Lots of times I ponder how cheap a car has to be for me to put up the maintenance and inevitable repairs. Weigh the amount of enjoyment you will receive vs. the purchase price plus maintenance and repairs. Sometimes the formula is pretty simple with cheaper cars. But once you start looking at more expensive cars, the math can get pretty tricky. Today’s featured car, the infamous Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG, is going to have you thinking long and hard about considering how cheap these are becoming.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG on eBay
Year: 2005
Model: CL65 AMG
Engine: 6.0 liter twin-turbocharged V12
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Mileage: 104,873 mi
Price: $17,495 Buy It Now
2005 Mercedes CL65 AMG is up for sale. No accidents, Personal car.
Has every available option: Adaptive cruise cruise control (Distronic Plus), Parktronic sensors, Soft close doors, Heated/ ventilated/ massage seats. Keyless entry/ Keyless start.
105K miles. Has been serviced regularly. Excellent condition, needs nothing. Engine, transmission, suspension were recently checked, no any problems found, passed all tests.
Engine checked
Exterior lights checked
Fluids checked
Four wheel alignment performed Fuel filter replaced
Instrument cluster checked Maintenance reminder reset
Engine oil and filter changed
Parking brake system checked
Power steering checked
Power steering fluid flushed/changed
Steering/suspension checkedAlmost new set of tires.
Will help with delivery. My friend owes shipping company. Around $400 to FL, Texas, Ohio
We all know the backstory about the CL65 AMG and the rest of M275 AMG engine family. This monster checks in at 603 hp and 738 lb·ft of torque that even now 12 years later is crazy for a car that is as docile as any regular car. Of course, all this power comes with massive maintenance and repair bills. The W215 chassis even without the AMG madness is enough to scare most people away with ABC issues, body corrosion, gauge cluster failures, broken door wiring and the list goes on and on. But when do these get so cheap that it’s actually worth rolling the dice on?
This 2005 for sale in Delaware, which the seller says has a clean bill of health, is for sale at $17,495. Just to remind everyone, the MSRP on this car was over $180,000. We’ve seen crazy depreciation before, but most don’t have enough torque pull a house off its foundation while receiving a gentle massage in the driver’s seat. I’m really curious to see where the price floor on these really end up. Surely these can’t continue to fall even further, right? This is super car performance for Honda Fit prices. One thing to remember with almost all the modern AMG cars is that they really can’t be harvested for parts. Sure, you can pull body panels and interior parts for other cars, but anything mechanical is coded to the specific car. You aren’t going to see someone grab an engine and throw it into another car like it’s a LSx that is so commonly done. I don’t know if this specifically will affect values in the long run, but it’s something to think about. But I have to keep asking, if these things fall to $10,000, is it finally worth it? Or are these forever in the “you couldn’t give me one of these for free” club?
– Andrew
Very good summary in ALL respects! Dead on target. NAILED.
I worked on these at the dealership when they were new. Know all the pitfalls of owning one of these Aryan Superships. Even with the discount I can get on parts & doing my own work, I have to pause before considering such a purchase. Then I fire it up & hear that V12 come to life. All good sense fades away as I enjoy the ride.
A 33K mile example just came up on BaT. Bidding instantly hit $15K.
http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2006-mercedes-benz-cl65-amg/
I think the newer V12 engines are very good, but load these cars up with Air-ride or Adaptive -ride, or whatever clutter, and you have lots to go wrong.
Anyone have any ideas about the transmissions on these cars?
@BC Star These use the 722.6 5-speed gearbox that is in basically everything from the late 90s to mid-2000s. It’s a tough as nails transmission and I’ll argue it probably the best one they ever made in terms of durability. Mercedes was rolling out the 722.9 7-speed box when these cars were in production but those couldn’t handle the torque so they had to stick with the 722.6.
I’ve also heard that when testing the M275 AMG engine, it made much more power than what was sent into production with. Word is even that the 722.6 couldn’t handle that power on a consistent basis, so they probably turned the boost down.
That’s true. The M275 in its 5.5L form is easily capable of 1,200 N-m of torque, or 885 lb-ft…SAFELY. Yes, *safely*. The 6.0L AMG version is therefore capable of yet more. The 5G-Tronic (722.6 5-speed) transmission is capable of handling 796 lb-ft of torque, which is why M-B limited the engine’s torque output.
Remember that the 5.5L version was originally designed to haul the Maybach 57 around with enough authority to make people who bought them feel good about buying that ultra-expensive car. In that car, the 5.5L makes something like 550 HP and 650 lb-ft. The 6.0L is just icing on the cake.
I knew I’d be in for it with an M275-equipped automobile, in my case, an S600. This proved to be correct; while the car definitely had “good bones”, there were plenty of things I had to fix. But now that all the issues are fixed on it (ABC, vacuum lines, valve cover gaskets, new suspension, etc.), the car is a sheer pleasure to drive. I’m glad I bought it, and it’s actually one of my daily drivers. The car is very reliable, totally trustworthy, and does not give me problems….
BUT….
If you’re going to own one of these cars, learn to do your own maintenance. I do just this, and it’s how I could afford to bring my S600 back up to proper repair. That means learning about your car and learning some mechanical skills. Do this, though, and you can drive cross-country road trips with your M275-equipped car and know that it’ll get you there and back. I would trust my car any time going cross-country at this point.
– T