Qmax03

I know the E55 is a faster car, and i like the styling too... but im hearing ALOT of members here saying not to buy the car W/O warranty. Im planning on modding the car.. Pully/ecu/cooling mods,drop etc.. so i know warranty WILL be void.. plus the w211 will have over 50k miles.

How bad is it not to get warranty ? Ive seen some aftermarket warranties for about $2k....

I know the E39 M5 owners dont stress the need warranty fact...

Im trying to find out WHY all E55 owners keep saying we MUST get a warranty... what Commonly goes on this car that i need to know about ??

sack5000

Congrats on your possible purchase. You are asking the question that all people ask. Why waste money on an aftermarket warranty when the mods might make it void. There are plenty of things that can go wrong but it is difficult to predict with any degree of accuracy. Enjoy the car you choose... spend some time and do a few searches, the issues will become evident...

Qmax03

Thank you,

From searchign im seeing the the I/C pumps go bad on these cars, but it looks like its a east myabe $200 fix.

I wanted to know if there is a common problem with anything major... Im worried about buyign the car, then after modding it, it turns out i need a 10k transmission... lol

sack5000

Try to get a car with lower miles. There are so many cars out there don't get married to one car too soon. The options are important to most people. Make sure you get a car with at least the P2 package and you will get most goodies. Are you getting the color you want? There are tons of black and silver cars, you might want to try white. Look at the car with 50K miles, has it been cared for? Are there worn seats? Look at the oil after driving it around for a while, is it perfectly clean? Take it to a body shop and have the owner go around it and see if there has ever been any paint work. Work by the way is what you need to do before pulling the trigger. Post the VIN number and get a Carfax from someone here. Also, go to your local dealer and have then review the service records on the car. Look over the car and look at the paint condition, if there are signs of fading, scratches, swirl marks, or not a general bright stunning finish your car has been abused. Find something out there that has been taken care of by someone who cares. I would never buy a car from some dealer that has taken the car on a trade. Really, your patience will determine what you end up with. You will love it and certainly more than a BMW.

str8ridin

The reason why everybody on this (Mercedes) forum says to get a warranty is because the only solution to the majority of the issues on this forum is, "Take it to the dealer."

Most of the diagnostic information here is speculation and guesses. However, some brave, but very few, actually get their hands dirty under the hood and contribute valuable information.

I was in the same boat as you....E39 M5 or W211 E55. After pursuing the M5 boards for a few months, I noticed that the majority of the M5 guys actually fixed problems themselves and knew all the nuances of their engine and car.

Point in case - very few, if any, on this E55 forum can give you the correct information about our airmatic suspension, why it lowers by itself when off, how to fix it yourself, if we can replace it with coilovers etc. etc.

That being said, I choose the E55 over the M5 and bought one with an existing warranty. However, I am going to extend it because of the suspension that, if broken, could prove to be very costly. Other than that one thing, the car is just as reliable as the M5 when comparing the little things that break here and there. But we don't have VANOS problems.

alphanumeric

I know exactly what you mean, because c43 amg's blow transmissions left and right over on club202 , anywhere from 75-100k

gravedgr

That's a ridiculously blanket statement without knowing what he's buying it for. The E39 M5 held the title for "best sports sedan in the world, regardless of price" for many years - I don't recall that title ever belonging to an E55.

chiromikey

imho, the e39 m5 is one of the best cars ever made and i'd have no problem owning one instead of an e55...well except that i'd have to hang out on m5board!

Improviz

That was from the nice, unbiased folk at Car & Driver. How unbiased are they, you ask? Why, let me tell you: when they compared the W211 E55 to the E39 M5, they chose the M5 as the winner because of its better handling, and ignored all of the amenities the E55 had over and above the M5.

When, on the other hand, they recently compared the new M3 to the Nissan GTR and Porsche 911 Turbo, both cars ripped it a new one in acceleration, handling, and lap times, they chose the M3 as the winner--becase of its amenities and larger trunk!

Amazing, huh? It is almost as if they tailor the ratings to favor the BMW!!

So while I read the mag for their test data, I pretty much take their ratings with a grain of salt and test drive the vehicles myself.

Jakpro1

Not sure of your budget but used E60's running mid 40's now. Bet cheaper with tanko economy.

Autotrader listings

gravedgr

Hmmm, yeah, that would be a down side.

You're so right. It was just Car and Driver. Oh, wait...ooops - there's this thing called the Internet and a great search tool called Google.

http://www.google.com

Try going there and typing in "best sports sedan in the world". Never mind, I did it for you:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&r...n+the+world%22

Oddly enough, the first page of responses is almost all BMW. I suppose they all work for Car and Driver.

