It's about that time.....time to decide whether to purchase a new car or not. I value everyone's feedback and comments on this site. My dilemma, do I keeep the 5 year old E55 with 31,007 miles or do I upgrade to a newer model year E63 or S63? My local dealer has a new E63 (it was an auto show model) for $15,000 off sticker (putting the price at right about 80k). It has every option except distronic. Mine also has every option except distronic and the rear roller blinds. Mine even has the solar panel option but the new one does not (although I don't think that option is available anymore). I do, however, like the alcantara on the seating surface of the '09 E63.

The other problem is that the '10 E class is redesigned (this new body leaves a bit to be desired) so I would be spending new car money on a car that is now outdated.

If I go with the S63, I would look for a low mileage '07 or '08 because of the price.

What do you all think? Save my money? Probably not a bad idea in this economy!!!

Let's put another twist into the equation, what about an '06/'07 SL65 for the same price? I know it's a completely different car than an E or S. Feedback PLEASE!!!!!

I think that E63 is not a good idea.
You have been driving E55.(almost same as E63) I would go for 07 Sl63.
If you have to have room for 4 adults, then S63.
I hope this helps....

I agree. At this point, if you want an E63, I would look for a newer but used model. Dealers are much more willing to negotiate these days and because of that, it opens up your options so much more.

just keep the 55 and mod it all out. or get the sl. e63 they ganna change the body.

I am a hopeless car-swapper. I am sucessful at what I do, but by no means 'wealthy' (How does that old saying go? A successful man works for his money, a wealthy man's money works for him?) Anyway, my philosophy is that other than my wife and my dogs, I absolutely love cars. But I know I will never have the capital or the garage space to own all my dream cars simultaneously. I have to let go of one in order to grab another. I currently drive an 05 E55 with some mild mods. Everytime I feel likel I'm getting bored with it, I just find an open stretch of road and open her up. Nice to have a car that will break 'em loose at 45. Kind of intimidating to would be boy racers, too. My E is great, but at the same time I am absolutely dying to have the experience of driving a TT V12 AMG car. I actually lined up a deal to trade my E55 for an 05 CL65 with 17k miles. I was just to stingy with my bid and someone else beat me out for it. Oh well. I have already decided that when the time is right, I am getting either a CL65 or an SL65. It has to be the right car at the right price. I almost moved on a CLS a while back but decided that the overall driving experience would be SOOO similar to my mildly modded E that in the long run it wouldn't be worth the hassle. Now, a 65AMG car??? That would be worth it! I say make a move on a clean, preferably certified SL65. Even if its not you 'forever more' car, it will be nice to look back some day and say you owned/drove one.

It depends...If you need a sedan for family purposes, then I'd move to a low mileage E63 or S63.

If this is a weekend car...65 all the way.

Ckim1021-Thanks for the feedback. I think you're correct. I have essentially the same vehicle as an E63. I know MB made some improvements with handling and such with the E63s but is it worth paying the extra money? Probably not. I think if I go for a major change, I should do an SL. Here's a bargain I found for an SL65, granted I don't know the condition.....

http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/...?itemid=572720

LADY_AMG-Also, thanks for the feedback. I just thought the new '09 "Auto Show" special was a decent deal with $15,000 off of sticker. But I'm feeling what everyone is saying about keeping what I have.

mthis-Yes, I should mod it out. The reason I never did is because I didn't want to do something to void the warranty. Are there any warranty issues when modding? I have 1.5 years left on the warranty and will by no means hit the mileage expiration. I typically drive this car about 5,000 to 6,000 miles per year. I don't how familiar anyone is with the '03 and '04 supercharger "chirp," but I just found out there is a bulletin issued 2/09 to supposedly fix this problem. Mine's going in on 3/30 to get checked out for the "chirp." We'll see if it fixes the problem. Thanks for your feedback!

PDC-Thanks. Agreed! Only a CPO MB is the way to go. I figure if one thing breaks, that's the price of an extended warranty!!! I can't say that I'm unhappy with the E55, it's just that I know the warranty will be up in another 18 months and just testing the waters right now. I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but you might want to check out this SL65. It is loaded with the designo package! It might be worth checking into!!! BTW, your '05 doesn't have the notorious "chirp" does it?

http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/...?itemid=572720

AMGfan-The E55 is typically a weekend car. Many times I'm driving all over the state and put a lot of miles on cars (hence the reason for the '00 Taurus! Ha!). It's amazing how I feel when I get back into the E55. There's nothing like driving a Merc!!! Not to mention I live in a state where there's bad weather so the E is sitting about 4 months out of the year. Ugggghhhhh! I'm going to keep my eyes and options open.

