You said exactly what I would have said - this is easily the best and classiest car I have ever driven, or am ever likely to drive. It is a sublimely good grand tourer, and even a family car, if your children aren’t too tall! It’s huge - just over 2 tonnes and a little more than 5 metres long - but handles beautifully. BUT… (I know you were waiting for this) - you need to enter into ownership of these beauties with your eyes open. They were pitched as Mercedes’s classiest, cutting edge tourer, and all that innovation can be fiddly to troubleshoot and expensive to fix. I got a CL600 - the twin turbo V12 model - and if you’ve picked this up for a song, second hand, you must be prepared to source parts yourself, and ideally fit them too, in order to keep this on the road _and_ keep your home. The ‘quirk’ of the V12 is the coil pack. There are two packs, one for each side of the engine, with each having 12 coils (24 sparks in total). Lose a coil or two, and the whole pack needs to be replaced. Go the dealer route and this will empty your wallet fast. I got rebuilt packs (from v12icpack dot com), that are built better than the originals, and fitted them myself. This is a swine of a job, and will teach you swear words, in German, you never knew existed. The engine compartment is seriously cramped. Be aware that the coil packs might be nearing end-of-life between 45-50K miles. The other major thing to watch out for is the active body control (ABC) suspension. This uses loads of sensors and hydraulic pumps to keep the car level. It works amazingly well, keeping the car rock steady on bends, and when speeding up/slowing down. Once again, the price to pay for the advanced ride is the cost of maintenance and again, it’s best to source parts yourself and fit them yourself, if possible. Bottom line, for me is this: even if you just own it for a year, if you can - _get one,_ before the government bans having fun in a motor vehicle completely. These are a steal second hand - there are examples out there (the V8s, I mean - the V12s are somewhat harder to find) that have been driven sedately to and from the office by a company director - wear and tear is usually minimal, mileage can be very low and there’s often a full dealer service history. On my car, everything bar the usual service items (oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, coolant, filters, brake discs, sparks) was completely original, and built to last. Make sure you check the paperwork, and don’t be 25 with 6 points on your licence, or the insurance will ruin you. One last thing - this car is so classy, the windows are double glazed.

@BobbyDrives

8 ай бұрын

Sorry for the late reply. But what a lovely and detailed comment! Thanks for taking the time out to write this! I’ve since sold the car but like you said, go and buy one even if you only own it for a year or so. Truly the epitome of luxury! Great car and the drive and the comfortableness is one of the best I have ever felt. Don’t sell your one, keep it. They’ll only go up in value. Definitely a classy car. Sits right up there on the list of luxury coupes ❤

Thank you for your time and efforts. Keep them coming please

@BobbyDrives

3 жыл бұрын

Wow thanks man, that’s a huge compliment! Thanks for motivating me too 😊 more to come this year!

That’s a beauty there! perfect combination of colour and interior 😍

Bought mine a year ago for £1,300 with ABC problems. Fixed for £67. Rides like a dream.

@habitandoproperty2166

3 жыл бұрын

Wow! What was wrong?

@raycroal

2 жыл бұрын

yeah what was broken

@familyaccount2365

Жыл бұрын

The ABC was broken, Active Body Control

@bensonbright

11 ай бұрын

How did you fix the ABC so cheap?

Nice one man very honest and thorough review 👌👍🙏

Nice mate! I was gonna buy one but actually went bought w211 e63 amg 4 month ownership every time a i drive it put a smile on my face….always have around 3k a year put a side for maintenance for these types of cars…..not many left💪🏽

One of the most stylish Mercedes's ever made , great video

@BobbyDrives

Жыл бұрын

Thank you bro, appreciate it! Totally agree with you, it looks timeless! 👍🏼

Thing looks absolutely brand new and L10k is amazing! Gotta be the best looking car Mercedes has built yet... so gorgeous! Champ of beast coupes.

Thinking of 13/14 plate, heard these got common issue with airmatic suspension, do you know what other common issues these got?Are they reliable overall? Any info much appreciated. For me its one of the best looking cars from previous generation

Love how people in the uk always mention expensive road tax, for this car in ireland the road tax is €1800-€2400 depending on engine, year etc😂😂

I had the fortune of driving a CLK 500 cabrio, 2005. I felt like a young man again sitting in the drivers chair. Great power to the wheels, great steering response. Very classy

I don;'t think these cars have airmatic suspension I thought all CL's (except US 4WD ones) are ABC fluid suspension.

