worth buying an e55 with 100k on the clock
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2005 E55 amg
I was wondering the same thing myself. How many miles do you plan on driving it a year? If they hold up pretty decent to like 150k or so it'd almost be worth it if you only plan on having it a few years (I want someting to hold me over for the new TT5.5). There is a quite a few 100k mileage cars that can be had for under 20k. Bump for experianced answers 
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From: Indiana
'94 NSX,'99 NSX Z,'12 C63 Black Series (Prior: '07 E63, '08 CLK63 Black Series,'14 E63-S & 16 C63-S)
Be careful. Get a PPI. And do not for an instant think this is like owning a Japanese car that requires little or no money to run. I have an '07 E63 with only 45k miles now and if it was not for the warranty I would have either sold it or dumped thousands into the car already, and it was all factory serviced too with no stories. These cars are just the type where you need to be ready for expensive bills that can easily be thousands of dollars without warranty. If you are cool with that, then go for it. Just do your homework.
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From: Indiana
'94 NSX,'99 NSX Z,'12 C63 Black Series (Prior: '07 E63, '08 CLK63 Black Series,'14 E63-S & 16 C63-S)
There are things you could have to face IMMEDIATELY that could cost you thousands. There was a thread last week I believe about a guy on here whose car broke down ON THE FIRST DAY and left his girlfriend stranded. That is what I am saying. To play with these cars costs money, no matter if it is for a month or several years.
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S4 K04 and E55
Yes, there could be. Why would you not keep it long, and what is your definition of 'long'? I am not trying to bust your chops, I just want to make sure I am helping you in as informed a manner as possible.
There are things you could have to face IMMEDIATELY that could cost you thousands. There was a thread last week I believe about a guy on here whose car broke down ON THE FIRST DAY and left his girlfriend stranded. That is what I am saying. To play with these cars costs money, no matter if it is for a month or several years.
There are things you could have to face IMMEDIATELY that could cost you thousands. There was a thread last week I believe about a guy on here whose car broke down ON THE FIRST DAY and left his girlfriend stranded. That is what I am saying. To play with these cars costs money, no matter if it is for a month or several years.
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From: Indiana
'94 NSX,'99 NSX Z,'12 C63 Black Series (Prior: '07 E63, '08 CLK63 Black Series,'14 E63-S & 16 C63-S)
LOL!! I do not mean to scare you, but I do not want to bull***** you either. I would feel worse saying, 'Sure! Everything is fine,' and then you buy the car and are upside down in a car that you may not be able to afford to fix. I do not know your financial situation though, and only can assume that cost is why you are looking at a 100k mile + car.
These cars can be a lot of fun. I just took my E63 on an almost 1,400 mile trip over the last few days, and it was comfortable and blindingly fast. That is the only reason I have put up with the repeated trips to the Mercedes dealer for warranty repairs. But even those traits have me wondering if I will keep this car much longer, and that is with all repairs being done for FREE. If there was a bill for all of this, this car would be gone.
These cars can be a lot of fun. I just took my E63 on an almost 1,400 mile trip over the last few days, and it was comfortable and blindingly fast. That is the only reason I have put up with the repeated trips to the Mercedes dealer for warranty repairs. But even those traits have me wondering if I will keep this car much longer, and that is with all repairs being done for FREE. If there was a bill for all of this, this car would be gone.
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From: Dallas, TX
2007 E63, 2005 Dodge Ram Hemi
Honestly man, no one knows....It could run another 50K with nothing but oil changes and filters, or you could blow the head gaskets, who knows...If the previous owner didn't do it, you'll need spark plugs for sure...Some peoples Land Rovers break all the time, but I never had any problems while I had mine...Good luck and yes parts on all of these cars are not cheap by any means...
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Thread Starter
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S4 K04 and E55
LOL!! I do not mean to scare you, but I do not want to bull***** you either. I would feel worse saying, 'Sure! Everything is fine,' and then you buy the car and are upside down in a car that you may not be able to afford to fix. I do not know your financial situation though, and only can assume that cost is why you are looking at a 100k mile + car.
These cars can be a lot of fun. I just took my E63 on an almost 1,400 mile trip over the last few days, and it was comfortable and blindingly fast. That is the only reason I have put up with the repeated trips to the Mercedes dealer for warranty repairs. But even those traits have me wondering if I will keep this car much longer, and that is with all repairs being done for FREE. If there was a bill for all of this, this car would be gone.
These cars can be a lot of fun. I just took my E63 on an almost 1,400 mile trip over the last few days, and it was comfortable and blindingly fast. That is the only reason I have put up with the repeated trips to the Mercedes dealer for warranty repairs. But even those traits have me wondering if I will keep this car much longer, and that is with all repairs being done for FREE. If there was a bill for all of this, this car would be gone.
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From: Socal, Chino
E55 2006 / CLS55 / S450 / Jag XKR2011
I think its ok to purchase 100K miles car. As long you have some work paper work it should be fine. You might need to spend $1K - $2K to do some major maintenance, plugs, flush all the fluid, tires, breaks.....
