New member with CL ownership questions

[Hi RX7]

Hello I would like to introduce myself to the forum. I currently have a Subaru SVX which I really enjoy owning but have been observing the reducing cost of buying a CL and as I always take about a year to move on these things would like to ask your opinion on long term CL ownership. I only do about 5-6000 miles a year but my driving takes me from Portsmouth to Faslane or other long distances from my home base which I try to drive in a couple of days. Having read through a few posts on this forum I have drawn the conclusion that the shock absorbers can give problems and something called the ABC not sure what that is. I intend to use an independant to look after the car and would like to know what the likely costs of replacing these items is.
Also is there a significant difference in the facelift 2003 models over the earlier 2000-1 models and are the genuine AMG models that more expensive to run although I use my modified RX7 for trackdays and general hooning so I'm really not looking for all out perfomance just comfort on long distance runs and I hope it doesn't sound pervy but the cooling masaging seats are an absolute must so do cars come fitted with this as standard or is it an option

 

[Cole@MBS]

Legs are around £1000 a corner, ABC is active body control, prob the worse let down as these are very well built cars!!! a few owners will give you there thoughts on running and living with a CL no doubt!!!!

Welcome to the forums

 

[brandwooddixon]

I can't make any remarks over long term ownership since I've only had mine since the week before Christmas but I wouldn't let any problems with ABC put you off. Yes if they go wrong then they will be expensive to replace, but they don't all fail just make sure that the car has a good check over. If the struts are leaking then walk away.

Post 2003 facelift models get the 7 speed gearbox making them a bit more economical whilst giving speedier acceleration. The CL55 also becomes supercharged giving a massive hike in power (up from 360 to nearer 500). The V12 600 also drops in engine size slightly but becomes a bi-turbo. The interior was updated including the COMAND system.

All cars are pretty quick and handle surprisingly well. Once you've experienced ABC on sport setting you'll wonder how you coped with spring suspension, especially when stopping quickly. It's most unnerving that such a big car can corner and stop without any body roll or nose dipping.

My CL500 has returned an average 26mpg over the 3000 odd miles that I have done since purchase, admittedly mostly motorway driving. Around town that drops to about 16mpg. If you're easy on the acceleration then cruising at any speed has little effect I can easily achieve 30mpg up and down the M40 keeping up with everyone else. Its an effortless cruiser, barely ticking over at 70mph, 100mph will see a 500 doing about 2300 rpm.

Running costs for the AMG cars are pretty high as the consumables such as brake disks are a lot more expensive. Note also that the CL600 is specified for 98RON pertrol iinstead of the usual 95 and a tank at 88 litres will set you back £100.

Although heated seats were standard the cooled and massage ones aren't. Neither was Keyless Go, Adaptive Cruise (very nice) or Linguatronic (yet to try mine). All UK vehicles come with 18inch alloys as standard and I wouldn't bother with 19inch unless you really want to feel every bump and keep chipping the rims.

The ABC suspsension allows you to alter damping rates and ride height. The standard height and mode is perfectly fine and not wallowy at all.

 

[television]

Yes a very nice car and if I had to get rid of my 230 I would go for a CL

The car ride is outstanding and you will or should not get much wrong with the ABC, it does make an excellent car on cornering with virtually no roll, and there is no pitching or divíng when braking.

The 2004 face lift has different rear lamps and a few other things.
Do check for any rust inside the rear wheel arches.

What would also pay you is that you have MBS down the road to do any work on the car, they are first class in every way and will make sure that your purchase is economical to maintain. They look after my 230 for me

 

[Hi RX7]

Thank you for the information so far, so it is essential when looking at one to check all four suspension units would say a torch reveal leaks in the units or is the failure more subtle and is there say an average percentage of failures. I do run all my cars on V-Power so I guess the CL would be no different. How do you tell if the car has the cooling massaging seats? Is ABC an option then?
I don't think the 600 would be of interest as I assume maintenance and fuel would be too high or have I got that fact wrong so does the 500 series run on supermarket fuel?

 

[television]

Cars with massage seats have a square panel on the base of the seat with several buttons on it. Multi contour seas just have a wheel. Cooling seats must have perforated leather
You can gain nothing by using V power on the standard non AMG cars, I think that my 500 returns less when using that than standard 95 ron fuel.

All CL's have ABC you check for leaking by raising the car on the height switch and look at the base of all 4 struts, any leaks and they will look very black looking

 

[Hi RX7]

Thanks again for the helpful reply, aren't forums wonderful in a few short posts you can generally get a correct proper answer to things that would take forever to find out and generally at great cost to the individual. I'm pleased the 500 runs on supermarket fuel every little helps as they say although our local Morrisons is far cheaper on unleaded.

 

[television]

Thanks again for the helpful reply, aren't forums wonderful in a few short posts you can generally get a correct proper answer to things that would take forever to find out and generally at great cost to the individual. I'm pleased the 500 runs on supermarket fuel every little helps as they say although our local Morrisons is far cheaper on unleaded.

When you see a re car that you might fancy, let us have the VIN number and we can give you the data card that list everything on the car when ordered, the complete spec.