@balandziaiduhai8972

26 күн бұрын

go sit in your vauxhall and shut up 😂

Thanks for the video mate. Was thinking of getting 1 of these. At least I'll know what to look out for if I do make a purchase

@BobbyDrives

4 жыл бұрын

ibrahim sher Ahh really appreciate the comment! I’m glad you found the video useful. Hit me up with any questions you have. Thanks for watching 😊

@gsp1634

3 жыл бұрын

Don’t do it I’ve spent 20 grand since august last year it’s painful

@nath1774

2 жыл бұрын

@@gsp1634 What have you replaced?

Lovely interior. Nice Bobby 😁

@BobbyDrives

4 жыл бұрын

stevie hanley Thank you! For the age of the car, you get a lot of car. Thanks for watching 😊

Nice one bro. Subscribed. Like it. Question: How are the windows? Heard those pillarless doors give issues. And how are the seats and all the cushions?

@BobbyDrives

Жыл бұрын

Thank you bro, appreciate it! Windows were fine whilst I owned it. And the interior held up well. Good quality 👌🏼

That’s proper nice class drive and well built car 👍🏻👍🏻

@BobbyDrives

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Mark, it truly is! This is the daddy of all grand tourers 😊

Hi Ibrahim , thanks for your reply . My SL has the ABC suspension which is worse than the airmatic , but mine only has 24k on it and already spent quite on parts for ABC . I'm still lusting after a CL ,I think here in the US parts are quite a bit less so that helps . Good luck pal .... Your car is beautiful !!!

@BobbyDrives

4 жыл бұрын

Lol I’m not Ibrahim, but thanks!

@mrkongsimr

4 жыл бұрын

@@BobbyDrives Ok Hi Bobby !!!

amazing car looks inside out

@BobbyDrives

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you bro! I loved the way this car looked. Elegant yet a little sporty and the luxury equivalence of a yacht 🛥 😂 so much car for the money!

Nice video Bobby. I was waiting for this one. I was interested in this car years ago but there are not many of them in my country. Right now there is only one CL63 for sale for about $15K and 120K miles on it. Not a bad deal I think but I will have hard time getting parts for it. It's easier to own this car in Germany or some other western European country in my opinion. On the other hand we do not have to pay for expensive insurance and petrol is cheap here. It's super cheap to own 12 cylinder cars here, unless they break and you need parts. I appreciate your love for this car :)

@BobbyDrives

4 жыл бұрын

Ahh I’m really glad you enjoyed the video. This is what I call a proper car, absolutely love it! Wow CL63 AMG is the big V12 one, they’ll be really juicy to run but I suppose fuel is cheap for you. You from America? Parts are still quite expensive in the uk too. Thanks again for watching, appreciate the comment! 😊

@deftgio

4 жыл бұрын

​@@BobbyDrives I am from Georgia, located at the edge of Europe. Yes, fuel is cheap here. One litre of premium fuel costs about £0.5 so running a V12 is not much of a problem, but parts and services will be high. It's 6 figure car after all, it is not unexpected for these cars to be expensive to maintain. This car is beautiful in every angle, keep the videos coming.

@BobbyDrives

4 жыл бұрын

Ahh cool fuel is much cheaper in Georgia! You’re right, these cars are expected to be expensive to maintain. But once you’re driving it, you realise it’s all worth it! Thanks again 😊

@RaouTV

2 жыл бұрын

@@BobbyDrives CL63 is the V8 version CL65 is V12

@BobbyDrives

2 жыл бұрын

@@RaouTV I’m sure that’s what I said, if I didn’t. Then that is correct 👍🏼

Picked up a CL500 on Monday. Great drive so far, previous owner already dealt with the suspension issue so I think I should be in the clear

@tshepisop7286

4 жыл бұрын

@Mr. Cairo Thanks for the heads-up fam. How long do I have before it becomes an issue again?

@holographic4916

Жыл бұрын

Any updates since then?

