Thoughts on buying '02 E55
 

I have been given the green light to sell my '77 6.9 (the old gray mare . . .) and upgrade to a new E55.

Any thoughts on how much I should reasonably expect to pay for an '02 E55? That is, generally, MSRP, MSRP+, or MSRP-? Does it matter if the car is in stock at my dealer or if my dealer tracks down the car with the optionsI want elsewhere?

Also, is there any place in the country that is better than others to buy a new E55?

Thanks,
Mark Bennett
Houston.

You should be able to locate an E55 on the ground at a dealer and not have to special order it. In California there are many units available and this is a far cry from the availability one year ago. I remember when the car first came out the dealers were selling them at 10k to 15k over sticker whereas now you should not pay anything over MSRP and if you are lucky and the dealer is really looking to move the unit you may be able to lowball them a little but that would be a longshot.

Personally I think you need the CD Changer and the voice integrated phone. Anything else is just icing on the cake. The Command system takes 3 days to learn from what I have heard is difficult to operate compared to other Nav systems (no flames please) :) The Ventilated Seats are a nice touch too but really the car comes fully loaded already except for a few extras.

You might want to check into the used market. There are several used 2001 E55's with low miles (5k or less) that are selling in the mid 60's. The 2002's come unchanged from 2001.

Thanks, Vic. I've thought about buying used -- it would be nice to let someone else worry about the initial depreciation -- but am not sure I want to buy a car that belonged to someone who didn't have the good sense to hold on to such a masterpiece.:)


Mark.

True Mark, very true but with the increase in layoff's and the downswing in the tech industry alot of people are dumping their luxury items to avoid debt problems later.

I know one thing, whoever has owned an E55 probably has taken excellent care of it. I would have bought a used one but when I got mine the used market was higher because of demand to availability.

I know what to look for when shopping for an old M5, 6.9, or 928S4, but not what to look out for when buying an almost new German car. Any hints?

Thanks,
Mark.

What factored into your decision?
 

I've noticed there a couple of fairly new E55 owners on the board, so I was wondering what exactly was your thought process when buying the E55 over the M5. Of course I know hte questions to ask, however I am wondering everyone's opinion on what led them to theultimate $75k question.

Yes, E55's were going for $10k over sticker at a dealer near me. And today they have 2 which they have had for at least 3 months. They are willing to offer huge discounts below MSRP. One dealer's initial discount to me was $4200 below MSRP. This car has Nav and Voice control phone and I really do not want the phone option. I really want the Comand Nav system but the deals on ones without NAV are so much better. I have been trying to sell my 98 E430, however, since the market is depressed I am having a difficult time. Anyone interested click here:

www.statusimports.com/e430.html

mbmb

Buy it here in CA(MSRP or -) and then drive it back home so that you'll enjoy the feeling and power of the E55!:D :D

Oops, too late.
 

Already bought the car here in town. Paid $4200 under MSRP for a tectite/charcoal car with COMAND and active ventilated seats.

I'm not altogether sure about the COMAND, but the seats are pretty groovy.

Pictures to follow.

MBMB
Tectite/Charcoal 2002 E55
Houston.