On the hunt for my first merc.

[inflames]

Hi iam norfolk, i joined this forum a couple of years ago when i was considering buying a E320cdi w211 but for certain reasons that did not happen. Well i am now in the position that i would like to change my car and would like a Mercedes finally. I have a decent budget, but my stumbling block at the moment is going to petrol or diesel. I do about 10k miles year majority of them are on a single carriage way, nation speed limit road. So i can go either way, also with the unknown future of diesel cars this is making my decision even harder than it usually would be and i would really like something with a little poke when i put my foot down.
I really like the idea of owning a V arranged engine, i have never had a V6 or V8, i have plenty of straight 6's though. My thinking this is due there seems to very little cars made with this engines now as all car manufacturers are making cars with smaller capacity engines and bolting a turbo to them and with the governments moving to towards electric and banning ICE in the future i would love to own one before they go.
I would really like a CLS but i need the third seat across the back, for those times when we go out and take my mother in law to. So an E Class is where its at for me size wise. My head says to a get W211 / W212 320/350 CDI. But i noticed that in my budget i can actually afford a E55 AMG . I have also wanted one that sound....... . I have have seen a few i like one is even a W210 with 70k miles and is very clean from i have seen. Its a modern classic in the making and may go up in value? So as you can tell i am a little at the moment, so i am back on here to do a little bit of research to follow my head or heart for a change. So i pop up asking a few questions from time, to time.

 

[ph47mf]

AMG is always a good shout, but if you're like me, don't want to fork out too much on fuel and maintenance etc, W212 350CDI is a great choice - big, powerful enough, sounds more like a petrol and you save a bit at the pumps comparing to the petrol equivalent.

 

[inflames]

AMG is always a good shout, but if you're like me, don't want to fork out too much no fuel and maintenance etc, W212 350CDI is a great choice - big, powerful enough, sounds more like a petrol and you save a bit at the pumps comparing to the petrol equivalent.

Fuel isn't to much of a issue for me i am currently running a petrol and getting about 25mpg. Its more the maintenance, i have used a very good independent garage for years and i very handy with a spanner myself. From but i have read the engine in the 55 AMG NA and supercharger are a solid engine. But when they go wrong they are expensive, its all the other bits i have heard that tyre are not cheap, disc and pads are very costly too. But when buying a car with this kind, you expect that.

 

[Petrol Pete]

If 23/25 mpg is not a problem Get a 55 NA V8. A C55 is a good choice if you don't need a big car. My 11 yr old estate version has 120 odd thousand miles on it and is as solid as a rock, uses one litre of oil ever +2K miles (or so) and was built in Germany..(unlike many Mercedes Benz cars.)
You can service it yourself, it has Brembo brakes (plentiful non MB parts , if you want) 'normal' suspension , bulletproof 24 valve 16 sparkplug , twin air filter engine approx. 360 bhp 350 nm torque (the same unit easily handles 100bhp more when supercharged in the E55) linked to a 5G gearbox that is rated at almost 3 times the torque it has to handle. Tyres are a sensible size and you can even get budget tyres to fit (if you are clinically insane).
They come in two RFL brackets , the later models cost over £500/year to tax. The gearbox has speedtronic (bit old school nowadays) but can be enjoyed in full auto comfort/sport or flappy paddle/gearstick 'tap' full manual. The standard exhaust is stainless steel throughout. I believe it is a great way to scratch the itch of owning a REAL AMG , particularly a V8 at a low cost.

Granted these cars are dated by the newer stuff out there but are a fine drive and quite rare. In two weeks time I will have owned my estate version for a year I have yet to see another one on the road, I believe only 55 or so estates were ever registered in the UK. Saloons are less rare but still not on every street corner like many other AMG's.

Might have a bit of rust around the wheel arches (front wings are rolled to accommodate lowered suspension and wider tyres) gunk gathers in them, in fact the whole front end is modified to accept the V8, 40mm longer than W203 C class, so different wings ,bonnet then a front end from a CLK.
8 to 9 £K should get you a decent (saloon) , if you can find one. good luck.

P.S if you find a clean C55 estate and don't want it , let me know, I want another one

 

[Asal]

I worried a little (very little) about the diesel\petrol potential problem thingy, I bought a 5 year old e-class, I figure that if owning a diesel becomes a problem then (assuming no catastrophes) other issues will make ownership of my car a greater concern than whether it is diesel or not.