BenzBoy22

Need some help i got two cars in the same price range but cant decide what to go with... so what are your opinions on this?

2004 E55 fully loaded is between $21,000-$25,000
66,XXX miles

2005 E55 Fully Loaded is between $20,000-$24,000

77,XXX miles

2005 C55 (dont know options right now) $20,000-$24,000

46,XXX miles
BenzBoy22 is online now Report Post Edit/Delete Message

sleewell

i voted 05 E55 but you really havent given enough info for a decent opinion. need more than just year, model, price and mileage to buy a car - ya know?!?!

BenzBoy22

Both of the E55's are black on black... umm they all have clean car faxes and stuff... the c55 is also black on black and has a clean car fax... thats all the info i can remember this second

Cylinder Head

iTrader: (1)

I probably would steer clear of any AMG with that many miles on it. That's going to be a warranty problem REALLY soon.

phatmitzu

The one with the lowest miles.

BenzBoy22

Now would having a complete service history make you lean towards one car or the other if the service history wasnt bad?

if you could please respond to as why you voted a certain way that would be greatly appreciated. thank you

NDF55

2004 E55, because it has the lowest mileage, That being said service history, color preference, and the physical appearance of the car would play a large role in my decision. I Think many of the members here would agree with me in saying that it may be in your best interest to spend a little more $$ and get a car with less mileage, or maybe even a CL or S600(prices are dropping like crazy). Just my $.02

BenzBoy22

i would love to get one with less miles but i simply cannot afford any more money and i dont think i will be able to while the mark is this low because i am still in school

AudiOn19s

Are you mechanically inclined and can you do your own mechanical repairs.

If the answer is NO to either of those I'd be really afraid to be on a tight budget and own an E55 out of warranty. If you can do your own maintenance / mechanical work then go for it. I'd say look at both in person and see which one presents better.

Andy

632627

with all things being equal(physical appearance, options, etc) Id probably lean towards the C55 since it has the least amount of miles.... out of warranty work on those e55s are going to kill your wallet

I might get banned for saying this.... but look into an 05 audi S4.... you can easily get those between 20-25k with less than 30,000 miles

BenzBoy22

i work at a place that has a shop so all i have to pay for is parts?

MB_Forever

I say go with the 2005 E55..... the 11k miles is not a huge difference at this point. With the 2005 model, you'll get some of the upgraded parts over the 2004 model, such as, the updated steering rack, updated supercharger clutch, speedometer will read 200 mph instead of 160 mph, etc...

Please know, however, that the car may be costly to maintain out of warranty even if you're only paying for parts. If you can get an extended warranty, I'd definitely recommended.

Good luck....

sleewell

when i was in school i rode a bike till i saved up money for beat down jetta.


my advice would be to hold off on a nice car until you are out of school and have a stable job.

owning a MB when you are 22 is cool and all (unless daddy bought it or you live with your folks, then you are just a loser) , but college is one of the best times of your life you and you should spend it getting drunk with hot girls and not paying off mechanic/parts bills. there will be plenty of time to own nice cars when you can actually afford it.

W211 BEAST

Why does that make him a loser? Pretty blanket statement IMO

NDF55

Being that this is an AMG forum I might get flamed for suggesting this, but here goes; Before I got my E55 I owned a 2004 Audi S4. This is quite possibly the most fun to drive car i ever owned. You can't compare the two when it comes to power. However, The S4 is a pretty quick car that does everything well. With the Audi you get luxury and power in a package that you can afford and they sound amazing with just a simple catback exhaust and K&N drop in filter. Don't get me wrong the AMG is an amazing car but without a warranty the up keep is expensive. It just sounds to me like for your situation the Audi or something similar might be a better choice. You can even get one in a stick, I think thats what I miss the most. Look into it. Just a suggestion.

emoving

Why dont you get a E500 sport with the AMG appearance pkg. Might fit your budget better.

bobgodd

I see a lot of people in here saying how repairs are expensive out of warranty, and I'm sure there is some truth to that.... However..

My car is without warranty, and it was purchased that way and I haven't incurred a single repair cost for something breaking. I say get the best deal you can, because after a few years none of these cars will be worth anything, and that few grand you wasted to get a lower mileage car could still be in your pocket.

Oh and there are many a "high" mileage E55's running around this board here with little-to-no problems.

Karlson

You forgot to knock on the wood. I would get C55, smaller car with less mileage, but also will less problems. I believe in theory, less mileage on a car the less problem you have to deal with. Ofcourse, there are exceptions, but Mercedes is not a Toyota that can driven for 200k without a major repair.

CharlyE500

WOW.... the price is way too low $20k - $24k for 2005 where are you located..... thats really cheap

LZH

Spot on. I hate to be the bearer of bad news....but if that is what you have to spend, then an AMG is probably not for you. Any major problems with the car (which is not unlikely for a car with 50k+ miles) and you will be looking at big bucks to fix it. I'd say go with something more reliable with a warranty.

MJ50

i voted for 05 e55...

BenzBoy22

well it looks like i might be getting the C55 the guy with the E55's wouldnt come down at all on prices cuz he paid to much for them according to him but its whatever everyone has to make their money

Vic55

With 77k plus miles (as he mentioned), not really... These cars are already killed by the economy and luxury depreciation but the K engines take a bigger hit with additional miles.

Here are 3 recent sales with less miles on 2005's:

01/29/09 RIVRSIDE Lease $23,500 65,340 Below BLACK 8G A Yes
01/14/09 DAYTONA Regular $26,900 66,180 Avg BLACK 8G A Yes
01/28/09 BUTLER Lease $22,000 66,327 Below BLACK 8G A Yes

baldmike73

i would scrap all 3 and start your search over again. low mileage 55's can be had for bargains right now.

Vic your m6 looks sick!

MB_Forever

Obviously not all E55s will break down or will have expensive repair bills, but the majority will at some point..... I'm friends with the shop forman (also the head AMG technician) at our local dealership, and I've asked him before how often he sees the E55s in for service, and he seemed to agree that after 60k miles, the odds of a very expensive repair bill goes up big time. Even though the engine itself is built very strong and very solid, there are other "accessories" that tend to die and are very costly to replace; for example, $3000 to replace COMMAND Navigation unit, $3500 for airmatic suspension failure, $3500 for instrument cluster replacement, $1000 to fix certain fuel lines/tank leaks (which seem to be happening more often now), and the list goes on...... and this list, of course, assumes that the major stuff stays intact (supercharger, tranny, etc....).

I try to always recommend warranty because I've learned the hardway in the past, but even if nothing breaks down, the warranty amount is a small price to pay for a little peace of mind.