@Tee Ramirez Great idea Tee! These cars are fantastic 👌. I love my 2003 Mercedes CL 55 AMG. With the 5.4 litre supercharged V8 engine, you can show nothing but taillights to just about any car in the US. My wife had a 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLK 550. The exact same engine as my car, but it was a 5.5 litre engine in her car. It beats me as to why in the CLK 550 it's a 5.5, but in the CL 55 AMG, it's a 5.4 litre. Weird! LOL! Nonetheless, if you want to buy one of these cars, they are out there, but they are rare beasts. When searching for the one I bought, I was looking all over the US and Canada. Fortunately, I found one only an hour and a half from home. It was owned by a very nice man who had retired from the U.S. Navy as a Master Chief. He had maintained meticulous records on the car, beginning from when it came across the Atlantic Ocean, and then every other bit of kit, either worked on or added. In addition, he was a very considerate bloke. Those fellas are few and far between these days. If you are able to find a reasonably low mileage car with good records, then you have an incredible vehicle to own and drive. I truly love driving my CL 55 AMG. It is like having your cake and eating it too Best of luck!
Love my 2003 CL 55 AMG & my wife's 2009 CLK 550. As time has gone by, I've begun to love my CL 55 AMG even more than I did when I posted this comment. The car is simply everything I am looking for in a car. It combines European styling with the power of an old American muscle car. 493 Horsepower is substantial, and I can quite literally leave almost any other car seeing only my taillights. That's a nice feeling that I love about my car. The 8 piston Brembo brake callipers with ventilated, cross drilled rotors, and 4 calliper Brembo brake callipers and also ventilated, cross drilled rotors. So, stopping the high horsepower beast is covered. Thank you, AMG! This car is luxurious enough and powerful enough for me. I just love it.
Doug demuro watch out. This canadian boi is about to end doug's whole career by giving us more technical details instead of generic review of interior features.
Can we have a moment of silence for dougs channel it will be missed, and heeeeellloo Canadian Bollywood guy with tons of info and no silly catch phrases. Unsub and subbed jus like that !
Was impressed with some of the cinematography in the first 30 seconds, the hood fade for example. The road and lighting along with the car gave it all a cyberpunk feel.
Just watched it again, lol, what was interesting to see is my 92 w140 600SEL has many of the same parts: the rear arm rest+cup holders, rear sun shade, pneumatic door locks, even the glove box button, And many of the same features: 12 way memory adjustable seats with side bolster control, hand detecting windows, double pane/ glazed windows, soft close doors, rear head rest fold control, 4 zone climate control w/carbon filter button and rest button (only works for heating by circulating coolant through the engine, which works extremely well because of the big engines and lots of insulation under the hood, works even better with the iron block engines...nothing like going to the mall for 30-45 minutes in -25 weather and starting your car back up and still having plenty of heat...or sitting in the same weather for +20 mins with the engine off and still having plenty of heat blowing from the vents) adjustable electric power steering based on speed/driving, power adjustable rear view mirror + folding side mirrors. The suspension was similar to the ABC system, called Adaptive Dampening System, with external shock valves, accumulators, and hydraulic struts. This gives you height adjustment (automatic and highway lowering) a sport mode button that makes a big difference, and the w140 has anti roll bars but it has programming that can reduce body roll automatically by switching valving and I believe pressure in abrupt maneuvers, and it will switch into handling modes if it detects spirited driving or loss of control lol. It doesn't have ESC/ESP, but it has ASR and ASD, which detects wheel slip and can reduce torque, apply the brakes, and ASD uses a hydraulic actuator to lock the rear differential. It also has a weird tire chain button which let's you spin the tires more up to a certain speed I believe. In the newer cars with ESP, what happens when you hit the ESP button is it will turn off the torque regulation which allows wheel slip however it still leaves on the brake actuation to try and reduce unequal wheel spin lol. The idea being wheel spin might be neccessary to get unstuck or keep up momentum but not one wheel peel. The ESP system can be great! At highway speeds in 8+ inches of slushy snow ruts and massive side winds and even with a ridiculously bad 4 wheel alignment the system will keep you going dead straight even with your foot to the floor, LOL. I love how it actuate's and corrects faster than it takes the feeling of horizontal axis twist to travel from your butt receptors to your brain. Lol. I wish you could turn it all off tho the only way seems to require turning off ABS too? It helps that the w140 and many MB cars have the 5 link rear suspension with the patented geometry that corrects for over steer, lol. Man I want to drive my car now.
