General Comments:

This is my second CL 55. The first one was stolen and has never been seen since.

My first one had 144,000 miles on the motor and transmission. It started and ran as if she was new. It performed as if it became faster over the miles. The car is amazing, and that is why I purchased an almost identical one.

There is some talk about the driveshaft crank pulley being defective on many of these cars, however after speaking to the dealer and a few 'experts', I have been told that this car is not applicable to that issue. It is primarily on the 1998 to 2000 models of Mercedes, but not this one.

This car is like launching out of a rocket at light speed, and it brakes as impressively.

The gas mileage is terrible and I don't care. I'm not rich, but when you ride in this car, you will forgo something else just to keep on driving. If you're going to go to point A to point B, have some fun, enjoy life and spend a few bucks to get this car. The smiles in return are well worth the cash spent on gas and otherwise.

Surprised to say that the reliability on these cars is amazing. I have not experienced any major issues other than the center console light went out. That was a $400 repair. I'm sure it will hit the fan someday, but until then...

Faults:

Changed a xenon bulb.

Sometimes I get a message about the low beam bulb (but it's OK), this could be a warning before the other xenon bulb blows.

Car had a tendency to drain the battery if not driven for a month. It turns out the nav CD would run sometimes when the car was off, and it drained the battery. Fix (cheap) was to remove nav CD when not driving and use a trickle charger when storing the car.

ABC suspension fluid level must be watched to avoid burning out the expensive ABC/PS pump.

General Comments:

This car is gorgeous to look at, and very smooth and comfortable to drive. 302 hp is plenty to get flowing with traffic on the freeway, and more than enough to leave a lot of traffic behind if/when I want to.

It's a complex vehicle with many sophisticated operating systems, but is really a technological marvel when you consider how much it has to offer. This big car handles like it is on rails because of the Mercedes ABC (Active Body Control) suspension system. This ABC suspension is a hydraulic system that keeps the car level at all times. The CLK is a good tight car that is smaller than the CL500, but the CL500 is just as nimble and actually handles better than the lighter CLK.

The CL500 has far more interior space and technological features and that makes it an absolute pleasure to drive. Inside it is a mix of glossy wood and fine leather that covers every surface you will touch on a regular basis. Well thought out in my opinion.

On the roadway it is sublime. It makes you want to go on very long road trips because it is extremely comfortable and poised on the road at any speed. People always compliment the Benzes after riding in one. So do yourself a favour and get one, because MBZ were the first auto maker but they build their cars to last.

Bonus: MB STAR SERVICE Manual Library DVD can be bought at the dealer for your specific model Mercedes-Benz and it contains repair procedures, diagnostic information and function description, wiring diagrams with component locations and Technical Service Bulletins known for your Mercedes.