So how much does a prestige convertible cost?

[LTD]

Until it needs its first repair bill.

... unlike newer cars that never need any money to fix them ...

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Our neighbour has one very similar. They're heaps of car for the money.

Nice purchase ...nice elbow grease too!!

 

[renault12ts]

... unlike newer cars that never need any money to fix them ...

But if you buy a CL new...you can afford the repairs, unlike if you pay less than £7000 for one.

 

[st4]

But if you buy a CL new...you can afford the repairs, unlike if you pay less than £7000 for one.

You could spend 7 grand on sparking plugs, 4 new suspension struts, some cosmetic rust repairing and painting and lots of oil for a large sump. Its a lovely car, but its for someone with more income than someone who spends 7k on a new car.

Its a car for someone well off, who chooses not to afford a much more expensive car.

There is a difference

 

[st4]

... unlike newer cars that never need any money to fix them ...

New or nearly new cars have warranties. If it were an S500, E500 or even one like mine, I'd say great, £7k gets you a lot of car thats still fairly reasonable to run. A CL600 is a huge money pit. As is an 850ci. My old boss had one, and it was bill after bill after bill.

On a car even my age, I'd still expect goodwill for a major mechanical failure (read timing chain snapping) etc.

On a 9 year old car, you're on your own.

With a 3-5yr old one, you're not.

 

[LTD]

... on the other hand it might not cost a shedload to maintain.

I reckon my 120k S500 has cost less than your E320 in the last 2 years - excluding fuel/insurance.

It's all about personal choice at the end of the day.

 

[st4]

... on the other hand it might not cost a shedload to maintain.

I reckon my 120k S500 has cost less than your E320 in the last 2 years - excluding fuel/insurance.

It's all about personal choice at the end of the day.

I'd say it has, and it would have been worsened if I had not a tier 1 warranty.

However, fuel is a big one, I drive 30,000 miles/yr. If I had your car, that could be an extra £2000-£3000 in fuel every year. On ditch finders, I've gopt 30k miles out of the backs, and there is just over 3mm left. An S500, not a prayer of doing that. And mine is not a whole lot slower than yours....

A CL600 and S500 cost wise to look after are in a different bracket. For starters the V8 in your car is inherintly reliable, as is the suspension system. The body is made of steel, you have some small rust on the rear arches, nothing more.

A CL600 seemingly has an unreliable lump, and known specialists say avoid. Body wise the CL has on the back pillar an aluminium/steel join. This corrodes in a manner far more aggressively to a spot of wheel arch rust which you can fix on your car cheaply, if you chose to. Through in ABC suspension arms at around £1000/corner which your car does without, that do fail and you have a car that is very likely to cause much more financial heartache than the car you, or even I chose to buy.

My cars weaknesses are merely that inlet port shut off motor, valve bodies in the box, engine bearings (the least likely but the nastiest in terms of cost), a tiny bit of rust, SBC pump (dealers fix that free). Nowt in comparison to what a CL600 would do.

None of that doesn't stop me wanting a V12 CL, but its not a car I'd ever want to own for a long period of time, as it would bite me hard. Its a great choice, but the story would have made more sense if they'd gone for something nice, but more sensible.

 

[LTD]

Its a great choice, but the story would have made more sense if they'd gone for something nice, but more sensible.

It wouldn't be Top Gear if they were sensible

 

[st4]

It wouldn't be Top Gear if they were sensible

That thought just cropped to mind after I posted my post.

They've probably deliberately gone for the most shedtastic problematic cars. For £7k a new Pixo buyer could buy a nice reliable golf, a pretty new focus, a reasonable 3 series etc or even a fast Japanese car.

At the other end of the scale they could have gone for good, old and simple and gone for Old Landcruisers, 124 Mercedes.

Both of those cars will rack up bills, but they'll generate good TV, and I suppose thats what its all about.

Remember the 1 grand porches and the 10 grand Maseratis. All of them bought complete basket cases, but it was a laugh