As someone with an E500 of similar vintage, you missed some quirks! 1) The cupholder is only intended for use when stationary. Apparently Germans don't drive with a coffee, but need four ashtrays! 2) The compartments under the front seats; mine came with a comprehensive first aid kit, shaped to fit neatly into the slot on the passenger side. the driver's side had nothing in it so i use it for fluorescent jackets for driving in France. 3) 7:00 see those three buttons under the mirror? You can programme those to open electric gates and garage doors. 4) 9:20 slats in the sunroof cover? Those aren't to let in sun, it's so you can block out the sun (mostly) but still get a draft when you have the sunroof in the raised position. 5) the dome lights can be dimmed and brightened from the menus. 6) 13:30 did you notice that you get a picture of the E-class in the background of the menus? fancy! 7) 15:00 the big empty compartment at the rear of the arm-rest is the compartment to store the owner's manual in its leather envelope. Seriously! Every other car I've had you just shove it in the glovebox. 8) 16:15 you can't see it here, but the main battery lives under the floor of the boot. Yes, main battery. This car has an auxiliary battery in the front, located underneath the cabin air filter. 9) 17:20 see that red cap in just behind the supercharger? That's a dipstick tube with no dipstick. You can buy a dipstick, for workshop use only. The main purpose of this tube is actually for removing old engine oil. The engine is designed in such a way that a minor service can be carried out without ever going underneath the car. Of course, it has 16 spark plugs so a sparkplug change is expensive and takes a while! 10) 17:20 see that thing that looks like an ABS manifold at the front starboard side? That's an SBC pump. These cars did not have vacuum-servod brakes. No, they took the brilliant step of installing an electro-hydraulic pump for the brakes (hence the auxiliary battery). Unfortunately, as the MTBF of the pump was not well-understood, they coded a software limit into the pump so when the arbitrary number of pedal presses has taken place... you need to have the pump replaced or you cannot pass roadworthiness tests in pretty much any country. Cost? Between £1500 and £3000 in the UK for a refurbished unit, fitted and coded to the car. So between $2k and $4k US. 11) The hifi has an analogue TV tuner (yay, obsolescence!) but you can also pop a DVD in to watch whilst stationary, and even connect up to two additional devices to the RCA A/V inputs (which are located... in the trunk, behind a trim panel!) 12) it has air suspension! above 135kph (85mph) the car lowers itself by 3 cm to reduce drag and improve directional stability. The button just aft of the gearshifter allows you to choose the ride mode, and the button next to it raises the suspension for driving slowly through an uneven surface. 13) Dynamic seats - the one you tested here had the dynamic seats, which can inflate air bladders in the bolsters to keep you in place on corners. 14) Climate control - there is a carbon filter that you can switch in and out by a button, and if you are driving with the windows down and hold down the air-recirculate button it will close everything, then a second press will reopen it to where you had it. Intended for driving into tunnels!
DJXO1975 I had a CDI with the cup holder. When I bought the car it didn’t work, ends up some cleaning and lubrication it worked again. Should have saved it and sold it on eBay. 😂
The under seat compartments are convenient, rapid, discreet storage too--but if an owner can't secrete valuables in the W211 they don't know their great machine and probably aren't enthusiasts like us :-).
This is only understated compared to the newer ones. But if you compare it to the contemporary Audi and BMW, or the earlier E55 generation, it's not. Especially not with those wheels.
the new e63 is still a sleeper in most normal colors. The only thing that aggressive on it is the hood and maybe front airdams. The RS6 on the other hand lmao
If im gonna spend that much money on a AMG, i wouldnt want to not be recognized as a fast car so im fine they lack the "sleeper" look, they arent that anyway for a while now anyway, a sleeper is something u dont expect to be fast 🤷♂️
The slowness of the steering is because these are supposed to be Autobahn burners, and you don't want sports-car twitchy steering at 150+ on the highway.
Yeah, i have a fiesta st and its great in the corners, but on highway drives you change lanes when you just slightly touch the steering wheel. Not the most comfy long distance travel
I remember when my dad brought home his black on black 2006 E55, I was 10 at the time, and it was the first fast car he'd bought himself since the musclecar era, which also made it the first truly fast car I'd ever been in. Some of my favorite memories of my dad go back to him driving me to school in the backseat. We played a game where I would see if I could grab onto the headrest poles as he accelerated away from stoplights. One of my favorite car stories from my childhood was driving to Union Station in downtown LA at 6AM on the 110 North, doing 135mph because we were running late, and blowing past our exit only making us more late lol. He always loved the torque and sleeper status of this car and the impression it left on me is still with me as I now own my own AMG. Thanks for the great vid Doug!
My dad bought a silver 2003 E55 AMG when I was 5 (in 2009). And the memories I have are similar. It was the first Mercedes my dad ever owned and also was an absolute monster compared to his previous cars, such as the Ford RS turbo and things like that in the past. Certain memories such as bombing it at 130mph swerving in and out of lanes were absolutely thrilling at the time and still makes me smile thinking about it. I also loved the sleeper looking design because most people didn’t know what it was 😂. Sadly, after 11 years, he decided the time had come to sell it on (in April this year). Still think about it every day. Absolute bad boy car and will also be special to me. Tell your dad never sell it 😄 (if he still has it).
@@arjunsk1924 He ended up trading it in on an E63 M6 (V10) which at the time was also one of the most insane cars ever, and inspired me to get an E92 M3 when I became able to.
E used to mean Einspritzen (or "fuel injected") until fuel injection became common, then the E class stands for "Executive", so of course they need a place for pens and business cards.
@@neihomai8 those are to let more air pass into the interior when the glass roof is open but the cover closed, giving you an intermediate setting that is - honestly - what you use in german summer. A/c off, roof open, cover closed or half close...no sunburn, no fuel disaster (in other models than this), good air quality without much draft Yeah it sucks to not have a full cover option but...that's the thinking and I AM GERMAN, I must know
How about the proprietary special tools required to work on it? How about the scan tools? The plastic parts in the engine bay like thermostat housings, timing chain tensioners, intake manifolds, valve covers.... How about the fact the whole car is engineered to be dealer dependant...with mercedes removing dip sticks and oil drain plugs...it is made to get you back to the dealer to rip you off for years and years after the initial sale of the car... it's made for iphone type of people that are gonna just keep taking it back to the dealer.... that's german engineering... The biggest problem, this type of vision has partially or mostly spread throughout all the rest of the manufactures because it makes money.... So yea, I blame the germans for making unreliable, endless money pits....be proud of the disposable generation of products you have created..... What people call german over-engineering I call german greed...to make products that are hard to DIY so the manufacturer can keep milking money from the stupid owners that bought the german pieces of junk...
Just imagine you driving some important bjis wss man around and he falls asleep in the back, you go to change the radio station and accidentally flip his head rest down 😂 someone is gonna have a bad neck!
How many brown haired guys can fit in one four door car ! Chick ah flick. Now if you stick in the pass you will miss the present ! Sooo💘 am I a lie or a joke or a wonder umm 3 picther the door !
Partly right but no. I think the main purpose of the vent is to let air into the cabin when the sunroof is in the “lift” position. So that you get some air but still get some shade.
Smoking was normal so to let the smoke out without opening a Window or sunroof you just popped it up and the smoke would go out without having to open it all or having to be burned by the sun
What’s crazy is this is like a base e55! You could spec these things out with some pretty crazy options, active cruise control, keyless go, parking sensors, heated and cooled seats, a solar panal and a panoramic sun roof. This cars technology is literally what modern cars still use today!
Not to mention letting Kleeman tuning and pulleys. There were several around with 650hp if I recall. I kept my 05 stock, it was plenty ballsy for a sedan.
@@Pipe_Piperthe only thing they need is to split the cooling system. And maybe a coilover conversion if the airmatic starts acting up and its literally perfect
I agree this E class looked great. But remember that new designs often look a little off, or we have nostalgia-biased eyes, so I bet the new S and E will look this good to people in the 2040's.
I like the W211 a bit better, than the current W213. The 213 just looks like todays S and C class . Also, I think the 211 aged better than the E60...but my opinion is probably very unpopular....
@@greatestnitemare6626 look on marketplace. A lot of them have fallen into the hands of poor car owners and fallen apart from poor maintenance. Be sure to look for a one owner one that’s been well maintained. S55 is cheaper
@@mchuo7834 What about the S63 or S65? These 600+ HP V12's are insane, but I heard they have SO many prtoblems. I have an 06 rally blue Hawkeye STI with gold wheels and I love it. Should I just keep the STI instead of making a massive financial mistake getting these cars?
@@greatestnitemare6626 do not get the 65. They were not as reliable as the 55 and had head bolt issues and such. They will definitely cost more than your Subaru. The engine will never quit, but it’s the things around it that fail. Check for one an e55 if you want one without ABC issues. But they are more expensive. Definitely will cost more
Thisss ia UFO and I'm going to show you all of its quicks and features , then im going to take it for a flight and then I'm going to give it a Doug score
Doug - the vents in the sunroof were for airflow. With the sunroof cover closed, you could still use the sunroof tilt function and tilt the rear of the glass up. Those vents allowed for airflow out without opening the cover.
In my S class from this era it had a dummy compartment where the ski pass through was. The way to access it wasn’t obvious at all and I referred to it as “the weed compartment.”
Right behind the e39 m5 seems about right, I'd MUCH prefer the E55 as a daily though. Especially when you can get a reliable 500+ RWHP out of that motor and blow 99% of cars off the road.
Yes, it still looks modern IMO. I much prefer the look of this gen E-class vs the "square glasses" W212 that replaced it. The W212 face kind of mimicked the bad plastic surgery of the typical country club lady who bought this type of Benz.
14:15. What is that? It is another excellent German design feature serving two purposes. 1) it acts as the "handle" to remove and empty the ashtray. 2) It is a guard to protect the door panel from being burned by a lit cigarette as the smoker deposits the ash into the ashtray. Many European brands have been doing that since the 70s. I remember my parents had two 1970 VW Bugs that both had this feature.
9:05 The vents in the sun roof cover let air in from a tilted sun roof while still mostly blocking the sun. Great for keeping your car cool when parked or driving in the sun. I love that feature, and because it is behind your head it doesn’t put sun in your eyes.
