SpecRSK

So I've been looking for cars and plan on buying something within a year from right now, so no real rush. While looking around, I've come down to a few different options:

2005 E55
2006 Cayman S (6M)
2008 G37S (6M)
2006 S4 (6M)
2007 IS 350
2009 335xi (possible 6M)
2007 650i

I've heard about electronics on the E55 being a bit iffy and since it's been over 12 years since the car was released to the public, I'm interested in hearing if anyone can somewhat pinpoint the costs I'll be looking at and if they are comparable to either any of the cars mentioned above or similar to that of a base trim E-Class, even newer ones.

Any things to watch out for when looking? Most miles I should even bother with?

And just to be clear, the car itself is not my problem, I know this thing is vicious and fast and blah blah blah. I'm just curious if what comes after purchase is going to make my eyes open up to the length of my head.

If anyone wants to point out why I can immediately rule out any of the others I've considered, feel free.

germangearhead

Just curious have you ever driven an E55? First time I drove one I fell in love the second I hit the gas. I have driven very many cars and have never felt that before. electronics are ok. I have an 04 and only have a few small issues that dont really get in the way of my daily driving. The car is fairly easy to work on and the parts arnt really that expensive in comparison to the other cars in that list.
Miles: depends what the cars life was like, Work done ect. I bought mine with 163k It had a few issues which I fixed in the first few months. It is my daily driver and is at 183k now with 0 issues.
modding wise, I have seen people start modding their stock e55 with 155k, these engines hold up great even with all that power.

Personal opinion:
E55: you should absolutely get one and never look back. these are stupid cheap now. gives you room for mods ect.
cayman S: looks fantastic but is incredibly underpowered
2008 G37S: I have had an infinity, What I gathered from all of them they are great daily drivers but they suck down gas for no good reason and burn oil also for no good reason. nice commuter otherwise very comfortable (this car seems to not fit any of the other options you have, its like comparing a ferrari to a honda :/ )
2006 S4: I would avoid at all costs, Very unreliable, its a ticking time bomb. and that v8 is horrid so slow
2007 IS 350: luxury commuter
2009 335xi: fantastic in the snow if you care, however it is very loud inside. you can hear everything from the motor to the road. very very annoying
2007 650i: massive 4.5l v8, not to much power same as the audi. Looks great, handles and drives great aswell.

well thats my 2 cents

SpecRSK

I actually haven't been able to drive a E55 yet but that will be changed within this year when I find a decent example of one. I saw one with 82k miles in that nice Mercedes silver with the stock wheels, looks beautiful to say the least. I've been a fan of Mercedes ever since I first saw the 190E racing car.

The only reason I listed the Infiniti G37 is because I am in love with the coupe, G35 or G37. Not to mention the 6-Speed layout has reverse in the bottom right which is icing on the cake coming from driving a 5-Speed with reverse in the traditional H pattern.

I live in New England but have never really needed AWD, not even with snow on the ground. So having RWD is not too much a problem.

The E55 is definitely my first option in all the ones mentioned. Like I mentioned, there is one with 82k on the clock and another with only about 49k, but costs about $3k-$4k more. I understand that miles aren't too much an issue on cars like this one since they're pretty tough and it really depends on how the car was driven, but is it better to get lower miles with the $3k-$4k or just save that for maintenance/mods later on?

germangearhead

Where in New England are you?

SpecRSK

Far left side of Connecticut, right near Danbury.

germangearhead

ad damn you are a bit far from me. However I have a friend selling his White 04 e55 amg here in MA. very clean. You can find him on here. yuppieracing

coolchuck

E55 all the way!
Ive had an Infiniti and yeah they use lots of gas. My M37 was a dog compared to my 55. The Gs are cool but outside of forced induction, the mods don't yield much power. I considered an S4(same generation as 06 I think) and read they have trouble with timing chain guides failing. No dealings with the other cars mentioned.

Of the 2 your looking at, Id see which has a better service history, which has already had some of the troublesome issues addressed already.
Also, if you do your own work, you can tackle a lot of the maintenance and a lot of what goes wrong.

SpecRSK

Thanks for the input. Do you happen to have any suggestions on immediate modifications, whether performance gain or simple changes to the car to make things smoother in the long run, such as changing out certain parts?

I'm really interested in future mods but want to make sure I don't think too hard about it and get what's right once I sign the papers.

I'm pretty young and I want this car to be my daily driver for as long as possible unless I come up with more dough than I need.

atoms

Here's the most important thing you need to know about the car imho. Assume ~3k per year just to keep it on the road. That's ~250 a month if you're doing the math. Yes, it varies but this has been my experience (just did brakes for $1600, sure price varies too but the parts are pricy even if you do it yourself)

Don't rush it (not that you are). Sounds like you haven't driven all of the cars on your list. That would be a wise exercise. We all like different things. For example, I like subtle (non attention grabbing) and straight line fun. I'm an old dude who doesn't track. E55 is perfect for me.

