CLS55 as a daily workhorse?

[Jimothy]

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.

How much do you bend over and brace for when having a plug change then, Teego? Am guessing about £150 for the plugs but how much of a pig of a job is it?

 

[whitenemesis]

My CLS55 had 100k miles on the clock when I bought it. Over 30k miles and 4yrs ownership I paid out £6.5k on essential repairs and routine servicing (£700 was the most expensive to include spark plugs, diff oil s/c belt) . Add to that ~£1.4k on tyres and £1.8k on new headlamps (active curve stopped working on n/s unit, not essential but I like things to work and look as they should) and of course fuel which at an ave of 18mpg it looks like approx 1.7k gallons, I only ever used V-Power....

 

[AMGeed]

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?

Very reliable gearboxes but rather slow witted using the paddles to change up and down. Ensure you have ATF changes at 37k mile intervals. Probably the same 5 speed 722.6 box as the 500 but maybe different gear ratios.
Plugs are around a £250+ at an indy. Every 4 yrs or 50k mile intervals. The plugs at the bulkhead end are not nice, especially if they haven't been changed in a long time and are tight to undo.

 

[Teego]

How much do you bend over and brace for when having a plug change then, Teego? Am guessing about £150 for the plugs but how much of a pig of a job is it?

Haven't had to cough up yet in my ownership but apparently it's a bastard job. Guess I'll be looking at £400+. Not worth having the plugs checked. Once they have gained access I may as well change them.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

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...?

Yeah, why not? Go for it!

 

[Jimothy]

Haven't had to cough up yet in my ownership but apparently it's a bastard job. Guess I'll be looking at £400+. Not worth having the plugs checked. Once they have gained access I may as well change them.

What has to be removed to get to the plugs?

 

[Gbrowncls55]

So far as ride comfort is concerned i find the ride of the cls55 very comfortable indeed and far more forgiving that my wifes R230 350. Not a great deal of difference to my previous E500

 

[Alex]

M113 is one of the wrench friendliest engines there is. Plugs are an evening job with a TV on and beer on the table. Even if you’ve never done it on that engine before. Of course, if you are a princess, pay someone to do it for you. Don’t come back crying how eye wateringly expensive AMG ownership is.

Last time I bought a full set of brakes and pads for the E55 (same platform, same parts) from CarParts4Less, I paid short of £300 for everything. Another evening to put them on. Not a mechanic here so your mileage may vary.

 

[Jimothy]

Absolutely no problem getting my hands dirty and wielding a spanner. I've done pretty much most jobs on my current E46 BMW, including rad/coolant change, water pump, thermostat, springs/shocks, oil change, bushes, alternator replacement, DISA valve rebuild, intake pipework replacement, crankcase ventilation pipework replacement fuel pump, caliper strip/rebuild, handbrake rebuild, etc. etc.

The only jobs I loathe now are wet ones - brake fluid, coolant and oil. I can and have done them all but to be honest I sometimes now pay the local garage to do those jobs just because I can't be bothered with the mess. But am usually more than happy to spend my weekend upside down in an engine bay doing DIY servicing

 

[Nat]

I've had mine for 2 1/2 years and it's been fine to run but has thrown up a few big £'s bills along the way. It's sitting at 122k miles.

A new SBC pump, airmatic pump, rear prop donut, an A service, new brake fluid (and front pipes), fit new front discs/pads (Brembo supplied by me that cost £195 from ECP) oh and new rear wheel (£580) as it failed an MOT as it was cracked. In total it was roughly £3500 for all of those. The pumps were just of those things and bad timing that it happened to me but hey ho, if it needs fixing then I'll fix it although I could have gone down a different road and got them done cheaper via Bosch. I've equally spent similar amounts on other brands so no big deal really.

Great car to drive and to be in and I usually find myself grabbing the keys for the 55 instead of some of the other cars I own. I also owned a 2005/55 plate CLS500 a few months before the CLS55 and the two are night and day. Should have bought the 55 in the first place really. Fuel isn't that much different but the power difference is very noticable.

If your man/woman maths adds up then do it. I always looked at the 55's when I had my 500 and instantly knew I should have got the 55. If you want it to sound more V8'ish then get a secondary cat/resonator delete. If I were to get rid it I've no idea what I would replace it with as it's a lot of car for the money and for what they are worth, pound for pound not a lot comes close to bang for buck.

 

[SimonLX]

If you get the 'normal' CLS, how much are you going to 'what-if' about the AMG that got away...?

 

[Teego]

The M113k mill in the 55 is generally regarded as bulletproof as long as it is cared for. It rarely gets stressed. Transmission and diff should also last as long as fluids are changed on schedule. It'll be fine as a daily plus you can go totally batshit in the same car at weekends.

 

[ChrisCLS55]

I had mine for 4 years as a daily and other than the SBC pump going a few weeks after buying it (done under warranty) and a few k spend of indulgence at at MSL which did include all-round new pads and disks, preventative work etc. the car was more than competent as a daily and fairly inexpensive other than fuel to own as any ‘normal’ car really. They are so comfortable and easy to drive around the doors or over long distance and that power... a great all-rounder! One of the best MB have ever designed full stop, the engine, drivability, gearbox and especially aesthetically, the W219 a future classic and the best CLS IMO. I regret selling mine (for a 2014 E63) and would have another yesterday. Great great car and if you have the opportunity to own one DO IT, you will not regret it. Buy the best possible example you can though and don’t be put off by high mileage, the engines, gearbox etc, are tank like. FSH a must and I’d look for one totally stock, that way if you want something extra fun to do you can mod the hell out of it which is a whole new level of madness this car can be taken to. Good luck!

 

[Lenny63]

4.5 Years here as my sole car (daily driver if you like) and I've covered 22k in that time

Air suspension
Electronics
Bushes/alignment

Those are the two/three things have given me most headache in the last 12 months ...neither is cheap to fix and both can be complicated and finding someone good to diagnose and repair sometimes a challenge

Engines and gearboxes are strong and can handle modification easily

I wouldn't worry about price of discs and pads thse days ..brembo from ECP in their never ending sale and you will be pleasantly surprised

My current position is I am in way to deep to even contemplate selling, even though in reality I'm a bit bored now nearly 5 years on

They can suck uk your funds in no time And do remember the are "old" cars these days , so age related wear and tear can really sting

I would echo the advice of finding and paying more for a good one that has had a lot of the head ache items addressed

They still look dam.good though and are a nice rare site in our roads

 

[alabbasi]

I drive an S55 AMG as a daily hack. It's been pretty reliable. I'm not sure how i'd feel about it if i was paying UK fuel prices.