Improviz

First off, you used, almost verbatim, the words of Car & Driver, which named the BMW M5 "The most desirable sedan in the world, at any price", which is why I used the reference: you had only changed a word or two from that direct quote, so obviously whether consciously or not, you WERE quoting that rag. So please don't put words in my proverbial mouth: I never said it was "ONLY" C&D, I was referring to the phrase you were (inaccurately) quoting, which is certainly their verbage, from their review.
The useage of quotation marks certainly means that you were quoting someone, and C&D is the rag that wrote that line in their review of the car. So please, spare me the diversionary crap...speaking of which:

Secondly, I'm sorry, but we're not talking BMW in general, but the BMW M5, and slyly expanding the topic to "BMW" full stop ain't gonna cut it. Let's have a look at the first page of links you so cleverly found on Google....well, the first one, from CNET, was done by an owner (no bias there, right Einstein? ), which is followed up by someone pointing out that Automobile Magazine had, in 2006, placed the M5 THIRD, behind the Audi S6 and Mercedes E63...

So much for first link; second link is about the BMW M3, not the car we're dealing with. Third is about the E36, ditto...

Fourth is by another owner, wow....and what does he quote: Car and Driver.

And so on....

But hey, if you're into letting others doing your thinking for you, go right ahead...of course, this begs a question: why aren't you driving a BMW if they're "the best sports sedans"? Just curious...

CWW

For once I agree with you. 110%...

It's always amazed me how the mags will test 5 cars, and all of them have better numbers, more options, more power, lower price, etc. etc. than the bimmer, but somehow the BMW always wins.

It's rigged.

Improviz

Well, hopefully, if you went back and read enough of what I've written, you could at find at least one other instance...

Yeah...for once, I agree with you. 110%

gravedgr

See, that's the problem with the word verbatim - either something is verbatim, or it isn't (in this case, it isn't - making sure you didn't miss that). Kind of like being almost pregnant. What I did was called paraphrasing.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbatim
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paraphrase

Fair enough about the "only" C&D. I suppose you're not putting words in my mouth by intimating you know what I meant by a typed phrase, right? Hello again, Mr. Pot.

Correcting me on my intent. Okay...

Okay, you have at least one point correct - they do not all refer to unbiased ratings of the E39 M5. While you are investigating, you failed to grasp that at least the M5 was mentioned more than once; the E55 was not, which was my point.

A) they are generally all ugly since the Bangle hatchet job started, which is sad as I thought the previous generation were very classy; B) I have the ability to buy what I like, regardless of something's status as "best"; and C) the C63 was just silly fun to drive and seemed like a decent value. I drove the M3 and RS4 and didn't like either, although I did own an E46 M3. As for people thinking for me, if you want to continue critiquing my comments (which is perfectly fine), I'd prefer you also stop thinking for me. It will likely make you less prone to being incorrect.

sack5000

Wrong again digger, there are so many more problems with the M5 vs the E55:

There's this thing called the Internet and a great search tool called Google., this shows the M5 with 3,330,000 hits and the E55 with only 203,000.

The searches used: 1) M5 problems 2) E55 problems

Qmax03

Thank you, i was wondering what is a P2 Package ?

Improviz

Hahaa, good one!!

Improviz

Ah, so now you have to resort to a semantic argument to wiggle your way out of it? Nice try (and nice misquote: almost verbatim is what I wrote, which using the definition you kindly provided translates to "almost word for word", an appropriate usage of the word, thank you very much)...but getting back onto the point you keep trying to dodge, the thing is this: originally, you quoted almost verbatim (or if you prefer, paraphrased) the C&D article.

In response, I accurately stated that you were referencing the C&D article, only to have you try and duck it by your smarmy google reference and attack on me. So the question is, were you referencing this article, or weren't you? If you were, then my intitial response was absolutely on-point and correct, thank you very much.

If you weren't, I'd be interested in hearing from you which publication plagiarized C&D.

I didn't say anything about what you meant. I said you were quoting the phrase almost verbatim, or as you would prefer it, paraphrasing the quote of Car & Driver.

Which you were, unless as noted above you can cite another reference which wasn't plagiarizing C&D.

And that thus, my initial comment about C&D's extreme pro-BMW bent was quite appropriate in this context.

No, I pointed out that you quoted an article. YOU put the phrase in quotation marks and italicized it. Since you like google and MW so much, perhaps you might invest a bit of time learning about the significance of quotation marks and italics.

So? You were referring to an AWARD, which in and of itself was incorrect (it was a quote in a magazine, not an award), not subjective opinions of owners. Using your friend Google, I can find reams of pages on the web that say Angelina Jolie is the most beautiful woman in the world. Can this be proven objectively?

No, and neither can it be proven objectively that the E39 M5 is (or was) the best sports sedan in the world. It is a subjective opinion.

