help in deciding on a cl600

[Law350]

hi there,

i am quite new to the MB scene and deliberating on a cl600. (2000 plate)

i would like some guidance on them if possible as dont really know what to look for, what to expect etc etc.

I currently drive a 350z and am therefore used to a poor mpg, but assume the 600 is worse?? how much worse? etc

any help would be appreciated as i am going to make some enquiries into some over the weekend further.

thanks in advance.

 

[The Boss]

hello and welcome.

the cl600 is an incredible machine.. however running costs are extortionate.

Think of a number and double it, and thats probably the ball park figure you are looking at the servicing side of things.

Things to look out for..

the suspension can play up, the grills in front of the windscreen can have had leaf clogging up the vents, and this has proven to cause water leaking into the footwells of the front side (talking from experience)

The car in question is a pre-facelift model, and my thoughts are that quality went up after 2003 at the facelift point.

The side mirrors are very flimsy, and are known to have been knocked and re attached, but the limp feel to them remains if you use your hands to nudge them.

check all the usual electrics etc and service log.

The suspension in my opinion is possibly the biggest concern, as when they go wrong, it is a task and a half to rectify.. due to the sensitive nature of the dampening and air lift etc...

enjoy your search.. many about at the mo..

 

[Adam230K]

You have to remember that a CL (especially a 600) will be very expensive brand new, hence very expensive to maintain. Yes the MPG will be horrible, probably low teens to single digits if you hoof it I imagine.

ABC (Active body control) systems/pumps are prone to failure and are very expensive to fix.

But in terms of a coupe cruiser, its probably the best thing in the market at the moment, so it all depends on how deep your pockets are for your driving desires!

 

[Vlad]

Fuel is not as bad as you may think.... I've just been using my mates cl600 and over the last 2316 miles it's averaged 23.3 mpg and I've seen late 20,s on a motorway run.

As he now works in the US and is selling the car you may well be interested in this one as it's only had the 1 owner from new, full MB service history all bar the last one which is a mercedes specialist. It's black metallic with black nappa interior. It's absolutely mint. Has done 101k and is a 2002 car.

Drop me a line if it's of interest.

 

[greekCL]

I have the CL500 ... and I have it for sale if you want
The MPG is not very bad... depends on how heavy your foot is.
I had my suspension pump replaced 6.000 miles ago, thanks Ollie.
I had my MAF Sensor replaced ...
mirrors never seemed a problem ... I must admit never managed to knock them...
however if you have a good mechanic and your love the car and not let the problems pile up ... I dont see it being expensive.

 

[Law350]

oh ok,
what is the details on your 500.

i dont want anything with high mileage.

there seem to be some good deals on the 600's on pistonheads/ebay at present circa the 14k mark.

seems like i need to make sure it has had all its recalls done. I only do about 3-4k a year mileage so its not disasterous for me mpg. just dont wanna get somethign that has faults on it already

 

[greekCL]

It has 131.000 miles. .. but trust me it is imaculate

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/classifieds-cars-sale/83803-w215-cl500-2000-model-sale.html

 

[Law350]

hi,
thaks for the reply.
it does look v nice indeed and a v good price.
mileage is higher than i am looking for unfortunately.
i am ultimately looking circa 50k ish but the 500cl is certainly an option.
Would you say they are more mech sound than a 600 or is it just pot luck??

 

[JasM]

IMO i'd avoid the the 600 engine. My uncle had a 2000 S600 and it gave him nothing but trouble.

It spent more time in the garage than it did on the road.

 

[greekCL]

if you are trying to find a car with X or W plate and 50K miles... I dont know if you will be able to fild something soon!...

CL600 will have a smoother run and noise than the V8 CL500 I guess.
However the only reason I bought the CL500 2 yrs ago was my good friend mechanic ... who said it is way easier and cheaper to repair a V8 than a V12... and he was right. Even servicing... when it comes to spark plugs ... esp those twin spak engines ... I changed mine last year ... (you are meant to change them every 60K) ... and they did cost (£80 for all 16 bosch)...
Someone else told me that even though ...the CL500 and CL600 have the same components in most things. .. the components tent to fail more often on the 600 than the 500 ... dont know why, but I was told by a dealer and a specialist the same thing.

