2007 Mercedes CLS63
Discussion
I had a thread for this car quite some time back, it was in storage and recently moved location.
I bought this back in 2014 from a friend's father in law. I was in the market for a large luxury car with a big engine. I'd had hot hatches up to this point, I was early 30s and couldn't believe the price for one of these. Admittedly I toyed with the idea of an E39 M5 which would have been a better investment financially but even for the £21k I paid for this, I'd have been looking at higher mileages in the form of the M5, so I don't regret the decision.
My friend was also a professional car detailer so it was immaculate inside and out, still has yet to tick over 18k as well. The depreciation per mile was certainly handy for me!
It has recently been moved to a new storage facility which is pretty amazing, underfloor heating, lifts to the first floor, ten minutes drive from my new house and some incredible cars. Mine is small fry by comparison!
Don't worry I have the OEM mats too...
Steering wheel was apparently quite a rare option.
Obviously this is the best bit really. that 6.2 V8! Sounds more subtle in the CLS than the C class but still manages to turn heads.
I bought this back in 2014 from a friend's father in law. I was in the market for a large luxury car with a big engine. I'd had hot hatches up to this point, I was early 30s and couldn't believe the price for one of these. Admittedly I toyed with the idea of an E39 M5 which would have been a better investment financially but even for the £21k I paid for this, I'd have been looking at higher mileages in the form of the M5, so I don't regret the decision.
My friend was also a professional car detailer so it was immaculate inside and out, still has yet to tick over 18k as well. The depreciation per mile was certainly handy for me!
It has recently been moved to a new storage facility which is pretty amazing, underfloor heating, lifts to the first floor, ten minutes drive from my new house and some incredible cars. Mine is small fry by comparison!
Don't worry I have the OEM mats too...
Steering wheel was apparently quite a rare option.
Obviously this is the best bit really. that 6.2 V8! Sounds more subtle in the CLS than the C class but still manages to turn heads.
That is a great looking thing. Congratulations!
Somehow I feel much more attached to car shapes from when I was a teenager/young adult (like yours) than to the more recent ones - not sure if its my eyes or its just me being reminded of my younger years and feeling good about it.
A duo that i really liked at that time was the CLS and the 6 series - different horses for different courses but still often compared as the CL was at another level compared to the 6er.
Somehow I feel much more attached to car shapes from when I was a teenager/young adult (like yours) than to the more recent ones - not sure if its my eyes or its just me being reminded of my younger years and feeling good about it.
A duo that i really liked at that time was the CLS and the 6 series - different horses for different courses but still often compared as the CL was at another level compared to the 6er.
Nuno AD said:
That is a great looking thing. Congratulations!
Somehow I feel much more attached to car shapes from when I was a teenager/young adult (like yours) than to the more recent ones - not sure if its my eyes or its just me being reminded of my younger years and feeling good about it.
A duo that i really liked at that time was the CLS and the 6 series - different horses for different courses but still often compared as the CL was at another level compared to the 6er.
I'm like you too, I have a soft spot for cars from 2002-2010. Re-watching episodes of Top Gear from that era and seeing the Clio 182 (I had a 172 at the time) and the shootout between the 6 series, 911 and Aston (the small one haha) etc. All cars which were interesting and exciting. There are cars that interest me today but if someone said he's £100k, go buy a car from the last 5 years, there's not many I'd jump for. Somehow I feel much more attached to car shapes from when I was a teenager/young adult (like yours) than to the more recent ones - not sure if its my eyes or its just me being reminded of my younger years and feeling good about it.
A duo that i really liked at that time was the CLS and the 6 series - different horses for different courses but still often compared as the CL was at another level compared to the 6er.
Before the CLS I started by looking at the M6 from this era too. It was the SMG gearbox that troubled me, then the manual M5 and eventually the CLS.
I wouldn't object to selling my Saab 9-3 convertible for a convertible 6 series!
Mercdriver said:
Beautiful looking car, but you will realise I am biased 
I think car has air suspension rather than the dreaded ABC?
Nothing wrong with being biased haha. I think car has air suspension rather than the dreaded ABC?