AGAIN-THANKS FOR EVERYONE'S FEEDBACK!!! You guys made me think a little more rationally about making any purchase!!!

-mdre55amg-

I agree with you, no doubt. I mean, why not go ahead and take your E55 to an entirely different level; especially since you've already been driving it and I'm not sure if the difference in performance between your ride and the E63 would be worth the additional $$$ that you'd have to drop on it. (Like you said, the body style will be changing, so you may even be able to wait and year and pick up an E63 for the low-low )

I love my E55 with the K2 kit, and I can't wait to add the final two steps. Yeah, 620+ hp is nice in a 4-door sleeper!

I think my decision will be to keep the E55. I think everyone has convinced me that buying right now isn't the thing to do unless I move to an S65 or SL65.

What is your hp/torque going to be after the final two steps? Do you guys who have modded ever run into warranty issues at your dealership when going in for warranty work or just scheduled maintenance? If I can ask dlav06, how much $$$ have you put into yours to get it to 620+ hp? If you don't feel comfortable telling, that's cool. I think I'm going to look into some mods. Do you guys recommend Kleeman, RENNtech, or ???

Haha...so glad I'm not the only one! I know exactly how you feel. I have a track record of keeping a car for an average of 2-3 years. I have learned, however, to "sleep on it" before making the final decision to buy. I bought my M3 on an impulse and had a love/hate relationship with the car almost the entire time I owned it. I hadn't done all my homework on the car like I should have. I looked around and waited before deciding to get the E63 and I'm really happy with my choice.

I know what 'cha mean too. After I got out of the "fast and furious" stage and was able to actually buy my first "real" car (my CLK430-although the car I really wanted at that time was an M3) I told myself I could never go back to anything that wasn't German or Bavarian made. I don't think I'll ever be in the Italian car income bracket, therefore, a Ferrari will never be in my future. LOL! But I'm going to ride this one out and hopefully do some mods to the E55, even though I seem to get the itch to buy something after about 4 years. We'll see if I actually do the mods!!! But I think this one is staying with me at least until the warranty expires!!!

Everyone's input has been very helpful and has encouraged me to use some common sense before thinking about buying a different car.

S63 ftw.

My neighbor has an S63 and also an SLK. When they are parked next to each other, the S looks twice as long!

new 08 S63 MSRP $133k --> dealer is asking $102k, you can probably get it for under 100k

LoL, what a contrast. I am just going to leave that one alone.

Well, right now, I "only" have about 580hp in my E55. I have the K1 and K2 installed from Kleemann. The 620hp that I was referring to would be after the K3 and K4 kits, which I hope to get within the next 12 months or so. Anyway, they weren't cheap, but pretty reasonable overall. And the performance gains that I've received are tremendous, too!

I would suggest contacting Cory at Kleemann (cory@kleemannusa.com) or just visit the Kleemann website (www.kleemannusa.com) to get an idea of the different packages they offer. I know some other members of this forum have had some great experiences with Cory, as well. I hope this helps!

LOL...be nice!

I saw 5 W211 E Classes yesterday within a 1 mile radius of driving home. I can't believe how popular this car is over here.

Must be nice.... it seems like I have to search for AMGs here in the Midwest...

None of them were AMG's, but still...even non-AMG E-Class models cost $$$.

I love how uncommon E55's and E63's are. I feel as if I truly own something unique. I didn't feel that way about my E46 M3.

I feel where you are coming from... It just seems like I NEVER see any other E55s or E63s out here though... Maybe I'm just missing them all?

It would be nice to see another AMG lover every once and awhile, ya know?

An S63 does sound tempting, however I think I'm going to keep and possibly mod the E55 - even though $33k+ off of sticker "sounds" like a bargain (it would still be in the six figures after tax, title, etc.). My logical side has kicked in and reminded me that I'm perfectly content with the E55.

dlav06- I love the "ONLY" have 580hp!!! That's 111hp over stock (if I can count correctly???!!!). I will check out the site and see what will work best for me. Thanks again for the info...it has definitely helped!!! I'll also talk to Cory and mention I was referred to him by the guys (and gals) on the mbworld forum. I'm sure I will be able to pick something that's right for me with Cory's help.

In the midwest we're not so lucky to have as many people who drive these types of cars. But on the other hand, we might be lucky because that makes us part of an exclusive group of owners in the midwest who appreciate and drive fine German engineered vehicles!!!

Yeah, the way I figure it, approx 580 hp is adequate....for now!
By the way, the 580hp is an estimate...according to Kleeman, the gain over stock is anywhere between 100-110hp for the K2 kit. Bottom line, you'll love it!

If I love 469hp, I KNOW I'll love any performance gains Kleeman has to offer!!!!!