Meeyatch1

Hello! I am new to this forum, and am considering either a 2003-2005 E55 or an E39 M5 for my expanding family. My main concerns are accident safety, reliability, and long term ownership costs and durability. They are both fast, so that is fun for me, but I want to know that if I keep this car for 10 years that it will hold up and not cost me an arm and a leg to keep on the road. I am coming out of the Acura world where the cars are bulletproof for reliability on the long term, and also have an E36 M3 that I love to drive, but do not want to ruin with a child and their mess on the light gray interior. Any input you can give to help me make the most informed decision would be appreciated. Thank you, and happy holidays.

Michael_s

I have an E55 now and had 3 E39 M5's. How do you fell about driving stick v. auto? While I love the E39 it is really dated at this point. Even though MB is coming out with a new E class, the E55 still looks much newer than the E39 at this point. The MB would be my choice as I longer want to drive a stick. The M5 will handle better but the E55 is all around nicer. Interior wise, the E55 is much nicer than the E39s. In the power department, the E55 will walk away from an E39...... these are just my quick opinions. Drive them both and decide for yourself.

MJ50

+1... E55

Dragoncoach

I'm in the opposite boat. We have an E39 M5 and are very close to buying an '04 E55. As mentioned earlier, stick or auto? They're both great cars. We bought the M because of the classic BMW styling of the E39 body. Pair that with the performance and it's a great car. The 55 has more power and torque, a bullet off the line, luxury, and it's an automatic. My wife doesn't like to drive the M in traffic because it's a stick and her leg gets tired. She doesn't like parking the SL in crowded parking lots because of door dings. Soooo the E55 in perfect condition, at the price I can get for (low 20's) and with it's low miles (17k miles), is a logical car for her (and me)! The M will handle better but one can't argue w/ 469hp! Either car is great. Just make sure to get all the service records and have an independent mechanic go over the car with a fine tooth comb. Good Luck!

Vic55

Had both, clearly the E55 has more power but power for me is not everything. The chassis response and 3rd gear in the M5 was amazing. The recirc ball although dated was the better choice in steering feel along with excellent brake feel. The involvement of car and driver was more prevalent in the E39 M5. If I wanted a mash and go car the E55 was there but I had much more fun driving my E39 on a daily basis.

I dumped my E39 M5 for the E55 and the initial feeling of TQ and HP was unreal but after time, those performance gains lost some lustre (I say some because TQ is so addicting so I modded it). I actually missed my E39 although the 55 was clearly the faster car. I dont really miss my E55 though now that I have my M6.

Of course the E39 is dated as mentioned but the 55 is growing long in the tooth too. I still see E39's and admire them but I dont have the same feeling when I see the 55's on the road.

Quadcammer

not to mention, a full leather, 02+ E39 M5 interior is imho, superior in quality to the E55's vinyl dash, door panels, center stack, etc.

Meeyatch1

I have always driven a manual shift, but am considering the auto so that I can swat at the little one if I have to. Plus, the overall car quality is more what I am after.

Meeyatch1

You are getting a 17k mile E55 for low $20's? How??

Dragoncoach

I have a friend, who's friend may declare bankruptcy. The car may be sold for more money, but if it doesn't, we'll buy it. We need another car like we need another hole in our head! But, if a great deal comes around, we can manage another one! Especially an E55. The potential buyer is currently trying to arrange financing. We'll wait and see......

Vic55

03 units are 6 years old and 04's are 5... while 17k miles is very low the price can be had if one gets lucky- these are 04's but with more miles:

11/12/08 BAY CITI Lease $24,000 57,089 Avg SILVER 8G A Yes
11/19/08 GTR N.O. Regular $20,800 84,063 Avg SILVER 8G A Yes
11/20/08 RIVRSIDE Regular $21,900 87,274 Avg GREY 8G A Yes
11/21/08 LAUD/MIA Regular $24,600 31,761 Above SILVER 8G A Yes
12/10/08 SEATTLE Lease $24,000 51,422 Avg PEWTR 8G A Yes
12/11/08 MANHEIM Regular $25,000 43,125 Above BLUE 8G Yes

Meeyatch1

Wow...I need to find a friend who can buy at Manheim.

Dragoncoach....if you elect not to buy that car, please PM me. If that car is clean, I could be on a plane the same day.

Dragoncoach

I'll have a definitive answer after the first of the year. It is tentively sold as of today so I'm not holding my breath. But, if it is available, it'll be in my garage the next day! Not a big deal either way. I still have the M to have fun in.

kip

I went from the M5 to the E55. The E55 is more modern and a lot faster. The driving feel of the M5 is better. I hate manual cars, because it is so much easier to launch automatic cars like the E55 in any situation. The E55 is a very reliavle car as is the E39. They both have I believe 5 stars in the Euro NCAP, so they are both safe. The E55 uses more fuel, you can drive quite economically in the M5, but not with the E55. Both are good cars. Here is a an article on a long term 100000km test on an e55. They say the car is extremely reliable, as are my own experiences...

http://www.autozeitung.de/dauertest/mercedes-e-55-amg

LOVEMYBS

I've owned both. I still miss my E39 and will buy another one in a couple of years for a week-end car. Head turning classic looks and styling combined with performance, reliability, safety and still "best and last of breed" desirability before Bangle took BMW in the wrong direction make the E39 one of the best cars to own in the next 5-10 years. That said, the E55 is larger, more comfortable, a better family mover, as reliable, clearly the performance winner, in traffic auto vs. 6-speed winner, and perhaps a little more sophisticated than the E39. My vote: The E55.

