HeissRod

That's $46k in Australia, not the US. Also, the demand and value for these in AU may be higher than here.

DavidRobinson

I regret that I didn't do more research on what things to look for that break down.

Tire wear - gets expensive with nice tires - rear toe rods, and adjustable camber arms are a must.

Sunroof lubed -Takes a lot to fix if it hasn't been taken care of

Stereo-Make sure the phone system isn't broken - annoying when the SOS goes on every 5 minutes
Also the stereo is not interchangeable without some work due to the fiber optic outputs.

TPMS-my sensors were not working when i bought it, but no-one in my area will deactivate the star to tell the system to not look for them.

Navigation- Check that the DVD works - if Broken, the DVD in the back is expensive

Driveshaft-The loop can wear down and cause vibration

Fuel Smell-Still figuring out if this is the new senders or the front rail leaking

Wheels- Get good ones with hubcentric correct size 66.56 - Hubcentric rings suck

Alternator- this is a pain to change, look for melting on the rear voltage regulator

I love the car though, just would have paid 10k more for one in better condition but I have the skills to fix most of the things. If anyone knows the tricks to the few other things, let me know...

e500slr

I don't mean to be a jerk buddy but if you're comparing this car to a HSV or an FPV then you're looking for the wrong car. This thing is in a different league. How can you compare the build quality of 2 companies that are about to close down to Mercedes-Benz, the first car ever made. A company with an exceptional heritage. I'm really sad that these cars are so common and inexpensive now. I see many questionable folk driving them. This car will decimate those Fords and Chevys. This thing is in A DIFFERENT LEAGUE. I've driven those cars and they feel like they're gonna fall apart and they feel like taxis. Their sound is weak and they're slow for the HP they make. I'm gobsmacked at the comparison honestly, makes me cringe a little.

Obvious things I've come across are tires and brake pads (my style of driving ) and I did the ball joints and engine mounts but honestly apart from that it's been amazingly reliable (touch wood, touch wood again.........grab the wood for some time...). It just depends on your luck but things will get expensive especially in Australia. Wreckers will RAPE you on even small items. You can get cheap parts from the US though if you try and do some research. This car has ALOT of sensors and electronics and some flare up occasionally. My SRS light has come on occasionally and then gone away. They do scare you but honestly all cars are like this. It's a myth that euro cars are less reliable. Maybe Italian cars are but the germans are good. Try getting an 04-05. I'm not saying avoid the 02-03 completely but they did fix some issues in the latter models.

sexyxe

No dramas. I'm trying to upgrade, so just comparing to cars I am very familiar with. If the comparison isn't a fair one, that is a good thing for me. I want to upgrade after all. One point though is to say they are slow for the hp they make is misguided. My second last car was 347rwkw from a turbo 4 litre straight 6, which ran 11.5s and would sit happily at 110km/h and use 8L/100km. Their biggest downside is quality control.

Over all though I must say my feet feel much warmer from this thread though. Can't wait to pick one up now.

f8l ws6

Yeah definitely the most amazing car i've ever owned, especially for the money. You can't get a better bang for your buck and be able to literally drive it anywhere all day every day. I bought mine stock since everyone was scaring me with these repair bills but I haven't had a single issue that wasn't an easy fix. Never left me stranded and I don't fear that it will. Interior is silent, no squeaks or rattles. The navigation isn't all that bad for being older, it's a little annoying to type in addresses but it gives good directions, the only thing i'd like to do is add bluetooth to it.

biggking

You get that 100% with Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and it only get's better with the AMG lines. You've really got a solid bullet-proof STOCK drive-train that can handle the everyday abuses. As the other member pointed out if you drive it hard expect to be spending money to maintain it. You are in AUS and I am sure the parts NOT CHEAP, considering you are paying 46K for the car. Triple check the car and maintenance issues it might have!

johnnyblaze

I aint got no ragrets, nawmsayin?

rockthemullet

Not even one letter?

boostiality

Biggest regret for me was speculating the market for CLS55's. I bought mine this month last year for 34k (with 46,000 miles at Carmax (bought there due to awesome warranty they have). At that time, these cars were holding their value with none found under 30k even with 70,000+ miles.

Fast forward 1 year and 10,000 miles later, all the comps for my car run now around $26,000. At this point, I might as well keep it till 100,000 miles and sell it for $20,000.

Zed82

I always get amazed by some people that look into buying this kind of machine and expecting it to be trouble- and/or maintenance free. The E55K is a beast even with todays standards and it was a 100k car when it was new. These cars are now 8-12 years old. They were expensive to maintain when they were new and they are even more expensive to maintain today.

You just have to pay to play. When you compare it to other top sedans out there like the M5 E60 and the RS6, the E55 maintenance is still reasonable but you still have to calculate with $2-3000 in maintenance costs per year in worst case. And then comes the gas bills and the insurance.

But on the other hand, the reward that you get is mesmerizing. I´ve had my beast for a little more then a year. I´ve done 20k miles in it already and took it twice on a long trip around Europe with a lot of beating on the german autobahn at full throttle. It has not skipped a beat to this day, apart from a bad CM30-pump that gave out after doing many full throttle accelerations from 120mph to 180+mph on the Autobahn during many hours. I´m still in love with it and i can´t imagine jumping into anything else.

So the conclusion is. Let a skilled MB tech do the routine maintenance. Replace the engine oil often, i change mine every 6000 miles. Replace the transmission oil and the differential oil too. Replace everything else as soon as you notice it going bad. Don´t exaggerate on the tuning and let a experienced company do the job and you should be fine.

