byum

well..with the prices dropping on the E55, I decided I wanted to purchase a CPO.

I found one with these specs/price.

Is this a good price or hold out for a better deal? Thanks folks.


CPO 2005 E55
36k Miles
Premium, Keyless-Go

Price = $40k

The Law

I just bought an '06 with all the goodies CPO 30k miles for 52k.

Vader13

Yeah that is good man..some of the penny scrimpers on this forum with tell you its a rip off but they are not the ones who paid the real price these cars are worth back in the day.
Those guys will find an 03 for 32K with 60K miles and tell everyone they are getting ripped off.
These cars were 90 plus K before taxes..so you are getting the car from some guys who paid 50 grand to drive the car 36K miles..

Max.H

yes ofcourse that's a steal! what are you waiting for? gl

hbr

+1

HAHA BYE

Ill sell you a 2005 E55 Black on Charcoal with 26K miles for 34K Mint perfect brand new car...Pm me

enzom

I think it is a fair price. Caveat - I am trying to sell mine for $45k. But I still think that price is fair.

damascusE55AMG

i have not run the carfax or NICB... could be a flood or wreck - and it really is without options - BUT something does not seem right about this example:

http://www.straightlineautomotivegro...-55-AMG?sold=0


Too good to be true?

HAHA BYE

hod looks a tiny bit high on the right side by the inner part of the headlamp maybe its just me

zoink

Yes.... it's a buy back plus it failed emission test at least once. No good...

enzom

I am a firm believer in getting what you pay for. There are some great deals, but if you want to buy a $90k car for 1/3 of its value after 3 years, odds are you are buying damaged goods.

allenjdmb

a wagon? Super rare, lots of options inclduing distronic, nav, xenons, bluethooth, Ipod, still in factory warranty, been through the shop, new PS 2's 300 miles ago. May not be your style, but great fun and really attracts the atention. Thanks...good luck in your search.

damascusE55AMG

JosephLINY-E55

I purchased a ultra clean 2005 E55 w 17K miles w $90k sticker for $42K w tax about 8 months ago from private seller. I thought I got a great buy but values have been dropping about 1K a month. Have seen some crazy deals since I purchased mine... A CPO w extended warranty is worth more monies IMO... $40K for a CPO w low miles is a good buy at this point! Best regards, Joseph

I am now on the hunt for CLK63 Cab for my wife but looking for another crazy deal. I saw one go for 50K list was 92K, now that was crazy... I think it is because that car is really not that comfortable a ride as compared to say the SL55 SL63...

Anyone have current Manhiem prices for E55, CLK63, SL55???

CWW

I think this is a good deal.

inocnt1

If it's clean, I'd buy it. End of last year I paid $40K for an '04 with 45k miles. And that was the best deal I could find at the time.

byum

Thanks for all the input guys....

Well..I went to the dealer and carefully inspected the car and it looks like the rear bumper has been repainted....

They did a ****ty paint job and I can see the paint "drip" mark. Arrgggghh..

I can't believe a MB Dealer would sell a car that's been worked on as a CPO?

Michael_s

CPO allows paint work but no frame damage....

CWW

Yes, absolutely.

I went through this myself when I wanted an E55. I couldn't find a nice one to save my life, and I drove all over the state looking at 10+ cars. 5 or 6 had poorly executed paintwork or accident history (gaps didn't line up, excessive orange peel but only in one area, etc). Others had funky engine noises, tapping, knocking.

One was nice, but it was black and had excessive swirl marks that I knew would never come out. That was a real disappointment, since it was the one I was the most serious about buying. They sent it to detail 3 times, then finally outsourced it to a professional detail shop, but all they were ever able to do was move the swirl marks around. They were still there. I was as frustrated as the salesmen, but I still wasn't going to buy it like that.

Most of these were CPO's at dealers. I really lost a lot of respect for the MB CPO program, since it's obvious the dealers will CPO an absolute dog if they think they can sell it.

There was, out of maybe 10 or 15 cars that I looked at, exactly ONE that was in good shape. It was an '04 with 30k on it, but it went into service in '03 and by the time I was looking at it, the warranty was a month and a half away from expiration. It was for sale at a non-MB dealer, so CPO wasn't an option. The price? $46k The wholesale value was mid-$30k's at that point, retail value was around $40k. I even offered them $43k just to get it over with (since my BMW had sold by then, and I needed a replacement), and they wouldn't budge. I walked. Oh well, the laugh's on them. Now a year later it's a $30k car.