@@anandiyer8655 in most cases when buying premium brands You can choose between spare wheel, access wheel and tire repair kit but just when we are talking about "civilian" versions. When You opt for performance one you are probably getting just tire repair kit.
This car is beautiful. I also worked on this car at a mechanic shop as my internship. I also love the way the body is so curvy and having that massive supercharger on that engine. And the interior of this car is also beautiful. Another thing that shocks me are the massive 6 piston brakes this car has. Amazing for an almost 500 horsepower monster of a car.
As a german engineer I dont feel represented well when he says that some features are 'pretty german'. The designers of the cars interior and exterior are mainly the persons to decide the entire look of the car. I would bet that the designers of the interior wanted the center console to match it by 100 % how they wanted it to be. But then someone comes up with: 'But we need cupholders or a cd changer in that area'. Then its the engineers task to find a way to fit the feature in there. Eventhough if it is not the easy way as we would like to do. We dont like to do things unnecesarily complicated. Sometimes the designers make the engineers to do it because they think nobody would ever buy the car if you destroy their 'perfect design'.
+Mega Chipzy What's funny is that you say it like this BECAUSE you are a German engineer. 🤣👍 That cupholder was designed to fulfil a specific requirement, and I bet it was delivered on time and to cost. It might look complex but it's no more complex than it needs to be to hold two cups when out and pack into that hole when not in use. I have the fortune to work with aerospace engineers across Europe. It has been my experience that there are definite national traits for engineers, whether because of education, company tradition or just the national psyche. There are good and bad engineers in every country, but the stereotypes hold true for the average team of engineers. If that cupholder was an Italian design it would have looked brilliant, but it would have arrived after the next model of the E-class came out. It also wouldn't work half the time. If it was a French design, they would have spent the first 90% of the time allotted by looking at the philosophy of "what is a cup?", and the result would be an incredibly elegant champagne glass holder fitted to the rear of the seat. The British design would have been made from titanium, and would be strong enough to hold a 200kg cup of coffee without spilling any whilst cornering at 10g, but would also cost €20,000 to make. To me, German engineering is something that might not wow people for its style or ingenuity but it will do the job, you'll get it when you need it and it won't kill the budget for other things. For a Project Manager, German engineers are the resource you are so glad to have because you don't need to reign them in all the time. Of course, if the whole engineering world was German we wouldn't have the Citroen DS, or Rolls Royce, or Ferrari so we're richer for the different approaches. But, German engineers got their reputation for a reason.
I don’t know man, it seems like you Germans love making things way more complex than they need to be, hence why every German car is almost impossible to maintain in your own garage without extensive knowledge and specialty tools.
I agree and get kind of annoyed with all the seemingly random ‘quirks’ of people from different countries that he keeps mentioning. Like this is ‘sooo German’ or ‘sooo Italian’
Great review as always, Doug. I think the E55 represents peak AMG (along with a few other AMG variants of the era) and the "German muscle car era" of the 00's you mention at the beginning, as far as being a "normal" Mercedes taken to truly ridiculous power levels, without a normal non-car person really knowing what the car was by looking at it. From the understated design to the quiet exhaust (the quietest 55k AMG exhaust aside from the S55 iirc) it really was a true executive sedan sleeper built for the autobahn and corporate parking lot alike. Nowadays all the AMG have grumbles and pops and you know what you're looking at/hearing. You also hit the nail on the head about seeing these when you were 15. I was 12 when these started hitting dealers and streets, and have always thought they were cool. 17 years later I bought one. For anybody looking to buy one... make sure you can afford to buy it twice! Another quirk you'd appreciate is the brake-by-wire braking. The pedal is all haptic feedback, which is not really great for performance-focused driving....A couple of notes: The sunroof cover vents are there so you can tilt the sunroof glass open and it will allow airflow (smoke) out of the cabin, without needing to move the cover out of the way and let sun in. Of course, at the right angle it will let some slits of sun in but worth the tradeoff, to smokers at least. A bunch of Mercedes have this. Also, the car does have a different "body kit" - the bumpers and skirts are specific to E55 models, though I think they may have been available as sport bumpers as well (not sure if that was W211 facelift only where you could get the amg sport bumpers on a non-AMG car as well). Understated for sure, but different. Keep up the great videos!
I loved my E55! Absolute rocket ship! It’s worth noting the German’s were sneaky.. when these cars were put on the dyno they would make well over 400 wheel horsepower in stock trim. The 469 horsepower figure from the factory was grossly underrated.
@@nate.hanlon absolutely the amg there is just no comparison in how comfortable it is, its faster as well and if you really want to mod it its super easy since its also boosted
9:30 - It's a sort of an air vent. You can lift the sunroof while having the sun cover shut, allowing fresh air to flow in the car, especially if you have the windows open whilst not allowing sun coming in. Pretty smart, ain't it?
nice one, I drive an 06 E55 daily with the dynamic seats, push button start, panoramic sunroof, no quirky center cup holder, they really ironed it out by the last year :) 244,000 miles and counting on mine
Love the E55 so much I when out and bought one. Checks so many boxes, fast, smooth but still packs the kids and has a huge trunk for going to the airport. These are going to be collectibles.
Mercedes-Benz from this era were built to outlast you! W211, W210 and older are all a symbol of Mercedes' perfectionists. The diesel CDI models and older TD's can and have surpassed 1 milion kilometres very easily. I own an Inline 5 diesel, that thing has taken so much beating that I can't even describe what hell of an engine and gearbox these have. The same can be said for kompressor gasoline engines they are bulletproof and very very reliable. This may be the last true Benz which will never look outdated 👍👏
Oh I get it now, it is so I can forget that I have the sunroof open because the shade cover is closed as my E55 AMG is pulled into the automatic car wash.
This car is amazing. My dad has had one for the past 8 years as a weekend car. We just started it up recently. It is just one of those cars that just make you smile every time you start it up. And I just wanna add that this is a wack example of the car. This car shouldn’t have chrome wheels and those seats are hideous. Black on black is definitely the way to go ok this car.
Oscar Gutierrez It’s a matter of taste to be honest.For me these wheels look good and factory and not ghetto.Every interior color on the w211 looks great and subtle.Just my opinion.
Sold my 2005 E55 in January. It was a total lemon towards the end of my 5 year ownership. Car had just under 120k miles Valve cover oil leak (Common one but easy enough to fix) Secondary air injection pump and relay fault (replaced with new. Fairly costly) Misfire in cylinder 6 due to bad leads. (Replaced all leads on all cylinders) Leak in rear air suspension (replaced with new parts) Air suspension pump burnt out (Again replaced with new) SBC failure (This was Mercedes's fancy brake servo system which used stored hydraulic pressure instead of vacuum assisted boosters. Had a design fault which led to them being recalled and an extension of the warranty of these to 25 years in the US. Failure of the SBC unit means no power brakes and can happen at any time during vehicle operation. Luckily I was slowing down at a stop light on an empty road. Had to stand on the damn pedal to stop and car went into limp mode. Replaced with brand new unit) Dynamic control seat bladder leak (Passenger side bolster was constantly deflating) Oil leak in one of the hoses going to the oil cooler (whole hose assembly had to be replaced cause Mercedes had brilliantly engineered it to be a $600 hose assembly instead of a 6 inch piece of hose) Upper radiator hose cracked at the plastic (yes plastic!) joint which goes to the coolant reservoir. Dumped my coolant on the the road. Ended up limping home. Engine mounts and transmission mount shot which most likely caused the leaking oil cooler hose due to excessive vibration and twisting motion when revved. Front upper and lower ball joints shot (common failure point) Found out when front tyre had excessive wear on the inside and developed a squeak when going over bumps. You can do some of the repairs yourself to eliminate labour costs but the parts are still very expensive and you still need special tools and a bit more experience to work on these compared to any other manufacturer cars. Contrary to what you said any AMG car can turn into a bottomless pit of repairs at any given time. Do a lot of research before getting into one of these. Just my two cents.
@ｓｕｎｆｉｓｈ Dunno it's hard to say. I definitely didn't want to keep it any longer. I was fairly attached to that car but in the end the money I spent on it was just ridiculous. If you're already having transmission issues I'd say sell it as it is. Whatever money you put into repairing it you're not gonna make it back. It'll just be a waste. These cars while cool will not appreciate in value and will continue to drop until they hit their bottom mark (which I believe they are getting to now with high mileage ones). Also there is a ticking time bomb in the engine of these cars where due to an O ring used in the oil pickup tube in the dry sump turning brittle because of the material is not suited for long life operation in high temperature engine oil contact. When this happens the oil pickup tube will suck air through the broken O ring instead of oil and starve the engine of oil. This usually means spun bearings. Check out this video to find out more about the fault. th-cam.com/video/lUAB7lKoIt0/w-d-xo.html Second engine failure th-cam.com/video/_TG9Und29dI/w-d-xo.html He found the same fault in another engine which came from a CLS55 (Same model engine). So I would recommend getting rid of it before more things start to fail.
@@MilindaX.. one can only be greatful for your input. Ive owned my w215 Cl 600 for roughly 6 years now. I paid 10k for it and forked out about 7k in repairs. I could never get 17k if I wanted to sell.. now it runs like a spotted Ape (fast and agressive) So no choice but to keep it.
