Tempted

[Mactech]

My contract in Yorkshire has now finished and I find myself doing far fewer miles than before. The need to spend many comfortable hours behind the wheel has given way to needing to fully enjoy those I do spend, so I’ve been tempted by this CLS 55 AMG.
I know I like the wallop of the 55 more than the wild animal which is the 63 and it always seemed that the CLS has the stance to accurately match the AMG performance.
A future classic? This one is sensibly priced, has all the kit I would ever want, is in my favourite colour scheme and I am tempted!
But would I be happy with the ride and refinement after the S and would the 5 speed auto feel crude after years with the 7 speed?
These cars are not very PC at the moment, but it is the depreciation not the cost of fuel which is the greater, which is why this still appears reasonable value.
Am I having a mid life crisis or just gone completely mad?

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...cleYearOfManufacture=2006&vehicleRegLetter=55

 

[wemorgan]

Lovely car, but it may depreciate another £3-5k in the first year you owned it.

 

[C240Sport97]

CLS 55 .. lovely car.

the one you are interested in has all the right toys too .. all cars will depreciate.

why not go and drive one and see how it grabs you?

the CLS may appear big, but the AMG is surprisingly nimble and wieldy. It handles like a much smaller car.

If you like it, go in and make a silly offer (say £23k), and if they go for it, you get a deal. If not, then wait till Jan, when they may be even more desperate.

 

[Ted]

When your time on this earth is nearly up, and you are facing your final journey, will you be thinking "Gosh, I'm really glad I didn't buy that lovely car"

Or...........

gon, you know you really want to.

And remove the badges. That will make it more PC.

 

[A210AMG]

Lovely car, but it may depreciate another £3-5k in the first year you owned it.

Almost any car over 10K you have to work on 3K deprciation a year (and thats good!) its probably more.

I agree offer a silly price £25K say, and see what happends. Nothing is selling and the ball should be in your court.

I like the CLS, never sat in one but like the looks.

 

[Mactech]

Curiosity got the better of me yesterday and I called in to test drive the 2006 CLS 55 AMG as I was almost passing the door on my way to Wales.
It’s a really good looking car in dark blue with Cashmere beige. The colours do nothing to hide nearly three years of minor stone chips and scuffs, but nothing that a little more TLC could not rectify. The 19” alloys were unmarked but wearing Conti fronts and Pirelli rears.
AMG have done a fantastic job on the CLS and I can’t remember a car which does the transformation from hooligan to limo better. The 55 engine has real wallop all the way up the rev range accompanied by what must be a barely legal V8 sound track. The engine could become addictive very quickly, just before they remove your licence!
I was very impressed with the ride quality and handling balance, the car never becoming harsh even on the higher damper settings and so much better with Airmatic than the harsh E class sport. Traction in the dry was really good for a rear drive car despite the animal under the bonnet. I loved the rib hugging seats and these were just one of the massive list of options on the car. It didn’t have reversing camera, but I struggle to think of any other toy it did not have!
Off the throttle into cruise mode and the exhaust note vanishes and the car is very close to the refinement of the S class with just a hint more tyre and wind noise.
The transmission is ‘old school’ 5 speed and there were a couple of big jolts on downshifts. This could be a soft or hardware issue or maybe just me being used to the almost seamless 7 speed.
A most beguiling car, and at just over £28k down from £77k less than 3 years ago represents real value.
I got back in my S class wondering if I should take the plunge. The AMG soundtrack was replaced by Genesis (sad but true) and the rib crushing seats replaced by a simple shove in the back from the torquey diesel and an average fuel reading of 44mpg.
The AMG fuel meter had read 10.2 mpg (!) before I reset it and then managed 18mpg once warmed up on the test drive. I know nobody buys an AMG for economy and really the fuel cost is only a small part of the overall costs, but the lack of efficiency would really niggle the engineer in me.
It will make someone a fabulous car, if they don’t have a conscience!
I can certainly see the attraction; I’m just not sure I could live with myself….

 

[The G.F.P]

bad time to buy a a car that costs that much as the deapreciation will keep you awake at night

then if you want to change it you will get depressed when you cant shift it for a decent price

 

[Uberwagon]

BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!

A truly epic car, the engine as you know sounds incredible, a deep chested guttural growl and more in keeping with the car than a higher revving unit imo.

I would also say that the 5 speed box in the 55 is preferable, it was a great feeling watching the engine work from lower down and it building as the revs rise, it's a torquey unit so let the torque work with some spaced out ratios, a 7 speed would lose this charm imo.

The difference in economy when the engines get this big is not too great, 3 or 4 mpg will not be noticed over the course of a year and the car itself is fantastic.

Dave!

 

[Dieselman]

The difference in economy when the engines get this big is not too great, 3 or 4 mpg will not be noticed over the course of a year and the car itself is fantastic.

44mpg down to 18mpg is more than 3 or 4mpg.

