Potential New CLS owner

[jsm]

Just joined as am looking at replacing my daily driver for a CLS 350 Grand edition in the next few weeks.

Cant decide whether to go the official MB rdealer route for the purchase for the warranty or go independent or private and save the 3k lift in price.

It will do 20k per year and I dont want to spend more that 20k on it.

I have a 911 for the weekends so have fun in that. This is purely for business travel and it looks a very capable machine at that price.

Thoughts whether to go MB offical dealer route or not?

I have been to my local today and wanted to see if I can buy an approved car with more than 1 years warranty but was told no. I know you can buy it as its running out but was after getting one with at least a couple of years at the outset.

Am looking at a 10 plate car done 30k.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

 

[jsm]

no one?

 

[developer]

There are CLS's on 17" wheels. Too small IMO. It's a big car and sits well on 18's, better on 19's.

 

[jsm]

There are CLS's on 17" wheels. Too small IMO. It's a big car and sits well on 18's, better on 19's.

Agreed the 17's look awful IMO. I prefer the look of the standard 18's to the AMG ones on the grand edition to be honest.

Whats with flat burr walnut dash? So many cars have it but I am not a fan. Will definitely need to be one with dark maple trim I think.

 

[developer]

I buy approved used with the tier one warranty, but they are more costly. However, driving into the main dealer in the event of a problem does feel comfortable.

 

[SavMan]

Can't you just get one with FSH and then pay for Tier 1 warranty that way you don't have to pay MB premium

 

[SavMan]

I love the the Grand Edition looks awesome inside and out.

 

[clk208]

When I bought my approved used CLS from a main dealer a year and a bit ago it was priced the same as similar cars elsewhere so figured it made sense to have the Tier 1 piece of mind.

If the price differential were 3k though it would make me think twice.

 

[jsm]

I buy approved used with the tier one warranty, but they are more costly. However, driving into the main dealer in the event of a problem does feel comfortable.

i expect to go this route. Do you keep it serviced at official centres and then buy a new warranty each year?

Can't you just get one with FSH and then pay for Tier 1 warranty that way you don't have to pay MB premium

Does it have to go in for their 111 point check to be able to get back into the scheme?

 

[developer]

I have mine MB serviced during the warranty period and also get anything done that I can (for example, I had a new tailgate motor fitted-costly and a big job, after the tech though it was a bit noisy).

After warranty I give it to the same indie to look after, who used to be the main dealer's diagnostic tech before setting up on his own.

 

[SavMan]

This guys might be able to help you seeing as he has just bought the very model you are looking at

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/members-gallery/156146-steves-2010-cls-350-cdi-grand-edition.html

 

[jsm]

This guys might be able to help you seeing as he has just bought the very model you are looking at

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/members-gallery/156146-steves-2010-cls-350-cdi-grand-edition.html

Thanks Savman. Why cant I post on his picture thread of his car?

I was considering that car myself and wanted to reply?

 

[Steve_Perry]

Just joined as am looking at replacing my daily driver for a CLS 350 Grand edition in the next few weeks.

Cant decide whether to go the official MB rdealer route for the purchase for the warranty or go independent or private and save the 3k lift in price.

It will do 20k per year and I dont want to spend more that 20k on it.

I have a 911 for the weekends so have fun in that. This is purely for business travel and it looks a very capable machine at that price.

Thoughts whether to go MB offical dealer route or not?

I have been to my local today and wanted to see if I can buy an approved car with more than 1 years warranty but was told no. I know you can buy it as its running out but was after getting one with at least a couple of years at the outset.

Am looking at a 10 plate car done 30k.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

Hi there!

Last Thursday, I did exactly what you want to do. This last week I've been grinning like an idiot. They are fantastic cars for the money. The Grand Edition is the model to go for as MB packaged a comprehensive range of goodies and extras which include a 50BHP increase in power over the standard 350CDI specs, more torque (I can't remember the exact figure) and model designation omission badging which keeps the rear neat clean and minimalist.

My car came with 29k on the clock and it looks and drives like new. I've got 12months teir 1 warranty and paid an extra £400 for 3 years GAP insurance.

The car was bought from MB, Southwest Exeter and delivered free of charge to me in South Wales. Their service was perfect and I cannot praise them enough, especially John my sales contact.

