Looking for a CLS AMG. New to Mercs.

[rmcld]

Merry Christmas all!

Yet to own a Merc but have set my sights (and ears) on a CLS AMG.

Would be much obliged for any help on what to look out for on buying one and any pointers on which block/options etc to go for.

Thoughts so far are leaning towards a 50-60k mile 2006 CLS55 AMG, black/black. Though would consider paying a little more for something special like an IWC edition or with considered mods for example.

What are opinions or experiences on mods and 55 vs 63 engines?

This will be replacing a well loved and modded Z4 M Coupe as i now need something with rear seats and ISO mounts hence the AMG. Looked at a few options such as RS's but the CLS AMG is the only exciting prospect and such great value.

Any help appreciated. Thanks

 

[Alex]

Merry Christmas.

It all comes down to what you want from the car. 55k engine is considered to be one of the most reliable AMG engines whereas 63 could be a bit temperamental. 55k is older, 63 is newer. Arguably, 63 sounds better (for me at least) but is also more expensive to service (e.g. brakes). Performance upgrades for both are only limited by depth of your pockets and your imagination. There are remaps, air filters, exhaust headers and big aftermarket superchargers available for both platforms. Due to age and affordability, 55k crowd is bigger and more mods-oriented. There are more products available for 55k too. That said, 55k is not going away yet. There is interest and new products come out regularly too (e.g. bigger S/C). We have a few CLS owners here which hopefully will give you a bit more insight on CLS ownership.

 

[rmcld]

Thanks Alx.

Are you referring to the 6.2 or the bi-turbo 63? I would have thought the n/a DTM sourced 6.2 would have the better sound but heard arguments both ways. Budget wise its between the 55 and 6.2.

I would be very happy with either but the potential cheaper servicing and low end torque of the 55 is appealing.

Having a look at the cats and resonators seems like a good place to start either way

 

[C240Sport97]

I love my CLS55 threads:

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/96365-bonding-my-cls-55-a.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/137707-cls55-costs-after-2-5-years-22k-miles.html

 

[moff]

Good luck!

HUGE debates on here for 55 versus 63 engines, so do your research and drive both to see which you prefer.

I've not come across any reliability issues with the M156, lots of talk about it with very little actual seen issues. Not saying they don't exist, but I've not seen it.

 

[Cyclone1]

Welcome...

Great choice regardless of engine, in standard format nothing in it performance wise but the 63 has the edge on noise.

My recommendation would be as follows:

CLS55 AMG
Budget £13k-£18k

Miles - not that important provided the car has full documented history with work carried out at reputable Indies and Dealers. If you can find a nice example with under say 80k miles then great, if higher then it's not necessarily a bad sign.

Colour wise you may find black / black but also find one with piano black or dark wood interior, in my eyes a nice combination that the lighter leathers and wood finishes.

Spec wise, you can have 18' or 19' wheels, personal preference is for the 19's. Other good options are the dynamic, heated, cooled and memory seats, Keyless Go and distronic, although on mine I never used it. These aside most of the other options are nice to haves, such as rear blind, auto boot lid etc...

Things to look out for when test driving / viewing are front suspension knocks, check the air suspension works properly, check the engine for pulley bearing noises, makes sure the car pulls like a train and brakes well. Obviously check all the normal items like brake disc and pad wear condition, uneven tyre wear, things like the keyless go works, the door mirrors fold, paintwork looks genuine, leather us wearing well, all the buttons work etc etc etc

Things that can go wrong that you might not pick up on a test drive are the intercooler pump (but only £200 to replace), air suspension (has a limited life span). These aside there should be no other hidden nightmares if you've done your homework.

They are truly great cars with great engines fitted. The interiors are excellent and a very nice place to be.....I miss mine.

Jules

 

[Suky Sangha]

Welcome to the club! That is a great choice of car! I have got a cls 55 AMG and am loving every moment I get when driving it Before I bought the 55 I test drive a few 63 (cls) models. I found that the 55 was more fun. Spec wise try to get one fully loaded with low miles with full service history. I've owned mine for about 7 months now and have had no problems with it apart from a cooling pump, which was a quick cheep fix. ( thanks to Andy at PCD). The fuel consumption is better than the 63 model too. Don't jump on one straight away test drive a few examples and make your mind up then in my opinion. I looked at a good few examples over a year before I bought my one. Good luck

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[frglwer]

The 2006 cls 55, that you are probably talking about before was selling for 12,200£ by one of forum members uncle, it was on pistonheads. And now it's 16k, quite a difference.

By the way I'm also looking for cls 55 amg.