This one does have the airmatic, same as my old E Class had. I never had any issues with it to be honest. I have ABC in my CL though and for ride and it's handling, it's hugely impressive. The costs to fix it can also be equally, 'impressive'.
salmanorguk said:
I’m equal parts enthralled and baffled with your purchasing system of buying excellent cars and then immediately forgetting you own them 
This is another great purchase - hope it’s a good ownership experience and looking forward to updates!
I'm pretty baffed myself. I know what I do though, I move the goalposts. I go, 'I'm going to buy that and use it for X'. Then change my mind. So this was going to be a 'family/daily car'. Foolishly I bought the nicest, lowest mileage one around and couldn't bring myself to throw car seat and pushchairs in it, so bought a Saab estate then the E Class. But then I didn't want to get rid of the CLS. I'll probably end up one of those people who has a yard full of broken cars and a house with room for just a small bed where the rest is full of stuff haha This is another great purchase - hope it’s a good ownership experience and looking forward to updates!
covmutley said:
In the words of that lady from Bristol, 'another one???'
Love the car op, think this shape of cls was the best. I was starting to doub that, as you obviously see increasingly tatty ones around with fogged up headlights etc, but yours looks great.
It's funny you say that, even I can agree you see an older CLS, scruffy wheels, bad tints, foggy headlights and they look tired. But when they're kept nicely and look as close to new as possible, the shape is fresh. The AMG styling helps sharpen these up a bit too with the bumpers and wing. Love the car op, think this shape of cls was the best. I was starting to doub that, as you obviously see increasingly tatty ones around with fogged up headlights etc, but yours looks great.
I am probably biased but this shape CLS looked special at the time, the later models are lovely cars and look very smart but I'm not convinced they were as unique looking. Perhaps they played it too safe with the later ones.
Quote “ This one does have the airmatic, same as my old E Class had. I never had any issues with it to be honest. I have ABC in my CL though and for ride and it's handling, it's hugely impressive. The costs to fix it can also be equally, 'impressive'.
Oh tell me about it, mine was low mileage and loved it to bits just unreliable due to ABC and broke down once too often. Struggled to get a mechanic to repair it , low mileage I do did not help the cars need to be driven regularly.
Broke my heart to sell it but wallet rules!
Oh tell me about it, mine was low mileage and loved it to bits just unreliable due to ABC and broke down once too often. Struggled to get a mechanic to repair it , low mileage I do did not help the cars need to be driven regularly.
Broke my heart to sell it but wallet rules!
d_a_n1979 said:
Wow; that's stunning 
I get the wanting of an E39 M5 - but I reckon you've made the right choice in the CLS
It's hell of an engine and sound too!
I get the wanting of an E39 M5 - but I reckon you've made the right choice in the CLS
It's hell of an engine and sound too!
theicemario said:
Very nice. Quite like the look of that steering wheel, it’s got a racecar vibe to it
I think financially it was the wrong choice as the E39 M5s have continued to increase in value. But, I still prefer this car, I think it's prettier and as you say the engine is an epic thing. I suppose it's still worth what I paid for it assuming you find someone who wants a low mileage example. I've always fancied driving a CLS55 to see how they compare. I know that engine is more easily tuned for huge power.
Mercdriver said:
Quote “ This one does have the airmatic, same as my old E Class had. I never had any issues with it to be honest. I have ABC in my CL though and for ride and it's handling, it's hugely impressive. The costs to fix it can also be equally, 'impressive'.
Oh tell me about it, mine was low mileage and loved it to bits just unreliable due to ABC and broke down once too often. Struggled to get a mechanic to repair it , low mileage I do did not help the cars need to be driven regularly.
Broke my heart to sell it but wallet rules!
Was that on a CLS as well? I'm aware the ABC set up should be serviced by a specialist which seems to be a little known secret and I don't believe something within the service schedule. I was meaning to get mine done as there's no way it was prior to me getting my CL. Oh tell me about it, mine was low mileage and loved it to bits just unreliable due to ABC and broke down once too often. Struggled to get a mechanic to repair it , low mileage I do did not help the cars need to be driven regularly.
