So I have admired these cars since they came out and I would love for one to be in my driveway. I'll be in the market in about a year, and I would like to keep the spending between $35-$40,000. Would I be able to find a decent E55 at this time for this price? If they have high mileage, how reliable are they? I want one so bad but I want to make sure I have money left over for maintenance/mods etc. Thanks guys!

 

you should be able to find one in your price range by then. i'm not sure that many people know what high mileage will do to reliability as not many are there yet. for the most part we're just now seeing the first supercharged e55's hitting 50k miles. an aftermarket warranty or finding one in which the original owner added the 100k mile warranty would be a good idea.

 

An extended warranty (like Mercury Platinum plan) for a 2004 E55 with 23K (specs for my car) would run you around $3100-$3200 for 100,000 miles. That should give you a baseline as to what to expect to pay. Good luck!

 

mine has run 85000mi and goes like clockwork...

best car ever.


(now knocking on wood like crazy)

 

What year is your car? Probably 03 or 04 with that kind of miles. Have you had any repairs at all?? If so what and at what mileage? Also, is your car stock?? One last thing, do you baby it or drive it like you stole it?? Glad to hear you have had good luck with it.

Thanks!

 

Yeah, if I have to I can pony up some more money but I would like to make sure I have enough money set aside for warranty's, repairs, gas, insurance etc. I don't typically drive my cars hard, I might take a couple runs down the freeway and some backroad driving but nothing that would really push the car anywhere near its limits.
What are some signs that a car has been driven hard? Specific parts that wear out with abuse?
My DD is a 2003 Chrysler right now and it has upwards of 100k on the clock and has not had to go in for any major service. Nor has my M3, so I believe that if a car is really taken care of it will last well into 6 digits. Hopefully when I start my search I will be able to find something that hasn't been whooped on.

 

I'm in a similar boat. My next car will be a V8 Komp car. My first choice is an '05 E55 Wagon, but they're impossible to find, so I don't have a good idea of what the resale on one is like. But I'm not in a rush. Realistically I won't be looking for another 12- 18 months.

I spend a lot of time creeping this place watching how these cars behave. I won't be putting much mileage on it as it'll be my 3rd car and my 300E will still be my DD, so I'm not particularly concerned w/ high milage, and for the most part south of 50K miles they seem pretty reliable.

 

Right now, if you look hard enough, you can find an 04 in the mid 40's...so your price point shouldn't be a problem as these cars go beyond warranty.

A word of advice....take the car to a mechanic you trust (preferably one familiar with the E55) and have it looked over. It is worth a small fee to save problems later. The extended warranty is a must have.

My service advisor said there are some E55's that constantly have problems, and some that he has to send mx schedule reminders to in the mail because they never come in. Hopefully you end up with one of those cars that never needs work!