Strigoi

That was my old W210 E55. Bought it for $12k and then dumped thousands into it just taking care of ****. My roommate works at an indy, so it only cost me a few thousand, but he said it would have been around $6k for all the work he did if it went through the shop. That all happened within 6 months of buying it.

When I was recently looking at E63s before buying mine, the common thing was that all of them needed front rotors at $1k each. Most had a bunch of small issues that would have added up to big money to get fixed as well. The one I bought was solid as could be, needs one motor mount (bought 2 for $130) and might need a cat according to a saved fault. My roommate can get me an OEM CA cat for $1300. Those are the only issues with the car. I'm very glad I didn't jump one one of the ones from other dealers that claimed the car had nothing wrong with it after their guys checked it out.

Get a PPI (pre purchase inspection) if you are serious about the car. It's money well spent. These cars can end up being very expensive to own. If you can afford it, do it.

Max.H

Airmatic pump just died on me. 300 bucks for the the part only. That's $2,500 in the last 12 months for keeping the car well serviced. Plus I need new rear tires and still need to install the rest of my bushings.

Bottom line, does not matter how you dice it. This car just like any other car in this price range are very expensive to own. Good thing, once I get done with this round of maintenance items. The car will be good for another 10 years.

Ls1toAMG

As a daily driver it can be costly. Also keep in mind their age. All cars past 15 years need more attention. Brake lines start failing and all plastic and rubber components will eventually fail. Like others have said budget 3k year. I drive 4K miles a year. I have been lucky so far. 2 tires oil changes and flush Sbc system. It's a very technical car. Relays and sensors for everything.