I talked with a guy in my area that is selling an '01 E55 with 12k miles on it; all of them in the last two years. As the story goes, he bought it from a guy that bought it new (254 miles when he took it home) and sold it in '06 with (311 miles); it was garaged the whole time.

What do you think about the reliability of a vehicle like this? My general thoughts are that the AMG engine was made to be driven and the 6 years of sitting was probably hard on it. Thoughts?

 

I would so prefer a 12K mile car to a normal 72K mile car.
Any issues would have manifested in the recent 2 year 11K mile term.
General speaking that car is time warped, it's one year old.

 

He makes a good point regarding "issues" and "reliability" on a car that sat for 6 years!

I would still take it hands down BUT I would check for leaks (head, intake, seals, trans, diff, p/s, etc...). Check the climate control system too since it sat for such a long time there may be leaks too in the A/C system... Did it sit in a climate controlled garage? If so, then that's a good thing... Go with your instincts after you examined/drove it thoroughly. A PPI wouldn't hurt. But what a find?!! I wonder how much you're paying for this gem?

 

i would love a car like that 12k miles

as long as its been stored in a dry garage it should still be like brand new.

check for rust along the tops of the doors by pulling the rubber back as water/moister can collect there. Apart from that check all the normal things you would check when buying a second hand car