Top Gear - Merc CL 600

[martin_a]

Except that the TG one was over 120k miles, and so Warranty Direct won't cover.

Between 100K and 120k they will pay 50% parts and 100% labour.

"Network labour rate is £60" so if it goes to MB I don't think they'd cover it off.

As said, only the most basic of their policies for anything over 10 years old and/or over 100k in miles. Surprisingly, would that happen to coincide with most cars startign to go wrong? They are not a charity remember, they clearly think they can make money.

another important point, they need you to stick to the service schedules religiously and they don't cover service items, as I said earlier a £100k car still has £100k running costs.

m.

 

[rf065]

as I said earlier a £100k car still has £100k running costs.
m.

I thought all MB's had £100k running costs when I used the main dealer for my first B service!

Russ

 

[lancebond]

W204 with switchable sports mode...

Meh, showoff!


Lol

 

[Merco]

Just on that note (and didn't want to start a whole new thread on servicing costs) - I've just paid around £250 for my very first 'A' service on the car. How does that compare with other dealers and also - my car is a manual - should I be fearing the next B Service cost and think about a dubious service package given that the extortionate costs on previous threads seem to be related to ATF? Sorry to 'hijack' this thread a little - and for the record, I also think TG is back to its old form!

 

[martin_a]

I thought all MB's had £100k running costs when I used the main dealer for my first B service!

Russ

True story!

 

[grober]

My Indy replaced mine for £186!

W204 versus W203 dampers = big difference W204 has the new more complex = more expensive adaptive dampers

 

[219]

That's the issue. a £100k car when new still has the running costs of a £100k car, even if it now costs £6k

m.

Unless you do your own servicing like I do with my cars . A few hundred a year keeps my 500 running sweetly - since I bought it 3 years ago and have put approx 40,000 miles on it , I have replaced tyres ( 6 ) , full exhaust system , 2 rear springs , 2 front ABS sensors , full brake overhaul at purchase ( incl new discs ) and have just replaced front pads for the second time since ( ie 20K for a set of front pads ) , apart from that oils & filters ( filter £10 from dealer , 8 litres of GTX @ £10 per 4 litre bottle from Costco ) so not at all expensive to run .

Just did a run to Aberdeenshire over the weekend , started with full tank ( approx 90 L ) , now showing 417 miles on trip counter and 1/4 tank left , that was most of the way there and back at 70 on cruise control and a but of local running around whilst there .

That car cost me £1300 3 years ago , then I have probably spent the same again or a little more maintaining it . Nothing I have spent strikes me as out of order for a 25 year old car and I regard all of it as routine maintenance .

Not a high price for three years of pleasurable and trouble free motoring .

 

[Howard]

I suspect it may be the CL that has more problems. Used to run an 80s BMW albeit only with a 6 cylinder engine. Had it for 13 years(120,000 miles) and apart from routine maintenance virtually nothing failed on it.

Parts for the BM 8 series are like rocking horse poo , and cost more than a third world debt.

When / if something does go wrong it will make the CL repair bills look like chicken feed.

 

[c955]

Parts for the BM 8 series are like rocking horse poo...

Yes, but think of the kudos of actually owning rocking horse poo - respeck innit?!

 

[LTD]

Looking at the suspension side of things, I have a W220 S500 with Airmatic on 120k miles.

I've replaced a strut this year - bill of just under £800.

Car cost me £10.5k two years ago and I've spent about £2.5k on it in that time. This includes a full set of tyres, new discs front and rear and all pads (inc. parking brake) and a few suspension bushes/arms and the strut.

If I have to spend that again in the next couple of years then fair game - it's at the age where wearing parts get worn and get replaced by new. That just makes the car a bit better and more enjoyable

 

[mercedescl500]

The 850 BMW V12 is alot more reliable than the Mercedes CL600 V12 (Early versions on W215 are notoriously unreliable, coil pack failure, oil cooler failure, amongst a host of other ailments). Many BMW V12 have surpassed 200k and still going strong with just basic routine servicing. I would definitely get an 850i v12 over a CL600 V12 if I was faced with the choice.

 

[mercedescl500]

Alot of CL parts are specific too

Parts for the BM 8 series are like rocking horse poo , and cost more than a third world debt.

When / if something does go wrong it will make the CL repair bills look like chicken feed.

Many of CL parts are specific too. The common thought is that the CL shares alot of its components with the W220 S'Class but this is not true. The parts may look the same and have the same functions but not compatible. Body panels are very specific, for example a new rear wing cannot be bought and must be ordered from Germany (manufactured upon request), boot lids are different, lights, SAM modules etc. HTH. Pretty much the same story with the 8'Series BMW. HTH

P.S. When genuine/specific W215 parts become available they are usually snapped up very quickly and you are left with the W220 parts in abundance by comparison.