I can sympathise with Mactech in that sometimes it's not just the actual cost of fuel that's off putting about high consumption cars, it's that you know they could be so much more efficient.

 

[Adam230K]

44mpg down to 18mpg is more than 3 or 4mpg.

I can sympathise with Mactech in that sometimes it's not just the actual cost of fuel that's offputting about high consumption cars, it's that you know they could be so much more efficeint.

That must be an engineering thing... as mactech said. I have a friend who says exactly that and he's been buying diesels ever since he could drive...

I just cant convert him to petrols... dont know why!

 

[Uberwagon]

I mean when comparing performance for performance.

In real world terms the 55 is leagues ahead in every performance aspect apart from fuel economy.

I went from 55mpg in a GT TDI Golf to 20 in the Merc, I have never since sat in the car and wished I was in the diesel, I sold the diesel after driving it and wishing I had some more oomph.

Life is for living, do it fast and with a good soundtrack

Dave!

 

[Mactech]

The cost is not a killer. About £1k a year more in tax, insurance and fuel.
It probably is an engineering thing!
When I want to go quicker I take the Aprilia (and wear earplugs!)
That will do 0-60 in under 3 secs but still turns over 40 mpg on a run, and I don't feel totally resposible for depleting the oil reserve.
The CLS 55 AMG is a fabulous car, but it's me who feels irresponsible!

 

[Uberwagon]

If it was practical and made good sense, it would be half as much fun.

Dave!

 

[Soltan]

44mpg down to 18mpg is more than 3 or 4mpg.

I can sympathise with Mactech in that sometimes it's not just the actual cost of fuel that's off putting about high consumption cars, it's that you know they could be so much more efficient.

Glad it's not just me then. I've often thought about a more performance type car like that but when you look at mpg around town, it just does not sound right (as opposed to the engine ). Can't understand it myself

 

[Howard]

I love the noise , performance , presence , and everything that goes with the V8 CLK ....

Don't beat yourself up about oil reserves , leave being responsible for someone else . If you've got the cash , go for it ....

MPG is so dull , i've probably got one of the lowest paying jobs on the forum , but i love the V8 CLK , i can afford ( just ) to run it , and it makes me smile all the time. Potters about town when i want it to and turns into a monster with a slightly harder prod of the loud pedal. I get 30 mpg on a run , so it's not all bad .

I love little furry creatures and trees and bushes and stuff , but i love cars too .

 

[Soltan]

It's not really anything to do with the environment, it's just the feeling that after so many years of motoring it should be much more fuel efficient by now.
It's knowing that you're not wasting fuel but getting the most out of it in an enjoyable way.
Not sure I can explain it, a car can look great, sound great, but if the only way it can perform great is by sticking a dirty great engine into it, well, to me it's not an idea solution (it's an American muscle car ). Perhaps that's why I like some of those Japanese engines that generate huge amounts of BHP out of only 2 litres. OK, they may not be more economical than say a 5 litre, but you have to admire the engineering of it.

 

[Dieselman]

It's not really anything to do with the environment, it's just the feeling that after so many years of motoring it should be much more fuel efficient by now.
It's knowing that you're not wasting fuel but getting the most out of it in an enjoyable way.

That's a good description. I've nothing against 500bhp cars, but think that if there had been the right advances in engines we should be able to obtain that with higher efficiency.

25% efficiency at best is pretty woeful for any piece of engineering.

I suspect it's trying to gain that extra efficiency that drives Mactech for better fuel economy figures. It's the challenge of obtaining the best he can....and then bettering it.

 

[Lord Lucan MK]

the thing is I love the lines of the CLS I actually think it is one of the most sexy cars on the road. However, when i look inside the reality of it dawned on me being only a 4 seater although the styling inside was to die for it lacked the practicality for me being a family bloke with 3 kids and this is the one thing that sort of makes me forget even thinking about owning one.

So I am still looking at several options be that the E55 saloon or Estate or the C55 saloon or estate and until I get the opportunity to have a play in these vehicles I wont be able to make my mind up but with 3 kids and her indoors to think about I feel it maybe the E55 option over the C55 but the jury is still out alas no CLS till I have evicted the kids and got them their own cars.

 

[Tan]

I am a huge fan of the CLS, but as we really only need the one car, it would be really silly for us to move from an A4 cab to another 4 seater.

One part of me says E320 cdi but the other says E500

 

[Lord Lucan MK]

I am a huge fan of the CLS, but as we really only need the one car, it would be really silly for us to move from an A4 cab to another 4 seater.

One part of me says E320 cdi but the other says E500

know that feeling but I feel the need for the magic badge (AMG) on the boot. I am taking my time as I am still learning about the cars and the way that MB do their model numbers and tbh do I really need another family car when I could have a CLK or an SL all finance depending of course.

I love the CLS but the real question is this, is it practicle for you and the family you have if Yes then you have to go for it I would think:bannana: