CL216 - tell me I'm doomed

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Doodle

MB Enthusiast
Joined
May 3, 2005
Messages
6,188
Location
Echo Beach
Car
R129, KTM 1290SAR, Superb 272 wagon
Looking round Peter's car at the GTG has (perhaps rather foolishly) put the idea of a 216 into my head.

I fear an AMG is out of the question, I understand the 5.5 biturbo to be touted as the better of the 63s but it's simply not in the budget. The 6.2 would be, but that brings in the questions of head bolts and hydraulic tappets, let alone the price of some of the consumables (£1500 for front discs and pads :eek:).

For the same money a 500 4.7 seems to be within reach, and the earlier 5.5s are even cheaper. Consumables aren't subject to AMG tax and thus I wonder if perhaps these would be a better choice as a daily driver? I believe I'm correct in saying ABC is standard across the range so can't really dodge that, but on reading around it seems to be both more reliable and better understood.

I haven't really touched on the 600s as they seem to be very rare.

Am I consigning myself to a future of sitting facing the corner, weeping gently and rocking back and forth? :doh:
 
Doodle said:
Looking round Peter's car at the GTG has (perhaps rather foolishly) put the idea of a 216 into my head. I fear an AMG is out of the question, I understand the 5.5 biturbo to be touted as the better of the 63s but it's simply not in the budget. The 6.2 would be, but that brings in the questions of head bolts and hydraulic tappets, let alone the price of some of the consumables (£1500 for front discs and pads :eek:). For the same money a 500 4.7 seems to be within reach, and the earlier 5.5s are even cheaper. Consumables aren't subject to AMG tax and thus I wonder if perhaps these would be a better choice as a daily driver? I believe I'm correct in saying ABC is standard across the range so can't really dodge that, but on reading around it seems to be both more reliable and better understood. I haven't really touched on the 600s as they seem to be very rare. Am I consigning myself to a future of sitting facing the corner, weeping gently and rocking back and forth? :doh:

CL500 one of my 'guilty Auto Trader searches'. A lot of car
 
If ABC is standard, you should price rear shocks.
 
I've yet to do the rocking thing and had mine since August last year. I was mad to start with though.

I've been slowly warming to the car over the last 2/3 months months having been quite a shock to the system when I first changed - after more or less always aiming for the quickest thing I could afford and liked the look of.

I deliberately went for the 500 for two reasons.

1) I can't trust myself to be disciplined with properly fast cars so I won't be buying anything like that again. The CL is special enough without being dangerously fast and therefore is not a temptation to drive it that way. Nor does it feel like it wants to be driven that way.

2) There's not point in buying anything with AMG on it as the pricing of some of the parts, as you have already covered, is quite interesting. If I am not going to drive a car like that, I may as well have the cheap option without the relative extra go.

Mine was a shade under £100,000 new (albeit £35k @ 2 years 9 months when I bought it) so they won't be a cheap car to run but I feel not ruinous like a Bentley or Granturismo(!). Having already run the E55 for 5.5 years, I found the costs to be within expectation for a car of that ability, and not ridiculous.

It's roomy, looks amazing with 20s in black with the AMG bodykit (IMO). Driving it feels like "a gentleman's carriage" most of the time in silent double-glazed waft. It does not feel the urge to "press on" but when you give it the beans, the power delivery is constant and in actual fact, it's not far behind a standard E55 anyway - not that I use the power much if at all now.

Pillarless doors are fantastic and the shape is sublime.

Build quality is much improved over my E and it has no dopey electrical issues. My inde told me the 221 platform is much improved over the 220 (well he would say that you could argue) but I trust the guy and he says he hardly gets much at all go wrong with them.

Mine had a pulsation damper and two front arms under warranty with slight play in them and that's been it.

I would say if you have a hankering, go for it. I did regret it initially whilst other cars were in the frame not long after, but now those are ruled out, I definitely appreciate the car more.

It gets a lot of looks too which surprised me as I thought it was an old farts car and no one would be interested in it.
 
One hell of allot of car for the money.... although you'll need to buy a larger wallet and take your bank manager for lunch every month if its a lemon....
 
LJK Setright

ljk-setright.jpg


Setright was a great motoring journalist who loved 2+2 coupes for their practicality and compactness. So he'll support your desire for a coupe.

However, his argument was that you should never buy the "most" powerful car in a range because it would be compromised, or be at the edge of ideal balanced performance.

If LJK was still here he'd be nuzzling you towards a CL500, rather than the CL63 / CL600 or, LJK forbid a W221.

Having said that, he'd be amazed at how we're now taking 400 - 500bhp as routine.

Having said that, I know I'll buy a CL600 ...one day, when the right one comes along.
 