Or, put more succinctly: opinions are like *******s.... a phrase with which I'm certain I'm sure you're very familiar with, yes?

I'm not thinking for you (far be it from me to venture into fantasyland), I am asking you a valid question. You're up in someone's face about what wonderful, fabulous sports sedans BMW makes, and yet you're driving a C63, which as far as I know hasn't been declared to be the world's best sedan by any publication.

So, if the title bestowed on an automobile is of such paramount importance to you that you'd lambaste a fellow forum member for having the temerity to actually state that an E55 might be a better choice, then it kinda, sorta begs a question: wtf are you driving a lowly Benz, when you could have what Car & Driver has referred to as the benchmark for years, their beloved M3? Or, for that matter, you could have bought a nice, used 2003 M5 and saved yourself some scratch, *and* been serene in the knowledge that you are driving the "most desirable sedan in the world, at any price".

And now you state that you prefer to "drive what you like", titles and awards (a.k.a. praise from the unbiased folks at C&D) be damned, which begs another question: why did you jump the original guy's case for stating the E55 might be a better choice? Did it not occur to you that he might be a rugged individualist like you now claim to be, who doesn't care what others think and drives the car he wants to drive??

Keep it up, this is fun. I take great joy in dismantling stupid arguments, and I must say that this is the most fun I've had in some time on the forums.

gravedgr

I give, you win. I can't (don't care to) compete with your verbosity. Rather than trying go tit-for-tat on every point as you seem to think improves your point, I'll make these quick statements:

1) Your primary attack isn't on the validity of my statements, its primarily on my choice of words and use of quotation marks and italics. Are you saying someone has ever called the E55 the "best sports sedan in the world, regardless of price"?

2) Use you mastery of the english language and tell me how my initial statment "labastes" or "jumps" sack5000. He said "You will love it and certainly more than a BMW" and I called that statement a "ridiculously blanket statement". My point is that he has no idea whether the OP would love the E55 over the BMW. Had he said "I love it and and more than any BMW", I would have no problem.

3) I am happy to have provided you a short period of joy. I also find it very amusing that people still think they can "win" at the internet and you think you have "dismantled" anything. I said what I said (M5 called best, E55 not so much), you failed to prove it wrong, so going around and around only benefits the person with the most time to waste.

Therefore, I declare you the winner! Feel free to respond as much as you like.

Improviz

Hmm...what was it you said earlier about my correcting you on your intent, Mr. Pot?

Actually, my attack, as you call it, is more of a defense. You're the one who, in response to my pointing out that your characterization of the M5 as "the best sports sedan in the world, regardless of price" had its origins in a C&D article and that C&D are inherantly biased, chose to respond as though you had written the article and owned the publication, and flame me rather sarcastically. Well, I took offense to this, and so played some defense...but the best defense is a good offense, after all.

But in any event, I simply noted in passing that C&D, the source of the line you quoted almost verbatim/paraphrased, is not an objective source, which was in and of itself hardly worthy of the fanfare with which you greeted it, but such is life...but once attacked, I believe I made my points just fine, no need for post-game analysis from you.

Don't know, try your beloved google.

Labeling his statement "ridiculous" would seem to qualify as such, prima facie.

I proved it to be subjective, good enough...and I also illustrated the hypocrisy of your making such a statement given that you don't drive one, which also proves the subjective point again (along with your commentary as to why you don't drive the "benchmark" M3).

Don't worry, I can write relatively quickly.

How magnanimous of you, kind sir; your generosity truly knoweth no bounds!

ApproachingZero

^^^ Nice...

I looked into the E39 M5 as well. After reading that they have major $10,000+ VANOS issues, weak clutches, and oil burning issues, my choice was clear.

You don't see alot of owners on here that talk about major engine work like that unless they are modding

As for the E60, well I am still thinking about one....x2

Vic55

Improv, OT but you got the CLS I see?? Did you get a price close to the internals I showed you?

MB_Forever

Sorry guys this slightly off topic, but I just wanted to give my opinion of magazine results: although I take the magazine tests in consideration, I don't really take them too seriously. Results are usually skewed from magazine to magazine. I've seen magazine tests for the BMW 335 quoting 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and others quoting 4.9, 5.0 seconds etc.... all the way to 5.2 seconds. I even remember one magazine (can't remember which) testing the SL600 in 1/4 mile, then 3 years later, tested the same car again and posted noticeably different numbers. The same goes for the C63: some magazines quoted 0-60 in 3.8 seconds while others quoted 4.5 seconds. There are even some magazines that showed that the new M3 was quicker than the C63 from 0-60 and 0-80 mph

Improviz

Yeah, even in immaculate condition w/030 package! This was a very well-kept car, interior is pristine, exterior in great shape with no buff/swirl marks, etc...I am a happy camper!

Thanks again for the info!