Yes forums are wonderful things, and give me something to do

 

[brandwooddixon]

Oh I forgot to mention when checking over a car, make sure that all of the goodies work.

All four windows are electric (doors and rear quarter lights), soft close action on the doors(push gently to, they should then be sucked in and the window will pop back up), remote boot opening, electric adjustments on the seats with memory, the often forgotten sunroof (tilt and slide), airconditioning (press the temperature switch down for cold and lift up for hot), parktronic should show two displays at the front (centre and right side of the dash) and in the rear ceiling (when in reverse only) when below around 5mph, if adpative cruise is fitted then when set (lever up) a picture of a car and possibly the one in front should pop up momentarily.

Cycle though the screen menus using the steering wheel menu buttons (rather than the arrows) and one screen will display known faults.

Also test the ABC by raising the vehicle (engine running), a message will appear to indicate this on the display in the speedometer. It should go out after a few seconds (on mine around 3 I reckon).

As well as the rusty wheel arches another common failing is wiring can break down in the "hinge" area for the doors.

 

[television]

The Distronic is a nice touch if you can find one with it (an extra) Brandwooddixon has summed it all up well

 

[Hi RX7]

Yes I agree the post is very helpful its always difficult when a car has some many features to ensure they all work, so I'll capture and print the info provided when i get round to test driving one.

 

[television]

The struts are the expensive ones, do not be put off, many or most go on without fault, we only ever get the faulty ones mainly on here apart from the longer term members that just love them

 

[Mic]

I think the CL is an excellent motor car

Mic

 

[Monique]

From the little I know about MB's, it is fairly common thought to avoid V12's.

All the extra technology costs if it fails. GL

 

[television]

From the little I know about MB's, it is fairly common thought to avoid V12's.

All the extra technology costs if it fails. GL

Most good things in life can cost a little, I agree on the 600 they cost a lot, but some motor car

 

[fast28]

I bought my CL500 back in November and use it daily for commuting to work which is a return journey of 44 miles. My journey involves country A-roads and cross-town driving, my combined economy is usually in the region of 22mpg. Travelling on motorways I can achieve upto 27mpg.

The issues so far I've had with the car are a single faulty ignition wire, dying airflow meter, a leaking screenwash rubber pipe and the A/C has run low on gas. I need to attack the rear arches at some point as the aluminum has reacted under the paint, thank goodness the front wings are plastic!

Travelling on uneven road surfaces, potholes etc. can unsettle the car. The ABC suspension I find is great at controlling the chassis at speed on a smooth road but on a stretch of uneven road the ABC does struggle a little at controlling the rear axle, note that these cars do not have anti-roll bars front & rear as the ABC assumes these responsibilities.

Overall fantastic value for money ignoring the current fuel prices although I now run mine on LPG.

 

[television]

I bought my CL500 back in November and use it daily for commuting to work which is a return journey of 44 miles. My journey involves country A-roads and cross-town driving, my combined economy is usually in the region of 22mpg. Travelling on motorways I can achieve upto 27mpg.

The issues so far I've had with the car are a single faulty ignition wire, dying airflow meter, a leaking screenwash rubber pipe and the A/C has run low on gas. I need to attack the rear arches at some point as the aluminum has reacted under the paint, thank goodness the front wings are plastic!

Travelling on uneven road surfaces, potholes etc. can unsettle the car. The ABC suspension I find is great at controlling the chassis at speed on a smooth road but on a stretch of uneven road the ABC does struggle a little at controlling the rear axle, note that these cars do not have anti-roll bars front & rear as the ABC assumes these responsibilities.

Overall fantastic value for money ignoring the current fuel prices although I now run mine on LPG.

Do check out the DIY I did for the rear arches,its easy and it works

 

[Hi RX7]

Although I would like to avoid paying out for the suspension if I know it could be rearing its ugly head at some time during ownership I can live with that after all I do run a 400 bhp Mazda RX7 with a rotary engine and these cars can really dent your wallet despite being classed as a 1300 cc car which brings a smile to my face every time I have to pay the road tax. This is actually the only area that I don't like about CL ownership call me tight but I hate the fact that owners of big cars get absolutely screwed by all governments on this and I suppose cars registered after 2001 are subject to potentially higher costs for road tax.

 

[television]

Although I would like to avoid paying out for the suspension if I know it could be rearing its ugly head at some time during ownership I can live with that after all I do run a 400 bhp Mazda RX7 with a rotary engine and these cars can really dent your wallet despite being classed as a 1300 cc car which brings a smile to my face every time I have to pay the road tax. This is actually the only area that I don't like about CL ownership call me tight but I hate the fact that owners of big cars get absolutely screwed by all governments on this and I suppose cars registered after 2001 are subject to potentially higher costs for road tax.

Road tax is still cheap,,only new cars registered after 2006 pay the high amounts

 

[Hi RX7]

Road tax is still cheap,,only new cars registered after 2006 pay the high amounts

Are you sure about that, I thought cars after 2001 were subject to a threatened massive increase under the last government and call my a cynic but I see no reason why this latest lot wont jump on the same bandwagon to please all the tree huggers out there