6:52 I believe from my experience with the car the reason for putting the map light on the mirror is it won’t reflect off the windows when your driving at night 8:38 as for the climate controls off button that’s so you don’t have to spam the fan button every time you want to turn it on or off you simply press 0 and when you go to turn it back on it remembers what you had it set to before 9:31 the vents in the sun roof shade are just that vents so you can have the sun roof tilted and get some ventilation and still have most the shade in all cases and if the sun isn’t coming from behind you still get full shade. 11:39 sorry but it does have a body kit, the front bumper side skirts and rear bumper are specific for the e55 and definitely a bit sportier then the standard e class 14:18 sorry Doug that’s not a handle it’s simply to help guide ash into the ash tray. When removing the ash tray there is button on the right side you can see the finger grove to allow you to depress it all the way, when you press it you can lift it out with little to know resistance unlike when you forced it out buy pulling on the silver piece I’m not sure how this vehicle is equipped but i did see that it has the AUX option witch is a pretty great quark. I’ve had people ask me if they can put music on in my car and my answer always is if you can find the AUX plug feel free. I’ve never had to listen to anyone’s music yet Another quark for the time is this car has ambient lighting and you can actually change how bright it is. There are lights in all the interior door handles, in the foot wells front and back, in the lights housings on the ceiling front and back, and lastly one shines down out of the rear view mirror and reflects off the wood in the front making it seem like it’s illuminated. Okay one last quark you can see a small black rectangle on the drivers door handle at 1:16, this is a inferred receiver and you can stand back a bit with the key point it at it and hold lock or unlock and open/close the windows and sunroof with out having to get in the car This is the last one I swear, idk if this car has the automatic wipers but if it does then it can be optioned with the rain protection system witch will close the windows and sunroof if the car is parked and it senses water for more then 60 seconds
Okay it wasn’t the last one maybe this one will be. This is just a cool option not necessarily super special I’m assuming it’s broke on this car as Doug seems to have skipped it. At 5:02 the button between the drivers heated seat button and the rear head rest button is a rear sun shade witch for the time is uncommon and you can stop it anywhere in the middle so you can decide just how much shade you want the rear seat passengers to have, it’s also very useful at night if some one has bright headlights behind you. Manual shades are also a separate option for the rear side windows
Okay i can’t stop my self the world deserves to know more about this mythical beast. All the climate control vents have detents so you can get them all perfectly aligned witch makes me happy, and they also are supposed to stop the vents when there at the optimal spot for auto climate control witch is much more advance then it sounds because the small black circle on the hood witch is the sun sensor, it helps the car know if the sun is hitting it so it can compensate for that with the ac before you actually feel the affects of the sun and have to turn the ac up. Ultimately if it works well it makes auto climate control a more seamless system to use.
This car also has auto dimming Mirrors witch is pretty sweet, you’ll never have to flip the little switch on the bottom of your mirror again and it also dims the side mirrors too
The drivers side windshield wiper is pretty normal but the passenger side has a fancy double pivot system that eliminates the annoying unwiped triangle at the bottom of the windshield and also allows it to clear the area over the auto wiper sensor better so it knows when to wipe again. The windows also have a blue tint to them witch greatly reduces the suns harmful rays so you will not tan/burn if you have your arm on the door in the sun for a extended period of time like when on a road trip witch you’d probably want to go on if you had one of there cars, the blue tint also help keep it much cooler inside the car when in direct sunlight.
Best car I've ever owned, love it!! The scoring at the end of video is just RIDICULOUS!! This car will still walk 99.5% of anything on the road today.. I think this is the best engine MB has ever created, it's Bulletproof.. You can easily mod this car, very inexpensive.. Maintain this vehicle, it will definitely take care of you.
Kristopher Cantu I have a W210 E55 and I love it. I’ve had it for 5 years and done nothing except oil changes. At some point I will get the supercharged version like yours. I completely agree with you, the e55 from 99 to 06 were the best cars and are still reliable even after all these years.
yes with the cost of the car when new in the bank just for items that need replacing like rotors and other expensive items down the road, like the Brake Items after X amount of use it needs to be replaced as it fails like clockwork, german are not stupid, they over engineer thing and made the best items and appliances in the world at one time, but then they thought of a idea like japan did made things to work well in fact so well they would last for years with out any issues, then they through lets make thing which we will engineer to not work or fail after ex amount of hours of use and there goes the system and more money is made and everyone has a job ?
Which numbers do you disagree with? I think they are right on spot and the score is very high for this kind of older performance car. Doug scores cars with his subjective (besides the acceleration which is based on actual times) but consistent method and if you look any other car from the same era the numbers do match with what the car actually is. 58 is a very good score, as you can see when compared to other vehicles of the same era.
I had the ability to drive this car when it came out (my pops bought it) and I loved the fact that because of the high torque, I could spin the rear wheels on launch. I miss that beast.
His best reviews are with cars he owned like this E Class. You can feel his joy and euphoria driving one of his favorites. Did Doug just forget the most exotic thing on the E55 - that world first Brake-By-Wire system [SBC] ? The pens were for signing speeding tickets. 📋🖊#AutobahnBreeding
I really loved the 4 eyed headlights from this era.. MB is just going crazy with the lights with every model year.. I wish they just gave the front four headlight design by not changing anything else.. it would look amazing in sure of it
I own one (2005) and yeah...its a monster. Love love love the car. The styling and the power are legend. Just wish i didnt have to remove the bumper to change out the headlight....
The reason the cupholder is like that, is when you open it, you actually have 2 spots for cups. 1 being obviously the one that flips up and the second one is actually where the first one was stashed. You can actually see this in the video.
Yup, we have replaced all four of our Airmatic shocks on our '12 GL450. Fortunately, we were under warranty. Most recently, the pump went out just after the warranty expired. I wish I could recall exactly how my wife described driving her big SUV with a dead Airmatic pump. Needless to say, it was not pretty. $1K repair bill.
Believe it or not, Airmatic is a maintenance item. Arnott provides compressors, valve blocks, air struts, etc all for a reasonable price. If you know how to use youtube and have a little money to spend at harbor freight, you can do the job yourself. I had a n '06 ML500 and it took literally 30 minutes to replace air springs or compressors/valve blocks. Worth the hassle vs coil spring suspension.
A feature Doug didn't notice: It actually has 2 cupholders: One is the overenginereed piece, and the other is in the slot which stores it when not in use. Note there is a cutout in the back that doesn't fit in the moving one; It's actually there to make space for another drink, and another cutout at the bottom, to fit the low part of a soda can there so it doesnt't slide or rattle.
@@hazardeur It does look modern. Cars in the 2000s didn't look this good. I remember seeing this for the first time. When I was 12. It was the most beautiful car especially considering what else was out then.
I wondered when you’ll get to reviewing the E55, and it’s finally here! My dad owns a ‘04 E55 and it’s an amazing car. Love the supercharged V8 and exterior design, although it doesn’t have solid overbuilt feel of the late 80’s / early 90’s E-Class. He allowed me to drive the E55 one time and the thing is blistering quick on the highway. I’m contemplating purchasing the car from him once he doesn’t want to deal with the repairs, as I’d hate for it to go to someone who might not care for it as well as he did. I’m saying this only because I used to work with someone who bought a E55 and then totally trash it with mods.
As an E60 M5 owner I will definitely admit this car’s interior seems much more impressive than the e60. There isn’t anything too interesting in the E60 but this car had me impressed!
Doug is the type of guy to get covid 19 and while riding in the ambulance; "Its time for the doug score: Styling is 5/10, love the medicine cabinets Acceleration is 7/10, the things inside seem to stay in place very well compared to other models Handling is 6/10, high center of gravity takes out any sportiness during turns Fun factor is 8/10, it has flashing lights and a siren Cool factor is 8/10, it has a great livery design and exquisite numbers Features is 9/10, it has its own oxygen system and even full house outlets back here Comfort is 2/10, the stretcher is very plain, no padding whatsoever Quality is 5/10, lots of plastic and not much leather or other pleasing materials Practicality is 10/10, it makes traffic disappear like magic Value is 7/10, they hold well and even make great rv`s Total doug score is 65/100, which is also the first 2 digits on my ambulance ride bill" *spelling on disappear fixed
I have resolved the handing and slow shifting issues Doug details with 2 upgrades. Mine blew an air strut and rather than spend the $3k-$4k to replace everything that would eventually go wrong, I did the BC Racing adjustable coil-overs which addresses the ‘psychotic marshmallow’ handling and makes the car feel much more tight and modern. I also installed an MK Ultra Stage 1 TCU that makes a night and day difference in the way the trans behaves and comes with an extra ‘A’ mode (Agility mode) that make the shifts surprisingly firm and quick upshifts and enhances the downshifts to happen with less throttle input which makes the car much more responsive and fun to drive. MK Ultra offer TCU’s with tunes that mimic the AMG SLR or DTM shift manners, since I didn’t want to hurt the overall drivability of the car, I stuck with the Stage 1 but they do free upgrades if I ever decide it is too tame. I have a slew of VRP parts on it including a 77mm pulley, secondary intercooler with the 010 pump upgrade and I just bought a set of catted long tubes that will be installed in a couple of weeks. I have had the car almost 4 years now and I love it more every time I drive it and don’t plan on ever selling it.
This is my favorite E-class body style of all time. parents had a loaded '05 E500 when it came out and that thing was so nice during those days. it was a sad day when they sold it. loved that car :(
@A real bisexual petrol-head your opinion but for me it looks amazing. Newer e-classes have clearly lost their identity. Pre-facelift w211 is the last e-class in my book.
@@worlds_greatest_detective6667 Yes! These lines are still beautiful in 2020 and I wish current Benz designs still had the charm this model had during it's era.
@A real bisexual petrol-head "I bet many people back then when W211 was new complained about how cheap the interior looks." That's a complete assumption with zero support. I've seen no complaints from respected publications about the cabin looking cheap. Here's an unbiased comparison review about the W211 from a respected US publication which mentions the interior: www.motortrend.com/cars/bmw/5-series/2005/sideways/ It's also very ironic you say that as people always complained about BMW interiors over the years. And who cares if this was used as a taxi, modern Benzes to this day are still are used as taxis in Europe. Which is actually cool. And other german saloons in this class are used as police cars so whatever point you're making doesn't make sense. This design came out in 2003 and is absolutely timeless. I still see them on the road occasionally, saw one yesterday in fact, and I live in California where modern luxury cars are a dime a dozen. Anyways, after looking at old reviews of this car and the comments on this video it's clear what the general consensus on this car is. Have a good day!
Do you reckon it'll crack 200 mph stock? I guess it has same power as SL55 (mine stock made 484@crank) and better drag coefficient so derestricted why not?
9:32 I'm sure someone's already pointed it out, but the vents in the sunroof cover are there to allow air to flow when you want to open the sunroof but don't want there to be sunlight.
I interpret the Dougscore as: 10-30: Truly horrendous 30-39: Bad 40-49: Mediocre/Unbalanced/Mixed 50-59: Pretty good 60-69: Very strong 70+: Outstanding/best-of-the-best/great all-rounder
Same. Like, nominally it's out of 100 but there's literally no way a car could get 10 in every category, some necessarily negatively impact other ones to at least some degree.
