bjd1235lovesMB

Hello,

I have been lurking this forum for a long time and finally decided to take the plunge into this great resource. I also have definitively decided that no matter what, come January, I'm getting a Mercedes-Benz.

With that being said, I don't know if I should get a 2006 with 97k miles for 9k (following a prepurchase inspection etc). It already has a clean carfax but we know that only counts for so much. The other dilemma is that I'm really in love with the 2013 GLK. I know comparing cars to SUVS is not exactly an apples to apples comparison, but which would you say is the better Benz? (for the price points I'm looking at, the GLK would have about 80k miles)

Dnasty

This being a cls forum, i'm pretty sure a majority of the repsonses you will get will be preference towards the cls... myself included. But I do love that gle63.. not a huge fan of the glk but that's just my preference. I own an 06 cls500 with a little over 100k and it hasn't given me any serious issues. The only time it has left me stranded is when the cps went out and I was right near my mechanic when it happened so I was back on the road in about an hour. I think the big things with these cars are the air shocks.. or on any benz i've ever owned if you own it long enough an airshock is going to go out and it will cost much more money then a regular shock. Other then that get the car checked out make sure it's been serviced regularly.. one thing about the 06 cls that I found out was that the first ones they produced have no torque converter drain plug (truly sealed for life), they later added this to the 06 production models. It's a good thing to have otherwise you can't do a full transmission service unless you purge the system which is likely costly.

LexBrett2

The 2006 cls is truly a great car. I bought my car for 13.5k with 62,000 miles earlier this year. It's true the air shocks are very unreliable and they did go out on my car. I repaired DIY and it was not too bad though.

My greatest concern with the 2006 are with the brakes. The brakes are electronic (SBC), and appear to be prone to failure, very scary. Since they are electronic, they are not really a DIY item so could be lots of money to repair.

If I were to do it all over again, I would have spent a bit more, and buy a 2007 or newer, since the brakes are NOT electronic. Mercedes went back to hydraulic brakes after all the complaints. Plus you pick up around 80 HP going from cls500 to cls550.

You are able to DIY a transmission flush, but it is only a partial change. I don't see this as a huge deal since you can just do the flush several times to essentially get out all the old fluid. Just a PITA.

But how could you pass up a beautiful cls for 9k? Beleive me, I get it. They are wonderful cars.

How do you like driving the cls versus the glk?

The first time I drove a cls I knew I had to have it!!

Dnasty

You can do the partial flush which is what I’ve done but it won’t be the same as having the torque converter drain plug because you’re essentially mixing old fluid with new and the torque converter holds a bulk of the fluid. Most dealers do this partial flush too but most dealers don’t mind selling you a new trans also. I guess it matters how much of a diyer the op is and if cost is an issue. If you’re getting this car at 9k I’d definitely have it checked out and see how well it was serviced do they have records?. If it helps any I wouldn’t sell mine right now for that price.

LexBrett2

If you flushed and refilled 2 or 3 times wouldn't that essentially get the fluid almost completely new?

Dnasty

Eh.. not really because you’re losing new fluid with the old. The best you can get is diluted new fluid this way. I think most people have accepted that though. I go to a mercedes Indy that does everything by the book and he actually disconnects some hose to get the trans fluid out the torque converter and the oil pump but for now im shifting fine so I haven’t done it.

Todd Graham

If you are still looking for a low mileage, excellent condition CLS 500, let me know! I just picked up a 2012 CLS 550 and so it is time to part with my 2006 CLS 500. Only 64K miles. Always garage kept. Complete maintenance records since day it was purchased from Mercedes Benz in Chicago. Message me if you would like to discuss.

kbanks45

I was somewhat in the same boat. I wanted the 06-11 body style. I just found a 2011 with the lowest miles and a clean carfax. Found a 2011 550 with the AMG package with 44k on the dash for $25,000. I love the car but still bought a extended warranty just incase. Best car decision i've made made car wise... Just be careful with the high miles, because these cars are not cheap to fix...