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From: SoCal
2004 E55
i think the OP is really asking about what service/maintenance must be done at or around 100k miles. if so, I can tell you its not that bad. I just hit 94k miles on my 2004 E55 and just had it serviced. It needs a basic service ($200-$300 approx) and the sparks plugs should be replaced at 100k miles. Plugs will cost around $300-$400 w/labor, but if you can't use the old wires, then it gets pretty expensive. Our wires can be used/replaced individually, so worst case scenario is you can't salvage any of the wires and have to buy 16 new ones, which will run you around $500. Gluck.
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From: Arizona
2004 E55, 1997 E320 "Sold"
If you are just trying to get a car to hold you over till the new AMG is out then I would probably stay on the sidelines because when you look to sell you do not know how long it will take or the arduous process of dealing with hagglers.
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From: So Cal
2018 E63S Wagon
There's a reason this $95K automobile is selling for $17k now. You're asking us to predict the future, and the only thing we can tell you is this: Be prepared for major service/repair bills, and hope it doesn't happen. But don't buy the $17k car and think you're done. You may spend $0 in repairs over a few years or you may have to drop $8k if the engine/tranny goes. You never know...what you DO know is that 100k miles is a lot of miles for any car. Look for detailed service history and if the car doesn't have it, prepare to spend and hope you don't have to.
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'91 964 Turbo, '02 E55's & '14 E63s-w
It's funny how people here in US think that these cars would need Engine/transmission in 100,000 miles 
You can easily do a compression/leakdown and find out what condition the engine is in and why would one think that the transmission would be a toast in that mileage.
It's not unusual for these cars in germany and other countries to have 150,000+ miles as they are used as Taxis.
Having said all that,a car especially a performance one,could need a little bit of maintanence as it accumulates mileage
Get a PPI done before purchasing it.
You can easily do a compression/leakdown and find out what condition the engine is in and why would one think that the transmission would be a toast in that mileage.
It's not unusual for these cars in germany and other countries to have 150,000+ miles as they are used as Taxis.
Having said all that,a car especially a performance one,could need a little bit of maintanence as it accumulates mileage
Get a PPI done before purchasing it.
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Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
I'm guessing that the real concerns are not so much about the reliability of the cars, but just the fact that repairs and parts are expensive. When people buy a $100k car new, they are usually people who have plenty of assets and/or swap the car for another when the warranty is over. If you're buying an older car with high mileage primarily because it's a good bargain, then I would think that maintenance costs will certainly be a concern. Otherwise why not just go out and buy a new car and not have to worry about it.
It's the cost of repairs and parts that make people nervous. This board is probably the only one that has such a huge number of threads about extended warranties. That says something right there. These aren't like used Ferraris in respect to high cost ownership, but they aren't cheap if things do go wrong. And even if they're reliable, there's still that gamble that something very expensive might go wrong and instantly negate that 'bargain' purchase.
It's the cost of repairs and parts that make people nervous. This board is probably the only one that has such a huge number of threads about extended warranties. That says something right there. These aren't like used Ferraris in respect to high cost ownership, but they aren't cheap if things do go wrong. And even if they're reliable, there's still that gamble that something very expensive might go wrong and instantly negate that 'bargain' purchase.
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From: So Cal
2018 E63S Wagon
It's funny how people here in US think that these cars would need Engine/transmission in 100,000 miles
You can easily do a compression/leakdown and find out what condition the engine is in and why would one think that the transmission would be a toast in that mileage.
It's not unusual for these cars in germany and other countries to have 150,000+ miles as they are used as Taxis.
Having said all that,a car especially a performance one,could need a little bit of maintanence as it accumulates mileage
Get a PPI done before purchasing it.
You can easily do a compression/leakdown and find out what condition the engine is in and why would one think that the transmission would be a toast in that mileage.
It's not unusual for these cars in germany and other countries to have 150,000+ miles as they are used as Taxis.
Having said all that,a car especially a performance one,could need a little bit of maintanence as it accumulates mileage
Get a PPI done before purchasing it.
Just do a search for "warranty" on this forum...you'll get a quick idea about how vital a warranty is w/these cars, because repairs are EXPENSIVE and engines/transmissions ain't cheap to work on. It's nice that they're taxis in Germany. That doesn't mean that this car w/100k miles is going to be a creampuff and be trouble-free.
Telling the OP not to be careful would be misleading. 100k miles is a lot of miles for any car, whether it's a Bentley, MBZ or Toyota. Things break and wear out, and when they do on a MBZ, that equals $$$$. Better to be prepared for it than get caught by surprise.
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'91 964 Turbo, '02 E55's & '14 E63s-w
It's funny how some people think that these cars are bulletproof, even though the supercharged engine makes >500TQ and who knows how hard this example has been driven/abused/not serviced? It's not that the transmission IS toast at that mileage...it's that it COULD be toast at that mileage if it wasn't maintained and taken care of. Just do a search for "warranty" on this forum...you'll get a quick idea about how vital a warranty is w/these cars, because repairs are EXPENSIVE and engines/transmissions ain't cheap to work on.
