C55? Are they any good and would it be a foolish private buy?

[A210AMG]

Quote "I've never actually owned a RWD drive car"


and you might start with a C55..... nice


That red one is a great price, as I've said on another thread about that car, at 12K you work on 3K depreciation a year (and 4K probably better) you have it 2 years its worth 6K (say)

Someone will Always give you that, its cheaper than any others anyway so you can ask less. I think it looks good in red.

My old boss's E55 Estate seemed to do around 14 mpg, he did tend to give it beans up the slip roads etc. He tried once driving slowly and it didn't seem to make much difference.

Looking at a 5.5L car its never going to be great? I would guess you would see 30 mpg however at 70. Its just controling yourself to stop pressing the loud pedal.

Its a huge leap from your ST, more in the RWD way of handling / driving. That especially in damp / wet will take some getting use to.

good luck in your search

 

[arbs]

lol, yeah i have a healthy respect for RWD, long ago, the very first time i had the opportunity (in a relatively puny BMW 325) I dumped the clutch on a wet (deserted) roundabout - 'just to see'.... you can guess the outcome.

I have driven rwd with about 100bhp shy of the C55, but trust me I will (would) be VERY tentative about exploring the heady capabilities of the AMG!

Saying that, although its hardly a pussy cat, most of the reviews I've read suggest that the C55 to be a more reserved drive compared to the usual M3/RS4 alternatives...

 

[Londonscottish]

Saying that, although its hardly a pussy cat, most of the reviews I've read suggest that the C55 to be a more reserved drive compared to the usual M3/RS4 alternatives...

Again my comments are for the C43 which has just over 300bhp and so is something like 50bhp down (?).

Merc put fairy long travel throttle pedals on their cars so you have to consciously push into the zone. Which makes them east to acclimatise to. Plus the electrics do a lot to rein in any excesses.

It's just the same approach you'd take to driving your ST - hamfisted throttle and brake use will put you in a hedge.

I like the sound of the ST's 5 pot - you'll love the C55's V8. Very bassy from the back, musical from the front.

 

[arbs]

I like the sound of the ST's 5 pot - you'll love the C55's V8. Very bassy from the back, musical from the front.

Indeed, I need to get myself a drive in one, tho I feel that could be expensive lol

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

My first RWD car was my C32 AMG, which has a similar power output to the C55 AMG, and I came from an Astra Turbo which is not dissimilar to the Focus ST. Breathed upon they can be pretty rapid!!

From my experience AMGs are big pussy cats, and unless you drive like a loon won't behave unpredictably - just like any other car - so I don't think the transition will be too difficult.

Being an automatic also softens the blow, as clutch dumping is not an option, the torque converted transmitting the power a little more progressively.

 

[Londonscottish]

Indeed, I need to get myself a drive in one, tho I feel that could be expensive lol

Quite. My first test drive (in 2003) cost me £20k. On the spot.

Ahhh...the days before the big family house and school fees....

Moral of the story; these cars are pretty compelling.

I recently had to turn down a test drive in a very nice C32 as I didn't trust my ability to resist.

As C55's become temptingly affordable I'm NOT TRYING ONE! I was in the passenger seat of one three years ago (the guy I bought my estate off had traded up) and I'm still trying to forget the noise and fabulous cabin and toys (yes I would like the Nappa, Speedshift, bi-Xenons, Bose, brakes, rims, quad pipes etc etc).

I can still remember seeing the first one in the country - a silver left hooker estate which Merc had brought to Goodwood a couple of weeks after its German launch

One of my neighbours has a debadged black one which looks and sounds fabulous.

Right - I'm off to have a cold shower. And I'm going to put a block on Autotrader, Exchange and Mart and Pistonheads.

 

[grayb]

hey thanks for replies

the ST (in its remapped form as is mine) has a similar torque output, i don't think in gear accelleration would be massively different.

C55 has 510 Nm of torque. How much does a remapped ST have? Must be an impressive tuning job as the standard ST looks to have 320 Nm...
I bet the front wheels light up easily

 

[arbs]

I came from an Astra Turbo which is not dissimilar to the Focus ST. Breathed upon they can be pretty rapid!!

Snap - I've had a coupe turbo and a mk4 GSi, as you say not too far off a standard ST, tho mine were never tuned

 

[arbs]

C55 has 510 Nm of torque. How much does a remapped ST have? Must be an impressive tuning job as the standard ST looks to have 320 Nm...
I bet the front wheels light up easily

I'm not sure - just looked it up - the map rates at 270bhp and 330 ftlb - not sure how that translates to Nm? EDIT - just found the conversion - equiv to 452 Nm, not too shabby but as you say - some way off the C55!

Its actually not too bad / frantic at all - its more about mid range 'grunt' than silly top end - in some ways kinda like what I'm expecting from the big V8

 

[asad7860]

Re MPG - I have a C32.
It never does more than 28mpg (cruise control at 75mph)
If I drive it on mixed roads- as I did on a recent trip to Scotland - I get about 24mpg.
Drive it around the City all day and i get 15mpg.
I suspect the C55 - will be slightly worse as it has a higher CO2 rating so will be more ineffecient.

Al

 

[tudu]

yeah, that really helps, thanks what sort of mpg is realistic? i've always had pretty inefficient cars so i'm hoping it wouldnt come as tooo much of a shock lol. It wouldnt be used for big mileages anyway so its not a huge issue - the known costs i can deal with, its the unexpected thinks that i'm thinking could be a bit of shock!

Around town expect to get between 17-19 mpg, on a run at 70mph lucky to see this side of 23 mpg. Saying that the power and the burble of the V8 more than makes up for the regular dip into the wallet. If you really want one then you can afford one.

 

[Howard]

THIS is why you should buy a C55

 

[mw_C32]

Around town expect to get between 17-19 mpg, on a run at 70mph lucky to see this side of 23 mpg. Saying that the power and the burble of the V8 more than makes up for the regular dip into the wallet. If you really want one then you can afford one.

That's about what I'm getting from my old banger. Have to agree with your comments too.

M.