Broke my heart to sell it but wallet rules!
Finding a specialist who'll do everything on a car like these is the trick. I've moved to a totally new area and not yet acquainted with the nearest Merc specialist.
Alex_225 said:
d_a_n1979 said:
Wow; that's stunning
I get the wanting of an E39 M5 - but I reckon you've made the right choice in the CLS
It's hell of an engine and sound too!
I get the wanting of an E39 M5 - but I reckon you've made the right choice in the CLS
It's hell of an engine and sound too!
theicemario said:
Very nice. Quite like the look of that steering wheel, it’s got a racecar vibe to it
I think financially it was the wrong choice as the E39 M5s have continued to increase in value. But, I still prefer this car, I think it's prettier and as you say the engine is an epic thing. I suppose it's still worth what I paid for it assuming you find someone who wants a low mileage example. I've always fancied driving a CLS55 to see how they compare. I know that engine is more easily tuned for huge power.
I love the E39s; having had 4 inc 2 Japanese imports; if I had room/time/inclination for a 2nd car, I'd have kept my 540i Sport and bought the F31 as well..
But they are showing their age now; the M5 is the pinnacle absolutely...
d_a_n1979 said:
The issue with E39s now (any of them, more so UK cars) is you'll be chasing your tail re rust etc and once you get it sorted, properly (which can be an investment in itself); you'll always have it at the back of your mind that it'll come back and cost more to fix, again & again etc...
I love the E39s; having had 4 inc 2 Japanese imports; if I had room/time/inclination for a 2nd car, I'd have kept my 540i Sport and bought the F31 as well..
But they are showing their age now; the M5 is the pinnacle absolutely...
That's a very good point. They are of a generation prior to this era of Mercedes, a late 90s car not mid/late 00s like the CLS so prone to rust. I had a 2002 E Class which had a slight bubble appearing on the inner lip of the arches. The CLS models don't tend to suffer in the same way, despite being as early as 2005. I love the E39s; having had 4 inc 2 Japanese imports; if I had room/time/inclination for a 2nd car, I'd have kept my 540i Sport and bought the F31 as well..
But they are showing their age now; the M5 is the pinnacle absolutely...
Finding a specialist who'll do everything on a car like these is the trick. I've moved to a totally new area and not yet acquainted with the nearest Merc specialist.
They can be reliable if serviced regularly and the filter and oil changed, German company supply most parts including a magnetic filter which you insert on the return line under the bonnet. The death knell for these is if the pump runs dry metal swarf is pumped around the system, valve blocks shock absorbers etc
I just did not do enough miles and rear pipe rusted through at the bleed nipple.
They can be reliable if serviced regularly and the filter and oil changed, German company supply most parts including a magnetic filter which you insert on the return line under the bonnet. The death knell for these is if the pump runs dry metal swarf is pumped around the system, valve blocks shock absorbers etc
I just did not do enough miles and rear pipe rusted through at the bleed nipple.
That's lovely. I sat in a 55 version when I bought a C350 a decade or so ago and the interior was very nice indeed with lovely leather. Silver is a great colour for a Merc as well - it's obviously marque appropriate but it's simply a much nicer shade of silver than BMW or Audi used.
I thought the CLS63 always came on the later diamond cut alloys with slightly sharper-looking thinner spokes. I prefer the wheels on yours though.
I thought the CLS63 always came on the later diamond cut alloys with slightly sharper-looking thinner spokes. I prefer the wheels on yours though.
Mercdriver said:
Finding a specialist who'll do everything on a car like these is the trick. I've moved to a totally new area and not yet acquainted with the nearest Merc specialist.
They can be reliable if serviced regularly and the filter and oil changed, German company supply most parts including a magnetic filter which you insert on the return line under the bonnet. The death knell for these is if the pump runs dry metal swarf is pumped around the system, valve blocks shock absorbers etc
I just did not do enough miles and rear pipe rusted through at the bleed nipple.
