NthDegree

iTrader: (-1)

Hi guys, I'm currently looking into buying my second E55 and specifically wanting a Tectite grey car. However, Tectite stopped after the 04 model year. I've been doing my research and know that the 05-06 cars had quite a few upgrades including the steering rack and suspension that many say make them drive a lot better. Having never driven an 03-04 I was wondering if any members who have driven both could chime in with some more input as to if the 05-06 are significantly better and would be worth me giving up the Tectite grey for.

AMGPilot

The Rack and thrust arms can be swapped to give you the same steering feel as the later cars

Ls1toAMG

There isn't much difference according to the owners from previous threads

stockC43

I find the 03-04 arm rest more comfortable and the esp is off when it's off. 05-06 esp won't let you do burnouts like the 03-04. I would never buy a 03 as a tech but 04's are my personal favorite. Just find the best car in the best condition you can. Mileage is not as important as how well it has been maintained. I have owned amg's with over 200k mi and they were just as reliable as low mileage cars, they were just well maintained.

AMG_Adon

go with a well maintained E but steer away from the first year of production

carguyshu

on 2003 double check what radiator is in it. About 1/2 of them had a problem where a leak would develop and dump coolant into the tranny. Some 03s also had a smaller differential in them that requires a different LSD if you're into that sort of thing.

eightyseven

05/06 are easier to retrofit cool stuff like E63 steering wheels and bluetooth into.

Boosted-AMG

+1
The ESP difference is a plus . That is if you plan on modding the car. Even with ESP OFF my car still try's to shut me down in second gear when it comes loose . Doesn't happen all the time. It's inconsistent . But when you do a roll on race it can be aggravating. Nobody wants to have to drive in dyno mode to prevent this. Sometimes random races present them selves . It isn't always convenient to pull over and cut the car off to put it in dyno mode.

StuttgartAMG

Advantages of MY05/06:
- MY06: CLS steering rack (different steering ratio, same rack than Facelift)
- easier upgrade of shift paddles because of new steering column module
- improved pistons and conrod bearings
- SBC 1.2 instead on SBC 1.0 (more reliable)
- cheaper to change cabin filters, because it is only one filter instead of two filters
- retrofit of Distronic is easier/cheaper


Disadvantages MY05/06:
- Solar panel for pano roof is no longer available
- No separate Activated charcoal filter --> AC- mode/button is no available




ESP:
My 05 US-spec E55 also makes burnouts without any problems...

dzauto77

Careful with 03-early 04, stick to late 04 and up. They have different trannys , that are pretty much bulletproof. As was stated above 03s and early 04s do have coolant into tranny problems. 03s have several electrical problems also that were fixed later. Personal advise, 05 or 06 ..

Denroll

Mine's an '06 and will roast tires through two gears with ESP off. Video proof:

latemodel21

As previously indicated, there was a change made to the auto tranny between 2003 and 2004. For 2004, the xmission valvebody was upgraded with one that included the "bluetop" solenoids along with an updated TCU that allowed steering wheel buttons to shift in all modes, manual, sport, and comfort (they only shift in "manual" mode on 2003s).
Worth noting,
The valvebody and TCU can be swapped as a pair to bring a 2003 tranny up to 2004 spec and functionality.



Also as previously indicated, the 2005 and later E55s are electrically compatible with the E63 Aluminum paddle shifters (changing the connectors on the aluminum paddles is all that is needed to make them plug-n-play)
WHILE the 2003 and 2004 E55s require the "Paddle converter module" in order to make the aluminum paddles plug-n-play.

Also, keyless-go for most mercedes models in 2003 required you use a standard key AND a credit card shaped transmitter (that you carry in your pocket or wallet to make the keyless go work) ... WHILE for 2004 this RFID functionality was incorporated into a newer version of the standard looking smartkey (meaning you only needed to carry the key, not the triple thick credit card as well).

Cheers,
Chris