To say I am stoked would be a huge understatement. I just took delivery of one of these a week ago. It is the 2004 E55 AMG with 192,000km. The speedometer tops out at 320km on this model. It passed inspection with flying colors with minor finds like broken hood latch and privacy screen and cup holder. It drives like a dream and has surpassed my wildest expectations. I even look forward to grocery shopping with this car. I love it I love it I love it. It is my Dream Car!
Doug: Thank you for reviewing my car. Brought lots of smiles to me, my family and friends!
Justin Beekhuis - It really is my car and simply wanted to tell Doug “thank you”. No agenda. Just being grateful.
You have a beautiful car! Enjoy it!
Awesome car bro
Absolutely beautiful car!!!
Soooo... you're the guy who has two pants in his glove box? (im Sure, He said pants!!! 👆)
Doug the type of guy to say a German car started a war.
Lmao 😂
“They’ve over done it, just like their French holiday in 1939” - James May
oy vey
😂😂😂
hahahahha
As someone with an E500 of similar vintage, you missed some quirks!
1) The cupholder is only intended for use when stationary. Apparently Germans don't drive with a coffee, but need four ashtrays!
2) The compartments under the front seats; mine came with a comprehensive first aid kit, shaped to fit neatly into the slot on the passenger side. the driver's side had nothing in it so i use it for fluorescent jackets for driving in France.
3) 7:00 see those three buttons under the mirror? You can programme those to open electric gates and garage doors.
4) 9:20 slats in the sunroof cover? Those aren't to let in sun, it's so you can block out the sun (mostly) but still get a draft when you have the sunroof in the raised position.
5) the dome lights can be dimmed and brightened from the menus.
6) 13:30 did you notice that you get a picture of the E-class in the background of the menus? fancy!
7) 15:00 the big empty compartment at the rear of the arm-rest is the compartment to store the owner's manual in its leather envelope. Seriously! Every other car I've had you just shove it in the glovebox.
8) 16:15 you can't see it here, but the main battery lives under the floor of the boot. Yes, main battery. This car has an auxiliary battery in the front, located underneath the cabin air filter.
9) 17:20 see that red cap in just behind the supercharger? That's a dipstick tube with no dipstick. You can buy a dipstick, for workshop use only. The main purpose of this tube is actually for removing old engine oil. The engine is designed in such a way that a minor service can be carried out without ever going underneath the car. Of course, it has 16 spark plugs so a sparkplug change is expensive and takes a while!
10) 17:20 see that thing that looks like an ABS manifold at the front starboard side? That's an SBC pump. These cars did not have vacuum-servod brakes. No, they took the brilliant step of installing an electro-hydraulic pump for the brakes (hence the auxiliary battery). Unfortunately, as the MTBF of the pump was not well-understood, they coded a software limit into the pump so when the arbitrary number of pedal presses has taken place... you need to have the pump replaced or you cannot pass roadworthiness tests in pretty much any country. Cost? Between £1500 and £3000 in the UK for a refurbished unit, fitted and coded to the car. So between $2k and $4k US.
11) The hifi has an analogue TV tuner (yay, obsolescence!) but you can also pop a DVD in to watch whilst stationary, and even connect up to two additional devices to the RCA A/V inputs (which are located... in the trunk, behind a trim panel!)
12) it has air suspension! above 135kph (85mph) the car lowers itself by 3 cm to reduce drag and improve directional stability. The button just aft of the gearshifter allows you to choose the ride mode, and the button next to it raises the suspension for driving slowly through an uneven surface.
13) Dynamic seats - the one you tested here had the dynamic seats, which can inflate air bladders in the bolsters to keep you in place on corners.
14) Climate control - there is a carbon filter that you can switch in and out by a button, and if you are driving with the windows down and hold down the air-recirculate button it will close everything, then a second press will reopen it to where you had it. Intended for driving into tunnels!
The SBC pump is now covered by a 25 year extended warranty. At least it is in the US, not sure about elsewhere.
I just sold my 2004 E500 a couple of months ago, and damn i miss it so much. Enjoy your car man
Starboard means right for people that don't also have floating money pits...
I have an 08 E350(W211) and the interior is very similar(body as well). regardless, i love my w211 its a great car for what it is!!
THISSSS IS AMAZING!
You should join Doug Demuro Discord Server
Theres a channel where you can talk about quirks Doug missed!
discord.gg/pmw7rm
Thanks Doug for nearly doubling the price of e55s.
Lmao
Lol
Sooo true now, almost tripled now😂
Not really to be honest, I’m buying one with 120k miles for 15k, and I’ve wanted one since I was 12 and the market has stayed the same for 7 years
@@Spaced_trip21 that’s awesome man congrats, but wouldn’t you think they would’ve depreciated in these past 7 years instead of staying at around 15k?
Doug getting pulled over:
Officer: License and registration please
Doug: Thisssss is my license and thissss is my registration.
On Reddit, I would gild this.
oh man this killed me lmfaooo
This was good Mark 👌
Why you copy other people's jokes!? Kid
U basterd 😭😭
Some dude: Hey ! Wanna review my E55 AMG?
Doug: Yeah, but does the cup-holder work tho ??
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Make sence?:)
Hilarious! Side note, mine is also broken like 95 percent of them
DJXO1975 I had a CDI with the cup holder. When I bought the car it didn’t work, ends up some cleaning and lubrication it worked again. Should have saved it and sold it on eBay. 😂
@@jrfish007 LOL. You would be rich! Probably off of me. Lmao
And the quad exhausts were actually real back then 👌
sonnyblack0870 good old times
I seen a Toyota Camry with quad but you can see its just for show
Vrooom X 4
The old days
But still not needed. No car under 500 hp needs more than 2
I got the unofficial 'Drug-Dealer-Edition' of this E-class. No CD changer, but a small storage to hide my cocaine.
My first e class had the fold out weed pocket 🤣
The under seat compartments are convenient, rapid, discreet storage too--but if an owner can't secrete valuables in the W211 they don't know their great machine and probably aren't enthusiasts like us :-).
Me tooo🤯
Henner2424 💀 facts
Hehe same.
The button to turn off the climate control is labeled "0" because _Klimatisierungssystem deaktivieren_ wouldn't fit.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@Adlerwacht typo
Adlerwacht u mean double "ss"
@A real bisexual petrol-head chill the fuck out smartass he was joking
I love how understated these older sports sedans look. Modern AMGs lack that 'sleeper' effect.
Julien Vermeer yes now they’re just so shouty, especially in that sunburst yellow colour
So true
This is only understated compared to the newer ones.
But if you compare it to the contemporary Audi and BMW, or the earlier E55 generation, it's not.
Especially not with those wheels.
the new e63 is still a sleeper in most normal colors. The only thing that aggressive on it is the hood and maybe front airdams.
The RS6 on the other hand lmao
If im gonna spend that much money on a AMG, i wouldnt want to not be recognized as a fast car so im fine they lack the "sleeper" look, they arent that anyway for a while now anyway, a sleeper is something u dont expect to be fast 🤷♂️
The slowness of the steering is because these are supposed to be Autobahn burners, and you don't want sports-car twitchy steering at 150+ on the highway.
also its speed sensitive, auto adjusted at various speeds ,the faster you go the harder the steering is or tighter it is. :)
@Thu Nell Ⓥ No it's not. I have a BMW X5 that does it but my ford escape does not.
Yeah, i have a fiesta st and its great in the corners, but on highway drives you change lanes when you just slightly touch the steering wheel. Not the most comfy long distance travel
The W211 E55 has AMG ADS suspension system just by clicking 2 times it handles almost like E60 M5. Doug never mention the Airmatic suspension.
@@7071t6 other way round
I remember when my dad brought home his black on black 2006 E55, I was 10 at the time, and it was the first fast car he'd bought himself since the musclecar era, which also made it the first truly fast car I'd ever been in. Some of my favorite memories of my dad go back to him driving me to school in the backseat. We played a game where I would see if I could grab onto the headrest poles as he accelerated away from stoplights. One of my favorite car stories from my childhood was driving to Union Station in downtown LA at 6AM on the 110 North, doing 135mph because we were running late, and blowing past our exit only making us more late lol. He always loved the torque and sleeper status of this car and the impression it left on me is still with me as I now own my own AMG. Thanks for the great vid Doug!
Love that story lol
My dad bought a silver 2003 E55 AMG when I was 5 (in 2009). And the memories I have are similar. It was the first Mercedes my dad ever owned and also was an absolute monster compared to his previous cars, such as the Ford RS turbo and things like that in the past. Certain memories such as bombing it at 130mph swerving in and out of lanes were absolutely thrilling at the time and still makes me smile thinking about it. I also loved the sleeper looking design because most people didn’t know what it was 😂. Sadly, after 11 years, he decided the time had come to sell it on (in April this year). Still think about it every day. Absolute bad boy car and will also be special to me. Tell your dad never sell it 😄 (if he still has it).
@@arjunsk1924 He ended up trading it in on an E63 M6 (V10) which at the time was also one of the most insane cars ever, and inspired me to get an E92 M3 when I became able to.
Brett Swan nice.
@@brettswan7335 Which did you like more? The Merc or the BMW?
An E55 owner, the kind of guy to have two pens.
One to write his own speeding tickets and one to lend the BMW M5 driver.
Mine peugeot 307 sw have place for 2 pens too and business cards
The second one is for the tire gage
E used to mean Einspritzen (or "fuel injected") until fuel injection became common, then the E class stands for "Executive", so of course they need a place for pens and business cards.
the second "pen" holder is actally for a screwdriver that was most common for doing basic screws around the dashboard
Doug’s the type of guy to call himself a “cup holder enthusiast”
the best kind of enthusiast
Please can somebody give me a gift of this car ? Because am in love with this car.
but only if hes wearing 2 shirts.
After seeing how that cupholder works, I think I'm also a converted “cup holder enthusiast”
😂
Owner: I have a mint condition 2004 E55 AMG
Doug: Does the cup holder work??
Owner: yea
Doug: On my way.