*EDIT* For me, buying from an authorised dealer gives me peace of mind that I couldn't get from an Indie. God forbid, if anything goes wrong in the next 12 months at least I won't be worried when I take it to the dealer or wondering if a third party warranty company will try to wriggle out of their responsibilities. Also, even though I bought from an authorised dealer (a.k.a 'stealership' on this forum ) they had dropped their price by £2k, the car was originally posted at £21.5, I got it for less than £20k, so in this current climate don't always assume the dealer will be prohibitively expensive when compared to the Indies and Private sales. Totally agree with other guys' comments in this regard.

I'm not fortunate enough to have multiple cars so this is my daily driver as well as my fun car etc (I want to say 'thrill-seeker' but that sounds over the top and might bring the wrath of the 'politically correct police'). I have to say though that 0-60 in 6.5secs and 272BHP is a hoot and the way the power is delivered is sublime! No noise, no drama, just plenty of thrust! I was cackling like a witch on the test drive. A total contrast to my previous car which was much more vocal and not as fast. I guess with a 911 at your disposal the fun factor is less of a priority but it's there if you want it. Supposedly mid 30's to mid 40's mpg but I've not seen that in the first week, maybe I'll calm down this week, £101 to fill the tank!

I've not done many motorway miles but those 50 or so that I have done makes me think that they are the perfect motorway cruiser. Especially with the standard MB Cruise Control / Speed Limiter. I can see this car gobbling up 100's of miles and getting to the destination fairly fresh. The Linguatronic also works a treat and I can imagine that being a useful motorway cruising tool. Every time I've seen this demoed it's almost comic in its failure, in fact Linguatronic is a running joke with JC on Top Gear. However, all I can say is, it worked for me.

Am I happy? Oh boy, you betcha!
Am I missing my old C240 Sport... Sad to say, not one bit.

BTW, Forum policy is that no replies can be posted in Gallery threads other than from the original poster. You may see some very early Gallery threads where there are posted replies before the policy was brought in.

S.

 

[JasM]

Hi there!

Last Thursday, I did exactly what you want to do. This last week I've been grinning like an idiot. They are fantastic cars for the money. The Grand Edition is the model to go for as MB packaged a comprehensive range of goodies and extras which include a 50BHP increase in power over the standard 350CDI specs, more torque (I can't remember the exact figure) and model designation omission badging which keeps the rear neat clean and minimalist.

My car came with 29k on the clock and it looks and drives like new. I've got 12months teir 1 warranty and paid an extra £400 for 3 years GAP insurance.

The car was bought from MB, Southwest Exeter and delivered free of charge to me in South Wales. Their service was perfect and I cannot praise them enough, especially John my sales contact.

*EDIT* For me, buying from an authorised dealer gives me peace of mind that I couldn't get from an Indie. God forbid, if anything goes wrong in the next 12 months at least I won't be worried when I take it to the dealer or wondering if a third party warranty company will try to wriggle out of their responsibilities. Also, even though I bought from an authorised dealer (a.k.a 'stealership' on this forum ) they had dropped their price by £2k, the car was originally posted at £21.5, I got it for less than £20k, so in this current climate don't always assume the dealer will be prohibitively expensive when compared to the Indies and Private sales. Totally agree with other guys' comments in this regard.

I'm not fortunate enough to have multiple cars so this is my daily driver as well as my fun car etc (I want to say 'thrill-seeker' but that sounds over the top and might bring the wrath of the 'politically correct police'). I have to say though that 0-60 in 6.5secs and 272BHP is a hoot and the way the power is delivered is sublime! No noise, no drama, just plenty of thrust! I was cackling like a witch on the test drive. A total contrast to my previous car which was much more vocal and not as fast. I guess with a 911 at your disposal the fun factor is less of a priority but it's there if you want it. Supposedly mid 30's to mid 40's mpg but I've not seen that in the first week, maybe I'll calm down this week, £101 to fill the tank!

I've not done many motorway miles but those 50 or so that I have done makes me think that they are the perfect motorway cruiser. Especially with the standard MB Cruise Control / Speed Limiter. I can see this car gobbling up 100's of miles and getting to the destination fairly fresh. The Linguatronic also works a treat and I can imagine that being a useful motorway cruising tool. Every time I've seen this demoed it's almost comic in its failure, in fact Linguatronic is a running joke with JC on Top Gear. However, all I can say is, it worked for me.

Am I happy? Oh boy, you betcha!
Am I missing my old C240 Sport... Sad to say, not one bit.