@tshepisop7286

Жыл бұрын

@@holographic4916the car has been incredible, I put about 500kms/300-odd miles on it every weekend and the only thing that's given up on me is the seat massage option.

@holographic4916

Жыл бұрын

@@tshepisop7286 that's awesome and thanks for the reply!

@lungisile_

Ай бұрын

How much would you sell it to me bro?

Which garage would you recommend to repair ABC

I have bought 4 used CLS MBs over 14 years and I budget $4 to $5k / car for repairs within the first 6 months that help anyone ? Oh CDN dollars and each car was 4 years old past MB warranty period ! Brake pads and rotors alone cost $2k.

how many miles on the clock did it have ?

I Think that Cl without 4matic is abc suspension which is hydraulic not pneumatic like airmatic. Only 4 matics were airmatic, S class, Cls was airmatic with abc option but most of them dont have abc. Abc is more comfortable but also more expensive

@blandd12

2 жыл бұрын

It is abc not airmatic

ABC WAS THE PROBLEM AND ELECTRIC PLATE WHICH POSITION IS IN THE AUTOMATIC GEAR WHERE IS SO HOT, that plate was out of transmission in the older model. That two items are really expensive. If you exchange the oil in the ABC system you prevent trouble and save money. I use this car for 14 years, pass 130000km replace the electronic plate in aut. gear ones. Definitely for long drives, not the daily car. IF you want to buy this car a better option is air matic no ABC system. In my opinion the best car at this moment for the money.

Just popped up on my feed this video I have the cl63AMG Brakes are going to be needs doing soon 😣

@BobbyDrives

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! The CL63 is a beast 😈 a whole lot of car for the money you can pick them up for and a lovely drive on those long journeys 😍

Nice this car is just beautiful ❤

Cheers for the update video Bobby! Really appreciate it. The Merc is definitely an awesome buy, even if it does give your wallet a good kicking now and then. Look forward to seeing more content! 👍

@BobbyDrives

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the update and thanks for request. It was a good idea to give my feedback after driving this car for a while. As soon as lockdown is over, more reviews will be coming! 👍🏼

in my opiniion this is the best looking CL ever made.

@BobbyDrives

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Shayan, I agree, the curves and yet very modern looking. Great looking car!

If you visit a dealer or a seller.... what is the quickest way of testing the suspension and the gears? Where is the button to level up the car? How much time do you have to drive it until you feel that the suspension is going down ? Is there any alarm or messages important to watch in the car panel? Thanks mate!

@jonathanholley8043

4 жыл бұрын

Alejandro Guerrero You can test it by pressing the top button which is to the left of the screen set into the dashboard, this is the screen that has the satnav , audio and other settings showing . When you press the button the whole car should rise up evenly without any amber or worse red warning message showing on the speedo screen. If the car does not rise up properly or unevenly walk away as it will cost you a lot of money to sort out , my mechanic told me the cost to replace the whole system was 12000 UK pounds . Best to buy one which has documented history of the system parts being replaced because if the hydraulic pump fails it has a knock on effect to other parts of the system. Hope this helps you because a properly sorted car is awesome to drive and be in .

@bjn8937

3 жыл бұрын

Don't worry, a nice red message will appear telling you to stop the vehicle. I drove with the message for 6 months, taking my time to find aftermarket parts. Repair is easy

@AlejandroGuerrero

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks I finally bought an E350d 2017 for 25000 euros.

@dw4525

3 жыл бұрын

@@bjn8937 did you do the repair work yourself?

@bjn8937

3 жыл бұрын

@@dw4525 YES, absolutely, in my basic garage a home. Together with my wife. And we didn't follow the MB guidelines. Replacing the front was a piece of cake, seriously, easier than we expected. We replaced also the compressor. Next the rear, more complex because of the external air reserve. We didn't lower the subframe, suspension, exhaust. Again we didn't follow MB guidelines but asked advice from a truck workshop on air suspension. And separated the external air tanks and the suspension. And this is why the small hands of my wife were welcome, the space to work on the air hose is small. We made our own tool for this from a pipe key. The tricky part is the right positioning of the suspension before inflation. It is not straight up. Make sure you click the suspension properly in the clips on top, if done wrong you may perforate the suspension. But it's relatively easy. We assembled it all and it worked perfectly fine. After that we went to a local workshop to do an alignment (paralelism). Ok, I got angry a couple of times, my fault. But MAJOR savings, making and "old" car again pure delight! Contact me for questions!

