Merc CL 500
 

Any of you guys had a CL 500 ?, I really like the looks of them and they seem really good value for money for what you get...£75k + when new.
Im looking at maybe an 02 or 03 and want to spend around £15k but would go up a bit if I needed to.
What are servicing costs like ? and do they have any know problems. obviously they arnt going to be economical being a 5lt V8 but are they expensive to run.
Im well in to my 40's now and want some thing to sooth me on my journeys these days rather than rather than getting me all ruffled up :).

Got a Merc SL55 AMG with F1 pack in the family as of 3 weeks ago and even thats pretty much standard Merc servicing and thats £120k+ new.

One we've got is 04 Reg on 4,800 miles and just paid £1,400 for 2 year extended warrenty. Which is good as the ABC control unit is screwed and thats now being replaced which is very expensive.

Even the tyre pressure sensors are £40 a tyre to tell the onboard computer what PSI each tyre has.

But to be honest outside we've 4 Mercs (A Class, Viano, SL55 and E Class Estate) oldest being 03 Reg and costs don't differ that much on servicing, it's just the replacement parts to worry out like obviously tyres/brakes are going to be a bigger hit.

If your only paying 15k for a CL500 then it has done most of its depreciation.

My old fella currently has an S320 thats 6 years old and had it from new - he's also had an S500 in the past.

dead reliable, but the biggest thing is do not get it serviced from a Merc stealer, My Dad has had loads of trouble with Merc main dealers - one actually thumped him with a bill of 800 quid, and when my dad checked they'd not even done the oil, so he told them to f*** off.

gets his oil and filter done at ATS now but just makes sure they put decent oil in and any work at a local independent - has saved loads.

:lol1: My CLK430 (V8) averaged 11MPG around town.

18 to 20 on a long run at decent motorway speeds. :D

The guy I sit next to in work has a CL55 AMG which he paid £40k-ish for @ 3 years old. He reckons it averages 21mpg somehow. He's had no problems with it but then he's only had it for 6 months.

Nice cars, I don't know if the CL500 has all the same toys as the AMG, but the AMG is nicer than my house inside ;)

Thanks for the replies guys, the MPG doesnt really worry me (to much) but good point about staying away from dealers, im sure there is a local independent who advertise on local radio so ill have to check them out.
Im pretty sure the CL500 has most of the toys the AMG's have but obviously not the engine :(.
My biggest problem is the wife, she hates with a passion any car with wood inside :) bit im sure if I could actually get her to sit in on she will come round..I hope.

Maybe go onto a Merc forum and get a list of local independants, saying that we're super helpful on here:thumb:

with regards to teh wood - cant you get these with a carbon style interior or are these just the AMG versions?

The SL55 AMG we have does on short distance to work and back around 7mpg, long distance 12-15mpg.

My mate just sold his, and when I serviced it for him (I'm an partner in Merc Independant specialist in Glasgow if that is of any use), I managed around 20mpg cruising it gently back and forward to my garage.
The bigger servicing bills are at the 60-70K, when the spark plugs (16 x £7 each and 2.4 hours fitting), and the fuel filter (£75 and 0.8 hours fitting) occur. Brakes cost a lot less than the AMG versions as well, and tyres are around £150 to £180 a corner on the 18" rims for decent rubber. There isn't anything that is a definitive part that continually brakes, but that doesn't mean that nothing ever breaks on them.
Fabulous big cars though, and a damn nice way to travel motorway distances.