A Mercedes CL500 (C140)?
Discussion
Hi - I have asked on the General Gassing forum as well for a wider audience, but you lot will be more knowledgeable,
At long last, I think it's time for the old XJ to go. My conundrum has always been what to replace it with. It has always been phenomenally reliable, very comfortable, surprisingly able on the twisty bits and capable (just) of fitting four adults on the rare occasion I need to. I have an S2K for fun, so this is the motorway muncher, or the car I use if I need to move objects bigger than a rucksack (though the X300 boot isn't exactly capacious either).
I'm happy to spend money on maintaining the car to a high standard, so long as that isn't ruinously expensive to do, but I'm less than keen to fork out a lot of money on buying something I'll use once or twice a week (I walk to work) and will then fill with crap from the garden centre. So I don't intend to spend more than about £4,000. For that, I need:
- A decent amount of reliability (a car which is "temperamental" would royally piss me off)
- The ability to fit four adults on occasion (i.e. three passengers)
- The ability to fit suitcases / other crap (I can borrow a friend's van or employ someone if I need to move furniture)
- Reasonably fun to drive - I like a barge, but I don't want to get seasick when I drive "energetically".
- A good looking car (the debate about whether the C140 is good looking will never be settled - I like it).
So I'm looking at a late C140 CL 500 from the very end of the production run in (what appears to be) very good condition. For the money I could get an early W215 at the bottom of the price range, but I understand that they are prone to problems, rust, and general headaches.
What I need to know is:
- Are there any specific problems I should be looking out for when I go to view?
- Will it meet my requirements?
If no, what else do you suggest?
Thanks for your help!!
At long last, I think it's time for the old XJ to go. My conundrum has always been what to replace it with. It has always been phenomenally reliable, very comfortable, surprisingly able on the twisty bits and capable (just) of fitting four adults on the rare occasion I need to. I have an S2K for fun, so this is the motorway muncher, or the car I use if I need to move objects bigger than a rucksack (though the X300 boot isn't exactly capacious either).
I'm happy to spend money on maintaining the car to a high standard, so long as that isn't ruinously expensive to do, but I'm less than keen to fork out a lot of money on buying something I'll use once or twice a week (I walk to work) and will then fill with crap from the garden centre. So I don't intend to spend more than about £4,000. For that, I need:
- A decent amount of reliability (a car which is "temperamental" would royally piss me off)
- The ability to fit four adults on occasion (i.e. three passengers)
- The ability to fit suitcases / other crap (I can borrow a friend's van or employ someone if I need to move furniture)
- Reasonably fun to drive - I like a barge, but I don't want to get seasick when I drive "energetically".
- A good looking car (the debate about whether the C140 is good looking will never be settled - I like it).
So I'm looking at a late C140 CL 500 from the very end of the production run in (what appears to be) very good condition. For the money I could get an early W215 at the bottom of the price range, but I understand that they are prone to problems, rust, and general headaches.
What I need to know is:
- Are there any specific problems I should be looking out for when I go to view?
- Will it meet my requirements?
If no, what else do you suggest?
Thanks for your help!!
Lord West said:
I think R129SL did a bit of an overview on these a few weeks back in answer to a similar query. Very informative. The basic advise is as ever to buy the best you can. I'll have a look for the thread (I'm pretty sure it was about the CL).
Thanks - I've read the thread (and then forgot it was here!) but wanted more specifics on whether it would do what I wanted, and whether there were any specifics to look out for. It seems that electrics are the big bugbear of these, as with any big complex car.I think just about everyone recognises that these cars are phenomenally under-rated. They offer old-school Mercedes build quality and thoughtful design with modern handling systems and chassis. Moreover, whereas once upon a time they were considered rather brash and vulgar, time has been extremely kind to them and, by comparison with today's over-styled monstrosities, they are fine and well-proportioned. But, as you point out, taste will always be a matter of taste.
They seat four in comfort but not five.
They have very large boots.
They are reliable (and herein is their downfall: see below).
And while they are no Lotus Elise, they can pick up their skirts and hustle, instilling their driver with confidence when pressing on. In this respect, they are like all Mercs of that era: apparently staid but in reality rather good at going. The 420 is not very fast.
They are too reliable. Too many have suffered neglect whereby owners have exploited build quality to skimp on maintenance. It's the automotive equivalent of spending your capital on champagne while the roof slowly falls in. If you can find one that has been maintained rather than merely serviced, whose needs have been anticipated and pre-emptively tackled rather than reactively bodged, then I am sure it will prove extraordinarily satisfying over the next 20 years. The best signs are (1) premium tyres, (2) entirely stock everything and (3) evidence of recent (i.e in the last 5 years) replacement of all rear suspension bushes/arms for no particular reason other than it is a good thing to do every decade.
They also thrive on use.
If I could justify it, I would buy Kevin James's 150,000mile S600 coupe currently on Ebay at £3,200.
They seat four in comfort but not five.
They have very large boots.
They are reliable (and herein is their downfall: see below).
And while they are no Lotus Elise, they can pick up their skirts and hustle, instilling their driver with confidence when pressing on. In this respect, they are like all Mercs of that era: apparently staid but in reality rather good at going. The 420 is not very fast.
They are too reliable. Too many have suffered neglect whereby owners have exploited build quality to skimp on maintenance. It's the automotive equivalent of spending your capital on champagne while the roof slowly falls in. If you can find one that has been maintained rather than merely serviced, whose needs have been anticipated and pre-emptively tackled rather than reactively bodged, then I am sure it will prove extraordinarily satisfying over the next 20 years. The best signs are (1) premium tyres, (2) entirely stock everything and (3) evidence of recent (i.e in the last 5 years) replacement of all rear suspension bushes/arms for no particular reason other than it is a good thing to do every decade.
They also thrive on use.
If I could justify it, I would buy Kevin James's 150,000mile S600 coupe currently on Ebay at £3,200.
Well thanks for the help everyone. In the end, I couldn't find a decent 500 in budget. I tried a 420, and, to be honest, its performance is more than adequate, and I loved the car, so I bought it. I would have loved a 500, but every single one for less than the price of a W215 needed some work or other. To be honest, so did every 420.
What I bought isn't perfect, but rust is minimal (tiny bit in the arches and a couple of microscopic bubbles), and the evaporator isn't leaking!!
What I bought isn't perfect, but rust is minimal (tiny bit in the arches and a couple of microscopic bubbles), and the evaporator isn't leaking!!
Edited by Dominicc01 on Saturday 19th May 12:04
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