True. I drove 11.000 miles with broken rear airmatic suspension. Found aftermarket parts and repair cost.... 465 euro. Did it myself in two hours. Brilliant car, don't be scared of airmatic, it's relatively easy to fix, look in the right place, else it breaks your bank account 😜

@dw4525

3 жыл бұрын

BJ N €465 to replace both rear with new parts?

@bjn8937

3 жыл бұрын

@@dw4525 YES, both left and right rear and including pump repair kit. Pump got tired from keeping rear up, stopped producing sufficient pressure, and rear sank to remain low. Piece of cake to repair. Mercedes asks a fortune, but aftermarket parts are affordable (even if I would need to change them once per year, it's worth it) and come with one or two years of warranty (depending on source). Check Maxpeedingrods. There are more.

@aymantahboub5322

3 жыл бұрын

I have the red warning appearing ABC STOP VEHICLE NOW It only appears for 1 sec after a speed pump. The ride quality is good otherwise.. Any recommendation?

@sultanqasim

3 жыл бұрын

@@aymantahboub5322 sounds like a failed accumulator causing low pressure on rebound. On the second gen ABC used on W221 C216, there’s one accumulator for the front axle, one for the rear axle, and a pulsation damper on the pump. You may as well replace both front and rear accumulators since when one goes, the other will also probably go soon too. You should get the accumulator replaced ASAP, else the pressure spikes could damage the struts or blow hoses. The pulsation damper on the pump is smaller, and it also tends to fail, but the symptoms of its failure are pump whining noise or weird wailing sounds on hard cornering or acceleration.

Are these issues the same in the facelift models? 2012+?

@sumi7366

3 жыл бұрын

Yep

Good video, it's certainly not a car for those on a budget!

@BobbyDrives

4 жыл бұрын

You’re certainly right there! Thanks for watching 😊

@frompyramid5twoprojects925

3 жыл бұрын

Don't buy from anyone who was on a budget!

bro when lockdowns over can you please review the 1 series m sport shadow edition or just the regular m sport please? 2016 - 2019 reg.

@BobbyDrives

4 жыл бұрын

Hey, no problem bro I’ll do that. I just recently did the new 1 series M sport 2020 M135i. Have a watch, lovely car!

When I drive in London with my 2013 CL500 at some point in traffic all the safety systems fail all together. After some driving and restarting the car, all the messages are gone, back to normal. One of the possible causes according to the manual is: -the radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby TV or radio stations or other sources of electromagnetic radiation. Do you think this is due to the new 5G poles we have in London? It fails only in one specific area in London. Never when driving up the motorway away from the big city.....

@izroda84

3 жыл бұрын

These 5g transmitters are basically a military weapon, so it's most likely these

@Sheraad190

3 жыл бұрын

@@izroda84 Always the same spot on the A13 towards London..... weird.

@TheStevesoul

2 жыл бұрын

The problem that the most newest car have a complicated sensors , and if you drive close to this cars, it will interfere with your sensors, that is why your system sometimes not working...radar/park sensors etc. Unfortunately is normal with CL , nothing you can do.

@raycroal

2 жыл бұрын

@@Sheraad190 mi5 spy ware mate sad but true

Road tax in Belgium is 3000£ a year!

@BobbyDrives

2 жыл бұрын

Wow! That’s so expensive. It’s about £550-£600 per year in the UK 😕

They weight 2 tonnes so its very heavy! Anyone with sport cars expects to pay 500 a year at least haha never met anyone that pays monthly for it 🤣 Car is actually really nice inside when it's been looked after

I thought this car is on hydraulic suspension not air.....