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Yes I would guess you could end up sat in a corner weeping and rocking. But you could then jump in your CL, have a blast around and remember why you wanted one in the first place. Wait 'til a really nice one turns up and be patient. Personally I doubt that a good example will bankrupt you. Sad I know but I can't stop looking at mine.
 
I understand where you're coming from, John. With my last Type R, all self-restraint went out the window the moment you pressed the start button, and it goaded you into driving everywhere flat out like a complete twunt. Which I did...I'm frankly surprised I'm a) still alive and b) didn't get locked up.

The roads are too congested, too broken and too heavily policed to do that anymore, a gentleman's carriage is just what one needs. Or another Ducati Multistrada, which is the option this is competing against.

Mike, good call on the LJK reference :thumb:
 
All of the above is pretty much why I decided to go S6 rather than RS6 this time.

If I ever get anything really powerful I'll be taking it to Airfield events for a blast as there's nowhere you can really enjoy any of these cars on the road any longer.

Genuine Supercars not many years ago were 350-500hp. You can walk into pretty much any car dealership these days and order something off the shelf with 4 or 5 seats a big boot and around 600hp.

We've reached the point now of diminishing returns. Unless you happen to live near an autobahn, many of these cars will never be stretched.
 
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I can fully understand the pull here!
My W221 was the most relaxing form of self drive road travel ever:thumb:

https://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/members/mactech-albums-my-silver-s-class.html

Wrapping that platform in a slinky shape, adding a V8 and getting it for bargain price could make you very happy.:dk:

As an engineer, I could never understand having to pay more for less practicality and two less doors. If only there was an estate version.....
Don't expect a sportscar, but it could realign your understanding of smooth;)
 
Peter's CL216 was blooming comfortable. I don't think you need the extra 300bhp Drew!
 
I can fully understand the pull here!
My W221 was the most relaxing form of self drive road travel ever:thumb:

https://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/members/mactech-albums-my-silver-s-class.html

Wrapping that platform in a slinky shape, adding a V8 and getting it for bargain price could make you very happy.:dk:

As an engineer, I could never understand having to pay more for less practicality and two less doors. If only there was an estate version.....
Don't expect a sportscar, but it could realign your understanding of smooth;)

The 221 could also be a consideration; as you say they can be had for even less, and it opens up a diesel option (although I fear that is a dirty word in such a situation). Smooth is good :D
 
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W221 w216

The W221 is the same underpinnings but certainly at least a quarter cheaper than the W216.

The trade off is length and looks. For anyone parking in town, or with a (cough) wife who regularly drives it, that's an issue. And a coupe always looks more attractive than a saloon. I have the LWB version and the ride quality is fantastic - if you like that sort of thing.
 
MB's top of the range coupe and saloons are built to a higher standard than other cars in the range.

Love the CL, it's a classic, timeless and elegant shape.
 
Doodle said:
The 6.2 would be, but that brings in the questions of head bolts and hydraulic tappets, let alone the price of some of the consumables (£1500 for front discs and pads :eek:)

Or you could purchase one and have no issues with it and not need to replace the discs and pads and having the pleasure of owning a superb car.
 
Mike,

The size is no problem, it's no longer than my Landcruisers, or the old man's Hilux that I've been running around in for the last month. Lucy has driven all of them without issue.

Or you could purchase one and have no issues with it and not need to replace the discs and pads and having the pleasure of owning a superb car.

No dice I'm afraid, I'm intending to hang onto it for a while. I *will* need to replace them at some point.
 
Indeed. The E55K made me similarly an utter hooligan sometimes and I wasn't happy about that in the end. It was very enjoyable though - which I guess is part of the problem.

My CL is doing around 24 combined at the moment on a combined/urban drive daily. Better than 16 > 18 in my last car although I did drive it differently.

I rarely bother to look at MPG as I don't care though. I know roughly what it costs me per month to use it and it's whether I am happy or not with that. Generally I am considering it is a 2 ton V8 with a slushy auto.

The issue for me with the W221 was I wanted a petrol V8, and this only comes in LWB form after the facelift (something else I wanted).

That extra 20cm is a PITA when you have the car in a garage as I do - even though it does fit, there's not a great deal of room around it once it is in and I have to shuffle round it a bit albeit easier because we have a double garage.
 
To conclude this thread, owing to favourable circumstances I found myself today looking over a nearby CL500.

It's just not viable sadly, I can't get enough headroom without reclining the backrest and adopting a comedy pimp lean, and there's zero chance of fitting anyone in the rear. Genuinely surprised the seat squab wouldn't go any lower. :(

Looks like I'll be sticking with the SL.
 

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