I bought a CL500 a few years back that is only used in the summer months for special days out, transporting friends (it seats 4 adults comfortably) or the occasional trip to the supermarket. For me the CL is a comfortable cruiser that transports you around in effortless style and there is really no need for 500+ horsepower. The entry level CL500's 306 bhp is plenty enough for me as acceleration / speed are not the factors that attract me to this car. It can be expensive to maintain as there is a lot of technology on this car and they are getting on now so things will go wrong. However, its just a car, and most things you can fix yourself if you set your mind to it. Even the 'dreaded' ABC suspension, which is a fundamental aspect of this cars character, can be fixed much more cheaply these days as there are companies who rebuild the ABC structs (and also recycle your old struts) for a fraction of the price Mercedes will charge you for a new one. When I bought my CL I thought it would be an interesting car to experience, that proved to be true, what I didn't expect was it would engender itself to me so much. It has now cemented itself firmly in my heart and will remain in my garage.
Benzes in Comfort mode start in second gear because it is less jerky than first gear, and they tend to shift softer and at a lower RPM. It also has a second reverse gear in Comfort mode.
@@vornamenachname5589 I guess it is really a matter of personal taste but I am interested to hear what you think are the best looking. I suppose when I made my original comment I was really thinking of the modern Mercs not really comparing it to classics like the 300SL .
@@StephenJohnson-jb7xe As a modern MB, the 126-series is my favorite. Both, sedan and coupé. it is a timeless elegant body and no mercedes after that looks better in my opinion. and it is modern enough for use as an all-day vehicle with modern safety- and comfort-features like ABS, ASR, Airbag etc. But the C215 is really a beatiful car. but the front looks so "e-class-like" and i would prefer the standard versions. i don't like AMGs. but you are right. it is a matter of taste, of course.
I agree, beautiful, smooth lines, I had a 2005, owned for around 4 years, the only problem is that it was the most expensive car per mile I've ever owned, be prepared to spend like 3k per year on maintenance. I own a 2013 cl 550 now, reliability moved up a notch, still a Money pit...
I absolutely love this channel. I originally subscribed for your M156 content and such. I'm glad you're here and thank you so much for sharing everything with us!
I am rebuilding a CL500 at the moment and it has been fun so far. The most important thing is to find one with good ABC suspension. If not I wouldnt recommend it. Nice video!
before 2003 the cl55's only had dual exhausts, they were the models with only 355hp because they didn't have the OEM supercharger yet. you also glossed over the magnesium used throughout, not just plastic and aluminum. I've had my w215 for nearly 10 years, i was the first to document trying coilovers on these cars, now we have multiple companies coming out with kits since i took that first dive. they say the v12 has the same power as the CL55 but I disagree, I think that's marketing to not let the v12 hold up amg sales. many folk have said the v12 has more power than mercedes claims it does. cool to see you did a video on the w215, that is a nice specimen. love your m113 rebuild vids
The 600 and 65 CL absolutely has more power potential than the 55. A simple tune and its +130hp and +160tq. With just a tune! No other mods at all. Sky is the limit with the v12 biturbos. Not to knock the the 55 I've had the cls55 and e55, amazing cars. Have an AMG pack cl600 now with eurocharged tune. I'm happy 😁
Excellent choice of wheels, I have them on my current S63 and my 14 CL550. I've owned 6 of the 2003- 2006 CL600's when new. I was obsessed with them. You need to change your ABC filter from the 10 micron to the newer style 3 micron one. They were very reliable cars for me. I had two new ones at one time.
What a treat! Nice detailed review of the CL55 AMG. Great car! They don't make them like this anymore. Everything nice is now an option that runs well over $10k in ad-ons. Love Mercedes-Benz engineering. However, you cry when something breaks, especially if you don't have a good mechanic that can get remanufactured parts like struts and suspension parts for ABC system. "Mercedessource" is another great RU-vid channel that covers all Mercedes sedans and coupes. Keep up the good work! The ASL55 build is coming along nicely!
kent is cool and all, but most of his videos are subtle ads trying to direct you to his website for detailed guides on things more complex than oil changes and bushing replacements, but even in those videos he promotes tools he sells for them. At least he keeps the public informed on important maintenance items and points of failure.
Dude you rock, thanks for talking at a fast speed because who has time to sit thru these slow and boring car reviewers right? I've had my eyes on an SL55 for years but I'm finding cl55's for half the price which is quite tempting. Great informative video.
Me too. First road in the video I thought was the closed road Hoovie used to drive his hoopties, and then Cliché corner. And I'm only 57 seconds into the video. Now I'm expecting to see the road in the woods where Carwow drives and the drag strip of Mighty Car Mods...