Doug's entering in his aged white ugly E63 wagon
vroom ..... Doug: woo hoo
@@poseidonguy3940 change your name right fucking now.
If you don't respect the E63 Wagon, you don't deserve to be a car guy.
@A real bisexual petrol-head you pathetic kiddo
@@SkylineLofe I respect wagons, I just think they're ugly, especially those Eclass AMGs, they age super fast.
The Hellcat literally owes its heritage to this bad boy. Figuratively and literally.
Yup engine design, parts ,chassis and more
How?😂
@@kellysam1046 bro what😂
@@kellysam1046 makes no sense
Ikr bro don't know his cars
As a German I say: There are no over-engineered things in this car, they all make perfect sense!
9:28 how about the holes on the cover that is supposed to block sunlight from the sunroof? lol
@@neihomai8 those are to let more air pass into the interior when the glass roof is open but the cover closed, giving you an intermediate setting that is - honestly - what you use in german summer. A/c off, roof open, cover closed or half close...no sunburn, no fuel disaster (in other models than this), good air quality without much draft
Yeah it sucks to not have a full cover option but...that's the thinking and I AM GERMAN, I must know
How about the proprietary special tools required to work on it? How about the scan tools? The plastic parts in the engine bay like thermostat housings, timing chain tensioners, intake manifolds, valve covers....
How about the fact the whole car is engineered to be dealer dependant...with mercedes removing dip sticks and oil drain plugs...it is made to get you back to the dealer to rip you off for years and years after the initial sale of the car... it's made for iphone type of people that are gonna just keep taking it back to the dealer.... that's german engineering...
The biggest problem, this type of vision has partially or mostly spread throughout all the rest of the manufactures because it makes money....
So yea, I blame the germans for making unreliable, endless money pits....be proud of the disposable generation of products you have created.....
What people call german over-engineering I call german greed...to make products that are hard to DIY so the manufacturer can keep milking money from the stupid owners that bought the german pieces of junk...
Just imagine you driving some important bjis wss man around and he falls asleep in the back, you go to change the radio station and accidentally flip his head rest down 😂 someone is gonna have a bad neck!
So your lying to yourself then?
9:20 the holes in the sunroof cover is so you can vent the sunroof with the cover closed. VW/Audi does it too
John Leeper yeah was blown away he didn’t mention that, given how many cars he’s around
Thank you! I was saying that my self !
And that interior (red) was the option "designo"! My dad had that in hes s500 (black&green)
It's a good feature for smokers. I always liked it.
Exactly! Same on my C55.
Doug: Purplish Reddish Brownish
Burgundy: Am I a joke to you?
Is he color blind? Lol
How many brown haired guys can fit in one four door car ! Chick ah flick. Now if you stick in the pass you will miss the present ! Sooo💘 am I a lie or a joke or a wonder umm 3 picther the door !
Oh those was all the best man if the groom can't fulfill his promises my pitcher's you+2
They called it "Merlot".
The sunroof “holes” are for ventilation so heat isn’t trapped and mess with the headliner
Then they would be standard on every car.
That exactly what they're for. I'm glad someone else gets it.
Partly right but no. I think the main purpose of the vent is to let air into the cabin when the sunroof is in the “lift” position. So that you get some air but still get some shade.
@@MrCAMP1985 thats it
Smoking was normal so to let the smoke out without opening a Window or sunroof you just popped it up and the smoke would go out without having to open it all or having to be burned by the sun
in my opinion it is one of the best looking cars from 2000s and overall the most timeless and best looking E-class.
definitely
Also not to mention it kinda seems identical to the CLK of its time.
@Angelo Guzman Yeah that C.
Timeless yes but W212 (W207 e class cupe as well) restyling with those LED lights is the best looking merc if you ask me
@@averagedev7768 I prefer big body Benz I have w221
In my opinion the W211 is the most beautiful E Class ever built, such a timless piece of art
used to hate the circle headlights but im ngl they've grown so much on me
Love my 06 e350. Want a e55 so bad though
Yes, I just bought a2007 e550 they are fast and Gen. like your driving a quality vehicle
I have an 08. Thank you so much
Nah the w210 looks better for me.
The second pen holder was actually for a tire pressure gauge.
never knew this! awesome
You should add that to discord.com/invite/aUd4rJX
Quirks and features doug missed!
Yep 👍🏻
I thought the other was for the sunroof's manual crank.....
How do people pay attention to these things
What’s crazy is this is like a base e55! You could spec these things out with some pretty crazy options, active cruise control, keyless go, parking sensors, heated and cooled seats, a solar panal and a panoramic sun roof. This cars technology is literally what modern cars still use today!
Not to mention letting Kleeman tuning and pulleys. There were several around with 650hp if I recall. I kept my 05 stock, it was plenty ballsy for a sedan.
@@Pipe_Piperthe only thing they need is to split the cooling system. And maybe a coilover conversion if the airmatic starts acting up and its literally perfect
@@turbosydney my 03 e320 has a split cooling system i have no idea why e55's dont
doug: *doing 120 in the 45 zone*
also doug: *looks at spedometer and checks mirror for cops*
What minute?
@@BF2FanNo1 watch from 19:45 it's so funny
Lmao 😂
He always checks the mirror once the car shifts into 3rd gear
19:48 review summary
doug review hierarky
10-20 mins: regular car
>20-30 mins: good car
>30 mins : very very quirky cars
Doug has quirky chicken legs
His vids are never really less than 20 minutes though unless it's on the More Doug channel
@@mctit that means those cars on more doug are meh cars, e.g the Corolla video
Still sad that he didn't give the Jaguar XJ Supercharged a longer review
Do more 2000s AMG’s, they’re unreal
C63
The new E-class and S-class look absolutely miserable. The W211 Mercedes has a timeless design.
i like the new designs more the headlights on this car look like bugs eyes
I agree this E class looked great. But remember that new designs often look a little off, or we have nostalgia-biased eyes, so I bet the new S and E will look this good to people in the 2040's.
I like the W211 a bit better, than the current W213. The 213 just looks like todays S and C class . Also, I think the 211 aged better than the E60...but my opinion is probably very unpopular....
@@FabianHunor Popular, unpopular, you are right about the designs.
f1hunor very true and I say the same thing. W211 looks like it’s 5 years newer
Doug is the type of guy to read an owner's manual to his kids at bedtime.
Haven't heard this one before
Come up with something more original that joke isn’t funny no more.
Doug is the type of a guy who reads terms and conditions of washing powder before filling it into washing machine
And when he's done reading to his kids say "This owner's manual gets a Doug score of... " 😁😁😁
*Doug the type of guy
last time I was this early, Doug was wearing two t-shirts
Last time I was this early, it was 2004
He's the dorkiest car review guy hands down
He'll always be 'Ole Dougie Two Shirts to me.
O 99 He still has $35-$50 dollar signed pictures for sale...
@@shouryasingh6815 he was talking about himself, you might be too young for the internet.
DIDN’T LET US HEAR THE EXHAUST NOTE WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE QUAD TIPS. I know its not all that but kinda left me hanging daddy doug 😭
Daddy doug???
7367Network yes, DADDY DOUG
😂😂 dats yo pops
Daddy Doug??????????????
"DOUGLAS DEMURO" => "LOUD ORGASM DUE"
Indeed it is, Doug, indeed it is ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)
I love that E Class and especially the engine. That thing is solid.
M113k is a boss engine! Super reliable motor
@@mchuo7834 Why can’t you find these cars anywhere? I want to buy one
@@greatestnitemare6626 look on marketplace. A lot of them have fallen into the hands of poor car owners and fallen apart from poor maintenance. Be sure to look for a one owner one that’s been well maintained. S55 is cheaper
@@mchuo7834 What about the S63 or S65? These 600+ HP V12's are insane, but I heard they have SO many prtoblems. I have an 06 rally blue Hawkeye STI with gold wheels and I love it. Should I just keep the STI instead of making a massive financial mistake getting these cars?
@@greatestnitemare6626 do not get the 65. They were not as reliable as the 55 and had head bolt issues and such. They will definitely cost more than your Subaru. The engine will never quit, but it’s the things around it that fail. Check for one an e55 if you want one without ABC issues. But they are more expensive. Definitely will cost more
What Doug thinks he says: "Mercedes"
What Germans understand: "Mörßäidies"
Mööhrr zäih diess Bänzzz , ja ja immer die Deutschen
me chimpagne seur
Try it out with TH-cams auto subtitles
yeah, German words. so funny...
Äi Ähm Tschiiii
damn even today this looks classy af
Not with those wheels tho.
i always thought these never aged well, they look very old and aged
@O 99 for sure. This thing looks old as fuck
@O 99 for sure, but this looks much better than a c5 rs6
A thing of beauty. The W211 Mercedes design is one of my favourites.
Aliens: let's attack the earth!
Doug: *THISSSS* IS planet Earth....
And... It's quite quirky...
😂😂😂😂😂😂
A lot of people has a lot hair
Thisss ia UFO and I'm going to show you all of its quicks and features , then im going to take it for a flight and then I'm going to give it a Doug score
Yes?
Here's your comment trophy 💩
Doug - the vents in the sunroof were for airflow. With the sunroof cover closed, you could still use the sunroof tilt function and tilt the rear of the glass up. Those vents allowed for airflow out without opening the cover.
Doug should do a review of a Tuk Tuk , That will be the pinnacle of his career.
Or Mazda 787B.
The amount of drug concealment compartments in this car is impeccable.
Exactly my thoughts 🤣🤣
Must be why you see all of these in the hood now
Donald Duck005 been in the hood Cuh.
What's your drug of choice? Meth?
In my S class from this era it had a dummy compartment where the ski pass through was. The way to access it wasn’t obvious at all and I referred to it as “the weed compartment.”
The holes in the sunroof are so you can vent the sunroof with the shade closed
Right behind the e39 m5 seems about right, I'd MUCH prefer the E55 as a daily though. Especially when you can get a reliable 500+ RWHP out of that motor and blow 99% of cars off the road.
The W211's styling has aged so well... Still one of the very best looking E-Class generations ever in my opinion 😍
The w211 is absolutely fantastic looking. Still have a special place in my heart for the w210. Not sure what it was... something about it.