As for mods, depending on where you live and smog regulations you'll have a lot of options. I'm in IL and there's no way headers/exhaust will pass smog so I'm content with LSD, Pulley, box tune, and split cooling (and a couple minor things).

Unmodified, this car makes a GREAT daily driver, especially being an automatic with comfort.

There's only one thing I don't like about the car, the shifting. It's dated. It's also unfortunate that it doesn't come with an LSD stock. I can't speak to the other cars on your list except the G37S and they are not comparable at all!

As for the price difference between the two you mentioned, it's not meaningful enough on its own to comment. I assume the 82k one is 12-17k. That would put the 49k one at 15-20k. I'd never pay 20k for this car but 15k for 49k miles could be a fantastic deal. See my point? Look at the service history and condition instead. You can tell when a car is taken care of or not if you pay close attention to every inch of the car. I'd lean towards the one with better service history/evidence of care/condition regardless of miles.

Toadster

Buy mine ��

SpecRSK

I feel like my favorite car (G37S) is getting a bit of hate from people here hahaha.

I'm pretty young (college) but I'm obsessed with the "speak softly and carry a big stick" type of cars, as in sleepers that, if they desire, will basically make other sports cars so embarrassed they may never reach 6th gear again.

The E55 sounds like a great daily driver, especially from what you and other people say about it. I do like the idea of having a manual transmission over an automatic, but of course it won't be as fast in this day and age.

Just out of curiosity:

What other Mercedes Benz models can compare to the E55?

I'm in love with the CLK63 Black Series for example, but it's a long time before I'll be considering it due to high value and exclusiveness (I think there's only about 350 of them).

Anything even close to as fast as the E55 for the price, Mercedes or not?

coolchuck

Service history is key. I would make sure all maintenance is up to date before any mods. Most common failures are airmatic suspension parts and intercooler pump. Search the forums, theres a WEALTH of info on what goes wrong but also how to fix it.

That being said, E55 may not be the car for a college student. Even if paying for repairs is not an issue, downtime could be.

tlambert

^^^^ I agree with Chuck.

I have a 2012 G37 also and have had zero issues.

Keep driving the G till you're out of college then get the E when you have time to play more with cars.

The E won't be that trouble free.

Good luck with college.

SpecRSK

Yeah that's probably a good idea. Speed is just such an addictive thrill that it makes me think poorly sometimes.

Besides G37, any other good recommendations? I'm not trying to avoid the G37 by any means, especially since it's my favorite car on the list, but are there any similar cars I might want to check out before making a final decision?

I hate GM and their low-quality products as much as the next guy, but I've been eyeing the 2010/2011 Camaro SS (definitely gotta get 6M), and while it's not the most refined vehicle by any means, it still has a bit of juice in that hood and maintenance would never make me look twice at a bill.

So any other suggestions or recommendations? (Besides what I listed)

I do really want to get an E55 (or something equal or greater in power) after I'm out of college, so don't think I'm giving up on the idea of a Benz.

94jedi

Go w/ the e55 if you like to be a wolf in sheeps clothing. They're not as reliable as the G though, you'd be best served to learn how to wrench on it yourself, if you don't already know.

Cayman is great, if you're a 55 year old man w/ money to burn and like to hit up the occasional track session. Oh and prepare to get hated on by your age group peers.

G37 is nice too, but all of your buddies in your peer group have them and they're just soulless. nice commuter though, reliable, looks nice. but...meh.

I love Audi's but the B6 S4 is slow and those engines begin to have serious issues around the 100k mark. JHM tuning has made a niche out of getting these cars into the 12's which is no easy feat.

The others on your list really don't compare to the E55.

Good luck! I'm searching for the right e55 too!

SpecRSK

Hey man, good luck on your search and hopefully we both find the right car. I appreciate the input, means a lot.

As for doing my own work on the car, I can do all the basics but nothing too complex. My cousin has about 5 different vehicles that he works on himself, two of which include an M3 and a Corvette. I'm sure he'd lend me a hand and teach me a few things if I get the E55, so I would definitely put in the time and effort to keep the E55 in good condition and my wallet in my pocket.

If you've got anything on your mind, any other suggestions? Cars similar to the E55?

I've already looked at the SL55 and CLS55 but I've heard bad things about the CLS (too bad, car looks fantastic in black) and the SL55 with only two seats might not be the best idea until I have another car with four or more seats.

Dublinoh

I ended up with an 07 E63, sold an 09 BMW 335xi. The E is better in every category you could name. No regrets at all. You will have to pull out your wallet even if you do the work yourself, plan on $250+/month maintenance and repair.

SpecRSK

Oh yeah I don't expect to not spend a dime, but I might as well save a few dimes while I'm at it.

$250 a month does seem a bit high though, especially since I'll be paying that much and more every month for the car itself (if I choose to finance rather than put all the money down on it right away).