Cool Video. I personally much prefer the engineering/building videos. Wow what a long list of repairs. My 07 S550 4-Matic (Italian spec car) had almost nothing major wrong. Purchased with 110k Km and only had the following faults: A/C compressor noisy, front swaybar creak, driver seat ventilation not working, center console lid hard to open and wrong fluid in the power steering pump (also noisy). I've had it for the last 4 years also and it's been the most reliable car I've ever had (even contrary to my expectations - and I've done repairs on them in the past).
A lot of buses have the driver seatbelt on the seat too. Mercedes have some experience in this business, which probably helped then develop this car seat
They did it also in the R129 from the late '80s. It's called Integral-Seat. Other Coupés like the legandary C126 had an electric arm, which offers the seat-belt.
Actually even W140 from 90's are starting at 2nd gear. Its for smoothness and comfort. And when there is enough power its no difference in which gear, 1st or 2nd, to start. And C and S next ot gear leaver means Comfort or Standard. Or W and S as Winter or Standard. So no "Sport" mode on older Mercs When you choose Comfort, it goes from 2nd, if you go with Standard, it will start from 1st if i remember well. Had W140.
I was on eBay about 4 years ago..and there was an ivory white CL with the same color interior. It was spotless and about 80,000 miles. It was in a high end store In Illinois and they were asking $9500.00….here is the main part though…it was a complete “Brabus” Edition…with something like..730hp or something even more ridiculous. I almost took a run at it but I heard that the suspension was an absolute nightmare to fix. So I passed. Now I wish I hadn’t…😢
Thank you that was a nice review and the car is gorgeous,I have the r230 and I love even though I had the ABC fixed at 20k .but I’m curious about your comment on the r129 that’s the one I was looking at . I did feel a bit pressured because of the newer look , but I’m still looking !!
Nice video. I like your narration. Definitely smooth flowing of speech. Dough Demuro is kinda annoying the way he speak and explain things. Next video pleaseeeeeee...
My 2002 mk4 golf also senses obstruction of the electric windows and runs them down again. Pretty standard electric window safety feature when you have the one touch feature.
This is the same car at the end of that movie American Pie 2. Stiffler’s Mom drove it. This what I think of when I see this car. Nice car though. It blows my Lexus IS 250 out of the water.
You forgot few things like Adaptive headlights, adaptive cruise control, Also it rides 3 times better then sl55 sl55 just jumps around esp on bumpy road because of short wheel base at the limit sl55 might feel better Also e55 is air suspension not abc (hydraulic) so it's automatically down a level I had both cars and still have my cl55 with almost 300k on it But I believe you are the guy that helped me change my timing chain which I didn't really need and the rest of the motor I might be wrong but by your voice I think it was you rebuilding e55 with a rubber seal causing oil starvation Then again cl55 only has one oil plus not 2
Thank you for such a great video. Please do more. And if you can, a video R230 SL65 facelift (Black would be the best) would be very appreciated. What are your thoughts on the R230? Oh and I also wanna know what are your thoughts with the current generation of Mercedes cars in general?
I'm about to buy a 2003 but having second thoughts, there very complicated. He took good care of it and did alot of Maintenance. That is crazy the head gaskets went on it, I'm sure it was a nightmare 11 months in shop.
SK8215 you said that the first time Mercedes assigned the CL badge was in 1997 for the C215. I was lead to believe that the previous model the C140 through the years 1992-1997 went through three different badges. The coupe model C140 was called the S coupe, the CL and the SEC depending on the year. Do you know anything about this?
Dude this video is gold.im in the market for a v8 Mercedes.i love the cl55 exept for the front end.but fuck it i already have an 06 w203 sport ao FML. Regardless,this whole review was perfect, i watched it over coffee and breakfast.good way to start the day 👍♥️
Yo.. First off I'm new here and thank you very much for your interesting videos. Does the active ride control compensate for squat under heavy acceleration? If so, do you think that's a good thing?
I had a 2003...now i have an 09 CL63...i miss the CL55 everyday that I drive...it was just a pleasure to drive all the time. The 09 63 tires me out after a while
I am looking to buy either a used SL55 or C55 or E55 or ML 55. Really hard to find these cars for sale or in decent condition. Any ideas which of these AMGs are a "relatively" good buy for a project rebuild car?
Great review of the Merc W series - I've owned 3 of them. Beware, maintenance will eat you alive! Your hand position on the wheel needs work... abysmal.