V-AMG

Hey guys,

I currently have a fantastic condition 2005 E55 with 75k miles. Very well taken care of and stock. All maintenance is 100%. However, i have an itch to get into an M157 car, the 5.5TT is just soooo appealing.

What are your thoughts? I am debating between selling the E55 and picking up a 2012/2013 E63. It will be about $40K and i will have to make payments on it. I will also be looking into cooling mods and tuning so figure another $5,000.

On the other hand, if i keep the E55, i will finally mod it. Nothing crazy, but add a pulley and maybe headers. And tune it of course. I do have a PLM IC already.

Financially, how much value will I lose by modding my E55 and driving it for another year? Figure it will have 85,000 miles by next year. Will that offset how much the E63 will drop in value? Do i bite the bullet and get the TT E63 I want or is it smarter to wait? Im thinking that the E63 value came down as much as it will, so dont see major price drop happening next summer.

Thoughts?

I know I cant be the only one with this predicament...

Rob CL

You're certainly not the only one. It's very tempting to lust for the v8TT, so long as we're discussing the 4-Matic version.

Though I'm a huge proponent of FUN-wheel drive, you simply can't deny the repeat-ability of AWD launches. Again, if you were to consider the S-AMG.

Another point to consider is volumetric efficiency. The turbos will win every time. Sure, they might not pull like your E55 does OOB, but with a turbo swap, some downpipes and tuning, and those concerns are abated quicker than you can stomp the pedal.

Keep us posted!

CharlyE500

I think you better wait for other year since new body of E is coming out. The W212 will depreciate even more by summer next year. Plus, you have a clean low mileage E55 to play for now. The price of E55 is already very low and I don't think will drop much more in a year. Good luck !

1ForcedBenz

Pay to play. If you want to wait for it to depreciate then your already in a dated chassis. I love my e55 and have had it since new but have also had many newer AMG vehicles since then. The new biturbo with a tune is a fantastic vehicle that has modern looks and a monstrous silky-smooth power delivery.

The e55 is timeless now in regards to what is brought to the table in 2003, but honestly with the new drivers of these vehicles over the past 4 years now, I don't have respect for them as any sort of status. It's a great bang for your buck car at this point in my opinion and that's pretty much it. So if your into what's the best dollar for dollar car the 211 is for you. If you want a newer look, better tech, higher status symbol, and superior drive train the choice is yours. If your worried about economics no MB should ever be considered.

V-AMG

Ive had nothing but MB's for a long time. Im not concerned about the financials of it, i just want to make the best financial move. If my W211 with an additional 10k miles and mods will depreciate less than a W212 in a year, that sounds like a smarter financial move. But thats the part that I dont know. Its the mods that are the unknown. Stock for stock i know that the W212 will depreciate faster.

Im also dreading a new car in some ways... I like to do every little bit of maintenance when i get a car so i have to consider a few grand in that alone. Fluids/filters/plugs, etc... they add up.

CharlyE500, good point on the new E class coming out. I totally forgot about that even though i was in the 2017 E300 just the other day. Which IMO is just a slightly larger C-class. They look nearly identical to me... I'd much rather have the 2014-16.

hachiroku

didn't read every post but................TWIN TURBOOOOOOOOOO, but the W211 has miles better interior.

Speedriven1

It will depreciate less if you keep it 100% stock. Those are fetching a premium- even clean cars that are obviously tuned are trading hands for well under $15K around here.

^ ignore that. Build the engine, big blower PKG, built trans., 9" rear end, standalone, NOS, and go run 9s for about $30K.

Dublinoh

Best answer: keep your car stock. Wait a year and then reevaluate. IMO

e500slr

Let's get one thing straight, IT DOES PULL LIKE the E55 and ALOT harder. You will need a moderately modded E55 to run a stock M157 and once you put a tune and only a tune on the M157 it's GAME OVER, even maxed out E55s can't keep up, you will need a Weistec blower and a built engine after that. Again, that's tune only.

Then you mention turbo swap, do you realize that a turbo swap will be making 1000hp on the M157? An E55 has never gotten close to that.

You talk like someone who's never driven or owned an M157. I love the E55 but it's not even close, it's in a different league.

By the way if anyone wants, I'm selling a low mileage M157 out of my smashed CLS63. Good price and includes shipping.

hachiroku

M157 with tune...doesn't it make 760hp? LIKE STOCK, with bolts ons!?!

Hotsauce55

From a financial perspective only: Why ditch a perfectly maintained low mileage vehicle? Depreciation aside, you need to make payments. Financially, the best decision is to spend as little as possible on a car. I am not talking about buying some ****box Mitsu.

