twowheelmarc

So I have a 2003 E55, that i use as my daily driver. It has all the trimmings: Nav, Keyless, Pano Roof, Adaptive cruise, parking sensors, dynamic drive seats, bluetooth puck, I think it has everything possible with the exception of satellite radio.

The car has 115k miles, I bought it with 40k back in 2008. The car has been so much fun, but also a slight pain in the ***.
-I had the fuel sender issue that left me stranded not once but twice (I just got my refund from MB).
-I have blown two front left struts (one almost immediately after I got the car, the second was just last month) I fixed the second one myself on the cheap with the help of a fellow member.
-Lost the airmatic again because one of the air hose fittings gave way, I was able to get the car home and I fixed it, but the incident wasn't pleasant.

The car is now in need of some repair to keep it going a while, things i know it needs:
-The SBC has reached the counter limit and now needs to be replaced (brakes work perfectly at the moment)
-3 of the 4 struts are original, I will probably want to replace with coilovers for peace of mind (I will probably go with the BC Racing system)
-There is some front end work that needs to be done
-I have to replace the transmission mount (not a big deal).

Some other minor quirks
-The front driver door doesn't work with the keyless system, so I have to replace the handle
-The nav screen has a black spot about the size of a dime
-The cup holder is broken

All in all i expect I will have to pay about $5k to fix the car and am not sure if its worth it. I am not sure what the true value of the car is, but i suspect in as-is condition its not worth much more than $10k.

I am not in a position to drop a lot of cash on a new car, so if I sell it I will most likely be out of the AMG game for a while.

I have two options:
A) Sell the E55, and get another, more reliable sedan (Think used A6 etc)
B) Pick up a cheaper utility vehicle to use as my daily driver (think small used SUV, Rogue, Touareg etc) and keep the E55 as a toy and fix it along the way

My wife has an A5 Quatro Cabrio, and we have one four year old kid.

As winter is approaching here something else with AWD would certainly be useful.

Any thoughts on the issue?

Thanks

atoms

One thing I didn't hear you say is "I love this car, but...". That's an important thing. To answer your question; I would look for a reliable daily driver, so option A. If you thought you would be "heartbroken" without, option B starts making sense.

twowheelmarc

Good point. I do love the car, my wife thinks I have an unnatural attachment to it, she equates it to my version of Linus' blanket. I was just trying to be objective about the situation,

Another thing I forgot to mention, mechanically, the car is 100% stock. The brakes are relatively new but 3 of the 4 tires will need to be replaced sometime next year.

SterlingE55

I'd by a winter/daily beater and keep up with the E55. An A6 isn't necessarily more reliable. My attachment isn't healthy either though.

twowheelmarc

Oh and I think the power steering pump is starting to go. I am getting a nice whine when the car is cold but it goes away once the car warms up.

StarvingArtist

Even if you put 10k into it, what else could you get for 10k that you would rather drive? And what would it need? I just bought a truly loaded E500 4matic and went though it from one end to the other. I'm in it for a little less than 10k unless you count my time. If we parked them side by side, I'd probably want to trade and you wouldn't. Just say'n.

mightar

Good on you for recognizing your situation - forget what other people think and take care of yourself and your own first. You can always get back into an AMG later.

I'd go for option A, but as an Audi owner for over 10 years (B5 S4 and C5 S6 Avant) I can tell you that getting any used German vehicle would not be cheaper. If you need a reliable vehicle with low maintenance costs, you're going to have to go all the way - Honda or Toyota. Maybe a newer Hyundai since their CPO vehicles have 10 year/100k powertrain warranty.

skylinrcr01

I had an A6 (2005) before my e55, and I really enjoyed it. One thing about them, make sure to get one with quattro, because the non-quattros are FWD. I like the way it drove better than the E, and it was way more comfortable and the interior was better as well. It was also much more reliable. Gas mileage on the 3.2 was quite good as well, I averaged 26. Like any other german car, stay on top of maintenance and you should be ok.

Ls1toAMG

I would go option b. I learned long ago a 3rd car is needed no matter what the other 2 are.

tumbler510

Sounds like you liked the Audi more than the AMG?
If you could do it all over again, would you have kept the A6 and passed on the E55?

twowheelmarc

I was thinking Japanese or Korean would be the way to go, I know it for sure, but can't say it out loud yet. It's not all wheel drive but I sat in the new Maxima, and the interior is really cool, haven't driven anything with a CVT so not sure how I would like that. If they made a Maxima or Accord with AWD I think this would be an easy decision.

skylinrcr01

Oh, don't get me wrong, I really like my AMG. In a perfect world, I would have had both.

There isn't a substitute for the power of the E55, the A6 was a touch too slow for me.

They both have their ups and downs, but I don't really regret selling it to get the E, I was getting bored with the Audi.

StarvingArtist

You know where I stand, but there's one thought that makes the decision easy for me every time. I crashed a mercedes hard once. Very few cars could have protected me, and I happened to be in one that could. With the ice, drunks, texters, animals, and idiots, I consider it good insurance. I suspect an Audi is built with similar strength, and might save you some $, might not, but consider this. It is a proven medical fact that smiling is good for you!