CLS55 AMG......ownership experiences?
Discussion
It's that time again, where I feel the urge to change car...
Currently have a 57 reg 535d with the mandatory remap....goes very well, but I'm a bit bored of it, having had a number of various BM diesels.......
Prior to this )
I had a Porsche 997 which I didn't really gel with
Now I'm feeling the need for an AMG of some description......would LOVE a C63, but they are too pricey for me, and I don't really want to spend more thank £20k...
Which brings me to the Merc CLS55 AMG.....
I just wanted to know people's real life experiences of these cars
Also, what is the general vibe...does the CL shape still cut it, or does it look dated (the interior looks very dated but I can live with that I guess?
Or would I be better off with another variant of the AMG brand?
Your thoughts would be much appreciated
Currently have a 57 reg 535d with the mandatory remap....goes very well, but I'm a bit bored of it, having had a number of various BM diesels.......
Prior to this )
I had a Porsche 997 which I didn't really gel with
Now I'm feeling the need for an AMG of some description......would LOVE a C63, but they are too pricey for me, and I don't really want to spend more thank £20k...
Which brings me to the Merc CLS55 AMG.....
I just wanted to know people's real life experiences of these cars
Also, what is the general vibe...does the CL shape still cut it, or does it look dated (the interior looks very dated but I can live with that I guess?
Or would I be better off with another variant of the AMG brand?
Your thoughts would be much appreciated
I'm in the same position...
Sold the 335d....Bought an X5 and realised the boot space (vertical floor space) was garbage so no use for the pram now either looking at a CLS55 or a CLS320 with the AMG KIT.
From looking at the Pistonheads WIKI the '55 gets 20mpg around town which is great...i don’t do many miles.
I'm not too bothered on spec as the AMG's will be of decent spec anyway its just really consumables...and point to look out for im interested in.
I would even consider a high mileage one so long as its been looked after as from my experience low mileage "driven hard" cars tend to be more problematic.
Sold the 335d....Bought an X5 and realised the boot space (vertical floor space) was garbage so no use for the pram now either looking at a CLS55 or a CLS320 with the AMG KIT.
From looking at the Pistonheads WIKI the '55 gets 20mpg around town which is great...i don’t do many miles.
I'm not too bothered on spec as the AMG's will be of decent spec anyway its just really consumables...and point to look out for im interested in.
I would even consider a high mileage one so long as its been looked after as from my experience low mileage "driven hard" cars tend to be more problematic.
gaz1234 said:
turboman786 said:
What makes you say that?....very early 30s!
Is the CLS55 an old man's car?.....
i would say yes, they are! except the black's i wouldnt have one yet.Is the CLS55 an old man's car?.....
I got my E55 AMG when I was 23/24! There's nothing wrong with a car that has a less look at me image and can out drag a 360!
Since the CLS is essentially a rebodied E class, I will give my ownership experience.
You will NOT get 20mpg around town! It is a very thirsty engine.
They will break, and if you don't have a warranty.. ouch!
Otherwise, it was a fantastic engine - the power delivery imo better than on my 997 turbo. Very comfortable. Looks great (imo)
I have had a CLS55 for 18 months, and done about 15k miles.
Apart from a single parktronic sensor, nothing has gone wrong.
Town fuel consumption is horrendous, in heavy London traffic, it's about 10mpg.
On a long and high speed drive to Germany, I have managed about 23mpg.
I absolutely love my CLS.
Phenomenal power, speed, handling, comfort and elegance.
Apart from a single parktronic sensor, nothing has gone wrong.
Town fuel consumption is horrendous, in heavy London traffic, it's about 10mpg.
On a long and high speed drive to Germany, I have managed about 23mpg.
I absolutely love my CLS.
Phenomenal power, speed, handling, comfort and elegance.
Edited by SFO on Friday 4th November 16:59
I've had mine for about 6 months now- I have done around 3k miles in that time as it is my second car.
No problems at all so far, first service next year and I don't expect any nasty surprises, the car has been faultless.
This is my second AMG, the ownership experience has been excellent, 500 bhp, torque at 516 lbs/ft as you can imagine the acceleration is truly brutal. 0-60 in around 4.5 seconds, you can really feel the power of that big supercharged V8 when going from around 30 to 70-75...amazing!
Over 70 mph the cls 63 amg is the marginaly faster car but the 55 just has so much torque especially at low revs it is a lot more fun to drive.
Performance aside, the cls to me is one of the most stylish and best looking cars mercedes have made in many years, the original shape is so elegant and sleek there are not many cars that look better, certainly not for the same budget and not with the same performance.
Previously I had a clk 55 amg and the cls is on another level.
I paid 19k for my car, which was under 60k miles when I purchased it with a top spec- tv, keyless go, keyless entry, bluetooth, dvd function, massage/dynamic/heated/cooled seats, 19" alloy upgrade and in the right colour- obsidian black mettalic.
