said...it is worth the money spent.

Tom

PDC

Tom,

I have replaced the IC pump on my 55 Kompressor with a Johnston Marine Pump. It actually came in a full "kit" from EvoSport that included all necessary hardware and a larger heat exchanger. (Evo does not offer a full kit for the 65 cars.) Is this generally the same as the "cooling upgrade" offered by RennTech?? Renntech's 'kit' is about 4k. Would most MB techs know how to fit a Johnston pump on the car without paying for the full blown 'kit' from Renntech??

TMC M5

Where are you located? My buddy might be able to do it for you. He has the pump set to be on all the time. It actually sits in the factory spot so I don't think a "kit" is necessary. I would imagine that as great as my buddy is...I would think any MB master tech could do the install.

From what I understand, the RENNtech upgrade comes with an additional MB factory heat exchanger. They claim their pump is a racing pump. I think you could do something similar for ALOT cheaper. Others have done a rear reservoir to help with the cooling with some great results.

Tom

sound 8

I have had my CL65 for over a year, and it's probably the best car I have ever owned. Just check the catalytic converters, there was a recall on them, mine
is a late 2004 and mine were done foc with a definite improvement.

retardedmunk

Compare a CL65 to a GT-R......different cars but both are automatics and are GT'S....so they are closer in comparison then one thinks
You will save about $15-20k buying a CL65
The Gt-R is what it is a Jap supercar.....I had one for about 3 weeks....
The CL65 is 5x more comfortable
The CL65 will run the 1/4 in same time as GT-R
The CL65 is a smoother car to drive and doesnt have the harsh road feel the GT-R has
The CL65 feels more powerful and it is much more powerful....The GT-R uses gears to build velocity
The CL65 wont cost you $23k if the tranny blows as the GT-R will if you use their launch control more then 4 times and the tranny does blow
They have built over 1800 GT-R'S and still building but only 194 CL65's were ever built

Compare C63 to CL65.......
Why? who ever buys a C63 and not a CL65 instead is prefering the Euro B Boy look and not a supercar like the CL65....makes no sense...and again I had 2 weeks with a C63....no keyless go and the seats felt like I was sitting in a Z06...not comfortable.....it was a fun car but nothing to a CL65...and pay more for this car? IS crazy.............

Compare E63-E55.........
Great sedans ....I love them....would take one over a C63 all day dollar for dollar....but they are sedans....and not needed by everyone...and they nothing in comparison to the CL65 in rarity and power....

M6 to CL65 ..........great cars but the interiors look like closets.....Not a big fan of the ergonomics....and try just pressing the pedal on one of them without switching gears....has no torque.....feels like a dump truck in comparison

Bentley Gt to CL65......
The Bentley is a great looking car...but it is heavy and not very fast at all above 60 mph.....it feels like a boat compared to the CL65 but the Bentley name goes a long way for impressions.....they are selling retail around $70k now....NO WARRANTY and you cant get one when the factory is up.....oh and there are over 1000 for sale now in the USA....and only 15 CL65's for sale in comparison....they built over 4000 Bentley GT's a year compared to only 194 CL65's ever built-----

PDC

I very recently 'missed out' on the chance to get into an 05 SL65 for a price in the low 60s. The CL65 I am currently considering is priced at $55k. So, about $8-$12 k more (generally speaking) will put you into an SL65 as opposed to a CL65 of comparable model year, mileage, condition, etc. I think I prefer (ever so slightly) the look of the SL. BUT is that slight preference worth $8-$12K???? Especially for a car with identical powerplants and drivelines???? (which is what we're really talking about, here) Anybody know the curb weight of the SL 65 off hand? I think the CL is around 4500. Choices, choices. P.S. Thanks to everybody for chiming in. I have been an MB board member since my first AMG car - an '01 CLK55 and I SO appreciate the immediate access to so many knowledgable members!!

PDC

TMC M5

I believe the SL65 weighs in at around 4,450lbs and the CL65 weighs in at around 4,650lbs. The SL65 also comes with a LSD which is absent on the CL65. The major advantage of the CL65 is rear seats. If you don't need the back seats and love drop top driving... the SL65 is probably worth the extra $. You will make most of it back on resale anyway. If you need the back seats (as I do)...go for the CL65.

Tom

02cl55amg

plan on picking one up up in a few weeks also. have looked into a dailmer chrysler extended warr.($1760 for add. 3/36) my only problem with car is that it is dropping in value every month. 65's are selling right now for anywhere from $37k-$55k depending on mileage. these cars with 55-60k miles on them are selling at the auction for approx. $37k now. what will a cl65 with 50k miles in 3 years be worth? when will these cars stop drasticly depreciating?

TMC M5

At a certain point the prices have to level out... it will be much more valuable to strip the car and sell the parts. That is my last ditch exit plan if need be..

Tom

Baby ///M3

It's very hard to say.

I personally don't believe in spending more than $50k on any car (unless I am buying an Aston Martin or something higher than its caliber), not because I can't afford one but because I think there are simply too many more profitable investment opportunities out there.

