Petrogeologist

Hey I am new to the forum but have owned many mercedes, I currently own a 2013 C250 sedan which I bought after my 2005 C55 AMG's transmission sadly finally went after racking up 215,403 miles. The C55 was the best MB I ever owned literally had no issues at all with the car only routine maintenance which I was obsessive about, sadly my c250 is a bucket of worms, I am having acceleration issues and transmission problems and the dealer is talking about buying the car back/lemon law since they cannot ID the problem or fix it. I want to go back to an AMG, particularly a 55 M113 V8 either N/A or S/C, I am considering a SL55 any year, a Cl55 (MY 04-06), a w211 E55 all years, or a R171 SLK55 (MY 07 or newer). I dont want to spend over $40k, I decided long ago that any more than that is impractical, that is unless an absolutely amazing car comes along... Anyway I have driven an SLK55 and obviously a C55, but never the CL55, SL55, or E55. I would like to know your opinions on your CL55 or any of the others listed with regards to acceleration, reliability, sound system quality, how the car feels I.E. does it drive like big heavy MB's do or has AMG drastically altered the car I know it will be, but I am concerned that the SL55 and CL55 will feel much bigger and have more of a "floating feeling" on the road. I am well versed with the regards to the mechanical aspects of the vehicles, I am looking for a sensory description of how the vehicle feels to accelerate and drive, and I know it sounds dumb but also how the stereo sounds, does it have a full solid sound good bass and clear treble, basically the opposite of the 2009 W211 e-class HK stereo which is lacking in bass but has way too much treble. I thank you all for taking the time to share your opinions and experiences with your CL's and any of the other vehicles listed, it will definitely help aid in making my decision as these cars are somewhat hard to find now making it nearly impossible to find one of each near me to try. Thank you again Chris.

CLassy_AMG

To me the CL55 doesn't feel heavy and big at all, and I came from a vw gti. it handles very well considering the size and weight. and it absolutely rips. these are highway monsters. the things I would consider when choosing between the SL is the ride quality and how quiet these are. you can cruise at 100 mph on the freeway and the noise feels like you are doing 20 through a neighborhood. the stereo sounds awesome and as for reliability, mine has been flawless, everything is still as smooth as can be, the tranny, ride quality and the power.
I hope this helps. and if you want a really good one, mine is for sale

https://mbworld.org/forums/mercedes-...-cl55-amg.html

lphillips1117

My CL55 AMG is a dream to drive. On paper, it's a very heavy car. The wheel base is longer than a 4 door Honda Accord. But, it does not feel that way what so ever. It's pretty nimble and doesn't mind being thrown around corners. The acceleration is insane and there are plenty of tuning options if you want more.
Mine has the Bose system which sounds pretty good despite the two rear deck speakers being out. A buddy of mine who hates Bose got in one day and fell in love with the sound. When he asked who made the speakers and I told him, he couldn't believe it.

Petrogeologist

Hey guys, thanks for the replies and sorry for the late response I have been out of the country for work for the past few days and unable to access the internet. I have been reading other peoples opinions on the SL and E and I have decided to remove the E from consideration along with the SLK as it is simply too small, I think the smallest I could go for a daily driver is SL size, I used to own a 1997 SL600 and I found that car to be AMAZING for one but also exactly the right size if buying a 2dr roadster. I really think the CL would be the best choice, I have found a few that have low mileage (below 50,000 miles) which is what I want. I am going to contact the dealers and request the MB dealer service documentation so I can review it, is there anything in particular to look out for or any service items which should be performed that are not really recommended in the MB manual til higher miles but we all know should be done sooner such as tranny and diff survices at lower mileage to prevent damage, that I should be keen to look out for? I will post links the vehicles and let you guys take a look, but I like that the CL55 is a tank, safety is a big deal to me as I was smashed into in my SL600 by a car that ran a stop sign I was going 60mph (speed limit) and the car that hit me was estimated to be going about 50 MPH right into the side of my car, T-boned me, but I was able to control the car and my friend and I simpled walked out of the car without a scratch or bruise, the othe people were severally injured and were found to be on drugs, driving without a license, and having 2 unrestrained children in the car. All I can say is that the cops said we should have been killed by the accident as it was that violent, but thanks to engineering, highstrength steel and the laws of physics we survived. So mercedes safety is one of my main reasons for being loyal to the brand and the CL55 seems to fit my requirements of being sporty, fast, comfortable and SAFE. Any more input with respect to advice for what to check vehicles for when possibly purchasing them would be greatly appreciated. I hope to find the right car soon and I will keep everyone informed, thank you again for taking the time to help me out! Chris

biker349

check to see if there was any abc service done, also see if there was tranny service done ie. fluid and filter change, possibly rear end fluid change, but not as necessary. the major thing to me would be the abc system also if spark plugs were changed it would be nice. main thing is get it checked out both physically and through the star computer for issues and past faults if they weren't cleared.

Petrogeologist

I requested the complete MB service history from the dealer and the sales guy said he has it and is going to email it to me shortly. This is the link to the CL55 I am also waiting on photos. Was this car owned by anyone on the board? I know about ABC failures, what are the replacement options if this happens, I would like to simply replace the system with standard shocks from kleemann or brabus, is this possible in the event the system dies in the future? Thanks again for the help!

http://www.mercedesbenzoftysonscorne...-12253894.html

Petrogeologist

Here is the VMI from the dealer I am waiting for him to re-send pages 1-2 as they were corrupt and I could not open the files. Let me know what you guys think about the items listed in this cars VMI, I want to make sure this vehicle is as mechanically sound as possible because I like to keep my cars until they die! I thank you all for helping me out and hopefully this car will turn out to be a proper well maintained CL55 that I can purchase and baby for years to come.