Shera what do you get as standard ? Features wise

@BobbyDrives

3 жыл бұрын

Singh! There are too many to list, like electric heated seats, soft closing doors, double glazed windows. Massage seats...the list goes on! Put it this way, you get practically everything you would have wanted in this car. Absolutely a lovely car! Thanks to watching 🙏🏼

@sanjsingh8504

3 жыл бұрын

@@BobbyDrives thank you shera I appreciate that. What is the night view camera and do you get the tv tuner as standard or as an option like on the same era s class

@BobbyDrives

3 жыл бұрын

The night view camera comes up in your speedometer and it will detect animals and even humans that you can’t see. It’s basically a night vision camera. And with the tv tuner. If the car comes with a tv, then it’ll have the tv tuner as standard, not the greatest picture admittedly 👍🏼

Your away with the faries, I've had one for 6 years cheap as chips to fix if you know what your after. Everyone thinks mercs are dear but they are cheap bags are cheap to buy for the suspension just replace the certain piece

Lucky it's airmatic and not abc system.

That uses abc not air suspension

I hate to bust your bubble but your car has a hydraulic abc suspension not airmatic. If you wait until it breaks more you will spend $10k to fix it

@BobbyDrives

8 ай бұрын

Hey, thanks for the advice. I’ve since sold the car 👍🏼

IMO, people get it wrong when seeing if they can afford these cars. If you've got £35k for a new car, you don't have £35k for a used luxury car, you should look at like you've got £27K for the car and the remaining £8K for any repairs that will happen. These cars will go wrong, that's perfectly acceptable, you can't have everything, just make sure you have your repair bank ready and try to make it as cheap as possible. If your car is about to empty your repair funds, then you can decide to swap it out without having spent more than you originally budgeted for a car

Hey....Thank you for the video..on CL 500.I own one..very happy with...You mentioned about one good mecanic in Uxbridge,maybe you can provide hi’s telephone number,please.I leave in Langley.Thank you soo much

What a KZread video channel reviews a car without mentioning in his video the model YEAR of the car he's reviewing?

@BobbyDrives

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Ron, this was an update video. (Car is a 2007 model) Click here for the actual review which has more details - kzread.info/dash/bejne/Yp-mra9rk9rYlLg.html Thanks for watching 😊

It’s a car that cost 100k . The repair bills will be for a 100k car irrespective of its cost to buy !

no wonder it's so cheap, they put the steering wheel on the wrong side...

@BobbyDrives

Жыл бұрын

Lol 😂 it’s a UK spec car.

Guys, avoid all models close to first appearing of a model!! All these problems just don't exist after 6/2008.

@adrianjadczak8411

3 жыл бұрын

ABC problem does exist in all CL all years

@oscararechiga6829

3 жыл бұрын

Same as air suspension leaks, mine is a 2012 and it just started leaking

@bourtzalass

3 жыл бұрын

Problem is not when a problem occurs, the real problem is when it costs a lot!! This is what has been changed over the years...(exmpl) you dont need to lift engine to remove ABC pump, you can change boot in air suspension, and all components are cheap and easy to find. So, after the first models car brands making changes in order to be easier to fix. I'm doing these things since 2003 and believe me most of the times its an easy fix not costing a fortune.

@dw4525

3 жыл бұрын

@@bourtzalass which model needed to lift the engine to change the ABC pump? Was that the previous generation C215?

@bourtzalass

3 жыл бұрын

@@dw4525 yes!

This one has no air suspention but a hydraulic suspention ABC. You must change the 4 accumulators as they are the shock absorbers. The O rings in the valve block solenoids on your car are getting old. There are kits to renew them. But the accumulators are the first as if they brake they can kill the entire system including the valve blocks, the pump and of course the strouts. So your mechanic advice is stupid at best. Struts are usually failing because of failed accumulators...

In real is gargantuan big

Don’t buy this car, I’m suffering! I’ve paid $10k in repair in year and that’s only because I have a mechanic. The ABC went out Rebuilt the transmission New radiator New Windor regulator New iPhone Cable New headlight bulbs $600, 13 miles a Gallon. CL550 US version.

@Sheraad190

3 жыл бұрын

what year is yours? Mine is 2013 and I got the blower motor, starter motor done within warranty

Naah

'road tax'... pffft. sounds more like a fascist tax.

Bro you talk to much...

@BobbyDrives

Жыл бұрын

😂 Bro, I’m a car reviewer, that’s what we do - talk. I call it being informative.

@jaysimpson6857

Жыл бұрын

@@BobbyDrivesYou talked too much to a numb skull in his case.