BTW, Forum policy is that no replies can be posted in Gallery threads other than from the original poster. You may see some very early Gallery threads where there are posted replies before the policy was brought in.

S.

Great write up and it's good to see you back on here.

 

[b1g1an]

The Grand Edition is the model to go for as MB packaged a comprehensive range of goodies and extras which include a 50BHP increase in power over the standard 350CDI spec,

Actually it's not comprehensive at all, the Grand Edition just has very some nice headline baubles, ie COMAND, xenons etc, but some of the expected options aren't standard eg something as universally selected as parktronic, which is a must on the CLS given it's poor visibility, dimming mirrors and memory pack. A lot of buyers added nothing to it probably believing it was fully equipped so Grand Editions are often worse overall specced than the standard model.

Check the spec very carefully before buying, it is the best version and there's plenty of good ones out there but also a lot that are surprisingly lacking.

 

[Steve_Perry]

Actually it's not comprehensive at all, the Grand Edition just has very some nice headline baubles, ie COMAND, xenons etc, but some of the expected options aren't standard eg something as universally selected as parktronic, which is a must on the CLS given it's poor visibility, dimming mirrors and memory pack. A lot of buyers added nothing to it probably believing it was fully equipped so Grand Editions are often worse overall specced than the standard model.

Check the spec very carefully before buying, it is the best version and there's plenty of good ones out there but also a lot that are surprisingly lacking.

I guess it depends on your definition of 'comprehensive' and / or 'baubles'...

To quote one of the many reviews I read before settling on the Grand Edition version of the W219 CLS:

Carbuyer UK - CLS Grand Edition Review

... So to end on a high Mercedes has created the CLS Grand Edition. It gets £4,636 worth of extra kit and a rather useful 48hp increase to the 350CDI’s 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine taking the total output to 272hp. Only 560 CLS Grand Editions will be available in the UK priced from £48,445...

... Great value isn’t something you normal accuse a Mercedes of. But if you have plenty of cash yet still like a bit of good ol’ VFM the CLS Grand Edition will be right up your gated development street. It costs £2,450 more than the normal 350 CDI but adds almost twice this in kit and throws in quite a bit of extra performance into the bargain too...

Given the above and main headlines of
- Engine improvements - power / torque increase
- Full COMAND NTG2.5 which includes Linguatronic / 6 disc DVD/CD changer / Bluetooth telephony etc.
- 18" AMG Alloys, 245x40x18 fronts / 275x35x18 rears
- Bi-Xenon Headlights

The trivial 'nice to haves' cosmetic tweaks
-Front Grille
-Headlights
-Designation Omission
-Floor mats

Plus other stuff I'm either not 100% sure of or forgotten (it's late )
-Adaptive brake light, flashing (is this standard on all face-lift CLS?)
-Headlamp cornering function (is this standard on all face-lift CLS?)
-Windscreen wiper with rain sensor (is this a Grand Edition spec or just specce'd to my car?)

That's pretty comprehensive in my mind.

... Check the spec very carefully before buying, it is the best version and there's plenty of good ones out there but also a lot that are surprisingly lacking.

Now I totally agree with this sentiment 100%.

For example, I knew that mine didn't have Parktronic before buying but that wasn't a deal breaker for me as this particular vehicle is in my all time favourite colour combination: Dark Grey/Red Leather, I've only ever seen one for sale in the last 6 to 8 months of looking (red leather is quite rare and when it does turn up it's usually in silver or black CLS's), and yes... I bought it! I'll see how I get on for a few months and if I find I am really struggling will either retro-fit Parktronic or Park Assist (Quickparc).

Memory seats? Pfft Irrelevant to me, I'm the only main driver and the seats are fully electric to adjust. Maybe a big issue to you if your circumstances are different.

Self dimming mirrors? Again a nice to have but I can honestly say in the 35 years I've been driving I can count on two hands the number of occaisions I wished I had self dimming mirrors.

Anways, I'm beginning to ramble...

I stand by the comments in my earlier post, I still think that £4.6k worth of extras for £2.5k is pretty comprehensive but I also agree with you that like all Merc's not every option has been thrown in as standard.

S.

 

[jsm]

Hi there!

Last Thursday, I did exactly what you want to do. This last week I've been grinning like an idiot. They are fantastic cars for the money. The Grand Edition is the model to go for as MB packaged a comprehensive range of goodies and extras which include a 50BHP increase in power over the standard 350CDI specs, more torque (I can't remember the exact figure) and model designation omission badging which keeps the rear neat clean and minimalist.