Yes, it still looks modern IMO. I much prefer the look of this gen E-class vs the "square glasses" W212 that replaced it. The W212 face kind of mimicked the bad plastic surgery of the typical country club lady who bought this type of Benz.
The “holes” in the sun roof is for ventilation to let smells out of the car withe sun roof tilted and the cover closed.
Ali Alzaabi what kinds of smells?
Littleathquakes For when you smokin
that good good
This car looks aged af
Littleathquakes cigarettes for example
14:15. What is that? It is another excellent German design feature serving two purposes.
1) it acts as the "handle" to remove and empty the ashtray.
2) It is a guard to protect the door panel from being burned by a lit cigarette as the smoker deposits the ash into the ashtray.
Many European brands have been doing that since the 70s. I remember my parents had two 1970 VW Bugs that both had this feature.
9:05
The vents in the sun roof cover let air in from a tilted sun roof while still mostly blocking the sun.
Great for keeping your car cool when parked or driving in the sun. I love that feature, and because it is behind your head it doesn’t put sun in your eyes.
What about the spare wheel? Is it not provided with the Car?
@@anandiyer8655 in most cases when buying premium brands You can choose between spare wheel, access wheel and tire repair kit but just when we are talking about "civilian" versions. When You opt for performance one you are probably getting just tire repair kit.
This car is beautiful. I also worked on this car at a mechanic shop as my internship. I also love the way the body is so curvy and having that massive supercharger on that engine. And the interior of this car is also beautiful. Another thing that shocks me are the massive 6 piston brakes this car has. Amazing for an almost 500 horsepower monster of a car.
As a german engineer I dont feel represented well when he says that some features are 'pretty german'. The designers of the cars interior and exterior are mainly the persons to decide the entire look of the car. I would bet that the designers of the interior wanted the center console to match it by 100 % how they wanted it to be. But then someone comes up with: 'But we need cupholders or a cd changer in that area'. Then its the engineers task to find a way to fit the feature in there. Eventhough if it is not the easy way as we would like to do. We dont like to do things unnecesarily complicated. Sometimes the designers make the engineers to do it because they think nobody would ever buy the car if you destroy their 'perfect design'.
+Mega Chipzy What's funny is that you say it like this BECAUSE you are a German engineer. 🤣👍 That cupholder was designed to fulfil a specific requirement, and I bet it was delivered on time and to cost. It might look complex but it's no more complex than it needs to be to hold two cups when out and pack into that hole when not in use.
I have the fortune to work with aerospace engineers across Europe. It has been my experience that there are definite national traits for engineers, whether because of education, company tradition or just the national psyche. There are good and bad engineers in every country, but the stereotypes hold true for the average team of engineers.
If that cupholder was an Italian design it would have looked brilliant, but it would have arrived after the next model of the E-class came out. It also wouldn't work half the time. If it was a French design, they would have spent the first 90% of the time allotted by looking at the philosophy of "what is a cup?", and the result would be an incredibly elegant champagne glass holder fitted to the rear of the seat. The British design would have been made from titanium, and would be strong enough to hold a 200kg cup of coffee without spilling any whilst cornering at 10g, but would also cost €20,000 to make.
To me, German engineering is something that might not wow people for its style or ingenuity but it will do the job, you'll get it when you need it and it won't kill the budget for other things. For a Project Manager, German engineers are the resource you are so glad to have because you don't need to reign them in all the time.
Of course, if the whole engineering world was German we wouldn't have the Citroen DS, or Rolls Royce, or Ferrari so we're richer for the different approaches. But, German engineers got their reputation for a reason.
I completely agree. Engineers are given a task and they get it done. If they had a choice, they'd always keep it simple.
this guy is a american jew. why do you care about his opinion ? i think this guy has no clue about cars and is a totall tool
I don’t know man, it seems like you Germans love making things way more complex than they need to be, hence why every German car is almost impossible to maintain in your own garage without extensive knowledge and specialty tools.
I agree and get kind of annoyed with all the seemingly random ‘quirks’ of people from different countries that he keeps mentioning. Like this is ‘sooo German’ or ‘sooo Italian’
Can't believe it's a 2004 piece of technology and perfection
Great review as always, Doug. I think the E55 represents peak AMG (along with a few other AMG variants of the era) and the "German muscle car era" of the 00's you mention at the beginning, as far as being a "normal" Mercedes taken to truly ridiculous power levels, without a normal non-car person really knowing what the car was by looking at it. From the understated design to the quiet exhaust (the quietest 55k AMG exhaust aside from the S55 iirc) it really was a true executive sedan sleeper built for the autobahn and corporate parking lot alike. Nowadays all the AMG have grumbles and pops and you know what you're looking at/hearing. You also hit the nail on the head about seeing these when you were 15. I was 12 when these started hitting dealers and streets, and have always thought they were cool. 17 years later I bought one. For anybody looking to buy one... make sure you can afford to buy it twice! Another quirk you'd appreciate is the brake-by-wire braking. The pedal is all haptic feedback, which is not really great for performance-focused driving....A couple of notes: The sunroof cover vents are there so you can tilt the sunroof glass open and it will allow airflow (smoke) out of the cabin, without needing to move the cover out of the way and let sun in. Of course, at the right angle it will let some slits of sun in but worth the tradeoff, to smokers at least. A bunch of Mercedes have this. Also, the car does have a different "body kit" - the bumpers and skirts are specific to E55 models, though I think they may have been available as sport bumpers as well (not sure if that was W211 facelift only where you could get the amg sport bumpers on a non-AMG car as well). Understated for sure, but different. Keep up the great videos!
I loved my E55! Absolute rocket ship! It’s worth noting the German’s were sneaky.. when these cars were put on the dyno they would make well over 400 wheel horsepower in stock trim. The 469 horsepower figure from the factory was grossly underrated.
one of these with a smaller pulley or a twin turbo 335i?
@@nate.hanlon absolutely the amg there is just no comparison in how comfortable it is, its faster as well and if you really want to mod it its super easy since its also boosted
Revised Scoring (unbiased):
Styling 6/6
Acceleration 7/7
Handling 5/5
Fun Factor 5/5
Cool Factor 6/6
Features 4/4
Comfort 6/6
Quality 7/7
Practicality 5/5
Value 7/7
Total: 58/58
9:30 - It's a sort of an air vent. You can lift the sunroof while having the sun cover shut, allowing fresh air to flow in the car, especially if you have the windows open whilst not allowing sun coming in. Pretty smart, ain't it?
Totally makes sense.
yes but there should have been a cover for the vent. Some people want no sun coming from the roof and that could be a bit frustrating
Exactrly.
Remember, this vent is designed with Germany in mind, SoCal.
"not " SoCal...
19:44
You know that a Car is fast when Doug breathes like that
He breathes like he's being BJ - ed
Everytime a car accelerates, it looks like Doug is nutting himself
nice one, I drive an 06 E55 daily with the dynamic seats, push button start, panoramic sunroof, no quirky center cup holder, they really ironed it out by the last year :) 244,000 miles and counting on mine
Is it still alive?
Also wondering. Should I buy one at 266,000 miles 🤣
Love the E55 so much I when out and bought one. Checks so many boxes, fast, smooth but still packs the kids and has a huge trunk for going to the airport. These are going to be collectibles.
I adored this car throughout this video
@@Mich_-mu7fz they do have their issues though. Nothing money won’t fix
Doug the type of guy to say “Gracias” to the cashier at a Chinese Restaurant
Doug the type of guy who sits on the TV and watches the couch
Mercedes-Benz from this era were built to outlast you! W211, W210 and older are all a symbol of Mercedes' perfectionists. The diesel CDI models and older TD's can and have surpassed 1 milion kilometres very easily. I own an Inline 5 diesel, that thing has taken so much beating that I can't even describe what hell of an engine and gearbox these have. The same can be said for kompressor gasoline engines they are bulletproof and very very reliable. This may be the last true Benz which will never look outdated 👍👏
I have an w211 2007 facelift with the om642 3.0 v6 cdi e320
I own a w210 e55 and it has 1 million kilometers on it but i had to sell it cuz the suspension failed
3:32 DOUG THE TYPE OF GUY TO USE FOR THE FIRST TIME SLO-MO FEATURE ...
9:28 - so you can have the roof opened with the sun shade cover closed and vent louvers in that shade cover giving a nice fresh breeze of air.
Maybe you can smoke while it is raining and vent the smoke?
Oh I get it now, it is so I can forget that I have the sunroof open because the shade cover is closed as my E55 AMG is pulled into the automatic car wash.
Hoovie and Doug had an old generation E63 ugly Wagon
This car is amazing. My dad has had one for the past 8 years as a weekend car. We just started it up recently. It is just one of those cars that just make you smile every time you start it up. And I just wanna add that this is a wack example of the car. This car shouldn’t have chrome wheels and those seats are hideous. Black on black is definitely the way to go ok this car.
Oscar Gutierrez It’s a matter of taste to be honest.For me these wheels look good and factory and not ghetto.Every interior color on the w211 looks great and subtle.Just my opinion.
For me it’s silver on black. I agree these wheels are hideous
Interior is whatever, the wheels are straight out of a 2004 rap video. Disgusting.
Polo Alpha how the fuck is black rims ghetto? You sound dumb as fuck you ignorant piece of shit.
Two interior is much more interesting than single color-unique and uncommon. Chrome rims pricey option from the dealership
Sold my 2005 E55 in January. It was a total lemon towards the end of my 5 year ownership. Car had just under 120k miles
Valve cover oil leak (Common one but easy enough to fix)
Secondary air injection pump and relay fault
(replaced with new. Fairly costly)
Misfire in cylinder 6 due to bad leads. (Replaced all leads on all cylinders)
Leak in rear air suspension (replaced with new parts)
Air suspension pump burnt out (Again replaced with new)
SBC failure (This was Mercedes's fancy brake servo system which used stored hydraulic pressure instead of vacuum assisted boosters. Had a design fault which led to them being recalled and an extension of the warranty of these to 25 years in the US. Failure of the SBC unit means no power brakes and can happen at any time during vehicle operation. Luckily I was slowing down at a stop light on an empty road. Had to stand on the damn pedal to stop and car went into limp mode. Replaced with brand new unit)
Dynamic control seat bladder leak (Passenger side bolster was constantly deflating)
Oil leak in one of the hoses going to the oil cooler (whole hose assembly had to be replaced cause Mercedes had brilliantly engineered it to be a $600 hose assembly instead of a 6 inch piece of hose)
Upper radiator hose cracked at the plastic (yes plastic!) joint which goes to the coolant reservoir. Dumped my coolant on the the road. Ended up limping home.
