This is one of the absolute best reviews of one of my favorite cars. I'm in the market right now for a CL, I was stuck between 09-10 63 Amg or 11+ 550.
Is ABC available on the 2011+ CL550s in your market? As you could hear in my video, I’m fond of the handling that ABC brings. The M278 engine in the later CL550s is more reliable than the M156 in the pre-facelift CL63, but the sound and responsiveness of the M156 is great. Thanks to the torque from turbocharging, the performance of the M156 and M278 cars are pretty similar.
@@6fthondaboi In that case, between those two, my choice would be the 09-10 CL63. If the head bolts haven’t been changed, I’d keep an eye out for signs of coolant loss or oil/coolant intermixing, and consider changing the head bolts preemptively, though it is a rather labour intensive task. Also consider replacing idler pulleys and the belt tensioner preemptively if they haven’t been changed since the car was new. For the rest of the M156 issues, you can deal with them as they appear if they appear, but they’re not too bad usually. The sound and responsiveness of the M156 is awesome, and the taut handling of ABC makes the car more fun to drive through winding roads.
I have got CL500 AMG 2007 and I love every bit of it. What is so great about it? The look, the sound, the comfort, you name it! It is little bit expensive to maintain it though, but I don't care cause I'll do all the normal maintenance myself. But, if you go to any Mercedes shop, you'd better have a big bank account full of cash 😀I should also mention, this is not a everyday car like all that crap cars like Dodge, Toyota, Ford, etc ;-) So, think about it before buy one!
I really enjoyed the video and appreciate your composed & rational way of clearly explaining all the finer pros and cons - that an enthusiast needs to know. As I enjoyed my time with the previous shape CL500, I've decided to buy a low mileage, pristine 2009 CL550 (with AMG body kit) - later M273 - with the upgraded timing chain components. I've driven a Maserati GT coupe, Jaguar XJS and XK , 2012 BMW 650i and Bentley Coupe. The '09 CL550 virtually matches the Bentley in terms of bank vault solidity and all round GT versatility. About 3 years ago I so much wanted to fall in love with a well priced and nice condition CL63 that I tested. However (despite fiddling around with every single permutation and combination of the plethora of seating, transmission and suspension settings) I just found it too harsh for my liking. BTW I gotta chuckle from your clever number plate 🤣🤣😉😉 I look forward to more of your reviews. Many thanks and hope your CL gives you plenty of miles with smiles.
Nice, best wishes with your new car 😊. Is it 4matic or RWD? This CL550 does feel a bit more plush riding than my last CL63 in comfort mode, without any noticeable impact on handling. A 4matic (Airmatic equipped) one I drove felt even softer, though as I mentioned in the video I chose the RWD model for the sharper handling of ABC on twisty roads.
Taking Hurontario from Sauga to Btown...nice! Was looking forward to seeing Gage Park, but the video cut right before you pull up to it lol I drive a 2012 Cl550 btw. Welcome to the club!
Thanks 😊 I later took the 410 North and kept going till it turns into Dufferin Road 19 passing through Boyne Valley provincial park. Could be nice to have a gathering and cruise of local CL class owners in the spring, hopefully after the Covid situation improves.
Lovely car, I’m in the market for one, currently tested a ‘13 model with the 4.7 bi turbo and it was lovely but slightly overpriced, im considering a n/a 5.5 also but most of them are like 2-300 miles away and that puts me off a bit.
I like expensive German machines 😂 My next video will probably be of my W140 S class, and I plan to make some more interesting videos with my 718 Spyder. I will also be getting a 2023 Subaru BRZ later this year as a daily driver, do I’ll probably do some videos with it, and maybe a comparison with my 718 Spyder ($30k vs $130k sports car).
Yes, it’s ABC equipped, though it’s the second generation ABC (also used in the 2007-2011 R230 SLs) that seems pretty reliable overall in my experience.
