potential cls55 onwer looking for advice

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chris-durham

Active Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2015
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174
Location
Scotland
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2005 CLS55 AMG
hi guys, im considering the purchase if my dream car, the cls55 in a month or two and am looking to start gathering some information on them.

id be interested to hear feedback from current owners on typical running costs and what common things to look out for when viewing.

cheers
 
chris-durham said:
hi guys, im considering the purchase if my dream car, the cls55 in a month or two and am looking to start gathering some information on them.

id be interested to hear feedback from current owners on typical running costs and what common things to look out for when viewing.

cheers
Click to expand...

I own a CLS55, great choice of car and you will not be disappointed.

What can and does go wrong (certainly on mine)

Break pump failure
IMAP Sensor
Key fob module
Keyless go door handles
Rocker cover gasket seals

Look for corroded rear brake pipes, rocker cover oil leak, warped or pitted discs and check all electrics work, especially airmatic suspension settings, seat settings, command etc.

In general they are pretty strong cars and the engines very robust.

I've had mine just over 3 years and before spending a few quid last week on mods and major mechanical work, I think I estimated the car has cost me just over 1k a year to own and that's including services, MOTs, tyres etc. Which I think is quite good for a car of this nature.

If you are thinking of buying a Merc warranty with your car IMO you would be better of putting the cost of that in the bank and maybe keep topping it up every now and again just in case a big repair bill comes in. If not, you have a nice holiday maybe.

I was lucky with the break pump failure on mine in that the dealer and Mercedes both bore the cost of the fix which was 2.5k I believe.

If you have any other questions just fire away and try a search using the search function on here as there are lots of useful threads and posts.

The 55 is cheaper to tax and considered better than the 63, it's a real striking and beautiful car that will surely become a future classic.
 
Last edited:
The only thing that makes the AMG more expensive than any other W219 (or 211) is the way you drive it. Stamp on the accelerator a lot and it will drink fuel and eat tyres.

If you get one registered before mid March 06 (very few aren't) road tax is pegged at half what anything similar but slighter newer would be. Most have found them cheaper to insure than the 3.0l diesel. If you don't do a lot of miles they only need servicing every couple of years.

The car specific big bill items like SBC pump, air shocks etc are just down to bad luck if they happen during your ownership, otherwise no different to any other big saloon of its generation.
 
I've had my 55 for a couple of months now and I love it!

I went over all the service books and invoices when I looked at mine. An issue I saw on other cars were seat pumps on dynamic seats failing (£1k fix) and suspension compressors failing. Depending on mileage have a look to see if those have been done in past. Also things like engine and gearbox mounts need replacing.

Best mpg has been about 23, worst was 9 but I don't really pay much attention to that.

I had a shock blow which was £1400 but I did have a warranty which picked up most of the cost.

I have a B service coming up and I will also get the gearbox serviced (£600 inc). I'll need a couple of rear tyres soon which are about £180 each.

For the amount of enjoyment it's absolutely worth every penny...You won't regret owning one!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
 
Well Ive had mine (cls55) now for about 6 months. Its a great bit of kit and very different to drive to my last W211 E500 which was a quick almost silent limo. This is a much more full on (bonkers!) drive when you want it to be, but also cruises in total, quiet luxury. Perfect combo. The only things I have had go wrong (and were wrong when I bought it ) are three Keyless door handles and 2 parking sensors. Otherwise no problems. I anticipate around £2k pa to run it as even silly things are expensive (as per all Mercedes) which is fine as I doubt they will depreciate much further and will be worth keeping in top condition. Spec I wouldnt do without are; glass sunroof, keyless go, command, Harmon Kardon sound and distronic cruise if you happen to find one. Dynamic seats are fun but never really use them. Cooling seats are a complete waste of time as they literally dont do anything you can notice (they use ambient air not a/c air).
get a good one and you will love it (2500 rpm in second using manual mode and then floor it to 6000....guaranteed to make you smile)
 
chris-durham said:
hi guys, im considering the purchase if my dream car, the cls55 in a month or two and am looking to start gathering some information on them.

id be interested to hear feedback from current owners on typical running costs and what common things to look out for when viewing.

cheers
Click to expand...

Everything concerning the search for a CLS55 is covered in the thread below for an E55. There is some very useful info on what to look for, even though its an old thread.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/141175-viewing-test-drive-tips.html
 
I bought one in July spent around £1500 to bring it up to Lenny standard
Since July and 3k miles I have had the following bigger items done :

- new alternator
- alignment issues
- new rear tyres
- valve cover gaskets & breathers sealed
- 2 parking sensors not working
- airmatic level sensor
- rattly secondary cats (not fixed yet)
- 1x keyless door handle (not fixed yet)

Being honest a lot of these are down to age and not really issues as such so I don't hold it against the car at all

The bigger items I worry about are ; airmetic struts and seizing brake calipers

They are a well screwed together car , I get comments about it everywhere and they are bruially quick when you need it

Warning : you will probably want to modify t so budget another 2k for ezhaust , pulley , remap and lowering :D

Additional warning : if you like fuel economy , you will hate this !!! Lol
 
Gravel appears bone-dry too - not usual at this time of year!

Saying that - could just be using old photos...
 
That car was for sale when I bought mine back in Nov. I think it was cheaper too but don't think it had the suspension and water pump done then.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
 
I have a CLS55.. Like it so much I may get another this year. I have owned it for 6 years and put 130,000 miles on the clock (yes you read that right!) In the time I have owned the car I have had to replace the following:

SBC Unit
Airmatic pump
Airmatic strut (One rear and one front) - Arnott!!!
Supercharger Pump
Window winder mechanism (Both front doors). This is one of the weak points of the model.
Front Roll bar
A/C compressor

In addition to the above I have had the car serviced routinely and replaced items as and when it was required, i.e. Tyres, spark plugs etc. Currently It is with Millennium Mercedes having discs and pads all around along with rear sub frame bushes.

The 55 engine is bullet proof and better than the 63 in my opinion.

Similarly, in my opinion the CLS (219) has one of the best interiors and puts some of the other AMG's of that and later era's to shame. This last point is quite interesting as when I had a moment of boredom and decided to test drive a C63 at the local dealers the sales person saw my vehicle and immediately told me that whilst I would like the drive of the C63 I would be underwhelmed by its interior, she was spot on. Over the last 6 years and have had other moments of boredom and test drove a Quattroporte, (Massa) Gran Sport and a face-lifted C63. I am still yet to be inspired!

I am seriously thinking getting another one in a few months. I have checked out the CL63 and I am horrified by the cost of parts compared to my CLS55, i.e. Front Brake discs @ 616.00 GBP compared to 85.00 GBP.
 
I love mine too and don't see me parting with it either ;)

image-114285574.jpg
 
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