Pjnash

i bought my E55 from a doctors wife(67y/o).. drove my buddies c63 w a renntech tune for a week while he was in dubai, hated it by the end..hated it. the car was hard as a rock(so it wasnt comfortable) and it had power but w no traction to even use the power because the rear tires are so narrow. Didnt have the heart to tell him i didnt like his car, i later bought my e55.

I think if you want something to daily, and plan to have adults in your car, the C has to be out of the question. Im 6 foot 2 and no one could sit behind me in the c class(no i dont lean like a cholo), let alone an adult.

I think the E55 is probably "funner" to mod than the 63 motors, you get these jumps in power that change the power band so significantly.

just my thoughts..

sufyaanahmed

^ well said agreed

BagMan

Not to mention the extra options that are available on the w211. Ventilated seat, dynamic seats, pano, distronic, etc

CharlyE500

Dynamic seat is really fun. I think early E63 doesn't come this option.

James M

Had my E55 4 months now and done the full exhaust & headers, IC pump upgrade and currently saving for a tune - wouldn't change it for anything. Drove the C63 when they first came out and I was not impressed so I bought an older C32 and modded the crap out of it - I used to spank the hell out of the stock C63's. The mods you can do on a supercharged E55 give far more gains than anything you can do on a C63 or E63, especially for the price. I took the time to search for my E55 and got a low mileage, 2 owner beauty that was spotless and extremely well maintained and driven by owners who never thrashed it. They are out there if you look hard enough. The E-class Mercs also have a build quality second to none and are rock solid and fairly bullet proof, especially the tranny on the 55. I would completely rule out the C63.

justinregister5

Weather permitting a test drive is happening tomorrow morning. 20,000 original mile one owner in showroom condition he says. I was thinking high 27-29K range for a cream puff like this, but I think he has it listed for low 30's and doesn't sound like he wants to budge on $

Max.H

+1 I love the C63 and I wouldn't mind having one. But, choosing between a C and E is a big difference. They are different cars for different needs.

Coming from your M3, the C63 is faster for sure but your making a small step up mostly lateral. But, they sound the best out of all your choices.

E55/E63 are great cars with lots of power but, they are not going to handle like your M3.

Test drive them all and then decide. You should decide for yourself what makes you happy. GL

justinregister5

Checked out the 2004 E55 yesterday. Its pristine inside and out, showroom condition with 20,000 original miles and completely stock.

Is there any reason or would there be any reason not to buy an 04 vs. 05 or 06?

Any known issues with the 2004's?

johnnyblaze

Biggest gripes I heard from the 03-04 users were the center console breaking and the top leather wearing away (side folding one on the 03-04, 05-06 have a sliding door). Other than that its the typical E55 problems across the board that everyone mentioned above.

justinregister5

Thanks

My mom's Boyfriend has worked at MB dealership for 10 years as a sales rep. he mentioned electrical issues, but I wasn't sure which ones he was talking about. All cars have their little quarks but I wanted to make sure before I moved forward on a purchase.

James M

My 03 had air bubbles in the center console which I fixed myself - took about 4 hours and a small pot of contact glue. The only other problem that I know of with the earlier models is the IC pump, I just upgraded mine this weekend, it only cost about $ 120.00 and a few hours of getting dirty with no special tools. An 04 with 20k miles at the right price, in the right colour would be a no brainer for me. I wasn't even looking for an E55 when I bought mine - I was shopping for a CLK55/C55, but all my friends and tuner told me I would love the E-class and hate the C-class, so I bought it and I am so glad I did. Grab it before someone else does because good, low mileage E's are like finding hens teeth. Use the money saved (instead of buying an E63) to mod the crap out of it.

justinregister5

Before I pull the trigger and write a check for this beast. Can someone tell me or go into detail on wiring "fiber optic" issues this car is known for? Now I'm reading about fuel leaks? Might be scaring myself a bit from all the reading. One of the good and bad things about a forum I guess.

HeissRod

Fiber optic issues? First I've heard of that.

justinregister5

Wiring issues basically with earlier E55's when they moved to fiber optic? No?
Maybe the only thing to consider is the gas tank issue then.

AMG55TECH

Im a service Tech at a MB dealer. Fiber optic issues are not that much of anything to worry about. A more important concern would be the possible fuel leak. If the car is on a lift and you look at the left side of the fuel tank, there will be signs of fuel running down the back side of the tank. Or you can remove the seat, and remove the left side fuel level sensor cover to expose the top of the tank... you should be able to see signs of fuel remains if the tank is leaking. There is a possability that the tank has been replaced already..ASK the seller. If they.."uhh I dont know"...spend the extra $125 or so and take the car to a dealer and have them perform a buyer inspection. It is a very indepth multi point inspection and tell them specifically to check the tank closely. I was able to perform a repair on my fuel tank. If you need info on this PM me.

justinregister5

Thanks! The seller works at a MB dealership so I should be able to get this done without issue. Even though the car only has 20K miles on it I'd feel better getting it checked. curious about your tank repair. If there is a preventative fix I may look at that before anything else.