The only thing to look out for would be electrical gremlins as the engine is pretty much bullet proof. If your looking at one check that everything works, don't skip even the obvious things as they can be expensive. My car had a previous problem with the electrics on the drivers seat, cost £1200 to fix at mercedes so they can suffer from electrical faults which are not cheap to fix and can often only be fixed by mercedes.
Fuel economy is good for this type of car- in sports mode I get around 12-14mpg around town when driving sensibly, more enthusiastic driving will see that fall of course. Motorway 22-24mpg when cruising at around 75-80, less if your in a hurry.
I would recommend the cls 55 amg to absolutely anyone, brilliant car and one of the genuine bargains at the moment. Plenty of choice out there for anyne looking, there's no reason why you can't find a good car for around 18k-19k, possibly even less.
No problems at all so far, first service next year and I don't expect any nasty surprises, the car has been faultless.
This is my second AMG, the ownership experience has been excellent, 500 bhp, torque at 516 lbs/ft as you can imagine the acceleration is truly brutal. 0-60 in around 4.5 seconds, you can really feel the power of that big supercharged V8 when going from around 30 to 70-75...amazing!
Over 70 mph the cls 63 amg is the marginaly faster car but the 55 just has so much torque especially at low revs it is a lot more fun to drive.
Performance aside, the cls to me is one of the most stylish and best looking cars mercedes have made in many years, the original shape is so elegant and sleek there are not many cars that look better, certainly not for the same budget and not with the same performance.
Previously I had a clk 55 amg and the cls is on another level.
I paid 19k for my car, which was under 60k miles when I purchased it with a top spec- tv, keyless go, keyless entry, bluetooth, dvd function, massage/dynamic/heated/cooled seats, 19" alloy upgrade and in the right colour- obsidian black mettalic.
The only thing to look out for would be electrical gremlins as the engine is pretty much bullet proof. If your looking at one check that everything works, don't skip even the obvious things as they can be expensive. My car had a previous problem with the electrics on the drivers seat, cost £1200 to fix at mercedes so they can suffer from electrical faults which are not cheap to fix and can often only be fixed by mercedes.
Fuel economy is good for this type of car- in sports mode I get around 12-14mpg around town when driving sensibly, more enthusiastic driving will see that fall of course. Motorway 22-24mpg when cruising at around 75-80, less if your in a hurry.
I would recommend the cls 55 amg to absolutely anyone, brilliant car and one of the genuine bargains at the moment. Plenty of choice out there for anyne looking, there's no reason why you can't find a good car for around 18k-19k, possibly even less.
Edited by Chad_Hugo on Monday 14th November 19:55
What is it that makes you bored of the 535d? Plus someone said they changed from a 335d.
These modern diesels remapped look to have huge pace and of course much, much better MPG thrown in.
Yet the thing that puts me off is missing the sound of a quick car with something like a V8 which I had in my S4 Avant. Is this the reason you end up changing back?
I am very tempted by a 2003/4 E55 AMG which I would then mod with removing the secondary cat and resonator. I have listened to some youtube clips and the sound is unreal like thunder.
Cheers,
Ant
These modern diesels remapped look to have huge pace and of course much, much better MPG thrown in.
Yet the thing that puts me off is missing the sound of a quick car with something like a V8 which I had in my S4 Avant. Is this the reason you end up changing back?
I am very tempted by a 2003/4 E55 AMG which I would then mod with removing the secondary cat and resonator. I have listened to some youtube clips and the sound is unreal like thunder.
Cheers,
Ant
ak47mh said:
What is it that makes you bored of the 535d? Plus someone said they changed from a 335d.
These modern diesels remapped look to have huge pace and of course much, much better MPG thrown in.
Yet the thing that puts me off is missing the sound of a quick car with something like a V8 which I had in my S4 Avant. Is this the reason you end up changing back?
I am very tempted by a 2003/4 E55 AMG which I would then mod with removing the secondary cat and resonator. I have listened to some youtube clips and the sound is unreal like thunder.
Cheers,
Ant
Having owned both of the cars you mention, I thought I'd share my thoughts.These modern diesels remapped look to have huge pace and of course much, much better MPG thrown in.
Yet the thing that puts me off is missing the sound of a quick car with something like a V8 which I had in my S4 Avant. Is this the reason you end up changing back?
I am very tempted by a 2003/4 E55 AMG which I would then mod with removing the secondary cat and resonator. I have listened to some youtube clips and the sound is unreal like thunder.
Cheers,
Ant
The E55 is on a different league for performance.
People (rightly IMO) often say that a remapped 535d is as quick as an M5 in many everyday situations because of the low down torque.
Well the E55 steps up from the 535d by a massive margin. The low down grunt is unreal. It gets off the line (if you can avoid spin) like nothing else - the only time I can say I've felt that same acceleration is in my 997 turbo when I boost brake!
If you want a car that is very quick most of the time, the 535d with a remap is the way to go. My pre LCI car (2006) averaged 27mpg over about 15k miles - about 75% motorway driving.
The E55 is just on a different level of performance. It however, if my memory serves me correct, averaged about 16mpg. This was however at the time 75% stop-start around town driving.
