WINspeed

Since I have a disease where everything I own needs to give me an adrenaline rush, I decided to look for an E55 to satisfy my sedan needs.

I test drove a 2006 with 55k on it today. This was the first supercharged E55 I have driven. After reading about these cars on dragtimes.com and watching Youtube videos I was expecting this thing to be a lot stronger. The seat of the pants feeling didn't even equal that of an 09 convertible Vette that I rented at Hertz(Which I took to Sears Point and ran 12.60's at 110.) Maybe it just doesn't feel fast because the car is so smooth and quiet?

One other concern I had is that I could not hear the supercharger. Are these things so well insulated that there is not a noticeable blower whine? Or is it not engaging which would explain my disappointment in the power.

I asked the dealer about my concerns and he assured me everything is in working order, and that the car is a "Monster" and has frightening power. But he was a Mitsubishi dealer, so he may not have experience with these cars. He also said they had an E63 that was remarkably faster than this E55. From what I have read they should be close in performance.

So I came home without the E55. I think I will drive another one before I make a decision.

Any thoughts? Supercharger issue with this car?

HIGHMILE E55

Drive another one. I just gave 3 of my friends a ride on mine tonight, floored the thing, and the g-force that we all got made our stomachs feel like we were on a rollercoaster....

I dont hear the S/C. But I definitely feel it!

WINspeed

Thanks for the reply! I was hoping to hear that the S/C whine noticeable, and the car I drove was not operating properly. My Fiance and a friend rode with me and they both said it pulled ok, but didn't feel like a car you would want to go hunting a Viper or even a Vette with. We are all used to really fast vehicles, so I don't know if I'm expecting too much or if I got in a bad example of the car. It definitely did not give the roller coaster feeling you describe, I know, and love that feeling. If it did, that car would be in my garage. LOL.

What about the belt chirp people are talking about when the SC clutch engages? I didn't hear that either.

sneakyneon

I would drive at least 3 to 4 of them, You will notice differances in each, not all E55 are created equal. There is no blower noise on a stock one.

WINspeed

Will do! Thanks again.

ssonss1

I gaurantee that the ic pump was toast (very common problem). The car should have pulled like hell! Test out another and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

tscales

As a former 08 C6 owner, I can attest that the E55 pulls as well as a Vette. If you felt a difference, then I agree, the IC pump is likely toast. I get a thrill every time I floor it.

My wife and I were in the 996TT yesterday and I spooled it up and floored it from the light and we both commented that the E55 is more thrilling.

tbal

The 516 tq does wonders, you definantly feel it! (Once you gain traction and the power isnt being cut out by esp)

From the sounds of it you test drove a piece haha jk, probably a bad ic pump for sure...

Turbo 6

I test drove two of them before I bought mine. I was thoroughly impressed with both of them. My car felt equally impressive as well.
I too am no stranger to fast cars (previously built two ten second cars) but these E55's don't make sense. When I first floored them I couldn't believe how hard they pulled for a four door luxury sedan.
Since then I've done everything except a throttle body and the car is an absolute monster.

cal1

Definitely test drive a few more. Something just doesn't seem quite right with the one you drove.

If the clutch pack on this E is not worn or has been replaced, there will be no chirp when the SC engages. If the IC pump is bad, the SC should still come on until high temps shut it down. You would have felt this I would think. The car goes from monster to mild in a heart beat. The SC might not engage for other reasons as well. If you even consider looking at this particular car, pulling codes through the MBs star diagnostics would be a must. I was thinking there was mildly noticeable SC whine with the stock pulley.

As far as the dealers comment regarding the 63 vs 55, I find the 55 has in your face, visceral torque, the 63 is a bit more refined, but still powerful.

Do you think it is possible traction control (ESP) kept spoiling the fun? The yellow caution sign would have flashed in the MFD.

Shadow5501

Something wasn't right, an E55 pulls like crazy - it makes about 500lb-ft by 2500RPM. Sounds like the supercharger wasn't engaging.

Was the engine already warm when you drove it? I find when restarting a hot engine, the heat soak cuases the supercharger to be disabled for a minute or two until the intercooler pump cools things down.

If the supercharger stayed off longer, then most likely the intercooler pump has died. Pretty common failure, not expensive nor difficult to fix.

Worth the wait

You should preform a "sneaky ecu reset" first on any E55 you test drive. It can make a world of difference in cars that are not driven hard on a regular basis.

Yacht Master

LOL, Did you see a little yellow triangle during your test drive?

WINspeed

There was no flashing light. It was glued to the pavement and not even close to turning a tire.

It was warm, I let it idle while I was checking out the rest of the vehicle.

How is this performed?

Not even close, yawn....

stevebez

Been in a few quick cars in my time and the low down torque of this car is just insane - real neck snapping, crush you in your seat torque .... if you not getting grip, thats another story.

Only car I've been in that "felt" that "push you in your seat fast" was a ~600hp Porsche Turbo flatnose.

Its not the fastest car out there obviously, but for the car it is it sure does move, and its acceleration you can feel.

If you could get no wheel spin in first then there is something wrong no question. Dont worry about the tranny reset the S/C is not engaging.

WINspeed

I was looking at this car for a nice commuter. After becoming a member on here and doing a little research, it seems this vehicle reliability is in question. I already own several temperamental, extremely fast toys that spend half the year down for repairs, and I don't need another one. How reliable are these beasts? Maybe this application wouldn't be best suited for the E55?

Thanks in advance!

studd143

As discussed, it's always best to test drive a few e55s also ensure it's been properly maintained. Reliability is amazing in a good way! Just the norm maint required and not bad for a used high end car! Try another please and report back to us. I just bought mine and gave my friend a ride he had a modded 87 mustang and he almost pissed himself after I took him for a spin.

400RWHP

Lots of things come into it, check out the search function on the forum. There is a TON of info about your question already there for you to look at. 'Search' first, you won't be disapppointed. lots of us commute these cars daily, others not so much, read up and make up your own mind, but figure $5k in for an extended warranty, of that, there is no doubt.

Regards

Yacht Master

Like they say, if you can afford to buy 2 E 55s, you can afford to own one.
We have members here running low 11:s with over 100,000 miles on them.
Keep reading....

cal1

The torque on a healthy stocker will break tires loose under the best traction conditions with ease. Something is wrong. Maybe the dealer is trying to sell you a poser.

Check the link https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/148019-holy-crap-you-guys-sneaky-ecu-reset-works.html

sneakyneon

I never thought the E55's were great "seat of the pants" cars. Sure there fast, but if you drive a High HP stick car you get a WAY different feel. Its all perspective I guess. Even modded I dont think my car "feels" that fast.

Shadow5501

Well, it's not a Honda Accord, but it ain't that bad. The airmatic struts are about the only thing that fails without warning and can take the car off the road. The other common problems can either be caught early by someone with a little car savvy (bearings on idler pully, for example), or are annoyances that don't need immediate attention (intercooler pump is a good example).

It's a good bet the intercooler pump was dead on the one you drove. By letting it idle while looking it over, the intercooler warmed up to the point where the supercharger was disabled due to high intake air temperatures.