Pootietang

I own a 2000 BMW 740il and I'm thinking about replacing it with an e55amg

Few question/comments. My biggest grip with the 740il is how INSANELY unreliable it is. It has 65,000 miles on it, I've owned it since new, I've had all service performed on time, and the car is an utter lemon. It's never made it more than 7,000 miles without having to go to the shop. The fan exploded, and it's died while driving (totally dead stick on the highway) not once, but twice.

Other than the fact that it dies while driving - I like the ride. It's quiet, it's comfy, and the car will get up and boogie when you need it to.

I'm wondering how the e55 is in terms of reliablity. Has anyone here ever owned the two? I know the e55 is a more sporty car, but I'm wondering if it's also a comfortable car. I have a bad back, and driving for extended periods of time usually gives an ache (I don't have this problem in the 740).

Any advice and comments are much appreciated

thanks!

Eurosport

w210 e55 will be more reliable than a 740.

since you have 65k miles, get ready for crank sensors, valve cover gaskets to need replacement. they just need a little more attention in maintenance, can't go by what bmw recommends 15k oil changes? hah hell no.

anyway, seats are comfy in the 55 as well, but not as comfy as "comfort seats in the bmw, which i think are standard and not an option on 740s.
gl

jimmydagreek

A couple of my friends "had" the old body 740's, one a 1998 and one a 2001. They both loved the comfort of the cars but hated the maintenance and up keep as they were also, always in the shop. The 98 was a disaster and he cursed the day he bought that thing but the 01 was a bit better. That one was only in the shop every 3rd-4rth month istead of every other, lol.

Since then, the guy with the 98 purchased an 05 CLS and loves it! The other guy with the 01 purchased an 05 E500 AMG package and loves it. By the way, my 01 W210 E55 (knocking on wood) is a beast and runs great! It's only been to the shop for oil and maintenance items and that's it! Previously I owned a 97 E420 with 144k miles before I sold it and it ran like new. Very solid, very reliable and a great handling car.

Don't get me wrong, I used to be a BMW guy and still love those cars but when compared to my 55 and hopefully a future W211 55, I will take a Benz hands down...

xxaarraa

Its simple really. An older Mercedez is generally better than a newer Mercedez when comparing reliability. Mercedez didnt run into their quality problems till the 2000s and the W210s were the last of the AMGs built before AMG went mass market. In 2000, only 2000 or so E55s were built and only 500 imported to the states. The numbers are MUCH higher in recent years. AMG now builds about 20,000 engines a year.

Take it for what its worth, but I for one would be more comfortable buying an older merc. Im not saying I wont buy a W211 or the E63s when I save up enough, but we are only talking about reliability here.

xlr8tin

Well, I for one love my E55. It is very comfy. I had a cadilac before this, and the E55 is very comparable. I also love the power of these beasts.

As for reliability...I have 102,000 miles on mine and still runs like new. The only problems along the way have been little electrical problems. I wouldn't think these parts would be anymore than for a BMW.

I am a Benz man, now. I don't know if I'll be able to buy anything else.

bzliteyear

my 2001 E55 has 91k miles on it and i've had it for about 8 months since 87k miles. the only complaint i have is that my right door has a slight buzz over bumps(going to grease the door panel shortly), and i think the am radio reception isn't very good. otherwise, i've been really really happy with this car - fast, comfy, and very reliable.

btw, i previously considered buying a 2000 740i, 2000 540i sport, and also the 2000 540iT. i think i would have been happy with either of the 5-series, but given what i've been reading on the 7-series, i'm very pleased that i went w/ the exclusive AMG.

p.s. my prior experience with BMW was one of the first 4.4i X5 in 2000. it was the biggest piece of crap. besides all the electrical problems and AC issues, the engine ended up being replaced at 45k miles. i will never buy the first year of new model any more, except perhaps from Lexus.

Pootietang

eurosport, you must have ESP, the cranksensors went at 60k, the second at 64k.

I'm considering a 2000 and up e55 amg, but I'd also go with a clk amg if it had low enough miles.

thanks everyone - I'm going to take a testdrive this weekend