Also when you look to buy it... make SURE!!! that the aluminium corrosion has been repaired ... as the model will be well out of the 8yrs good will warranty. And if your rear quarters go wrong ... they will not repair them free of cost.

Trust me it took me 4 months to get them to repair mine, altought Mercedes dealer was really good with me as the car was under 8yrs at that time, and the 3rd party bodyshop although they did an amazing work with the paint. They kept forgetting putting on trims hahaha... so I had to go back to have new one;s installed, all at Mercede;'s cost. And I have not left until the car was back to factory standard.

 

[Law350]

hmmmmm, slowly putting me off the 600 here i must say........seems very problematic......a 500 may be the way forward obviously following your guidelines.
thanks for all the advice it is appreciated. always worth asking owners first. did this with my 350z

 

[Adam230K]

Dont let mileage put you off with a merc v8 or v12.... they are bomb proof. If there's a proven track record of maintenance you honestly have nothing to worry about.

 

[buccal]

I almost bought a 600 a few months back. The car was immaculate, full spec/every option with extended nappa leather and birds eye maple (which seems rare on these). Stunning car and nothing like 14k.

This may aid your decision:

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/77840-financial-suicide-3.html

 

[Will]

Hi Law350,

Aside from finding the correct car (ie a low mileage 215 CL - pretty hard to come by), what would be your budget for running costs - Ie, repairs and servicing? Even with low mileage, I get the impression that these are not cheap cars to run

I can't help but see the purchase price on the cheaper cars as more of a 'downpayment' as I suspect you could quite easily spend a similar amount to the purchase price in a relatively short space of time.

FWIW, I passed a foreign-plated 215 CL on the A316/M3 earlier today (silver, 500 IIRC). It was bouncing up and down incredibly at the rear - almost hopping like a US hip-hop music video with pimped up cars on hydraulics. It must have been making the occupants seasick and can't have been doing the rest of the car much good - I assume another expensive ABC fault

 

[vibesg]

hi,
thaks for the reply.
it does look v nice indeed and a v good price.
mileage is higher than i am looking for unfortunately.
i am ultimately looking circa 50k ish but the 500cl is certainly an option.
Would you say they are more mech sound than a 600 or is it just pot luck??

I'd say don't shy away from CLs that have some mileage under their belt. With good proveable history they are probably better bets than an 7-10 year old CLs with 50k miles. With mileage it shows they've been driven and used the way Mercedes intended. They are over engineered cars and those engines have probably never known any stress. Look for evidence of care. Which parts have been changed. Check the usual culprits for problems as shown on this and other threads.
Good luck.

 

[Setanta]

Buy on condition and history, not miles.

If you are close to London, I will take you out in my S600L sedan....without telling you the mileage, and let you draw your own conclusions.

That being said, they will be very expensive cars to maintain but by golly, do they move *grin*

 

[The Boss]

Sports And Prestige Centre : MERCEDES CL600 V12 BIG SPEC

phil walker car sales : MERCEDES CL600

 

[Vlad]

600....unreliable?.......not so sure I agree with that. The CL600 I've been using and have known from day 1 has never put a foot wrong. Not a single warranty claim other than bodywork, which Mercedes were very good about.

Re mileage...I would rather have a regularly used S-Class/Cl than one that gets used periodically.....S-Classes hate standing around...all sorts of wierd stuff can rear itself on the air suspension etc etc if they have just been sitting.

As Setanta says, go for service history and condition rather than mileage.

 

[cl55 amg]

Why not look at the cl55? they hold there price better and get some additional styling. I love mine, but do worry about future repair costs, my dash cluster went faulty a few month's ago (common issue) and was quoted £3600 from Merc. Luckily got it repaired for £150.

 

[Law350]

thanks for all the advice guys.
I know mileage shouldnt matter to an extent just my 350z has 33k on it and for some reason just going form that to a 130k car seems odd, as normally high mileage means more things to go wrong.
I am looking i think at about 11k. I do like the second link of the one posted at 8k (ish).
Most seem to have history which is good on a car like that, but would prefer something around the 60-70k mark.
Is it just that the car is expensive to maintain when needed or is it that mercedes charges that make it more, than say if i took it to my local garage??
thanks agian guys.