My car came with 29k on the clock and it looks and drives like new. I've got 12months teir 1 warranty and paid an extra £400 for 3 years GAP insurance.

The car was bought from MB, Southwest Exeter and delivered free of charge to me in South Wales. Their service was perfect and I cannot praise them enough, especially John my sales contact.

*EDIT* For me, buying from an authorised dealer gives me peace of mind that I couldn't get from an Indie. God forbid, if anything goes wrong in the next 12 months at least I won't be worried when I take it to the dealer or wondering if a third party warranty company will try to wriggle out of their responsibilities. Also, even though I bought from an authorised dealer (a.k.a 'stealership' on this forum ) they had dropped their price by £2k, the car was originally posted at £21.5, I got it for less than £20k, so in this current climate don't always assume the dealer will be prohibitively expensive when compared to the Indies and Private sales. Totally agree with other guys' comments in this regard.

I'm not fortunate enough to have multiple cars so this is my daily driver as well as my fun car etc (I want to say 'thrill-seeker' but that sounds over the top and might bring the wrath of the 'politically correct police'). I have to say though that 0-60 in 6.5secs and 272BHP is a hoot and the way the power is delivered is sublime! No noise, no drama, just plenty of thrust! I was cackling like a witch on the test drive. A total contrast to my previous car which was much more vocal and not as fast. I guess with a 911 at your disposal the fun factor is less of a priority but it's there if you want it. Supposedly mid 30's to mid 40's mpg but I've not seen that in the first week, maybe I'll calm down this week, £101 to fill the tank!

I've not done many motorway miles but those 50 or so that I have done makes me think that they are the perfect motorway cruiser. Especially with the standard MB Cruise Control / Speed Limiter. I can see this car gobbling up 100's of miles and getting to the destination fairly fresh. The Linguatronic also works a treat and I can imagine that being a useful motorway cruising tool. Every time I've seen this demoed it's almost comic in its failure, in fact Linguatronic is a running joke with JC on Top Gear. However, all I can say is, it worked for me.

Am I happy? Oh boy, you betcha!
Am I missing my old C240 Sport... Sad to say, not one bit.

BTW, Forum policy is that no replies can be posted in Gallery threads other than from the original poster. You may see some very early Gallery threads where there are posted replies before the policy was brought in.

S.

Thanks Steve for the information, very informative. Cheers.

I will definitely be going the used MB route to get the warranty for the first year. I don't see value in year 2 in paying nearly a grand and never have done, probably as I have never been stung by something going wrong so there is always a first time.

The grand edition is nice and I am amazed at the real colour of the red leather in yours as the dealers pictures give a different story of the colour!

They look much darker and it looks a nice combo.

I may go the non grand edition depending on what is about when I get it in a few weeks time. I really want iridium silver and there are some Grands in that colour but are later models so are more expensive.

As you say my 911 ticks the sports driving smile on my face and this is purely for motorway munching so the 350cdi will do the job but if I see a Grand in Iridium for not more than 2k more I may go for that.

In the meantime enjoy yours although you don't need much encouragement by the looks of things!!

 

[b1g1an]

check "comprehensive" in the dictionary, you're using it to mean "got a few nice bits" whereas to anyone else it would imply fully loaded.

Thanks for proving my point though, i was trying to warn buyers to be careful, parktronic costs a fortune to retrofit, new bumpers are just the start, and people expect it to be there as the first ticked option on what was a £50k car. MB obviously didn't want a buyer leaving the showroom without ticking at least the obligatory boxes but some obviously made it.

This thread was asking for buying advice and that what this is, sorry.

Great colour combo, enjoy it, they're a fantastic car regardless.

 

[developer]

I believe the power increase on a Grand is down to a Brabus chip, so a non Grand is easily modified.

I'd go for spec first and GE second.

If the GE you look at has the spec then win win.

COMAND 2.5 would be a minimum for me - 7 digit postcode. You'll know it as it has an SD card slot at the top. Surprisingly, there are some quite late ones that don't have it:

 

[jsm]

Can I ask whether the injector issues on the 350 engine have been sorted now that I have read on the E class thread.

I havent got round to getting the CLS yet, will do in next couple of weeks be putting a deposit down. Am not sure whether to go for the 320 engine instead?

Anyone?