Would this ruin me??!!
Discussion
Would this be a better buy than a SL55 AMG ?? Certainly rarer and the performance must be equal, but would it ruin me finacially compared to running an SL55 ?
I think the price is reasonable too (although I haven't seen it in the flesh). Whats the view ??
CL600
I think the price is reasonable too (although I haven't seen it in the flesh). Whats the view ??
CL600
Edited by SimonV8ster on Wednesday 11th March 19:38
Excellent cars and (IMHO) one of the best cruisers around (maybe biased, with a 2003 CL55!). Seats 4 in comfort and is somewhat rare on the roads ... but .... they aren't necessarily cheap to run. Rear tyres are £200+ each and the V12s (in AMG guise anyway) had a reputation for eating theirs!
If it doesn't have a FULL MERCEDES warranty, walk away. When bits go wrong on these, they are very expensive. This model CL was one of the first MB cars with Active Body Control (ABC) and as such it can be unreliable. Just google CL and ABC to get an idea! New pump is around £1200 and I was lucky to get mine done under warranty. Prop shaft joints can have issues too, through hardening rubber.
Electrics can be an issue although mine has been reasonably good on that front. Only needed new wiring harness in steering wheel and replacement of the door handles (keyless go). Both done under the superb MB warranty again.
The other big thing is corrosion. Check the rear wings very thoroughly and ask if it has had any remedial work. The car is prone to corrosion around there and often has it worse behind the panel. The anti-corrosion warranty is excellent but only if the car has a full and correct MB warranty. My CL is due to be fixed for free soon but it can only be done at a small number of specialists (in my case Nottingham or Birmingham) and it is a pain getting it dealt with. The car will be away for something like 4 weeks ....
That said, I still love them and won't be selling mine for a long time. I reckon these could be future classics if they keep going that long ... and as I said, the CL is a rare car in the UK.
Hope that helps!
If it doesn't have a FULL MERCEDES warranty, walk away. When bits go wrong on these, they are very expensive. This model CL was one of the first MB cars with Active Body Control (ABC) and as such it can be unreliable. Just google CL and ABC to get an idea! New pump is around £1200 and I was lucky to get mine done under warranty. Prop shaft joints can have issues too, through hardening rubber.
Electrics can be an issue although mine has been reasonably good on that front. Only needed new wiring harness in steering wheel and replacement of the door handles (keyless go). Both done under the superb MB warranty again.
The other big thing is corrosion. Check the rear wings very thoroughly and ask if it has had any remedial work. The car is prone to corrosion around there and often has it worse behind the panel. The anti-corrosion warranty is excellent but only if the car has a full and correct MB warranty. My CL is due to be fixed for free soon but it can only be done at a small number of specialists (in my case Nottingham or Birmingham) and it is a pain getting it dealt with. The car will be away for something like 4 weeks ....
That said, I still love them and won't be selling mine for a long time. I reckon these could be future classics if they keep going that long ... and as I said, the CL is a rare car in the UK.
Hope that helps!
Echo the above - I have an 03 CL 55 K AMG
My advice would be when it's in park rev it gently - if there is any kind of vibration then knock them down a good 1K.
I've just had 10 hours work done on mine to solve the above - new engine mounts and transmission mounts + a new IC pump (no IC pump on the V12 I think?). It has transformed the car but for such a minor vibration it's mind boggingly expensive to put right. Something like 8 hours in the MB workshop manual as it involves dismantling most of the exhaust system.
Check the tyre fitment too - some of the cars I looked at had dunlop sportmax types but not the MO (mercedes) fitment - they had the slightly cheaper JO (jaguar) fitment. Could be an indication of skimping elsewhere.
Mine didn't come with a full MB SH (price reflected), the last stamp being from an independent, but MB are looking in to a corrosion claim. They say it's unlikely to get the nod but worth a go - if they can't sort it it's going to cost me 500 to get it done myself. (Extremely minior corrossion on the rear section of the roof near the filler cap)
Make sure everything works - seats, parking sensors, soft closure, command, phone blah blah blah. Especially make sure the suspension raises all round when you press the dash button. (Take a tape measure and check it at each corner). Also check the ABC fluid - there's a link on the MBworld forum somewhere about the location of the dipstick and what the levels should be. The advice given to me from a few trusted sources was if the consitency isn't like warm goldensyrup, if it has a 'funny burnt smell' or is off colour/has bits in it then run for the hills taking your checque book with you. Those things indicate the sytem could be getting sludged up and might end up needing some costly bits. ABC Pump is something like 900-1000, shocks are about 700-900, valve block is about 900.
Check the windows for delamination - the double glass can start to discolour along the leading edge.
There have been a few recalls on the ABC hoses so make sure it's had that work done.
I love my CL 55 K AMG, it seems pretty rare, it's a real occassion just going out in it but doesn't attact attention like the tivver does and I've not seen another when I've been out and about. It's got buckets of torque and can shame most cars. It seats 4 and has a massive boot but access to the rear seats can be tricky.
I would say however it was a 100K car when new - if things go wrong it'll either be a few quid or heart stoppingly expensive - there doesn't seem to be much middle ground at all.
The only other niggle I've had is an over sensative sensor on the ABC system. My rear offside shock used to throw a wobbly every now and then but the indy cleaned it all up and it's been as good as gold since.
I get about somewhere near 23 mpg on a sensible cruise up the motorway, if I get a bit heavy footed this drops into the low teens rapidly. Around town it's down around the 10 to 12mpg mark - I think the V12 has VCC (variable cylinder control) which I've heard improved fuel economy on long, steady speed journeys, but if you're buying one of these expect to become friendly with the local petrol station attendents.
