Very nice CLS500, but Oh! That grille...

[E55BOF]

I think the pre-facelift CLS is easily the best-looking car MB have produced in the modern era.

Monkey see; monkey like...

Mercedes W219 CLS500 V8 Petrol – Low Mileage – Service History – Very High Spec! | eBay

Monkey like a LOT - except for that foul front grille. Apart from the grille, for my taste the only way it would look better would be if it were in Tanzanite blue, and with a half-wood wheel, but that burgundy colour is pretty stunning too. I find myself tempted...

Would it be easy to change the grille back to standard, do we think?

 

[Abb]

Ironically they have put that grill on to 'freshen' it up and keep with the current trend of the 'diamond grill'. It would be pretty straight forward to revert back to the standard slatted grill.

 

[Gbrowncls55]

I put one on mine when the oem one was sent off to be repainted. It looks so much fresher (unless you dislike the diamond block design language) that I have not bothered to put the original back on yet. May do if I get too much abuse!!

 

[jdrrco]

I think the pre-facelift CLS is easily the best-looking car MB have produced in the modern era.

Monkey see; monkey like...

Mercedes W219 CLS500 V8 Petrol – Low Mileage – Service History – Very High Spec! | eBay

Monkey like a LOT - except for that foul front grille. Apart from the grille, for my taste the only way it would look better would be if it were in Tanzanite blue, and with a half-wood wheel, but that burgundy colour is pretty stunning too. I find myself tempted...

Would it be easy to change the grille back to standard, do we think?

I put one on mine when the oem one was sent off to be repainted. It looks so much fresher (unless you dislike the diamond block design language) that I have not bothered to put the original back on yet. May do if I get too much abuse!!

There you go, one buyer, one seller.
I'll forego my commission on this occasion.

 

[E55BOF]

I put one on mine when the oem one was sent off to be repainted. It looks so much fresher (unless you dislike the diamond block design language) that I have not bothered to put the original back on yet. May do if I get too much abuse!!

I do indeed dislike the diamond block, and the single central slat; I prefer the more classic/old-fashioned (delete as you see fit) MB multi-slat grille. I think it looks much better not freshened up...

No abuse from me; it's a matter entirely of taste, and your taste is as valid as mine.

 

[Will]

Not keen on the interior and to me the ‘Landsail’ tyres/aftermarket grille may give clues as to the sort of ownership it has had. Wheel refurb looks not the best to my eyes - the bright silver colour doesn’t look quite right?

Other than that - I guess it’s okay but I’d have thought there would be nicer ones out there for similar money?

Eg:

I just found a great car on Auto Trader:


Auto Trader logo

And it’s blue (also with the grille you like!)

 

[merc85]

Blue one looks nicer, although those brakes look like they have been in the sea lol. Expensive tax bracket too on a 56 plate.

The cls looks miles better with a AMG kit though.

 

[Will]

I have to say for the extra few £k I’d want to dig out a nice ‘55.

Sean on here had a lovely designo blue CLS55 and I think it went to another forum member who was selling it. No idea where it is now though

 

[merc85]

Saw your old 55 Will yesterday at the Supermarket, Ross doing his shopping lol, so there were 2 55 estates in there car park. Looked lovely bud Yes agreed I’d get a Cls55.

 

[E55BOF]

I like the (same, I think) interior on both; it sets off both dark blue and burgundy paintwork a treat.

I'd want an M113, but not a 55; too risky (for my licence...). That blue one looks good too, and it's only the rear brakes that look a bit crusty. The tyres are Michelins, too, not cheapo-cheapo YingTong ditchfinders. Hmmmmm.....

 

[Will]

I'd want an M113, but not a 55; too risky (for my licence...)

You said that last time after you sold your last ‘55k then bought an E63 and an SLK55

IIRC you also had a 500 but didn’t keep it long?

 

[merc85]

I can see a pattern emerging lol , how about buy a car spend the same again on it perfecting it then sell it on at a loss

 

[E55BOF]

[

You said that last time after you sold your last ‘55k then bought an E63 and an SLK55

IIRC you also had a 500 but didn’t keep it long?

The SLK is ace and I'm keeping it. The E63 will (almost certainly) be sold; it, too, endangers my licence (too much...), which is why I bought the ML to replace it. I should have kept the E500. Simples.

I can see a pattern emerging lol , how about buy a car spend the same again on it perfecting it then sell it on at a loss

I expect to spend anything up to a grand putting a second-hand MB of the sort I favour in order. I'm £980 ahead on the ML, and £400 ahead on the SLK, so far. I doubt it would cost £6K to replace the CLS grille....

 

[Will]

I expect to spend anything up to a grand putting a second-hand MB of the sort I favour in order. I'm £980 ahead on the ML, and £400 ahead on the SLK, so far. I doubt it would cost £6K to replace the CLS grille....

Cough...E63...Cough...!

 

[E55BOF]

Was very much a one-off

Until it starts happening to others... Which engine do you have in your GL?

 

[Will]

The same as yours. Albeit approved used with full MB history, 22k miles from new and 2-years MB warranty. I think you can extend the warranty too.

It’s going to sting a bit in depreciation I should think but I thought it worth it considering the above? I’ve no plans on selling for a good while anyway and I needed the space - seemed about the best option I thought

I think you were unlucky with yours but it’s a gamble at the end of the day. You’ve had lots of older expensive MBs - probably going to happen with some of them, but I always try and mitigate the risk if I can.

 

[E55BOF]

You'll be fine for a long while yet, at the very least. I suspect my problem first manifested itself at 22K miles with a misfire, but the engine still ran fine - apart from the occasional misfire at full bore - to over 90K miles.

 

[tjamesbo]

They are both very nice looking cars and the light interiors are beautiful, just to my taste , I do prefer the grille on the Burgundy one though (ducks ), hard to say why it looks cleaner/ less busy? too many lines across on the standard one IMO . I'm beginning to wonder whether I should buy one of those (prefer the CLS to the W209 CLK for some reason )and consign my W208 CLK 430 to the Bargain Bin ( the wing bottoms are rusting along with the rear wheel arches - its a do I spend £1k-1200 on new wings and Paint / Body fettling for another few years or admit defeat, i do love its Designo interior tho, and it has a lovely deep rumbly exhaust note, enough to always remind you its a V8 and thats another of its endearing qualities especially the overfuel start up brings a smile to my face every single time . I Kinda regret very recently not going for a white CLS 500 with the 5.5 lump in that had a lovely burgundy / wine interior it was a nice combination and no bodywork rust repairs for a few years Oh he sighs all the cars we could have had but passed on
Boyd

 

[E55BOF]

I prefer the standard multi-slatted grille; it looks more traditional Mercedes. My choice is pretty restricted at best because I don't want a black one, or any of the Fifty Shades of Grey (which includes silver - my S211 estate in Brilliant Silver looked good, but I don't think the CLS does), and I don't want a black/anthracite interior. Either of those two in the thread would do nicely, but no others I've found look anything like as good to me.