sfsv

Hello, I am new to the MBZ world. I have always admired the 1999-2002 E55. I would like to know what are the best years to own, I am in South Florida so I do see clean ones up for sale. I would like to pick-up a silver/black in the next six months to use only as a weekend driver. I plan on using my Ford Crown Victoria (you cannot beat it for it's stealth and low ownership costs) as my daily driver (600 miles a week). I use to work for Ford Lincoln Mercury for 17 years and now I own an independent repair shop, so labor will not be a problem in maintaining my E55. Please chime in,

bzliteyear

great car...and still under appreciated by the mass. i think they're all pretty reliable, but the 1999 has the older dash/blk door handles - i'd prefer 2000+.

overall, i've found that buying the last year of a particular model usually is pretty good for reliability because usually the company has worked out most of the bugs. Good luck.

p.s. I previously owned a 2001 E55.
Patrick

ruBENZ

99 thru 02 are all great years. But, if you want an order, Consumer Report rated them: 2000, 2001, 1999, 2002. And, Edmunds rated them: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2001. 2000 works for me. Go figure.

thebenzbar

Wait. Is that high to low... or low to high??

ruBENZ

High to low my friend.

thebenzbar

I agree with you, all w210 E55's are great cars... especially somewhat due to its rarity.

W210 E55 AMG production figures for US models (courtesy of AMG):
1999 = 1104
2000 = 1204
2001 = 653
2002 = 997
------------------
Total = 3,958

RAFFIE55

Well I am Very pleased with the 1999. I know it's pre-face lift but I like it just the way it is. I think the 1999 is a little more unique because of that fact 77,000 miles and runs like a freight train. I ain't afraid to race anyone; I'll give my best shot because there is always driver error

thebenzbar

Nothing wrong at all with a '99 E55
The bottom line is from '99 to '02 - they were ALL E55 AMG's, and the fun factor along with the luxury appointments is definitely a up!

sfsv

Folks thanks for your response. I orginally was in the market for a 92-95 E500/500E, but decided a 15 yr. old car with so many special parts wouldn't be such a wise choice. Now with the E55 are there anything that just goes wrong? Like, it's not if it fails, but just when it fails, because it is going to fail. I did see some mention of mass air flow sensors and crankshaft position sensors, but what else? How are the transmissions? suspension/steering parts? electrical? cooling systems? Please feel free to elaborate. Is there anyhting that could go wrong that would make the car unwise to repair, like the vanos system on the 2000-2003 M5's? I can tell you'll anything and everything when it comes to the past 20 years of Ford Lincoln and Mercury products, when it comes down to service and repair issues. Is there anyone on this forum with that kind of knowledge?

Tacjam

Every Problem that the normal "E" has, we have..but our engines and Transmissions are solid if the car was taken care of...the suspension, I swear our bushing wear out hella fast though.

Jim

E55 KEV

Where's this data? US production was average 500 year. Motor Trend wrote 550 production in April 2002. Is that data really the US production or the North American production. North American produation includes Canada.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...amg/index.html

thebenzbar

I agree with you too (like me before I saw those same MT figures) UNTIL I researched on the web and forums... and I was referred to go to the AMG Private Lounge website and the AMG team showed these US figures...
http://www.mercedes-amg.com/privatel...n_external.php
(It's free to sign up as long as you have a legit AMG VIN)

E55 KEV

thanks, I am a member. What section for the chart you posted.

thebenzbar

First, choose COMMUNITY, and then Dsscussion Boards tab...
And then it's a sticky in the "AMG Information" section.

And, you'll also find it in this thread:AMG US Production Numbers by Model Year

AND... here's a pdf file: