BoostedE21

Hey Fellas,

I'm new to the Mercedes world, but not to cars in general. I've been restoring BMW's for a long time, and I'm very comfortable with and capable of doing my own work, and fabricating my own parts is not a big deal if necessary.

In a few months, I'll be in the market for a "new" car to be my daily driver - mostly. I inherited my father's old Lexus ES300 a few years ago (nobody else wanted it, and resale was very low), and it's boring me to death. I'll still have it as a backup car if necessary.

I was looking at the E39 (2000-2003) M5, and one of my friends, a C55 AMG owner, tried to push me to look at what Affalterbach had to offer. He said that he DD's his C55 with no issues, and that it would probably make a much better all around daily driver than the M5. Honestly, I believe it. As much as I love driving stick shift, being stuck in Houston traffic would just be horrible on the clutch, and would probably get annoying after a year or so. I already have an old E21 3 series track car, so I don't need another stick shift.

While I was looking at the C's, I caught a glimpse of the E's. I really like the looks of the W211, and I LOVE the idea of 515 ft*lb of torque. I mean, good lord. That's enough torque to make the earth spin the other way. I tried searching to find threads on the daily driveability of these monsters, but I couldn't find much consistent data. So that leads me to ask:

How would the W211 E55 AMG stand up to daily driving? I'm not a lead foot most of the time, it wouldn't be tracked or modified, and I would do the regularly scheduled maintenance (doing most of the actual repairs by myself, probably). I know that buying one used is a bit of a crap shoot - if they haven't been maintained up to that point, they could blow up at any moment. What's the deal with those Chrysler Warranties I keep seeing people mention?

Before I start drooling over youtube videos and try to find someone local to go on a ride with, I want to make sure it's feasible for my needs. I don't know much about new Merc's - I know they used to be bulletproof, and then they sort of went down hill, and that's the last I heard. Are the AMG's a little more solid? How much do you sink into your car in repairs or insurance per year? Unfortunately, I'm still slightly under 25, but I'm out of college - so no spoiled kid money from the parents here. But I don't have any debt, and I'm single with only minimal bills to pay - so I think I'm alright from a financial standpoint. I think. I just need some reassurance. But as I'm still young, I won't have a spare 15 grand sitting around to replace random stuff at random intervals.

Now, let me make it clear that as an engineer, I understand that a car like this is going to have issues. I'm not expecting it to be as reliable as a 100 hp Corolla. When you put that much power under the hood, something's eventually going to wear out. Besides tires. But from what I hear, the electronics tend to have more foibles than the drivetrain itself. Reading through some of the posts on here, they seem like weekend ONLY drivers - something you can't and shouldn't rely on at all. But I know people don't generally tend to make threads about who their car didn't break today - so that's probably pretty on sided.

I realize this may have been discussed before, and I just didn't search well enough - and if that's the case, feel free to just link me to other threads, I won't be offended. Thanks in advance for the help!

Luke_M

My '04 is a daily driver and I love it. I drive it everyday, everywhere I go, about 1,750-2,000 miles a month.

In my opinion it makes a great daily driver. Comfortable, easy to drive, safe (ESP should be standard on every car) a lot quieter then my old Z4, and punch and go always there power. You'll never find yourself without enough juice to pass at any rpm or in any gear.

The biggest recommendation is get one with a warranty. If you take your time you can find one with an extended warranty already. My one regret is that I didn't wait to find one with this and it cost me $5k right off the bat with maintenance and basic stuff like control arms, 2 blown shocks unfortunatley, alternator, etc. It adds up fast. Had I waited for an extended warranty or got one myself I would be covered for most of that plus anything in the future. Do a search and you'll find pleny on this subject.

It's not that they aren't reliable it's just that little things can go wrong and it adds up quick. Paying for a warranty just assures you that the costs won't go out of control.

The drivetrain itself is pretty bulletproof. I can't say I've noticed any major engine or transmission problems even with modded cars online or in person.

All in all I say get it. If you're in the Knoxville TN area I could let you take it for a spin.

Scott Lenger

I bought one just for that purpose. I too was considering an M5 but after discussing with a friend who has had both as DD it was hands down E55 for reliability and comfort. I will get an extended warranty when my factory warranty is up.

Blacksport350

Considering that pretty much every AMG car (including a CLK DTM) is built with drivability and dependability in mind, there is no reason not to daily drive one. All of my M cars and AMG cars have been daily drivers and I have never had an issue in rain or shine.