I don't believe in leasing a car or paying for a car in installments, either. If drinking Windex out of a shot glass doesn't kill you, the interest rates certainly will someday.

For me, I tend to go by a pretty strict guideline:

Any car that carries a sticker price less than $70k:
-I would wait for a five-year-old model to creep up the market. Indeed, by then the car may still to continue drop in terms of value but it won't be that much. Plus, if it's any older than the potential money that I save will not justify the pleasure that I lose for not owning the car.

Any car that carries a sticker price more than $70k:
-I would wait for a seven-year-old car to come up for sale. Hence, I may pick up a used CL65 in 2012, enjoy it for a couple of years and perhaps switch to a W216 CL63 in 2014 if my mood should strike.

Obviously, if I really enjoy the car then I may just keep it indefinitely. I've had my BMW for at least 13 years and probably won't sell it unless I really have to.

Jon

TMC M5

Or maybe you just buy the car now...not wait seven or ten years...think of it as an investment in your sanity... because cars are certainly not monetary investments. If you like to drive the best luxury/performance cars...than the cost of ownership is worth it... I am sure others might agree.

Tom

02cl55amg

i do agree. i just love the looks of the 215 cl65, even if it did drop a $1k a month in value a month it still a car i would love to own and drive

retardedmunk

The last CL65 I had on ebay was in awesome condition....I had more then 15 total offers on the car by phone and on ebay... there is a huge market for these cars if more people knew about them.... dont let the ones sitting there not selling discourage anybody.....the ones that havent sold are priced a little too high and have NO OPTIONS and the the warranties are out or about to go out.......this is critical... I once turned down a Flint grey car I wanted to buy a few months back for the low $40's with 23k miles...why? the car it had no options...I dont feel comfortable buying a car with no keyless go when a Prius has it... ofcourse that car sold real quick.... because the price was too low to pass up.....but out of 10 buyers .... 8 will want that keyless and parktronic....AMG guys are picky... I am one...

2 reasons these cars are still for sale and have dropped.....
They were mostly leased and the auction prices reflect the difference of the pay out lease to BENZ and the left over difference on the car... so $43k-$55k is about right on a auction car---unless the miles are higher and then they are under $40k.....
Biggest reason for their depreciation:
NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do a test..... ask 10 of your friends....if you have less friends divide that into 2.... now ask them "Hey what is the most powerful production car built right now?" or "did you know Mercedes builds a 600 plus hp car with air conditiond seats and messaging seats" maybe one will know....maybe 2 if you have friends that think of a car as being more then transportation.... and the others will say Corvette or Lambo or maybe Bugatti.... for the answer.... as far as about the 600 hp Benz....well they almost always say "Are you ****ing serious?'

But when they learn they are about ready to sell their current rides to own one.....

Example...
I brought my 14k mile car to a huge car show on Friday night over 200 cars come here every Friday.....and I had this awesome sign made by a local sign shop and put the sign on the engine with the hood open....the sign read about the rarity and the performance....big bold sign.....NO FOR SALE was written anywhere on this sign... I didnt advertise the car..... I had groups .... I mean groups of people asking questions....serious car guys.....I mean guys who can rattle off specs of just about anything did not know this BENZ had this recognition.....they were in awe!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO Bull****....2 people asked if it was for sale and i said yes...one person looked at it on Sunday and will be possibly buying it on Wed. he owns a SL55 and he knows about these cars ...but he didnt know the fact that it is the most powerful production car.... he said the ZR1 should be ... I said no the ZR1 has only 600 ft. lbs. of torque... this is 150 less then the BENZ....torque is king ...HP is It's servant......

These cars have bottomed out...infact I think they will start to creep up a little when they become impossible to buy.... this is expected on a car with only 194 built.....

In Reality the new SL65 black series has the same motor.....and it is a $300k plus car.....so the CL65 is a bargain by 100

Actually be happy not many people do know about them.. because if they did ...... you would have to beg to own one at the price they want....

my car on ebay.....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...spagenameZWDVW

whoover

The CL65 is quoted at 4,654; the SL65 at 4,564. I have 30,000 miles on a 2006 S65 and it's been rock solid. A couple of the usual electrical gremlins (IR sensor in the door handle and a mirror controller) but nothing with the powertrain. Knock on wood, I haven't even needed brakes yet and I have hauled the car down from 130+ MPH in a hurry a number of times. And I second the opinion that the engine is just getting broken in. I drove round trip San Jose to LA last week and got better mileage (17 mpg) and lower oil consumption (< .4 quart) for the 1,000 mile high-speed run than ever before.

Fraser

A daily driver caliber vehicle like the CL65 is never going to be an investment!

