Hindsight is helping the C55 AMG look like an incredible bargain… as long as you shop smart.
The entry fee into the AMG owners club has always been approachable. And one AMG that has always been a bit overlooked is the C55. The C55 may be overlooked because it doesn’t have the wild stats of newer models. In fact, its actually quite subtle. And we argue that makes it one of the best.
Edwin Klinkenberg from the 2DC YouTube channel just bought this C55, and payed the hefty sum of 4,500GBP for it. That’s a tick under $5,700 for those of us state side. So for starters, the price tag is much more appealing than those previously mentioned newer AMG’s. It’s also not perfect, but it’s also a 20 year old vehicle at this point. Find one that needs a bit of love and you’ll be able to find a cheap one, too.
Klinkenberg is a BMW enthusiast, so he’s approached the C55 with a bit of scrutiny. Comparing it to an E46 M3 is almost an unfair fight. BMW had the M3 deep into motorsports programs. C55? It was the F1 safety car. In truth, the C55 was never meant to be like the M3. The M3 had significant changes compared to a standard 3-series. The C55? A lot of the suspension parts could interchange with any other W203. But there’s no doubt the principal of a big V8 in a small car is huge fun regardless.
As such, the biggest complaints were about the not-so-sporty driving characteristics of the W203. The biggest complaint being the gearbox. This car clearly was bought with issues, because the mentioned noise, and unresponsive paddle shifters are not representative of a properly working 5-Gtronic gearbox. Perhaps once those get sorted, he’ll adjust his opinion a bit more favorably.
The suspension isn’t as sharp as an M3 either. But that’s because the C55 isn’t a no-compromise corner carving machine. It’s meant for comfortable speed. Klinkenberg admits this, saying it is one of the best highway cars he’s ever had. “What it does do the best, is sit on a motorway at speed.”
When AMG switched to the C63 in the W204 chassis, a lot of those character traits were adjusted. And of course it gained the legendary M156 engine. But you’ll be paying two to three times as much for a clean one of those versus the rock solid reliability of a C55.
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