Shocking to some...if you put a good set of snows on an E55, it makes a very competent winter driver. My wife has driven through some of Colorado's worst snow storms with her C32, often passing stranded SUV's (it's all about the tires). Remember that it does snow in Germany and that people in Europe need to commute too.

BoostedE21

Luke,

Thanks for the long reply. It'll probably be another few months until I actually go out and buy one. I will probably be buying a 05-07, depending on mileage and price. I suppose it's possible to find one with a warranty in that range. I've seen a few in the mid 50k miles go for about $24k on e-bay, and I could probably handle that with a warranty, as long as I can qualify for Hagerty insurance. I haven't had a wreck in...4 years? And no tickets for 5 (well, no tickets on my record, anyway). So I think it's reasonable to assume that I'd qualify.

Out of curiosity, what made you choose the E55? I've heard the BMW side of the story from Bimmerforums, but I'm curious what other people in a similar situation thought of both of them, and why they chose what they chose.

My concern is with maintenance and daily drivability. Like I mentioned, I'll have a spare car, but I don't want to have to get this thing to a shop every other week to be able to keep it on the road. I don't like jumping to the conclusion that they'll break down all the time - and as a BMW guy, I have to deal with that assumption all the time. I feel like this car is one that, as long as you stretch it's legs on a regular basis, it'll stay reasonable on maintenance. Is it fair to say that the electronics are a much bigger problem than the drivetrain or suspension? Before I knew it used the airmatic suspension, I worried about that stuff, since it's such a heavy car - but I'm a little more confident in it now.

I'm in south Texas - we don't know what "cold" is. Mostly.

930chas

First, I am curious about your turbo e21? Not too many e21s running around with F/I. Has to be a blast.

Second, I am an M5 homer. I owned 3 e39 M5s and I loved them. They are basically bulletproof. They don't have as complex electonics as the e55 and that s62 is just an incredible motor, so there really aren't too many issues that pop up, especially with the 2001-2003s. That being said, I enjoy my e55 so much more. The power is addicting and makes the m5 seem slow. It is much easier to drive on a daily basis with the automatic transmission. The e55 may not have the handling capabilities of the m5, but I still feel that it is more then adequate. Plus I love the e55 interior. It may be somewhat dated, but everything is easily at hand and the seats are unbelievably supportive and comfortable. Like any car, if it is properly maintained I think the e55 is a tremendous daily driver.

Luke_M

Some people have had multiple problems with their E55 but that goes with any car. I haven't any problems except a battery warning which turned out to be the alternator. It's never stranded me.

You are going to be hard pressed to find one for $24k though. You're looking more in the '03-'04 range >50k miles there. I got an 04 with 49k miles for $26.5k. A warranty would add a premium on that. Keep looking though because you'll find something eventually as the prices are coming down all the time.

BoostedE21

It's a blast. I traded a pizza and a 2L coke for the car in 2003, and I've been restoring it ever since. Since then, I've repaired a lot of rust, repainted it, rebuilt/bored the engine, built a turbo system for it with a fantastic hand made, stainless steel, TIG welded exhaust. Most recently, I've put in a roll cage, coilovers, fat sway bars, big brakes, and Megasquirt II EFI. It's becoming more and more of a track car, but it's still practical on the street. Except for the no A/C bit.

I'm actually quite fine with the automatic. I know lots of enthusiasts have a real stick up their *** about "real men drive manuals" - but to be honest, I don't feel like raping my clutch for 2 hours in Houston traffic every day. My E21 is my good-handling machine, the M5 and AMG would just be used for some oversteer fun for me.

So since you've owned both cars - what can you tell me about maintenance between the two? I'm confident I can afford the car itself. I'm moderately confident I can afford insurance. I'm NOT confident about maintenance. For example, I know if VANOS went out in the M5, you might as well sell a kidney to pay for it. I frequently hear people say that they never have any issues, and then i hear others talk about who they had to spend $8k a year. But I know people don't typically make threads that say "my car didn't break today!" - they make threads that say "I blew up my supercharger today!" So I guess I just need a little reassurance that I can enjoy mind bending torque, and still only have to pay REASONABLE maintenance fees.

BoostedE21

I plan on waiting a little bit anyway, but I am more than willing to wait a while longer to get a better deal that won't cost me as much in the long run. I'd be iffy buying a car like that on e-bay. I'd much rather buy locally, or from an enthusiast.

KipF

I have had mine going on 2 years. Very few issues, none of which have been a major repair. Maintenance/repair has not been expensive, at least compared to my previous Range Rover. My advice: Get one. Just try to get an '05 or newer as it has the upgraded nav system as well as a few other goodies. For differences in model years, do a search here. There will be a ton of info.