1badassbenz

CL 65's Rule. lol.. I luv mine wouldn't change my mind if I had to choose again. I have had E55, E63 & SL65 and although they are all great cars for me they don't compare to the CL65. It's a great looking car, rare and FAST!!!. Even though they have dropped alot in value to me they are still worth all the money. As for any problems I have really had no problems with mine, Knock on wood....besides having to change the intercooler pump which was done under warranty. Also a great suggestion by all the other members if you can get an extended warranty it's always good to have. I am also looking to add some extra warranty to mine. Good luck with the purchase.

sound 8

Let's face it, I would rather have a used CL65 150k car for 50k than anything
new for the same amount, which will also drop like a stone.
You don't by a CL65 for money reasons, it's going to drop, but because it is so good there's no need to worry what it will be worth in 3-5years.
This car is not a Ferrari,Porsche,or Lambo, there all probably quicker, however
the 65 beats them all for everyday use,I don't mean that in a boring way, my
drive to work today involved some speed some overtaking and a little
cruising all dispatched with ease. What a superb car!!

retardedmunk

Let's face it.... everything you buy loses value in one way or another....there is no car you can buy that will be worth what you pay now in 2 years....not even the GT500KR where idiots were paying $100k for ...now they are $65k....6 months later....or the z06 that was $80-90k in 2006 ..now they are $40k used....or the GT3RS WHICH is a waste of money.. they were $250k and now are $175k? Still a lot of money for that car....wow....or a 2004-2005 Bentley that used to be twice the used car price of a CL65 for a while...now they are only $10-15k away from a CL65...IT SHOULD be like that since the Bentley is mass produced and carries a lot of it's parts from the lower VW models...

truth is ...buy what you can afford....If you can afford to pay the $190k for a new CL65 and that is your cup of tea....go for it.... if not then the $50-60k for a nice used one seems like a real bargain if that is what you can afford....nobody should whine about how it may drop.....what the hell is that....it is already a used car bargain.....and if it drops a little so what..... anything you buy will drop and atleast with this car you are getting a lot of car for the money....and no other new car under $125k will give you the same as this used car will.....so be it

sound 8

I'll drink to that!

Baby ///M3

I know cars are not investments.

I never said I would buy a car for investment purposes. I meant to say I wouldn't spend more than $50k on most of used cars (including a CL65) and would rather use the extra money for other investment purposes.

I didn't say I knew how much a car such as the CL65 would depreciate, either. I simply wanted to convey to the poster upstairs what I consider worthy when it comes to buying a car. Based on his response, I think 02cl55amg understood what I was trying to say perfectly.

I love driving high-end cars. But I don't mind waiting for a few years to own one. I am sure there are also plenty of others who feel the same way.

Jon

Carl Lassiter

His response was agreeing with Tom.

One should own cars that do not leave them financially stretched. Everyone is different in this department and I'm sure plenty of people do not mind waiting for cars to depreciate before buying just the same as plenty of would rather enjoy the car in the meantime.

Baby ///M3

Be as it may,

As long as I've managed to convey what I wanted to say, I don't mind the disagreements.

Enjoy your rides.

Jon

retardedmunk

Using the money as an investment makes sense if you are paying cash ..

Most of us finance these cars... you get an installment loan and then make your payments...where does this keep anybody from investing?

Example ....If you are paying $800 a month for a CL65 and $550 is going to principal....then at then end of the year you will only owe say $44k on a $50k car.... not bad....that is about what the car will be worth anyway...if it has a warranty on it and you keep it nice... now say you keep it for 2 years...you are at say $38k for this car..... you want to sell it... it has say 65k miles on it and you have that nice warranty you got which has another 3 years left....Who is not going to give you $38k for a warranteed 600hp Benz? .......and even if you sell it for say $35k ... wow a whole $3k loss...oh nooooooo....... **** that is a miracle purchase if you ask me.... people lose so much money on buying cars it isnt even funny....most people are upside down $10-20k in the first year alone on a Loaded HONDA....HELL MY brother against my advice went out and bought a SS Blazer then had it for 8 months and traded it in for a 2006 Vette.....then had that for about a year and traded it in for a HUMMER H2.... HOW much did he lose in this process? after the payments and then the down payment (in the trash) he lost a whopping total of $49,000 in less then 30 months of owning these cars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this story is no BULL****... it is real... he just kept rolling over the difference........needless to say the Hummer had a boating accident....worst vehicle to try to put jetskies in the water with ........I would prefer a F250 4x4

and there are stories like this everywhere.... I once saw a guy pull out a GUN at a BMW dealership ... he actually was trying to trade his 2005 745i in for a new preowned 2007 M6..... they offer him about $35k less then he owed.. they sold him the car originally.... he wasnt one of those people that could take a hit like that... he actually pulled out a gun and pointed it in the face of the GM that day and told him he would shoot him unless he took his car right now.....true story... yes the guy was arrested...he had 2 kids with him and his wife... a real HOTTHEAD....but this shows how much a car loses and what not so car smart people get themselves into......if he knew more about cars he would of bought it used and gotten a great deal and then not lost so much.....like his FREEDOM...lol

So those cry babies on the CL65..... be happy this car has reached this price level......

Getting a loan is a loan and that money is not wasted on a car .....using your cash you have in the bank is a big mistake ... that money can better used as a investment... now if you get that loan and then you want to invest... you can take some credit card cash or savings and find that investment.... so the car stays....LOL