Engine mounts and transmission mount shot which most likely caused the leaking oil cooler hose due to excessive vibration and twisting motion when revved.
Front upper and lower ball joints shot (common failure point) Found out when front tyre had excessive wear on the inside and developed a squeak when going over bumps.
You can do some of the repairs yourself to eliminate labour costs but the parts are still very expensive and you still need special tools and a bit more experience to work on these compared to any other manufacturer cars.
Contrary to what you said any AMG car can turn into a bottomless pit of repairs at any given time. Do a lot of research before getting into one of these. Just my two cents.
ｓｕｎｆｉｓｈ how much you sellin it for
2 cents my ass. that was a whole 20 dollar gift card.. lol
@@piper1727 If it saves you from a heap of trouble I'd gladly do a 100 dollar version
@ｓｕｎｆｉｓｈ Dunno it's hard to say. I definitely didn't want to keep it any longer. I was fairly attached to that car but in the end the money I spent on it was just ridiculous. If you're already having transmission issues I'd say sell it as it is. Whatever money you put into repairing it you're not gonna make it back. It'll just be a waste. These cars while cool will not appreciate in value and will continue to drop until they hit their bottom mark (which I believe they are getting to now with high mileage ones).
Also there is a ticking time bomb in the engine of these cars where due to an O ring used in the oil pickup tube in the dry sump turning brittle because of the material is not suited for long life operation in high temperature engine oil contact. When this happens the oil pickup tube will suck air through the broken O ring instead of oil and starve the engine of oil. This usually means spun bearings.
Check out this video to find out more about the fault. th-cam.com/video/lUAB7lKoIt0/w-d-xo.html
Second engine failure th-cam.com/video/_TG9Und29dI/w-d-xo.html
He found the same fault in another engine which came from a CLS55 (Same model engine).
So I would recommend getting rid of it before more things start to fail.
@@MilindaX.. one can only be greatful for your input. Ive owned my w215 Cl 600 for roughly 6 years now. I paid 10k for it and forked out about 7k in repairs. I could never get 17k if I wanted to sell.. now it runs like a spotted Ape (fast and agressive) So no choice but to keep it.
6:52 I believe from my experience with the car the reason for putting the map light on the mirror is it won’t reflect off the windows when your driving at night
8:38 as for the climate controls off button that’s so you don’t have to spam the fan button every time you want to turn it on or off you simply press 0 and when you go to turn it back on it remembers what you had it set to before
9:31 the vents in the sun roof shade are just that vents so you can have the sun roof tilted and get some ventilation and still have most the shade in all cases and if the sun isn’t coming from behind you still get full shade.
11:39 sorry but it does have a body kit, the front bumper side skirts and rear bumper are specific for the e55 and definitely a bit sportier then the standard e class
14:18 sorry Doug that’s not a handle it’s simply to help guide ash into the ash tray. When removing the ash tray there is button on the right side you can see the finger grove to allow you to depress it all the way, when you press it you can lift it out with little to know resistance unlike when you forced it out buy pulling on the silver piece
I’m not sure how this vehicle is equipped but i did see that it has the AUX option witch is a pretty great quark. I’ve had people ask me if they can put music on in my car and my answer always is if you can find the AUX plug feel free. I’ve never had to listen to anyone’s music yet
Another quark for the time is this car has ambient lighting and you can actually change how bright it is. There are lights in all the interior door handles, in the foot wells front and back, in the lights housings on the ceiling front and back, and lastly one shines down out of the rear view mirror and reflects off the wood in the front making it seem like it’s illuminated.
Okay one last quark you can see a small black rectangle on the drivers door handle at 1:16, this is a inferred receiver and you can stand back a bit with the key point it at it and hold lock or unlock and open/close the windows and sunroof with out having to get in the car
This is the last one I swear, idk if this car has the automatic wipers but if it does then it can be optioned with the rain protection system witch will close the windows and sunroof if the car is parked and it senses water for more then 60 seconds
Okay it wasn’t the last one maybe this one will be. This is just a cool option not necessarily super special I’m assuming it’s broke on this car as Doug seems to have skipped it. At 5:02 the button between the drivers heated seat button and the rear head rest button is a rear sun shade witch for the time is uncommon and you can stop it anywhere in the middle so you can decide just how much shade you want the rear seat passengers to have, it’s also very useful at night if some one has bright headlights behind you. Manual shades are also a separate option for the rear side windows
Okay i can’t stop my self the world deserves to know more about this mythical beast. All the climate control vents have detents so you can get them all perfectly aligned witch makes me happy, and they also are supposed to stop the vents when there at the optimal spot for auto climate control witch is much more advance then it sounds because the small black circle on the hood witch is the sun sensor, it helps the car know if the sun is hitting it so it can compensate for that with the ac before you actually feel the affects of the sun and have to turn the ac up. Ultimately if it works well it makes auto climate control a more seamless system to use.
This car also has auto dimming Mirrors witch is pretty sweet, you’ll never have to flip the little switch on the bottom of your mirror again and it also dims the side mirrors too
The drivers side windshield wiper is pretty normal but the passenger side has a fancy double pivot system that eliminates the annoying unwiped triangle at the bottom of the windshield and also allows it to clear the area over the auto wiper sensor better so it knows when to wipe again. The windows also have a blue tint to them witch greatly reduces the suns harmful rays so you will not tan/burn if you have your arm on the door in the sun for a extended period of time like when on a road trip witch you’d probably want to go on if you had one of there cars, the blue tint also help keep it much cooler inside the car when in direct sunlight.
Nate Gifford Ok I’m ready to buy one! You sold me😂. Maybe when I’m done with my little go kart GTI I’ll upgrade to an E class amg of some sort
Best car I've ever owned, love it!! The scoring at the end of video is just RIDICULOUS!! This car will still walk 99.5% of anything on the road today.. I think this is the best engine MB has ever created, it's Bulletproof.. You can easily mod this car, very inexpensive.. Maintain this vehicle, it will definitely take care of you.
Kristopher Cantu I have a W210 E55 and I love it. I’ve had it for 5 years and done nothing except oil changes. At some point I will get the supercharged version like yours. I completely agree with you, the e55 from 99 to 06 were the best cars and are still reliable even after all these years.
yes with the cost of the car when new in the bank just for items that need replacing like rotors and other expensive items down the road, like the Brake Items after X amount of use it needs to be replaced as it fails like clockwork, german are not stupid, they over engineer thing and made the best items and appliances in the world at one time, but then they thought of a idea like japan did made things to work well in fact so well they would last for years with out any issues, then they through lets make thing which we will engineer to not work or fail after ex amount of hours of use and there goes the system and more money is made and everyone has a job ?
(@@7071t6 ) MB USA extended the warranty for the SBC unit to 25 years..
Which numbers do you disagree with? I think they are right on spot and the score is very high for this kind of older performance car. Doug scores cars with his subjective (besides the acceleration which is based on actual times) but consistent method and if you look any other car from the same era the numbers do match with what the car actually is.
58 is a very good score, as you can see when compared to other vehicles of the same era.
@@anthonyfoltz2534 same but I owned it for 20 years without any major problems but then the radiator failed and I used to smoke gtrs for breakfast
Doug is the type of guy to cancel his doctors appointment because he was sick.
I’m Anonymous copied comment
I’m Anonymous definitely copied
This comment was funny but now it’s so overused and it getting corny
I had the ability to drive this car when it came out (my pops bought it) and I loved the fact that because of the high torque, I could spin the rear wheels on launch. I miss that beast.
7:51 that looks like 3 seats died at the same time..😂😂
Arnab Ghosh those things are insanely fun on long road trips when someone falls asleep in the back 😂
His best reviews are with cars he owned like this E Class. You can feel his joy and euphoria driving one of his favorites. Did Doug just forget the most exotic thing on the E55 - that world first Brake-By-Wire system [SBC] ? The pens were for signing speeding tickets. 📋🖊#AutobahnBreeding
I"m thinking a tire gauge & pen
I saw some old lady drive this down the road yesterday. I love this car and always wanted one. thanks for making the prices shoot up lol
Apex GT4 R/Boneappletea
I just love seeing cars dive down the road (this is a joke)
@A real bisexual petrol-head you sure you are sober my friend?
@A real bisexual petrol-head your comments are always entertaining. Please continue
@A real bisexual petrol-head 😂 what's wrong with you
There’s a guy at my gym with a E55. Never been more jealous of someone at the gym for a reason other than their body
I really loved the 4 eyed headlights from this era.. MB is just going crazy with the lights with every model year.. I wish they just gave the front four headlight design by not changing anything else.. it would look amazing in sure of it
6:18
Storage area? I think you mean Glock Pocket
Can confirm. Having detailed a handful of Mercedes from this time... Usually a gun inside. Or a bottle of fireball. Or both.
@@natedetailscars "Both" sounds particularly dicey.
Russian mafia approved
@@barrettwbenton Hey man - there's nothing wrong with some booze and guns... just not to be enjoyed in that order. :D
lmaooo thats exactly what its for
Hey my dad drives one of these.
Man is it comfy.
This E AMG had the title of, “fastest sedan in the world,” at its time.
The cup holders in the back aren’t really that impractical because everywhere other than in the USA people drink out of normal sized cups
nobody cares
BananaJuice says they European than needs four ashtrays
Alex Edmon says the American that can’t even write a sentence in his own native language properly 😂
@@bananajuice3143 Booom, TARGET DESTROYED
@@theodoresmith4371 Still most of you are obese.
I own a 2003 S55 AMG. He’s absolutely right about the older AMG’s being legendary.
W140 is legendary but w220 is far from that
Harry Partridge For me, the most legendary model amg produced is the 190e 16 evolution II
Nice, you own a slightly slower, but way superior car to a "e55"
Do you hear much of the supercharger?
