Top Gear - Merc CL 600

[Ted]

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

Well said that man!
Just about sums it up for me.

 

[MarkP80]

without destroying the cars

- yet I feel that may be inevitable......

 

[mercedescl500]

I agree.

Also, the 850I I believe would also have some commonality with other BMW models in regard to switches and components. The big draw back would again be on panels and interior as they are specific items just like those for the CL. The V12 engine is the same as that used in other BMW models eg. 7 Series 750il. Comparatively speaking there are still alot of Indy's who dont like working on w215 CL's as they can be right pigs at times.

I have yet to see a CL600 with more than 200k on the clock (uh oh someone has already started googling !)

 

[verytalldave]

You dont seriously think either Clarkson or Hammond will ACTUALLY drive those cars do you ?

They will be hived off to a couple of TG lackys who will be told to report back whenever.

I cant see either of those primadonnas sullying thier hands with secondhand machines - even if they are v12 BMW and MB's.

 

[R2e]

OK so the cars they picked are clearly chosen for their dramatic value, but there is no doubt there is a lot of merit in the principle of buying quality used rather than buying humdrum new. I always remember a few years back, just after I bought my W210 (21K miles, mint condition, 5 years old, from a Dealer) a friend came round to show me his new Focus. He was a bit put out by my 'flashy' Merc that he hadn't seen before, and which left his Focus in the shade, but I didn't have the heart to tell him his Focus cost more than my Merc, he probably wouldn't have believed it anyway. His other perception was the Merc would be much more expensive to run than the Focus, but four years of ownership later, the only thing I had had to spend on the W210 other than standard servicing at an Indie (no more expensive than his Ford Main Dealer servicing) and tyres, was a brake light switch. And I had had the pleasure of driving a car which gave me a kick every time I got in and turned the key. I only changed it as I was doing a big mileage and thought I needed the fuel economy of a diesel so got a W203 instead. If I'd thought about it properly at the time, I would have had it converted to LPG and would still be running it!

Personally, and I realise it is a personal thing, I would never buy a new car, that depreciation in the first year or two is just ridiculous and after years of running company cars that were changed every 6 months or so, owning a new car is of no consequence to me. Give me a nice used example that's run in and has had all the bugs ironed out, for a fraction of the cost and I'm happy. Particularly if it is a Merc

 

[verytalldave]

Obviously, its the potential expense that puts people off buying cars such as the two that TG bought.
That's why many people, armed with £15,000 in their pocket with buy a new Focus and not a 5 year old V12 Mercedes. To them, it makes logical financial sense to do that.
However, we are not all the same and some of us perceive things quite differently.
Its horses for courses and in a case such as this, nobody is right or wrong - its all just a matter of opinion.

 

[michaelk3289]

hi everyone, i too watched the programme and thought what a funny, entertaining episode,

i own an m plate w124 estate and like many other in this forum would never buy new and certainly not a super mini like the car they use. (was it a nissan)

what car you own depends on personal taste and even situations, some people are not car people and all they want is a cheap eco friendly tool to get them from a to b, others look at cars with admiration and affection, my wife for instance does not get my facsination with cars, as long as it looks ok (aparently my W124 estate in white does not) and she can put the kids, bikes and shopping etc in she doesnt care, ive had audi a4 avant, bm 320d and various others just coz i love cars

my cars have to have something that sets them apart even if they have thier faults i look at the positives, ie my old ugly w124 has bags of character, it knows its ugly but still glides across the tarmac with grace, elagence and bags of power (e320).

i have driven plenty of cars more than i can remmber but few make me happy like my big ugly old w124 estate!

its a car thing

 

[grober]

The Nissan PIXO is built in conjunction with Suzuki in Delhi INDIA I believe.

 

[Borys]

Good choice for TG guys.
At the moment I owe 1998 s500 which I picked up for 1800 quid!!!!
Two previous owners,all servicing invoices,mot's - mint.
I personalize it a bit and whenever I go it gets attention.
It's my 5th merc and I will stay with this brand as compering to others I driven,even a new Focus doesn't give so much pleasure driving it.
Over the years none of the mercs caused me any trouble (one of was a w220 with 170k miles !!! ). Expensive to run - no way my previous 04 plate vectra cost me more to maintain then all my mercs together.

 

[Dryce]

The Nissan PIXO is built in conjunction with Suzuki in Delhi INDIA I believe.

It's a Suzuki Alto with a few cosmetic changes and a Nissan badge.

 

[sportyreptile]

I missed it Sunday but hoping to catch the BBC2 repeat tonight at 8pm.

 

[bh13coupe]

It's a Suzuki Alto with a few cosmetic changes and a Nissan badge.

and 2 more wheels

 

[njkmr]

Whats the quote for a CL600 V12?

I got my warranty through the dealer who sold me my cl600 2 yrs ago .£1000 for 3yrs warranty (54 plate car 58k miles at time of purchase).
Replaced a front nearside valve block no problems .I also requested they upped the claim limit from £1000 to £2000 as i knew £1k did not buy much on these .

 

[tali]

Cheap barges for supermini prices has been done to death- but will be intresting to see given ownership.
Can't see a potential Pixo owner eyeing up a a used millionaire motor
Hammond mugged on 850 price -expect to him to recieve **** loads of mailings from Nigerian Investment Funds
_________________

 

[Dieselman]

W204 with switchable sports mode...

For that nimbler handling round roundabouts.

 

[John]

Quote: without destroying the cars

- yet I feel that may be inevitable......

Do you think they would kill them given the amount paid? I realise it isn't a huge sum to them but still somewhat substantial to throw away...

I wonder if they actually used their own money in any case.

 

[moonloops]

I wonder if they actually used their own money in any case.

It is a TV show - it isn't real you know

 

[Mercington]

Obviously, its the potential expense that puts people off buying cars such as the two that TG bought.
That's why many people, armed with £15,000 in their pocket with buy a new Focus and not a 5 year old V12 Mercedes. To them, it makes logical financial sense to do that.
However, we are not all the same and some of us perceive things quite differently.
Its horses for courses and in a case such as this, nobody is right or wrong - its all just a matter of opinion.

Personally I don't believe its an 'Expense' thing at all. Generally a lack of knowledge and imagination.

Most people who subscribe to a 'Car' forum, by definition are into cars in some way, so would normally have more of an interest in this type of thing.

Joe Public is incapable of thinking about running a Luxxo Barge, the biggest risk they see is whether to go for a White Audi, instead of the usual Black or Silver

The VAG sheep rule the roads, the thought of actually owning something slightly different would be too much for most people...

 

[219]

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 .

As a footnote to the above , I just filled up tonight : 453 miles on the trip counter and 71 L to brim the tank works out to 29 mpg !

Not bad for a 25 year old 5 litre V8 automatic

 

[nick mercedes]

Do you think they would kill them given the amount paid? I realise it isn't a huge sum to them but still somewhat substantial to throw away...

I wonder if they actually used their own money in any case.

They've destroyed brand new cars just for a laugh, so wasting taxpayers money does not worry them.