CLS55 as a daily workhorse?

[Jimothy]

Evening all.

Am contemplating a CLS55 as a daily workhorse but am wondering if I'd be better off saving the extra beer tokens and just getting a CLS500 instead.

My daily commute is only 10-15 minutes each way, plus I tend to do a further 5-6,000 motorway miles a year driving round seeing clients.

I love the blend of wafty comfort and pace of the V8 CLS and whilst anyone in their right mind would have a 55 over a 500, I'm wondering if, as a daily driver, it really is worth double the pricetag for a 55 over a well-spec'd 500...?

 

[Wearsthefoxhat]

If you are after an AMG then get one, no point buying a 500 and wishing you’d bought the 55.
As for costs, not much more fuel, probably the same rfl fee. Some AMG parts are more costly but buy a good car with plenty of history.
The future value of the AMG is likely to better, less depreciation.

Just my two pennet, AMG it is then

 

[W1ghty]

Isnt It the case that brake parts on the 500 are “normal” and parts on the 55 are eye watering ?

 

[Jimothy]

I thought 55 AMG brakes are only eye-watering if the car was spec'd with the Performance Package option - i.e. regular Brembo discs for non-PP 55 AMG about £100, and about £1,000 for a pair of Brembos for a 55 AMG with the PP...?

 

[Wearsthefoxhat]

I have just replaced the discs, pads, pins and sensors on my E55k with parts from MB. The parts where less than £500 so not too expensive.

 

[Teego]

The front brakes on the CLS55 are taken from the SLR. Discs like dustbin lids and 8 pot calipers.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

I used my CLS55 for a daily for nearly 4 years, bar fuel costs it was no different than any other car.

Do it!

 

[whitenemesis]

Some suspension parts are AMG specific, have to be ordered in and are expensive. Some are 10x the normal price...

 

[Mbuglass]

I used my CLS55 with the performance package as my daily, it was a lot of fun! Try and buy a well looked after example with your eyes open regarding potential issues, happy days .

 

[W1ghty]

I have just replaced the discs, pads, pins and sensors on my E55k with parts from MB. The parts where less than £500 so not too expensive.

That’s not bad at all , time to hit autotrader for me

 

[Londonscottish]

Evening all.

Am contemplating a CLS55 as a daily workhorse but am wondering if I'd be better off saving the extra beer tokens and just getting a CLS500 instead.

My daily commute is only 10-15 minutes each way, plus I tend to do a further 5-6,000 motorway miles a year driving round seeing clients.

I love the blend of wafty comfort and pace of the V8 CLS and whilst anyone in their right mind would have a 55 over a 500, I'm wondering if, as a daily driver, it really is worth double the pricetag for a 55 over a well-spec'd 500...?

I say it depends which 500. The later 5.5 is much quicker than the 5.0. Makes it feel fast but quiet. As Mike in Wimbledon points out the E500/CLS 500 experience is more akin to an S Class than an AMG. Horses for courses.

 

[Gbrowncls55]

My CLS55 has been my daily driver for four years now at about 10k miles a year. Over thet time apart from servicing and tyres only major thing I had was i front airmatic strut at about £1600 fitted (by MB Brooklands so about as expensive as it could get)
Only other things are silly stuff. Keyless go door handles fail quite often. And the 19"inch AMG alloys are pronr to cracking but can usually be safely welded by an expert wheel refurb place)
Obviously petrol is a bit of an expense but actually not that much different to the 500 (which I had previously).
Its very very comfortable, full of toys, and puts a smile on your face whenever you want. Mine was £96k new so they are great secondhand buys if you can find a good one. (I think there are only around 370 in the UK at all)
Providing you are not concerened about fuel costs , which would also apply to the 500 then it makes a perfect daily driver

 

[Gbrowncls55]

Oh and with regard to brakes they are available oem at what I would call perfectly normal prices from Eurocarparts or indeed some of the MB dealers that operate on ebay ( Southend springs to mind) I think when they changed to the E63 the brakes also changed and became rather more expensive but i could be wrong. I paid about £220 for a full set of 4 discs and pads and sensors last year

 

[ToeKnee]

Something else to consider is ride comfort. Personally, I find amg cars to have too stiff suspension, I prefer a softer ride. Of course you, and others, may be different

 

[whitenemesis]

Something else to consider is ride comfort. Personally, I find amg cars to have too stiff suspension, I prefer a softer ride. Of course you, and others, may be different

Worth experiencing as the AMG Airmatic is approx 25% stiffer than non-AMG, even on the Comfort setting.
The Airmatic suspension is supremely competent though, handling twisty stuff very well (not as well as the AVS on my RC, but that's 10yrs newer tech ..) and I loved driving the CLS55 around the lanes of Devon and Cornwall

 

[Jimothy]

How reliable are the gearboxes on the CLS55? I've had some nightmares before with auto boxes so I guess a major factor is whether they're good for 150-200k, and how much to expect to pay if they're not...? Is it the same box on the CLS500?

 

[Jimothy]

(Deleted as double posted )

 

[Jimothy]

Worth experiencing as the AMG Airmatic is approx 25% stiffer than non-AMG, even on the Comfort setting.
The Airmatic suspension is supremely competent though, handling twisty stuff very well (not as well as the AVS on my RC, but that's 10yrs newer tech ..) and I loved driving the CLS55 around the lanes of Devon and Cornwall

I hear what you're saying but running my current E46 330ci on OEM 18s and lowered Eibach springs, even the 55 will most likely feel like a magic carpet in comparison

 

[Bert_W164]

Isnt It the case that brake parts on the 500 are “normal” and parts on the 55 are eye watering ?

Depends entirely on where you buy the parts and which manufacturer you use...

I'm running Zimmermann brake discs and pads from AutoDoc - oh it brakes very well...but then again with rotors that are like 390mm it's no wonder.

I've had no issues with them, and the cost was approx £270 for two discs and pads for the front. With that said of you want the car maintained at dealer or an indy who doesn't accept parts you've purchased, sure things can get expensive.

As for the gearbox, unless you are content that it's been changed in the last year or so, personally I'd just change it/flush it, its cheaper than a rebuild.

Draining a CLK350 transmission oil that was done about 20k ago, the oil looked well used and it did make shifts smoother, so best just drain the oil and replace it even if no cause for concern, it doesn't hurt the box in my experience and provides a safe guard that's cheaper than a new box/rebuild. As long as the boxes are maintained, they're usually fine.

The expense of AMG ownership I've found is no different to any other car, you just have to manage expectations, e.g. if there are physically bigger parts, brake rotors being a good example, naturally it'll cost more, but if you're sensible with who works on your car and how you source parts, really it's not that much more to run.

The biggest issue I've found is invisible AMG tax, you'll occasionally get garages or individuals simply quoting more "because of the type of car it is" - I am not fussed about resale value of my car hence it doesn't see a dealership unless absolutely necessary, so I'll happily go to a small garage or do DIY where possible, I have evidence of the work carried out and own a 2007 so it's already depreciated in value massively.

Really it boils down to who you use, how you go about things and if you're willing to do some DIY, it's a great learning experience and much easier on the wallet.

Fuel consumption hopefully will be your biggest expense, but I'm sure you know that already, otherwise as long as things are maintained and there's not any inherent issues* with the model, it's not really much different from any other car.

*The recent thunderstorms claimed my rear Sam, known issue, I didn't take preventative action, so learnt the hard way...

 

[Teego]

ATF / TC fluid and rear diff oil changes are not that expensive at an indy and are a good investment. I had diff done last year and ATF this. Not looking forward to the bill for 16 spark plugs, though.