What was going to be a quick post turned into a long winded blather (sorry about that)
My advice would be when it's in park rev it gently - if there is any kind of vibration then knock them down a good 1K.
I've just had 10 hours work done on mine to solve the above - new engine mounts and transmission mounts + a new IC pump (no IC pump on the V12 I think?). It has transformed the car but for such a minor vibration it's mind boggingly expensive to put right. Something like 8 hours in the MB workshop manual as it involves dismantling most of the exhaust system.
Check the tyre fitment too - some of the cars I looked at had dunlop sportmax types but not the MO (mercedes) fitment - they had the slightly cheaper JO (jaguar) fitment. Could be an indication of skimping elsewhere.
Mine didn't come with a full MB SH (price reflected), the last stamp being from an independent, but MB are looking in to a corrosion claim. They say it's unlikely to get the nod but worth a go - if they can't sort it it's going to cost me 500 to get it done myself. (Extremely minior corrossion on the rear section of the roof near the filler cap)
Make sure everything works - seats, parking sensors, soft closure, command, phone blah blah blah. Especially make sure the suspension raises all round when you press the dash button. (Take a tape measure and check it at each corner). Also check the ABC fluid - there's a link on the MBworld forum somewhere about the location of the dipstick and what the levels should be. The advice given to me from a few trusted sources was if the consitency isn't like warm goldensyrup, if it has a 'funny burnt smell' or is off colour/has bits in it then run for the hills taking your checque book with you. Those things indicate the sytem could be getting sludged up and might end up needing some costly bits. ABC Pump is something like 900-1000, shocks are about 700-900, valve block is about 900.
Check the windows for delamination - the double glass can start to discolour along the leading edge.
There have been a few recalls on the ABC hoses so make sure it's had that work done.
I love my CL 55 K AMG, it seems pretty rare, it's a real occassion just going out in it but doesn't attact attention like the tivver does and I've not seen another when I've been out and about. It's got buckets of torque and can shame most cars. It seats 4 and has a massive boot but access to the rear seats can be tricky.
I would say however it was a 100K car when new - if things go wrong it'll either be a few quid or heart stoppingly expensive - there doesn't seem to be much middle ground at all.
The only other niggle I've had is an over sensative sensor on the ABC system. My rear offside shock used to throw a wobbly every now and then but the indy cleaned it all up and it's been as good as gold since.
I get about somewhere near 23 mpg on a sensible cruise up the motorway, if I get a bit heavy footed this drops into the low teens rapidly. Around town it's down around the 10 to 12mpg mark - I think the V12 has VCC (variable cylinder control) which I've heard improved fuel economy on long, steady speed journeys, but if you're buying one of these expect to become friendly with the local petrol station attendents.
What was going to be a quick post turned into a long winded blather (sorry about that)
mb450 said:
What was going to be a quick post turned into a long winded blather (sorry about that)
Don't worry about it - very informative (both posts). Alot to look out for and check up on, which I wouldn't have known about. Would really love one of these (I hired an SL55 AMG for my birthday last year) but really don't know if I can take the risk. 
Might have to stick to the old sledgehammer approach to crack a nut approach and buy a Monaro instead - seems a safer bet.
mb450 said:
Echo the above - I have an 03 CL 55 K AMG
Check the tyre fitment too - some of the cars I looked at had dunlop sportmax types but not the MO (mercedes) fitment - they had the slightly cheaper JO (jaguar) fitment. Could be an indication of skimping elsewhere.
Interesting point that. Mine always had Dunlop Sport Maxx (MO) fitted until the last pair of new rears, when the MB dealer couldn't get them anymore.Check the tyre fitment too - some of the cars I looked at had dunlop sportmax types but not the MO (mercedes) fitment - they had the slightly cheaper JO (jaguar) fitment. Could be an indication of skimping elsewhere.
ETA - Just been out and checked the latest tyre fitted (which was last week after a puncture on the M62!) and it is also a non-MO Dunlop Sport Maxx SP 275/35ZR19.
Edited by steve_amv8 on Thursday 12th March 17:14
Yeah I've found that the sportmaxx are one of the options available (quite well reviewed) - I've also been recommended some pirelli rossos - which come in about 20 quid more than the dunlops but have had some good reviews - I'm going to give them a try in the next few days on the rears as I'm getting close to the wear indicators
mb450 said:
Yeah I've found that the sportmaxx are one of the options available (quite well reviewed) - I've also been recommended some pirelli rossos - which come in about 20 quid more than the dunlops but have had some good reviews - I'm going to give them a try in the next few days on the rears as I'm getting close to the wear indicators
Would be interested in knowing how you get on with them.One bad thing about the CL .... when the rear goes flat the rather good suspension makes it hard to notice! Turned out to be a faultly valve and unfortunately the tyre pressure monitor had been disabled! £70 for a new one so that the monitor can be re-enabled.
I said I'd post again once the tyres had been fitted and I've now had a chance to properly use them.
They've been on for about 2 weeks and so far I'm pretty pleased with them so far.
Nice and grippy (although initially they were downright terrifying)
Road noise is slightly higher - but I suspect that was down to the amount of tread left on the old tyres.
Very good in the wet
Break away is pretty progressive I had a go with everything turned off (as much as you can turn it off) and there weren't any massive surprises, the power causes them to spin up as you'd expect but it is quite predictable.
They've been on for about 2 weeks and so far I'm pretty pleased with them so far.
Nice and grippy (although initially they were downright terrifying)
Road noise is slightly higher - but I suspect that was down to the amount of tread left on the old tyres.
Very good in the wet
Break away is pretty progressive I had a go with everything turned off (as much as you can turn it off) and there weren't any massive surprises, the power causes them to spin up as you'd expect but it is quite predictable.
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