I'll keep that in mind, I don't do a lot of driving either but will arrange a service on the ABC in the new year, especially after this info hahaThey can be reliable if serviced regularly and the filter and oil changed, German company supply most parts including a magnetic filter which you insert on the return line under the bonnet. The death knell for these is if the pump runs dry metal swarf is pumped around the system, valve blocks shock absorbers etc
I just did not do enough miles and rear pipe rusted through at the bleed nipple.
Jobbo said:
That's lovely. I sat in a 55 version when I bought a C350 a decade or so ago and the interior was very nice indeed with lovely leather. Silver is a great colour for a Merc as well - it's obviously marque appropriate but it's simply a much nicer shade of silver than BMW or Audi used.
I thought the CLS63 always came on the later diamond cut alloys with slightly sharper-looking thinner spokes. I prefer the wheels on yours though.
The interior is a nice enough place to be, obviously the tech dates it but it's not unpleasant. Seats across the CLS range were always very good. I thought the CLS63 always came on the later diamond cut alloys with slightly sharper-looking thinner spokes. I prefer the wheels on yours though.
As for the wheels, I'm not sure what the options were new. I think I know the wheels you mean, they're multi spoke ones. I'm guessing these were an option and like you I'm a fan of them. Nice and simple with a cool dish on the rears.
Alex_225 said:
d_a_n1979 said:
The issue with E39s now (any of them, more so UK cars) is you'll be chasing your tail re rust etc and once you get it sorted, properly (which can be an investment in itself); you'll always have it at the back of your mind that it'll come back and cost more to fix, again & again etc...
I love the E39s; having had 4 inc 2 Japanese imports; if I had room/time/inclination for a 2nd car, I'd have kept my 540i Sport and bought the F31 as well..
But they are showing their age now; the M5 is the pinnacle absolutely...
That's a very good point. They are of a generation prior to this era of Mercedes, a late 90s car not mid/late 00s like the CLS so prone to rust. I had a 2002 E Class which had a slight bubble appearing on the inner lip of the arches. The CLS models don't tend to suffer in the same way, despite being as early as 2005. I love the E39s; having had 4 inc 2 Japanese imports; if I had room/time/inclination for a 2nd car, I'd have kept my 540i Sport and bought the F31 as well..
But they are showing their age now; the M5 is the pinnacle absolutely...
Thing is they were shocking when new; but have grown better with age. Whereas the E39 was fantastic from word dot!
Alex_225 said:
As for the wheels, I'm not sure what the options were new. I think I know the wheels you mean, they're multi spoke ones. I'm guessing these were an option and like you I'm a fan of them. Nice and simple with a cool dish on the rears.
These are the ones I was thinking of - though I've found other designs on CLS63s when googling:
They're nice enough but neither as cool or brutish as yours.
Aah yeah I know those ones. I'm not sure what these came with by default and what were options as there's a few different ones.
I know the 55s often seem to have those split five spoke ones with the slight dish on them which are quite cool. Wouldn't surprise me if the wheel options varied on what year it was too.
I know the 55s often seem to have those split five spoke ones with the slight dish on them which are quite cool. Wouldn't surprise me if the wheel options varied on what year it was too.
Lovely looking CLS, as mentioned when you see one that looks OEM/totally standard they are still a great-looking car.
Closest I have gotten so far was a 2004 E55K wagon, interesting thing to drive and one hell of an engine. I found a small spot of rust around the numberplate aperture on the bootlid, upon taking this to a bodyshop to get fixed I was rather surprised to find little to nothing in the way of coating on the inside of the bootlid, no wonder some of them rusted to bits..
As you say with the steering wheel and alcantara on the shoulders of the seats it looks like the car has some sort of performance pack option or something, cool old bus
Closest I have gotten so far was a 2004 E55K wagon, interesting thing to drive and one hell of an engine. I found a small spot of rust around the numberplate aperture on the bootlid, upon taking this to a bodyshop to get fixed I was rather surprised to find little to nothing in the way of coating on the inside of the bootlid, no wonder some of them rusted to bits..
As you say with the steering wheel and alcantara on the shoulders of the seats it looks like the car has some sort of performance pack option or something, cool old bus
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