Monday 4th May 2015

Mercedes Benz C55 AMG: PH Carpool

How to replace a V8 sports car and family estate in one hit? This PHer has one suggestion!

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Name: Andy Cuerel
Car: 2004 Mercedes C55 AMG Estate
Owned since: August 2012
Previously owned: TVR Chimaera 400; Jaguar X-Type 2.0d estate; Audi A6 1.9TDI estate; Subaru Impreza 2.0 Turbo

Why I bought it:

Very discreet looks appealed to Andy

"The short answer is I almost didn't, having set my heart on an Audi S4 of similar vintage as a two-into-one replacement for an X-Type estate and our much loved but increasingly unreliable Chimaera. Buying the C55 was a result of one of those 'I wonder' moments when browsing the ads - it was being sold by a dealer whose primary business was building day-vans and was pitched quite openly as a p/ex to clear. I admit it doesn't sound a tempting description for an uberwagen, but close inspection revealed an honest and unmolested car from which followed a test drive. Wow! The mid-range torque of the AMG made the Audi feel anaemic by comparison. Returning to the showroom I considered the pros and cons of the car carefully... for about three seconds! I negotiated a warranty within the asking price of £10K and then drove it home - job done!"

What I wished I'd known:
"Quite how rare they are, not that it would have put me off - Mercedes sold around 143 examples across three years of which roughly 50 are estates. I've spotted one saloon and one estate in the last two and a half years years - I've seen more Veyrons than that!"

Things I love:
"AMG owners sometimes describe their vehicles as an engine with a car attached and for good reason - the C55 is smaller than a current Mondeo yet packs a 5.4-litre V8 engine! The grin factor derived from burying your foot, dropping two gears and hearing that engine transform from a hum to howl has never waned - what's not to love? Being an AMG it's got suspension and brakes to match and I have enjoyed a number of track days with it, usually as the sole estate car. The latter point highlights another virtue - practicality. For sure it's not a head turner like our old Chimaera or as overtly 'sporty' as an M3, but the reality is my girlfriend and I have a two year-old daughter and a house to renovate so boot space and four doors matter. When someone describes a car as a great all-rounder, it tends to imply a compromise, but the C55 is simply the best car I have ever owned."

Big numbers appear here very quickly!

Things I hate:
"The Comand system is bewildering at times - I am yet to be able to set the clock properly and the car was rightly criticised when new for its fiddly dash buttons. The gearbox, whilst very smooth, has a slow change by modern standards (although you're hardly going to fall off the power!) and the ride quality is very poor over broken surfaces. At worst these are minor irritations, certainly not 'hates'."

Costs:
"Notwithstanding its full service history, the car needed some running repairs when first purchased - gearbox oil seals, suspension ball joints, rear dampers, engine mounting, front discs, tyres and a bunch of other minor issues. I elected to attend to everything at once which made for an expensive couple of months, but if you buy a £50K car for £10K with 75,000 miles on the clock, you do it with your eyes open and I had budgeted for bringing it up to scratch. The upside of sorting everything in one hit has been consistent reliability, 96,000 miles now showing and still in rude health! It's generally a very easy car to look after, I've attended to some of the more routine repairs myself - parts availability is very good and not as expensive as you might imagine for a low volume model. It doesn't have the complexities of its big brother E55 either - conventional coil rather than air suspension for example. Hat tip to Terry of Mercedes specialist Wayne Gates in Wealdstone for looking after the car - very knowledgeable and a pleasure to do business with.

"I guess 'costs' wouldn't be complete without referencing fuel consumption which is 21mpg, the majority of journeys being cross country on A-roads and motorways."

Where I've been:

Hang on, this looks familiar...

"A Goodwood track day in 2013 was a standout trip - fabulous circuit. I also went to Zolder with my TVR chums which is another great circuit, even if I did nearly throw it away at the Kleine Chicane when I tried a couple of laps sans traction control (like many track day enthusiasts I have more car than talent). These in addition to many a Sunday Service, where I think I can lay claim to owning the most un-photographed car ever - it's a bit of a sleeper in that respect but that's fine by me and preferable to our old Impreza which attracted a lot of attention from other drivers, most of it unwanted..."

What next:
"Heart says Kleemann supercharger, but head will settle for removal of the speed limiter and some flat out lunacy at Bruntingthorpe. A track day is also booked for Thruxton in September - more flat out lunacy! Longer term I would love an E63 estate, but until the '07 models fall into our price bracket the C55 is a keeper and a very satisfying one too."

 

[405dogvan]

I love the concept of that car but I always get a bit grumpy when people talk about poor low-speed ride in a car like that - first and foremost you expect waft surely?

OK, it's an engine with some extras thrown-in - 'sporty' model and all - but why would I want an saloon/estate car to over-taut? It's never going to compete with hot-hatches in the corners, how about we give it some waft and just make sure it doesn't fall-over on the way to oversteering like a madman?