(@@Robert-Cinque777 ) Absolutely!! Here ya go...
th-cam.com/video/saYOJxsxgKs/w-d-xo.html
1:13 Confirmed: Doug played a part in the new cannonball record.
What?
The current record for the coast to coast of the US was set in this car by Ed Bolian the run was called the cannonball run
@@idk6353 Ed has been beaten a few weeks ago, and that attempt has also already been succeeded.
I was just watching vinwiki and the record just got broken a second time in 5 weeks
@@idk6353 no it wasn't, please fact check
I own one (2005) and yeah...its a monster. Love love love the car. The styling and the power are legend. Just wish i didnt have to remove the bumper to change out the headlight....
So happy I got an 04 as my first car had been saving for a used police charger but got a great deal on such a great car
So then my 99 kompressor is a little handsome goblin lol
Are we just going to ignore that Doug talks about the quad exhaust and don't record a cold start?
I love the Top Gear episode on this car back in the day. One of Clarksons best automotive poetic works.
which episode was that? Don't recall them testing this car.
@@e55amgfan12 they are together with bmw m5 and audi rs6
@@e55amgfan12 from 2007 old Top Gear S10 E06
The “THIS” gets more and more aggressive 😂😂
That was way to aggressive
Lisp
Yeah, his THIS is really getting annoying. Less Doug, less.
THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Is Doug Demuro Discord Server:
discord.com/invite/aUd4rJX
@@eventusvantos2770 and yoooouuuu are an old man's car maker fanboy
The reason the cupholder is like that, is when you open it, you actually have 2 spots for cups. 1 being obviously the one that flips up and the second one is actually where the first one was stashed. You can actually see this in the video.
There are 3 things for certain in life:
- Death
- Taxes
- That your Mercedes Benz Airmatic system will fail.
Yup, we have replaced all four of our Airmatic shocks on our '12 GL450. Fortunately, we were under warranty. Most recently, the pump went out just after the warranty expired. I wish I could recall exactly how my wife described driving her big SUV with a dead Airmatic pump. Needless to say, it was not pretty. $1K repair bill.
Believe it or not, Airmatic is a maintenance item. Arnott provides compressors, valve blocks, air struts, etc all for a reasonable price. If you know how to use youtube and have a little money to spend at harbor freight, you can do the job yourself. I had a n '06 ML500 and it took literally 30 minutes to replace air springs or compressors/valve blocks. Worth the hassle vs coil spring suspension.
You can just do a coilover conversion
@@nikolai3332 fk coilovers nothing like working aimatic
@@ChrisCrossingWires1212 tru but it costs less. Coming from a man who had all kinds of w211s
Those chrome wheels never fail....
Totally agree with you, outdated that is for sure.
... to ruin the stance.
They never came stock with chrome wheels.
I hate chrome tbh
Also check out Doug Discord Server!
discord.com/invite/aUd4rJX
nowadays, every car has dark or black wheels. Played out
Damn i thought this video would never come i love this car the value about to jump up now
A feature Doug didn't notice: It actually has 2 cupholders: One is the overenginereed piece, and the other is in the slot which stores it when not in use.
Note there is a cutout in the back that doesn't fit in the moving one; It's actually there to make space for another drink, and another cutout at the bottom, to fit the low part of a soda can there so it doesnt't slide or rattle.
Doug is type of guy to lead in cupholder enthusiasts forums
*Doug the type of guy
Amazing that this is 16 years old and still looks thoroughly modern and up to date. It is the best Mercedes ever made.
no, it doesn't look modern lol. it looks exactly like a mid 2000's car does. it's kind of the blueprint lol
@@hazardeur It does look modern. Cars in the 2000s didn't look this good. I remember seeing this for the first time. When I was 12. It was the most beautiful car especially considering what else was out then.
I like the facelift more
@@SDav21 looks modern from the side, because of how clean it is.. but the face doesn't look modern at all
The BMWs of this era look more modern than these probably cause they were designed more conservatively
I wondered when you’ll get to reviewing the E55, and it’s finally here! My dad owns a ‘04 E55 and it’s an amazing car. Love the supercharged V8 and exterior design, although it doesn’t have solid overbuilt feel of the late 80’s / early 90’s E-Class. He allowed me to drive the E55 one time and the thing is blistering quick on the highway.
I’m contemplating purchasing the car from him once he doesn’t want to deal with the repairs, as I’d hate for it to go to someone who might not care for it as well as he did. I’m saying this only because I used to work with someone who bought a E55 and then totally trash it with mods.
As an E60 M5 owner I will definitely admit this car’s interior seems much more impressive than the e60. There isn’t anything too interesting in the E60 but this car had me impressed!
Other than the fact that it’s the most unreliable car in existence
3:28
Thiiiis are in fact two cupholders...
-Greetings from Germany
Car Guy 😂😂🤦🏻♂️
9:30 so that you can open the sunroof and still have airflow with the sun cover closed
Yes, the right answer!
Doug is the type of guy to get covid 19 and while riding in the ambulance;
"Its time for the doug score:
Styling is 5/10, love the medicine cabinets
Acceleration is 7/10, the things inside seem to stay in place very well compared to other models
Handling is 6/10, high center of gravity takes out any sportiness during turns
Fun factor is 8/10, it has flashing lights and a siren
Cool factor is 8/10, it has a great livery design and exquisite numbers
Features is 9/10, it has its own oxygen system and even full house outlets back here
Comfort is 2/10, the stretcher is very plain, no padding whatsoever
Quality is 5/10, lots of plastic and not much leather or other pleasing materials
Practicality is 10/10, it makes traffic disappear like magic
Value is 7/10, they hold well and even make great rv`s
Total doug score is 65/100, which is also the first 2 digits on my ambulance ride bill"
*spelling on disappear fixed
The Graduate Apple sounds just like him. 😂😂😂
Thanks for the laughs xd
I have resolved the handing and slow shifting issues Doug details with 2 upgrades. Mine blew an air strut and rather than spend the $3k-$4k to replace everything that would eventually go wrong, I did the BC Racing adjustable coil-overs which addresses the ‘psychotic marshmallow’ handling and makes the car feel much more tight and modern. I also installed an MK Ultra Stage 1 TCU that makes a night and day difference in the way the trans behaves and comes with an extra ‘A’ mode (Agility mode) that make the shifts surprisingly firm and quick upshifts and enhances the downshifts to happen with less throttle input which makes the car much more responsive and fun to drive. MK Ultra offer TCU’s with tunes that mimic the AMG SLR or DTM shift manners, since I didn’t want to hurt the overall drivability of the car, I stuck with the Stage 1 but they do free upgrades if I ever decide it is too tame. I have a slew of VRP parts on it including a 77mm pulley, secondary intercooler with the 010 pump upgrade and I just bought a set of catted long tubes that will be installed in a couple of weeks. I have had the car almost 4 years now and I love it more every time I drive it and don’t plan on ever selling it.
This is my favorite E-class body style of all time. parents had a loaded '05 E500 when it came out and that thing was so nice during those days. it was a sad day when they sold it. loved that car :(
@A real bisexual petrol-head No way, this E Class generation is beautiful. Just like the C Class from the same era.
@A real bisexual petrol-head MB is not Bentley or RR anyway, you'll always find "cheap" parts.
@A real bisexual petrol-head your opinion but for me it looks amazing. Newer e-classes have clearly lost their identity. Pre-facelift w211 is the last e-class in my book.
@@worlds_greatest_detective6667 Yes! These lines are still beautiful in 2020 and I wish current Benz designs still had the charm this model had during it's era.
@A real bisexual petrol-head "I bet many people back then when W211 was new complained about how cheap the interior looks." That's a complete assumption with zero support. I've seen no complaints from respected publications about the cabin looking cheap. Here's an unbiased comparison review about the W211 from a respected US publication which mentions the interior: www.motortrend.com/cars/bmw/5-series/2005/sideways/
It's also very ironic you say that as people always complained about BMW interiors over the years. And who cares if this was used as a taxi, modern Benzes to this day are still are used as taxis in Europe. Which is actually cool. And other german saloons in this class are used as police cars so whatever point you're making doesn't make sense. This design came out in 2003 and is absolutely timeless. I still see them on the road occasionally, saw one yesterday in fact, and I live in California where modern luxury cars are a dime a dozen. Anyways, after looking at old reviews of this car and the comments on this video it's clear what the general consensus on this car is. Have a good day!
The E55 AMG really is a legend. Basically the first 200mph sedan.
Do you reckon it'll crack 200 mph stock? I guess it has same power as SL55 (mine stock made 484@crank) and better drag coefficient so derestricted why not?
@@simonwright6163 Lots of videos out there of the car hitting 200, SL55 as well.
And that was expensive, at the time. Now, you can spend $70K on a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, with does the same!
Stefan Unson boi this was the hellcat of its time
Glad you got around to reviewing an E55. (Seeing as it’s one of your favorites!) [18 seconds.]
9:32 I'm sure someone's already pointed it out, but the vents in the sunroof cover are there to allow air to flow when you want to open the sunroof but don't want there to be sunlight.
The “holes” in the sunshade is for having the sunroof tilted but still get the benefits with the shade closed.
I interpret the Dougscore as:
10-30: Truly horrendous
30-39: Bad
40-49: Mediocre/Unbalanced/Mixed
50-59: Pretty good
60-69: Very strong
70+: Outstanding/best-of-the-best/great all-rounder
Same. Like, nominally it's out of 100 but there's literally no way a car could get 10 in every category, some necessarily negatively impact other ones to at least some degree.
@@kaitlyn__L I think someday there may be a car capable of a 100 Dougscore, but it won't be any time this century.
@@jonathansefcik473 the closest right now is the Mclaren F1. Total score of 75
For the sunroof cover thing, I think it’s so when you have the sunroof vent open, to let heat out, you don’t have to open the actual shade.
To say I am stoked would be a huge understatement. I just took delivery of one of these a week ago. It is the 2004 E55 AMG with 192,000km. The speedometer tops out at 320km on this model. It passed inspection with flying colors with minor finds like broken hood latch and privacy screen and cup holder. It drives like a dream and has surpassed my wildest expectations. I even look forward to grocery shopping with this car. I love it I love it I love it. It is my Dream Car!