Help buying CL 500 W216

[Botus]

What does this bit mean?

hardware from 2005 last software version week 8 2009

 

[Craiglxviii]

It is a very odd feeling the first time you drive one!

Elitist!

 

[alexanderfoti]

Elitist!

naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

 

[television]

I have drive my for nearly 5 years my now, I bought it a £24k at 39k miles.

In terms of 75k miles now, now it is not too easily, It is effort has had a few things.

The window dropped ECU £150
The rear widow ECU..........£125
2 bottom struts ..............£700
Power steering pulsation ..£200
2 new front disc,..............£140
2 red ceramic front ......... £76
HK amp..........................£270

..................In all............£1660


So £332 per years, plus new tyres for £500 in all, so far all in still good should order, and pretty good I thing.

 

[mikestrivens]

Looks like you all have put the OP off.

 

[Submariner1]

I Agree, that statement applies to all high end MB's

Despite buying from various sources, I always spend between £500 and £2500 getting it up to a standard I am happy with.

Quite agree:
My getting up to standard project included (rough nos)
£320 2 decent tyres, the right size!
£110 replace wheel bolts (shattered stainless caps)
£80 replace wheel locks
£320 Gearbox overhaul, and change brake fluid and repair broken ns wingmirror
£409 MD MB B service and airfilters Reinstating Mobilo breakdown and 30 year body warrty.
£62 2x mirror lenses
£132 full Body and wheel alighnment
£31 camber adj bolts
£126 replace velour mats ( originals were the nasty twisted pile versions)
£54 replace 1 rusty exhaust heat shield, and 3x rusty exhaust hanger brackets
£870 one MB front suspension strut
£150 ABC fluid
£28 ABC filter
£150 Indy estimate to change strut , flush ABC and Pwr stearing and differential
£156 MB main battery
-------
£ 2,998 Total
- £600. Less refund from previous owner re hiding faulty strut and 2 wrong tires
- £80. Less refund from tyre co for shattering the wheel locking nuts.
--------
£2,318. Actual cost to get the car up to a very nice proper "as it should be" spec.
Plus say £22 clay, car wash , polish tar remover etc.
£2,340 all in.
£220 wheel refurbishment ? Top spec job
---------
£2,560
£16,100 price of car
-------
£18,660. Total investment in car - 40,100 miles June 2009 C216


Yes one could do things a little cheaper? e.g. My main dealer mercedes B service at £409. An Indy would be £270 plus £85 for the airfilters = £355. But then add full AA breakdown £159 = £514 ! So the main dealer was actually £105 cheaper and I have euro cover and 30 year bodywork guarantee. And then I get my Indy to do all the advisory work (also giving a second opinion).

Maybe I didnt need to spend £54 on the 4 exhaust brackets, but it gets rid of the only rusty parts on the car, and without a ramp its pretty inconvenient jacking the car up and repainting the rusty parts ... maybe could have been done for £15 paint and wet and dry paper. But puts the car out of commission for 3 days whilst the deruster goes off!.

My main point to the OP being ...
thats £2500 in the first 3 months, for getting her trully sorted.
And again there was no official need to change the differential oil or the ABC fluid. But most who support good maintenance practices would agree that could be money well spent if it avoids one ABC problem.

The cost of petrol doesn't even hit the radar screen!

I think the total spend on the car still puts it pretty much in line with others I saw at the time I was looking. When one considers its now perfect, all serviced per MB and all fluids changed.

There should also be no major expenses sheduled for 2 years. Unless the other strut that very very slightly mists goes on me ... then its another £930

 

[Submariner1]

I have drive my for nearly 5 years my now, I bought it a £24k at 39k miles.

In terms of 75k miles now, now it is not too easily, It is effort has had a few things.

The window dropped ECU £150
The rear widow ECU..........£125
2 bottom struts ..............£700
Power steering pulsation ..£200
2 new front disc,..............£140
2 red ceramic front ......... £76
HK amp..........................£270

..................In all............£1660


So £332 per years, plus new tyres for £500 in all, so far all in still good should order, and pretty good I thing.

I think thats excellent VFM to drive utter luxury.
Common £332 per year .... thats kind of VW Polo running costs no?

 

[Submariner1]

Looks like you all have put the OP off.

Well the truth may hurt, but I was very grateful to read these posts before buying.
One one hand It made me go for a cheaper car to preserve a sort of contingency budget, and conversely it made me look for a newer/lower mileage one to try and avoid some problems like the balance shaft pulley fault.

Having bought new for the last 12 cars, I honestly had no idea of the issues one could hit with an older big V8. I naively assumed they were pretty bomb proof.

Yes I did lose 2 front struts on one SL500 (1,400 miles and 14,500 miles) my only concern at the time, was securing a loan car ... and the minor disappointment in MBs percieved quality. Obviosuly I didnt see the £1,800 x2 invoice as it was under warranty.

 

[Craiglxviii]

I think thats excellent VFM to drive utter luxury.
Common £332 per year .... thats kind of VW Polo running costs no?

About 1/3 of a Golf's running costs...........

 

[Westheath]

The RRS the OP has linked are utter crap IMHO.