Spending a few bucks on headers, tune, pulley etc.. will have you trapping 120mph - way more than enough for the streets. Are you interested in the Bi-Turbo just for the speed?

kenneyd

If you're loaded, why not step up to the 5.5TT? otherwise just be content with what ya got. Also, you likely wont get as much as you think for your w211. I just bought one and am pretty familiar with the market after shopping the county. For for around 75k miles the range was $11k-$30k but most had been for sale for months (even years on the higherend). I ended up paying just a bit over that lower number for a perfect 1 owner with 58k miles on it.

As for speed, we all know its addicting, but so far im loving the e55 because its ~not~ crazy fast. Im coming from a 750hp cts-v, 600hp c6 z06, 640hp camaro... all which i categorize as "scary fast". The e55 and my f355 are "fun fast". Im finding i overall get a lot my enjoyment from that... or maybe its cuz I finaly past 30 lol

Rob CL

While the argument is a matter of perspective, I'll concede that the stock dyno sheets certainly do not favor one engine over the other (nor do I for that matter). The average stock torque output is almost identical from each engine at peak from 2,750rpm for both, and remaining through more-or-less redline for the M157. The dynos are all different, of course, and surely there are freak runs out there for each platform, but I'm making an attempt at presenting a fair and unbiased opinion.

You write like a lot of forum trolls. I haven't purported the M113k to be 'in the same league'. I have indeed experienced the M157 and also quite plainly admitted thus:
I admire that you have such passion for what is after all a more modern engine, versus one which was developed over 15 years ago.

To wit, I also mentioned that the OP might consider looking for an S-AMG, as putting the power to the ground gets to be trickier otherwise. This is a clear indication of which platform I find superior.

With that, I'll leave you to your cherry picking, and hope that the OP finds what he's looking for most.

e500slr

The E55 doesn't dyno anywhere close to the M157. The M157s are putting down at least ~480whp stock whereas a healthy E55 will put down ~415whp stock. With just a tune though, it's all over for the E55. My car has (had) a trunk tank/split cooling, catless downpipes and tune and made 661whp. An E55 just won't get that without being heavily heavily modified.

Again, I respect each engine and the E55 is timeless and has it's own character but for sheer power, there is no competition. By the way the M157 has pretty much no turbo lag. Mid range is just insane. I hated this engine but once I drove one I realized how crazy they are. It sounds better in real life than in videos as well.

I do agree on the E55 being enough for the street though. The M157 is OVERKILL with a tune only. Unless you're getting the 4matic this thing really really struggles for traction even from a 50 mph roll. It's very very violent. I think for the street, a nicely modded E55 is very nice and you won't be depreciating much more. Maybe wait for the W213 to really come in and then the previous gen will drop.

XSTAR

Simple financial answer...your E55 will depreciate less than the the newer 5.5TT will. If you planned to throw $5k at that car you could do that to your E55 & it will wake it up a lot. As others said keep it stock however if simply waiting a year to make a move.

BlackHammer

Love this discussion. V-AMG, whatever you decide to do it won't have anything to do with $. Emotion always prevails and my sense is the answer is already in the envelope on what you are going to do...

Please post pics when you pick up your E63 TT!

TK

BlackHammer

661 whp for an E55? Has anyone ever put down over 550 RWHP with a 113K?

Hotsauce55

"Downpipes" suggest he is actually talking a turbo car but "trunk tank/split cooling" suggests the 113k - so yeah I am confused

Dublinoh

The way I read it he is describing his now sold E55, not a turbo car.

BlownV8

Biturbo E63 all day long. Much easier to mod and is crazy fast when you do.

e500slr

BiTurbo CLS63. It's very hard to get that with an E55, as I said earlier.

OK maybe I used the wrong words but yes trunk tank in a CLS63. Why can't you have a trunk tank on the BiTurbo? It's not an exclusive M113 thing.

BlownV8

I have a trunk tank on my biturbo.

Hotsauce55

When you said trunk tank & split cooling I figured both were an m113k thing but both are perhaps not?

Ls1toAMG

Depends what you want want now. The bi 63'3 are dropping. Every car drops for the first 10 years. Then they even out. If you can afford one and want one get it. If you want a good investment then don't buy a car. Interesting fact for American cars is this. The ford gt500 is the only car that gained value in the last 40 years within 5 years of production. They drop for 10 years straight. Everything My advice buy the E63 and liVe it up

V-AMG

Hahahaha, have we met??