My beast says hi from Affalterbach (notice the Swedish flag that they put up just for me).

DVC

I was really hoping that would be posted! Good job, sir

actech

my bad on the 46k being AU. thought that was US dollars. carry on

biggking

1 AUD = .90 USD so about $42,000; prices are so high in AUS due to import and use taxes, on top of the limited supply of these cars in the region. OP can probably do a better job of explaining it.

RAWE55

This car is well priced considering it is a 2005 with 80,000miles. Others in Australia go for more. Some even as high as $80,000AUD with very low miles just by looking at the website.
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/d...?Cr=13&sdmvc=1

e500slr

That is ~460whp which if the E55 had it would run slightly faster than that.

TheTherapist

I'm in Australia also and bought mine sight unseen. Flew 5000km then drove her back and what a fun car to drive. To compare the beast to a Holden or a Ford is like chalk and cheese, a different league entirely. No where near as easy to work on but engineered precisely, built solid and it's a torque monster. And trust me you will be working on it - but this car is a passion and you won't mind the maintenance as long as you're not paying someone else to do it.

If it's done only 80,000 with 650 horses and checks out clean then it's well worth $46,000, that's what I paid for mine 12 months ago although I have spent much more on her since. Don't buy parts in Australia unless absolutely essential for example I needed an alternator recently and was quoted $988 + freight from Silver Star Spares (OEM supplier in Australia) yet ended up paying $180 + $120 postage from US. Another example is Airmatic shocks - $2900 OEM in Australia compared to remanufactured Arnott for $700. And keep up with fluids etc the car will appreciate it.

So my advice - just DO IT!

sexyxe

Correct. The E55 was around $250k when new in Aus. Due to high taxes for the most part on high end cars.

Seems like I may have missed the boat on the first car, however. So the search continues and now I'm becoming even more keen to get into one of these!

Quadcammer

I honestly don't think the maintenance is what people complain about and in fact, for a car of its caliber, I think the regular maintenance on MBs is pretty inexpensive.

I think what people take issue with is normal things, like fuel tank senders, window regulators, interior trim, etc that somehow doesn't seem to break on hondas and toyotas. Things that aren't directly affected by the car's power.

Also things like suspension bushings, ball joints, etc. While my w220 hasn't been too bad, somethings that break I have to go, "really MB".

Zed82

I see all those things as regular maintenance. Actually i´m always budgeting for a huge breakdown when buying a 10 year old performance car. Anything can happen. That way, i´m not surprised if something does happend and i have funds to repair it.

Mr. Wilson

I regret not buying one when sooner, hell I regret trading my e55 for a cls55.........

Quadcammer

I agree that stuff breaks on high performance cars. Typically though these things wear out due to the power or high handling limits. On all MBs, the groundbreaking technology also has the potential to break and that is to some extent to be expected.

Where I don't agree is the bread and butter stuff. Fuel tank senders are not really maintenance items. Replacing ball joints or sway bar bushings every 30k miles seems excessive. Sensor issues, etc.

Moosepuck

ditto!

TheTherapist

Most people in Australia assume the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) is to blame for the inflated cost of cars here when in actuality the LCT contributes a negligible portion of that figure. A $100,000 car in the US should sell for around $160,000 in Australia and that takes into consideration exchange rate, import duties, insurances, freight, LCT, various dealer charges and other government related import costs. Instead as you are aware it is more likely to sell for between $240-280,000! Choice magazine investigated this pricing discrepancy a couple of years ago and spoke with the heads of all the luxury car brands in Australia looking for answers. While some made excuses others were more honest indicating pricing was determined by how much we as a nation are willing to pay while maintaining the sales figures that were required for their continued involvement in our market. So in reality it's just a supply and demand thing. Porsche even stated that their prices were determined from competitors pricing, so for example if Porsche thought their car was 10% better than a competitor then that's where they priced it.

On a more pertinent note I was about to PM you regarding that car you had your sights on as there were a couple of red flags that as an E55 owner stood out to me. Something I cannot stress enough and you will find most members here will be in total agreement is to research thoroughly and do not be in a rush to buy the right car. You will be buying a performance vehicle that has probably had around 10 years of hard driving and will need maintenance. The amount and level of maintenance will depend on how well the car has been cared for and most of that caring is preventative maintenance - servicing on or before due dates, ensuring fluids are always changed ahead of time and issues rectified immediately before they become real problems.

Oh another good example comparing Ford/Holden to a Mercedes E55 AMG: A 2014 HSV has around 30 onboard modules whereas an 11 year old E55 AMG has about 130 - starting to get the idea...?

Don't let me scare you off though, I bought mine too eagerly thinking it sounded like a great deal and assumed with paying that much money it would have to be a quality vehicle without problems. That attitude cost me another $20,000 to get her up to standard and since then another $10,000 just to get her perfect. Yeah sure a little disappointing that I wasn't more discriminating and wait for a perfect example but no regrets at all and there's no chance I'll be letting her go any time soon. I have owned a few older Mercs in the past and fell in love with their build quality, presence and personality but this AMG takes that passion to the next level. Once you own one you will understand why this really is an "enthusiast" community.

Zed82

Sure but as i wrote earlier, all high performance vehicles have their share of design flaws. Compared to other brands or other AMG:s as the E63 W211 for example the E55 is not so bad at all.