Too many electrical problems including mysterious battery draining and steering column faults immobilizing the vehicle.

Fun to put on the list of "I've had one of those" but not as much fun as having a CL in your car CV

 

[bembo449]

ive seen plenty of modern derv cars cost a lot more than 332 quid in annual bills , DMF's failing , blocked DPF's causing all sorts of issues and not to mention turbo failures killing tandem pumps on audi's to the tune of 3.5k to fix

 

[silver CL55]

If our beloved vehicles are only worth £12k now, I'd be more worried about depreciation than running costs.
I can only assume (hope!) the £12k one has no history and numerous faults, that would make me feel better, as it does look nice example from the albeit poor photos.

I have drive my for nearly 5 years my now, I bought it a £24k at 39k miles.

In terms of 75k miles now, now it is not too easily, It is effort has had a few things.

The window dropped ECU £150
The rear widow ECU..........£125
2 bottom struts ..............£700
Power steering pulsation ..£200
2 new front disc,..............£140
2 red ceramic front ......... £76
HK amp..........................£270

..................In all............£1660


So £332 per years, plus new tyres for £500 in all, so far all in still good should order, and pretty good I thing.

 

[Anthonydevz]

If you're worried about fuel costs then why would you consider a 4+ litre V8 engined 2-ton car..?

Hello and welcome. Malcolm Television and Bemba are your 216 guys, they can advise you on all technical and practical aspects.

Because I've loved this car for years, the looks the power the fact that it's different. I rented a 2016 ml63 for a while and was wondering is the fuel consumption is the same as that?

 

[Anthonydevz]

Hi all,

Thanks so much for all the feedback. I contacted the dealer it has a full service history done at Mercedes and was due a small service which they will get done, I will ask tomorrow if they will do it at Mercedes as well and will also ask about how many previous owners.

I don't drive daily when I rented a 2016 ml63 for a week I spent about £100 (full tank) so long as this can match that fuel wise then I'm happy.

Regarding all the bits under car suspension ABC that should be checked I will go and view it with my mechanic.

I do love these cars, and I would end up keeping it for a few years because it doesn't age looks wise.

I'm sure I can get the dealer to through in some sort of Warenty. They have added a new video and new photos up as well.

If it does have telephone wiring is there a way to set up iPhone contectivity? Or will I have to run through AUX cable.

 

[Anthonydevz]

Hi all,

Thanks so much for all the feedback. I contacted the dealer it has a full service history done at Mercedes and was due a small service which they will get done, I will ask tomorrow if they will do it at Mercedes as well and will also ask about how many previous owners.

I don't drive daily when I rented a 2016 ml63 for a week I spent about £100 (full tank) so long as this can match that fuel wise then I'm happy.

Regarding all the bits under car suspension ABC that should be checked I will go and view it with my mechanic.

I do love these cars, and I would end up keeping it for a few years because it doesn't age looks wise.

I'm sure I can get the dealer to through in some sort of Warenty. They have added a new video and new photos up as well.

If it does have telephone wiring is there a way to set up an iPhone via Bluetooth? Or will I have to run through AUX cable.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Make sure your mechanic knows what he is looking for ABC wise.

That car you posted the link to, something looks off about it to me.

 

[Anthonydevz]

Hi guys message from the dealer,

H Anthony the car has had 5 owners in total but the 1st and 4th where Mercedes Benz of Edinburgh who serviced it at Feb 2008 @ 9573 Feb 2009 @13899 Aug 2010 @16389 Feb 2011 @22885 Jan 2012 @36678 Jan 2013 @50291 Oct 2013 @59791 July 2014 @74556 and we will be having it done now along with an mot test ready to sell.The car also has a full a4 sheet of extras fitted when new and all our cars come with a 3 month extendable AA warranty.The engine number is 27396030185872 Hope this helps. Kind regards John.

 

[Craiglxviii]

This is what that car's mileage profile by time looks at. The blobs are the services done. There's a big gap between the last service and now; the ABC fluid and filter will definitely need flushing and replacing as it will be <2 years old.

You need to see when the ABC and transmission fluids were changed before considering buying this car, or unseen nasties could be lurking for you. ABC, every 2 years or 20k (whichever sooner), transmission, 4 years or 70k...

 

[Submariner1]

Feb 2009 @13899 Aug 2010 @1638
2400 miles in 18 months ... looks a bit odd, and at a time when there is no MOT data ...hmmm

Call me nervous but things like that ( 1,600 miles per annum ) seem out of place with an average mileage of 10,000 ish

I would want to see the DVLA data to check that period, was a specific low mileage user.

By that I mean take my car, the first owner had consistent higher mileage ( verifyable by MB main dealer services, and then the 2nd owner had low mileage, correspondingly backed up by Main dealers and MOT history and 2 private plate DVLA mileages i.e all data u derpinned the milege.

Is it me or does that car seem a little too cheap or has the market crashed since I bought mine?
Note this is from a dealer ... so did he pay £10,000 for it :/-
E.g. When I was buying the other cheaper 2009 circa 40,000 miles @ £15,500 had bad bodywork, broken/craked rear screens etc. And plenty were around £18,000 plus for nice ones.

Or is it just a great bargain