Excellent review, I have the model 2006, in Europe, we can drive a little bit faster and I have an average consumption of 15l /100km . Can You help me about spare parts for the front seats I have the same problem with plastic air pipes. best regards
Issues with the pneumatic seat air bladders seem really common on these. I had a local parts supplier source the air bladder + valve/sensor + internal hoses assembly for around 2/3 of the dealer cost (I paid around $1300 CAD for the part in 2019 for my CL63). Not sure who the best suppliers in your part of Europe are. It is a rather costly fix, and not mechanically critical, so I’ve just let it be on my CL550 for now, though maybe I’ll fix it some day.
Can u tell me, im considering buying it, and ofc since its 2007 car most of them have 220-270k km, some even +300k km. What do u think about those ranges? Is that really alot, I mean it is alot but do you think would it last next 15 years, if maintenance are done on time?
@@martynoffical8995 They’re generally solid powertrains on these, though I’d want to know if the previous owners kept up on engine and transmission fluid and filter changes and used good quality oil. If the transmission fluid and filter aren’t changed for too long, they can have issues, and the 2007-era version of the 7G-tronic wasn’t considered quite as bulletproof as the 5G-tronic. The ABC suspension has been great and troubles free (aside from replacing the pulsation damper) on both my CLs, though both mine have much less mileage than those you’re describing. At those mileages, the ABC struts would likely be worn out if they haven’t been changed in the past, and they’re costly. The ABC pump could also be worn out, and hoses do age. In general, at that combination of mileage and age, you can have wear and age related issues with any component, and parts for these cars are very expensive. If cared for, these cars can last a long time, but they’re not cheap to maintain.
@@sultanqasim ehm.. these ones have air suspension on themselves.. Ive found one with 180k km, might look at that one in some days, but i wish i could get idea of how expensive it is..I kinda have feeling when someone says its expensive, like Im driving aventador haha, then i get sceptic and giveup on "maybe" getting one.
@@martynoffical8995 To give you an idea for what it costs to fix up one with a bunch of little issues, it can easily cost you $10-20k during the first year. With this one, I bought it cheap with a bunch of little issues, though what I spent fixing it up cost more than what it would have cost to just get one that’s sorted. Even for a well sorted example, usually some things would crop up within the first year, spending $5k to fix things within the first year of getting a used one would be typical. After the first year of fixing things, ongoing maintenance and repairs would average out to around around $3k CAD per year. It’s not that they’re unreliable, but just every part is expensive and they’re very complicated cars.
@@sultanqasim oh damn..yea.. well they simply are too good looking..power, luxury, comfort and all that on "old" car, actual dream Well, i'll see then with one with 180k km on clock..he said he changed brakes, tyres, and break disks so.. and he provides papers everytime oil change was made, might be a good shot. Wish I could see immediately fully whats wrong to have perspective about the car and finance, before I buy it ofc
hello brother im a cybersecurity researcher from south Korea. I saw a article about you hacking into tesla. I was wondering if you could tell me the bluetooth module that you used and how its done
I had to burn a firmware update I found on an Eastern European forum to a CD, and then followed a somewhat convoluted process to get the COMMAND system to install that update.
There’s some info in this thread, though the download was taken down which is why I had to look for the file in mercedesclub.cz (and make an account to download). www.benzworld.org/threads/known-comands-affected-by-week-1024-date-time-problem-problem-solved-iso-will-be-removed-on-02-15-2020.3011318/#post-17903584
@@thegooch7250 They’re great daily drivers, very smooth, quiet, and comfortable, while also handling quite respectably for what they are (at least with the ABC suspension). The rear seats are also usable for adults, and the trunk is fairly big. Only downside for me is that the rear seats don’t fold, so you can’t carry big/long things.
ABC gives better handling while remaining supple, and the only ABC repair this 15 year old car has needed in its lifetime is a $200 pulsation damper. This generation of ABC is pretty reliable as long as you’re proactive with maintenance.