Just do a search for "warranty" on this forum...you'll get a quick idea about how vital a warranty is w/these cars, because repairs are EXPENSIVE and engines/transmissions ain't cheap to work on. The problem is,any well maintanied car is not going to be cheap and the board members are always looking for deals ( auction,mutiowners,no service records,modified blah blah) cars and hence the problems.
Ofcourse these cars are not easy to maintain but then again you need to know what you are getting yourself into. History,PPI and how the car was driven in the past is a key to a relatively trouble free car here.
The key to purchasing these sports cars is
1)-The less the ownerships the better it is.
2)-Must have the service records. DIY service is not good enough for me.
3)-Must have a good PPI especially with compression/leakdown.
4)-Buy it as stock as possible. Cosmetic/wheels/tires are OK but other stuff i would rather get it done myself.
5)-Price should be the last thing when purchasing a performance car. I have always said " I would rather pay upfront for a nice,well maintained car then purchasing a cheaper car and paying later
"6)-Never buy a car sight unseen,never.
7)-The more technologically equipped a car is,the more chances there are for things going wrong.
Hope that helps
Last edited by Faast; Aug 5, 2010 at 11:49 AM.
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Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
That gamble is always there especially when you start dealing with performance cars. Speed unfortunately does cost money.
The key to purchasing these sports cars is
1)-The less the ownerships the better it is.
2)-Must have the service records. DIY service is not good enough for me.
3)-Must have a good PPI especially with compression/leakdown.
4)-Buy it as stock as possible. Cosmetic/wheels/tires are OK but other stuff i would rather get it done myself.
5)-Price should be the last thing when purchasing a performance car. I have always said " I would rather pay upfront for a nice,well maintained car then purchasing a cheaper car and paying later "
6)-Never buy a car sight unseen,never.
7)-The more technologically equipped a car is,the more chances there are for things going wrong.
Hope that helps
The key to purchasing these sports cars is
1)-The less the ownerships the better it is.
2)-Must have the service records. DIY service is not good enough for me.
3)-Must have a good PPI especially with compression/leakdown.
4)-Buy it as stock as possible. Cosmetic/wheels/tires are OK but other stuff i would rather get it done myself.
5)-Price should be the last thing when purchasing a performance car. I have always said " I would rather pay upfront for a nice,well maintained car then purchasing a cheaper car and paying later
"6)-Never buy a car sight unseen,never.
7)-The more technologically equipped a car is,the more chances there are for things going wrong.
Hope that helps
If you're a big time DIYer and can spend the time, then buying dirt cheap with high mileage means you are okay with gambling. And the difference in buying a $17k car (of course still checking it out with a PPI) and a $35k car, means the $18k difference can be used as your hedge.
But if you only have $17k to your name, then you are taking a big risk and maybe shouldn't be playing. And I'm guessing that will happen more often now that older E55s are dropping even more in price.
Buying it at a bargain price now (because AMGs depreciate so much) doesn't mean life with the car will continually be a bargain. Either buy new, or buy used for cheap and get a warranty if you're living paycheck to paycheck, or if you mod heavy under warranty (risky) or own out of warranty then just be ready to pay to play.
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Maryland
Current: 2004 E55 Sold:350zTT
Threads like this slowly convinced me to sell my AMG. I purchased a 2004 with 86k on the clock, did a whole bunch of maint. (tires, spark plugs, gaskets, pulleys), no performance mods. Everyday, I would read about air ride going out or something costing in excess of $500. For a weekend car, this proved to be not worth it.
Good luck OP
Good luck OP
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From: So Cal
2018 E63S Wagon
People buy S/C and Turbocharged cars with mileage up in 80's and 90's all the time with out any issues.
The problem is,any well maintanied car is not going to be cheap and the board members are always looking for deals ( auction,mutiowners,no service records,modified blah blah) cars and hence the problems.
Ofcourse these cars are not easy to maintain but then again you need to know what you are getting yourself into. History,PPI and how the car was driven in the past is a key to a relatively trouble free car here.
The problem is,any well maintanied car is not going to be cheap and the board members are always looking for deals ( auction,mutiowners,no service records,modified blah blah) cars and hence the problems.
Ofcourse these cars are not easy to maintain but then again you need to know what you are getting yourself into. History,PPI and how the car was driven in the past is a key to a relatively trouble free car here.
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'91 964 Turbo, '02 E55's & '14 E63s-w
Threads like this slowly convinced me to sell my AMG. I purchased a 2004 with 86k on the clock, did a whole bunch of maint. (tires, spark plugs, gaskets, pulleys), no performance mods. Everyday, I would read about air ride going out or something costing in excess of $500. For a weekend car, this proved to be not worth it.
Good luck OP
Good luck OP
E55's are great cars but they could be expensive to maintain and like i have said before performance is not cheap.
Just as a reference,i bought my one owner CPO 06 E55 with 16,000 miles back in Jan 09. The factory warranty was good until April '10 and CPO will last until April '11. I am now thinking about adding $4000/5 years for an extended warranty making the total purchase price of $48,000 for a car with 7 year warranty.
So you tell me,where else can i purchase a sedan with E55 performance with warranty good for 7 years for under $50,000.
So far in 18 months, i only had one front strut go bad. The car is great and kicks *** all day long