Minte

I bought mine new in 06,put blizzaks on it for the winter and it's been the best daily driver I have had. I drove our Cayenne a few times this winter when we had a foot of snow.

Scott Lenger

I went E55 for several reasons - much better mileage and range were important and feedback on BMW repairs were big factors. I also HATE BMW's Idrive.

BoostedE21

Ah, the M5 I was looking at is an E39, so no iDrive there.

tgoss

I daily drive my E55 In Colorado and yes in the snow. I didn't buy it to let it sit in a garage. This car rules.

cward2

I'm on my second e55 as a daily driver. First was a 2003 which I bought in 2005 and drove until early 2009 (CPO). I was considering going to an e63 but then found an exact copy of my 2003 color combination for sale but a fully loaded 2006. On top of that the selling original owner bought the factory extended warranty when new so I'll drive this car until 2011.

I drive 15-18k per year. My only tow was due to a power steering line on a very very cold morning and I was running late so it popped a marginal line. Covered fully under warranty.

My biggest debate is that I'd like to trade up but can't really find anything else that seats 4 which is as much fun. S65 too big. C63 to small for 2 adults and normal sized kids. Only the X6M's are interesting but the problem with driving a seriously quick car is buying a slower car next time always feels like a bad compromise.

Just buy one before they get too much older and enjoy it (with an extended warranty) as long as possible.

930chas

The e39s were unbelieavbly reliable. Never had an issue. They are relatively cheap to maintain, and for the most part I felt comfortable doing most of the work myself. The e55 is definitely a lot more complex, and as others have preached, you really should not own one without a warranty. If you don't know that you can handle the maintenance costs after buying the car and paying insuance, I would either only buy one with a warranty, or look at a different car. Also, there is nothing reasonable about maintenance costs for the Benz. Best of luck.

izzyz28

I thought the X6M was just as quick as the E55?

Anyways, great daily driver. Big supercharged engine that just loafs along most of the time. If your grandma drove the car she wouldn't know it from a Town Car. Put your foot down and the game changes, but it's certainly a fantastic DD.

Scott Lenger

Ah - love the e39. If they still made that my decision would have been much more difficult. I got an '06 E55 as I wanted a newer car so the e39 was out of consideration.

ironbuilt

I drive my E63 daily. Granted it is only 14 miles round trip from home to work. I wish I lived further from work so I could drive it more!

alextaylor29

I drive my E55 2,500 a month, 100 miles to and from work every day in heavy traffic. So far absolutely no issues at all and it's very comfortable and quiet. Driving it is almost relaxing as you have so much power on tap you can basically pass anyone, anytime and have any lane you'd like. Because of that I actually drive slower (in the far right lane of course) because there's nothing really to prove and it's so effortless.

I traded in my 2004 Dodge Durango which was like riding a lazy boy to work every day so it wasn't like I was coming from a Kia to give you my perspective.

As recommended here I did by the extended warranty so I'm covered up to 100K miles as parts are expensive for the MB because they're all made in Germany and imported into the states.

Best car I've ever owned to date, love it, love it, love it, zero regrets.

gambari

I used to have an 03 E500 Sport and It was a good car, but every time a '55 whizzed past, I would drool. I wanted one bad. So when I could, I bought an 05 with all possible options for the year. I drive about 80 miles daily, and have not had to do much except the regular service, and yes, did change the battery and voltage regulator. My car has not been tuned outside of the AMG factory as I cannot justify fixing what's not near perfect. I actually bought a 99 Civic to offset all that driving but I hate the car and it ends up getting driven for errands on the weekends...How ironic.

My advice; do your search for the E55 you want and take the bull by the horns, hang on and enjoy the ride.

SteveHI

I owned an E39 M5 prior to my E55. The AMG much torquier and quicker off the line. Its handling is also softer and it feels like a bigger, heavier, more luxurious car. IMO, the M5 is much more of a driver's car. If I hadn't gotten into a serious accident with the M5 a few years ago, I'm sure I'd still own it today - it's the best car I've ever owned.

The only problems I've had with either car has been with the A/C (thankfully covered under warranty). Other than that, just regular oil changes and both were perfectly fine. The major issues on the E39 are VANOS and carbon buildup, both of which are expensive fixes if out of warranty.

Good luck!

Estate55

2500 miles a month with a pulley and tune. No problems. Will be hitting 80k miles my the end of February!