Buying used E 55, need an advice
 

Hello everyone,
I am considering the purchase of a used E 55 AMG (2-3 yrs old) and would like to hear about the experiences you guys had with this car, both negative and positive. Basically what should I look out for when buying one?
How does the engine take high mileage?
General durability/longevity/quality of the car?
Have there been any specific problems with this model I should be aware of?
Any additional info is much appreciated.
Thank you,
S

Ask your dealer for a copy of the car's service reports with the previous owner. The only problem I can think about buying a used E55 is that you don't know how the previous owner's driving habits were. If it has under 50,000 miles, and had all of its services performed on time, I would think that you'd get several years out of it. The E55 is a great car.

Hey Newkid!

Welcome aboard to the USS MBWorld.org! http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/image.../grinlaugh.gif

As far as experiences with the 55 what can i say?? Well the first time i bought mine never had a single problem with it. IMO it's a very reliable car. So far no negative experiences with it other than the paint and the brake dust. When i say the paint everytime i use the car dirt/dust likes to stick a lot to the paint?? And the brake pads really gets dirty a lot! Those are really the only negative experience i have with this car. Otherwise performace on this is incredible! As far as high mileage can't really comment on that because i only have less than a couple thousand miles on mine. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Pre-owned E55
 

Newkid,

The E class of 2000 is basically the same as the 2002:
Touch shift trans, Steering wheel controls for audio, etc. and tele-aid were all introduced in 2000.

If you buy a 2000 E55 from a Mercedes dealer you can extend the Starmark warranty to 100,000 miles so you don't have to worry about the engine and save close to $20k over a new one.

P.S. I sell Benzes and the E55 is my favorite AMG car. THe perfect blend of luxury, practicality and serious performance.
The ultimate "sleeper"

if you don't mind me asking, what is the going rate on a 2000 E55 with average amount of miles. I supose average would be 15K a year?

I personally would look for the lowest mileage unit you can find. The less miles, the less possibility of abuse. I like the body kit on the 2000 and up version better and it also comes with the K2A feature (Voice Control with phone). The market is so soft that you can almost steal one right now on the used line. A local dealer has had a 2001 Black E55 on his lot for over 60 days which means he will be ready to move it for less. I just saw a used 2002 E55 with 4k miles in the Los Angeles Times for 68k.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I bought a used 2000 E55 six weeks ago, and love it too. I'd recommend the 2000 also, for a few reasons:1) the Tiptronic transmission can add a little fun if you occasionally want to shift for yourself 2) the TeleAid system adds a safety/convenience factor (if you pay to subscribe to it ) 3) I wanted a navigation system ( I dig gizmos, and it's already significantly helped me find places quickly a few times) 4)the cell phone in the 1999's is analog only and not supported by many wireless services. If you get a 2000, make sure it has the appropriate model StarTac phone for your carrier (there are seventeen different MBz models of this phone for different carriers).
On the other hand, you can get a 1999 for at least $5000 less, even possibly with comparable mileage and condition.

to Fuzzo,

There are great prices on used E55's right now due to the terrible economy. Check www.ebay.com . Ebay usually has 3 or 4. The last 2001 sold there went for $56k with only 17k miles:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cg...663939&r=0&t=0

The last 2000 E55 sold for only $50k with 18k miles. What a friggin deal!!:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cg...item=598782022

There are as many as 50 2000 -2002 models listed throughout the country on www.autotrader.com . Bid or negotiate at the wholesale price. I will be buying one as soon as I sell my E430:

www.E55AMG.com/E430.html