Meeyatch1

I drove an '03 E55 yesterday and loved it. The power is amazing, and I liked the way the seats hugged me and kept me in the seat. The one I drove was at a Mercedes dealer and had about 38,000 miles as I recall, but was not eligible for certified pre-owned due to some title issues. The car has a clean title, but the sales rep said the car had been in probate when the previous owner passed away, hence no certification for extended warranty. Also, the car was black on black. It looked very stealthy, but I have my heart set on a white one with the black interior. Also, I would prefer an '04 - '05 so that I could get one with a spare tire, as the '03 E55 does not have one. I want that safety of having a spare since we travel places that are quite far from roadside assistance.

So now the search is on for a white '04 or '05 E55 in white with black interior within warranty range. If you know of one, or have more information about the E55s I still greatly appreciate it.

Side note...I have found a white '05 E55 with about 47k miles for $32,999 at an independent dealer. It has Pano roof, Keyless Go, and Nav, but only has one key and no records. Are the records available through the dealership via a network like some manufacturers? I tried calling the dealer before asking, but none of their service reps were avaiable, and they have yet to return my voicemail.

royeley

Look I have had both. If this "Quote" is what you really feel then the E55 is the best combination of Supercar/Salooncar money can buy. I am not bragging but I have had : 2003 911 Turbo , 2003 Masserati Coupe , 2002 M5 , 2001 Evo Extreem ect ect and the E55 is Very very special. I didn't think I would get on with the auto/paddle as I like to hang the back of my cars out from time to time using clutch control (M5 being the best at this by far), but I did get used to auto shifting. It isn't as bad as you may think letting go the stick! I Also own a M3 e36 Track car at the moment, Awsome car just wish I had the guts to run the AMG.....

Go for the E55 its the ultimate cruzing machine....

Meeyatch1

Thank you. Also, I would not hold it against you if you were bragging, because those cars you have had are pretty amazing.

I am actually needing to decide by tomorrow if I should pull the trigger on a 2005 E55 that I found. It has more miles than I would like (54k), but as part of the deal the car will have Mercedes Benz CPO warranty for the 2 years or 100,000 miles, so that makes me feel a little better knowing I would not have any 'surprises' for a while on the maintenance front. It has two packages that I am not familiar with:

317 Comfort Package
319 Lighting Package

What is in these? Also, do all 2005 E55s come with a spare tire? That is one reason I am going after a newer model one.

ENTIZY1

i would E55 these cars run for a long time. The 05 doesnt have a spare with a wheel, it is an inflatable one, but it comes with a pump to inflate it. So to answer your question yes it comes with the spare.

the lighting package i believe is the active headlamps that turn while the car turns.

emoving

They are not selling that cheap at Manheim with those miles! If you can buy one that cheap with those miles,,, I will take ten!

emoving

Yea, notice the ones with 80k plus,,,, they are nto even selling for $17,000,,, no way a 03 with 17k is selling for that. Better check that salvage title!

JadeRaven

For the nonbeliever, here's the only two 2003 E55's to roll through in december:

4D SEDAN E55 AMG 46,865 $19,000 12/18/08 RIVRSIDE 8G A Avg BLACK Y
4D SEDAN E55 AMG 45,925 $17,600 12/04/08 GTR TMPA 8G A Avg BLACK Y

Two 04's in december:
4D SEDAN E55 AMG 43,125 $25,000 12/11/08 MANHEIM 8G Abv BLUE Y
4D SEDAN E55 AMG 51,422 $24,000 12/10/08 SEATTLE 8G A Avg PEWTR Y

A 2003 with 17k miles in the low 20's is probably about current market. December was a big hit from November, and I wouldn't bet on January being any better.

Meeyatch1

That almost makes me wonder if it is better to just play a 'wait and see' with the car market and see how much more they will drop. The two cars I am considering right now are:

'05 White/Charcoal, NAV, Panoramic Roof, Kelyless Go, Lighting Package and about 47k miles for $32k.

and

'05 White/Merlot&Charcoal, Keyless Go, Lighting Package, Comfort Package, Burlwood trim, 54k miles for $34k with 2 years of CPO warranty.

Before I was stuck on how important the CPO warranty really is, since I actually like the first one with the Pano roof more, and that car actually has 7k miles less and is $2k less. Opinions?

emoving

Yea, but a 17k mile car for $17000, seriously, obviously a dealer could take that to a auction and make $4000, so who in their right mind would sell one for $17000?????? 17,000 is far from 46,000 miles.

blando

Night and day far...

JadeRaven

I did not realize the supposed price was $17,000, but in the "low 20's."

Even still, $17,000 would not be far off the mark for a motivated seller, especially one involved in a bankruptcy, and even moreso in chapter 7.