 

[John]

Be interesting to see how their experiment pans out then.

They should keep them for a longer period of time.

 

[AnilS]

just did a cl500 2002 90k, £775 per annum

Whats the quote for a CL600 V12?

 

[Howard]

Many of CL parts are specific too. The common thought is that the CL shares alot of its components with the W220 S'Class but this is not true. The parts may look the same and have the same functions but not compatible. Body panels are very specific, for example a new rear wing cannot be bought and must be ordered from Germany (manufactured upon request), boot lids are different, lights, SAM modules etc. HTH. Pretty much the same story with the 8'Series BMW. HTH

P.S. When genuine/specific W215 parts become available they are usually snapped up very quickly and you are left with the W220 parts in abundance by comparison.

I wasn't talking about body panels ... why would you think that panels from a 4 door large saloon would fit a 2 door large coupe ? that would be like thinking you could interchange 210 panels with 208 panels ....

Quite a few actual mechanical parts are the same.

As examples ..

Handbrake shoes have an A220 part number , as do speed sensors
Cruise stalks on the steering column have a W203 part number
Mirror covers / motors / frames are shared with an A220

Just off the top of my head.

The 8 series stuff is much harder to get hold of , because so few were sold , CL's are comparatively plentiful in comparison. Coupled with the fact that a lot of indys are happy to deal with CL's , because there were so few 8 series , not many idys have actually worked on them so are nervous about dealing with them.

 

[mercedescl500]

I wasn't talking about body panels ... why would you think that panels from a 4 door large saloon would fit a 2 door large coupe ? that would be like thinking you could interchange 210 panels with 208 panels ....

Quite a few actual mechanical parts are the same.

As examples ..

Handbrake shoes have an A220 part number , as do speed sensors
Cruise stalks on the steering column have a W203 part number
Mirror covers / motors / frames are shared with an A220

Just off the top of my head.

The 8 series stuff is much harder to get hold of , because so few were sold , CL's are comparatively plentiful in comparison. Coupled with the fact that a lot of indys are happy to deal with CL's , because there were so few 8 series , not many idys have actually worked on them so are nervous about dealing with them.

I agree.

 

[donubenz]

OK great TV but I always believe that if you buy an old Merc and I ran 2 S class ones for 15years that were around 5 years old when I bought them, I was driving quality. No major costs and no regrets. You have a car that still has £100K's of luxury built in and what a bargain. I traded my 300se in with 120,000 miles on the clock and the dealer said the 6 pot engine would not even be run in and yes he was buying it! My W420 was amazing, apart from fuel used round the town but always felt a sense of excitement each time I turned the key. Sure you can get a bad one but hopefully most of any serious stuff will have happened and been rectified by the time its 8 years old. Other similar cars will have been scrapped and bits will be available so you need not pay for brand new parts.You don't worry about having a main dealer service as it will not affect any future value and you can service some of it yourself, if you are handy. Supermarket dings and gate scrapes are not so worrying. Even if you do buy a lemon its only 6K and you will get something for the bits. Put the fuel in and enjoy the bargain that it represents as Clarkson said. One day it may even be a classic. I would rather have an older Merc than any 2 or 3 year old run of the mill modern car and I am sure the maintenence costs and depreciation will be less for the Merc.
That's why we all have one, right!
Be real interesting to see how Clarkson gets on as he always seems a bit mechanically unsympathetic.
Don

 

[Deleted member 37751]

^^ exactly.

I was talking to someone today about cars and we were on about our own in particular.

He had a newish Mondeo and I have a 5 year old W211.

The conversation turned to valuations and he couldn't believe that our cars were nearly the same price.

"If I'd have known that, I'd have bought a Mercedes instead"......




Say no more.

 

[Oli]

Like someone else said, I don't know why it would be worth bothering with the CL600 without the turbos, the CL500 seems a safer and not particularly less powerful buy.

 

[DSLiverpool]

Makes you think do you ever need to spend more than £15k on your car, I don't include running costs in that but say you got a R129 and a supermini all your motoring needs are sorted (sort of!). I suffer from car anxiety meaning I worry about parking and the car overall anywhere I go it's worse with a brand new car. It has caused some major fall outs with the mrs as I won't just "leave it here it will be fine"
My £15k lexus had cured this in that it has a few war wounds and as such I'm more relaxed using it and I don't love it which helps, it's a bit like a coffee machine to me in that I like having it and i use it but no emotional attachment. Totally opposite of my now treasured SL55 which is an
Oldish car but I know every cm of her and would be devastated to mark or maim her inside or out.
Great TG and I hope they do a decent follow up to the piece without destroying the cars .......