On the other hand - the E55 will cost a fortune to run compared to the 535d. Mine spent a lot of time back at the main dealers - thank god I had a warranty.
The 535d on the other hand, although I only had it for a year, was faultless.
The 535d will also easily out handle the E55 - the big Merc doesn't like corners! This is certainly an area that the BMW has Merc over a barrel.
The interior is (IMO) better in the Merc - a nicer place to spend a lot of time. The BMW is by no means unpleasant though.
The AMG doesn't come with COMAND and Sat nav as standard, whereas the BMW comes with I drive, and most 535d's that I saw had sat nav.
The standard sound system in both is terrible, worse in the BMW.
The noise on the E55 is very muted as standard, a muffler delete is a must!
The noise on the 535d isn't diesel like at all though, it has a nice smooth 6 cylinder sound.
Sorry for the random points I've compared, I just tried to thing of things that might be useful to compare!
vinnie83 said:
Having owned both of the cars you mention, I thought I'd share my thoughts.
The E55 is on a different league for performance.
People (rightly IMO) often say that a remapped 535d is as quick as an M5 in many everyday situations because of the low down torque.
Well the E55 steps up from the 535d by a massive margin. The low down grunt is unreal. It gets off the line (if you can avoid spin) like nothing else - the only time I can say I've felt that same acceleration is in my 997 turbo when I boost brake!
If you want a car that is very quick most of the time, the 535d with a remap is the way to go. My pre LCI car (2006) averaged 27mpg over about 15k miles - about 75% motorway driving.
The E55 is just on a different level of performance. It however, if my memory serves me correct, averaged about 16mpg. This was however at the time 75% stop-start around town driving.
On the other hand - the E55 will cost a fortune to run compared to the 535d. Mine spent a lot of time back at the main dealers - thank god I had a warranty.
The 535d on the other hand, although I only had it for a year, was faultless.
The 535d will also easily out handle the E55 - the big Merc doesn't like corners! This is certainly an area that the BMW has Merc over a barrel.
The interior is (IMO) better in the Merc - a nicer place to spend a lot of time. The BMW is by no means unpleasant though.
The AMG doesn't come with COMAND and Sat nav as standard, whereas the BMW comes with I drive, and most 535d's that I saw had sat nav.
The standard sound system in both is terrible, worse in the BMW.
The noise on the E55 is very muted as standard, a muffler delete is a must!
The noise on the 535d isn't diesel like at all though, it has a nice smooth 6 cylinder sound.
Sorry for the random points I've compared, I just tried to thing of things that might be useful to compare!
Excellent post Vinnie83, very useful information. What you say about the handling is very interesting, if not surprising from what I have read. Is it really just a big point and squirt machine? I have always hankered after an E60 M5 and I can see these coming down in price everyday, but the running costs seem much higher than the E55 with things to go wrong.The E55 is on a different league for performance.
People (rightly IMO) often say that a remapped 535d is as quick as an M5 in many everyday situations because of the low down torque.
Well the E55 steps up from the 535d by a massive margin. The low down grunt is unreal. It gets off the line (if you can avoid spin) like nothing else - the only time I can say I've felt that same acceleration is in my 997 turbo when I boost brake!
If you want a car that is very quick most of the time, the 535d with a remap is the way to go. My pre LCI car (2006) averaged 27mpg over about 15k miles - about 75% motorway driving.
The E55 is just on a different level of performance. It however, if my memory serves me correct, averaged about 16mpg. This was however at the time 75% stop-start around town driving.
On the other hand - the E55 will cost a fortune to run compared to the 535d. Mine spent a lot of time back at the main dealers - thank god I had a warranty.
The 535d on the other hand, although I only had it for a year, was faultless.
The 535d will also easily out handle the E55 - the big Merc doesn't like corners! This is certainly an area that the BMW has Merc over a barrel.
The interior is (IMO) better in the Merc - a nicer place to spend a lot of time. The BMW is by no means unpleasant though.
The AMG doesn't come with COMAND and Sat nav as standard, whereas the BMW comes with I drive, and most 535d's that I saw had sat nav.
The standard sound system in both is terrible, worse in the BMW.
The noise on the E55 is very muted as standard, a muffler delete is a must!
The noise on the 535d isn't diesel like at all though, it has a nice smooth 6 cylinder sound.
Sorry for the random points I've compared, I just tried to thing of things that might be useful to compare!
A CLS has wider tracks front and rear, and is lower too .. so lower center of gravity as well.
In Sport II, it's pretty agile and handles really very well.
My CLS55 is nearly 6 years old, it has done 26k miles. I have had it from Mar 10, done 16k miles, and in that time, nothing (apart from a parktronic sensor) has gone wrong.
In Sport II, it's pretty agile and handles really very well.
My CLS55 is nearly 6 years old, it has done 26k miles. I have had it from Mar 10, done 16k miles, and in that time, nothing (apart from a parktronic sensor) has gone wrong.
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