E55 shopping was the most frustrating car buying experience of my life, and ultimately I gave up on it. The sellers all seemed to fall into 3 categories;

1: Private sellers who actually took decent care of the car. Their attitude is, well I paid 40 million dollars for this car, and now I want my money back. They're trying to foist their emotional baggage on you, and I hate that. Their financial situation isn't my problem, and they have no business marketing the car at all until they have psychologically come to terms with the fact that they're going to be taking a loss. These guys won't budge a dollar, and trying to deal with them is a total waste of time, unless you have a year to wait for them to come down to earth.

2: Dealers with CPO cars. To CPO a car, they pay a $1400 fee to MBUSA and have to put a new set of tires on it. So they have maybe $2500 in the CPO process, and then you know they raped somebody with no lube on the trade-in and picked it up for 50% of its market value, but nevertheless they price it at high retail and then tack an extra $10k onto the price on top of that, because of the CPO. They preach to you about how it adds value, but it's all BS. These guys are downright delusional, and while they will negotiate with you, it's still almost impossible to get a decent deal when the car is already that overpriced to begin with. These situations are an even bigger waste of time than the private sellers, because you will think you're getting somewhere at first, and then inevitably you will hit a snag in the negotiations at the last minute and they won't flex.

3: Dealers and private sellers with beat up cars. This easily comprises 80%+ of the market for used AMG's. These sellers have all the attitude and emotional pricing baggage of the other ones, but it's all the more laughable because the car's a complete dog on top of everything else. Naturally, they won't acknowledge the car's issues, or they try to downplay it, saying stuff like "Well it's a used vehicle, what do you expect?" or "If you want a new car, you can go right down to the dealer and drop $90k". By the time you get to them, these guys have turned into major d!cks about it, because they're tired of hearing everyone complain about the same things that are wrong with the car but that they're too cheap to fix. By and large, they get defensive, won't deal with reality, and there's very little way to negotiate with them. Another total waste of time.

I honestly think your best bet is to buy a car from another forum member. They won't get away with the pricing BS on here, and most guys on here are nuts about their cars, so the condition will be better than in the regular marketplace.

Barring that, then look for a CPO that is in good shape and is already priced reasonably before you ever walk onto the lot.

That's my $0.02 anyway.

Wish4_e55Wagon

wow...i thought i was the only one that was so discriminate...

allenjdmb

you have to take each car on its individual merits. You're not far off in your descriptions above. Thing is, EVERY car has plusses and minuses, you've just got to determine what is the best set for you. You can certainly go and buy a new one, with no flaws, with exactly the equipment you want, and watch it depreciate $25k in a week. Or you can buy a car from an idiot/crook with no history in marginal condition, and be sorry for months. I also agree with you about the MB CPO program. Lots of it is hot air, and most dealers have little or no interest in AMG cars; it's just merchandise. As I"m in the industry, I hate to say that, but with a few exceptions, it's mostly true. I sometimes supply cars to a few MB dealers, and severak of them do not want the stuff I pick, as it's too nice (translation: they're not interested in paying the extra grand for the right car). My Dad always taught me that you can usually tell within a few minutes if a person is someone you should be dealing with. It's a bit tougher today, given the sophisticated level of crooks, but still holds true. You can find a nice car from an honest seller, it just takes a little more time and money. And it should be OK to pay a little, but not a lot, more for that.
Just my .02, flame away if you want.

ENTIZY1

byum, where are you located my car is for sale also. I can negotiate a fair price. I am in Orange County, CA

Blacksport350

This really is good advice for perspective buyers to heed. Even those of us that bought our cars used bought very nice examples and have made them better through mods.

Two interesting things I've noted recently:

1. Everyone that has an E55 is selling it.

2. Most E55's that I have seen people buy used or that are on dealer lots are complete junk piles!

Karlson

So true. with the price going down with a rate $1k per month I am now in serious search to buy 05 e55. Most of the cars I saw in DC area were pretty banged up

machz990

The flip side to that is all the guys who try to compare prices of cars that meet your description in your first few paragraphs to private cars that are well cared for. I see a car on here for sale that is pristine and 10 guys come out of the woodwork to tear him down quoting wholesale auction prices or other cheap examples such as Ebay. If cars of this caliber make it to a wholesale auction they are lesser examples of the breed. Most MB dealers will keep a cherry E55 brought in on trade and put it proudly on their lot. Auction cars are lease turn-ins and other less desirable cars that may be the same year and model but that is where the resemblance ends. You do get what you pay for.