You have any other figures I can kinda compare it to? Other monthly expenses for cars?

Strigoi

I have an 07 E63. I've had it for almost a year and about 8,000 miles now. The only thing it's cost me so far is a pair of engine mounts (only one was bad, replaced both) and a set of tires. I knew the engine mounts needed replacing when buying the car. The keyless entry thing on the driver's door did stop working, but it's not a big deal so I haven't gotten around to replacing that yet. The only thing I don't love about the car is the transmission. It's slow and clunky.

I bought the car with 72,000 on it and now it has 80,000. The engine mounts were replaced at my friend's shop and that cost me all of $130 in parts and some lunch for him.

Clean E55s are getting harder to come by. If you're looking to mod, go with an E55. If you're ok with the keeping the car mostly stock power wise, look into the W211 E63 (still rated at 507hp/465tq). Brakes are a killer on them and will run you $2500 at a dealer. Parts can be had for anywhere from $700-$1300 if you go aftermarket and do it yourself. They last quite awhile so as much as it hurts to do, it's probably not going to be a yearly thing.

I'd consider looking into Toadster's car as well. You're much more likely to find a good one on here than other places. A cheap E55 will be the most expensive car you'll ever own.

FWIW, I checked out several E63s before buying mine. All of them needed a bunch of work (even if minor, which can add up quick), had had some parts repainted or needed brakes/tires. I'm glad I spent the extra money for a nice example and jumped on it. They had to call another guy that was on his way to buy it (he'd already checked it out as well) when I left to go get the money from my bank for it to tell him it sold. Basically, have your things in order so when you do find the right one you can jump on it.

edit: I know this probably won't go over well, but if you have to finance a car you can't afford to own it IMO. Especially when it's something that is 10+ years old. These were $80k-$100k cars when new and can have the maintenance to match that.

94jedi

This is great advice here. buy one with a service history, make sure major items have been addressed and make sure it's seen the actual merc dealer a few times too.

Another bit of advice (something I plan on) is to get a PPI done. Not sure what the call it in the Merc world but in BMW vernacular, we called it a PPI or pre purchase inspection.

94jedi

I'm also considering an E63, although I know there's a few more "headaches" to deal with.

for the OP, keep in mind $250 monthly is not every month. More than likely this is an average. One month, you may spend $1000, then go the next 3 months not needing anything.

94jedi

Personally, I'm looking for the fastest car I can buy with 4 doors for my budget. That pretty much leaves me w/ the e55 and e63. I'm considering both, but the e55's seem to be a little bit less expensive, however they're also a bit more "reliable" and come w/ less headaches (as I understand and have read).

There's the gen 1 CTS-V, but I've gotten used to an auto and don't really want to daily drive a manual. Also, at best, stock they dyno in the 350-370 range. e55's are near 400whp bone stock. The gen 2 CTS-V dyno's in the 450-470 range bone stock but they're out of my price range right now ($25k +).

Those are really the only cars on my radar that fit my needs/budget.

Strigoi

If you're ready to drop the money on a car, always get a PPI done. Luckily for me my housemate's shop would do them for free so every car I was interested in I brought in. That told me a lot about the E63s that were for sale around here at the time. Otherwise it's going to cost possibly a couple hundred each time.

Mine also wasn't an auction car or anything like that. The PO was looking to sell, contacted the local MB dealer and they bought it (he had bought several from them). My work used to be next door to them and they only take in used cars that are in very good/excellent condition. The owner of my work has purchased several used vehicles from them as well. The only thing that sucks is they don't negotiate on used vehicles. They'll drop the price monthly and if the car doesn't sell within a few it goes to auction.

I found some registration paperwork from the PO down by the spare tire. I Googled the address and you could see the car sitting in his garage. He had a couple of other Mercedes sitting in the driveway in the streetview pic as well.

SpecRSK

Hey man, thanks for the advice.

I plan on financing it possibly because it feels like more of a safe route to me than dropping the full amount on the car right away. I could easily buy 3 of these cars in cash right now but that money is for an even greater car later on in my life, possibly an F-Type R once it gets way down in price in several years.

I will definitely be doing extreme research on any car before I plan on purchasing it, absolutely.

I just have a few questions for either you or anyone that reads this and has an idea:

What can I expect in absolute total for maintenance? (Example: $7500 would do me well for years to come)

What mileage should I try to aim for? (This is assuming any car I look at is properly taken care of)

What similar cars should I check out before I make my mind up? (To get a feel of each)

What kind of warranty (if any) would I be able to get for the E55? (Possible cost of those said warranties)

Manuyc

E55 is a well built machine and should be put in the same class as a infinity sorry. only close to E55 on your list is the E55 itself. the other cars are more like regular sedans then a beast. even the 06 s4 slow dog. bmw 650 junk prepare to unload your wallet for repairs. just my opinion. the E55 will always blow your mind you will never get board of it.