Your advice is well heeded. I just went on Ebay and found some very attractive prices for 2001 models, very similiar to 2000 model year prices. I was surprised how little difference there was. I wish Mercedes depreciated as quickly as BMW's do. They hold their value TOO well for second hand buyer's like me to get a good deal in the first 2-3 years after they're initially sold. A used BMW 740i drops like a stone 2-3 years later, whereas a similar priced MB holds onto to every last cent of value it can. I've never figured that one out. What's up with that??? Other than 97-98 911's, not many cars hold their values so amazingly.

I'm guessing the black on black would be the nicest color... I saw this color combo in a CL55 on Ebay and it looks outstanding. The only problem is keeping a black car clean and without swirl marks. Pollen really kills cars here in the spring as my house backs to woods. Silver hides the pollen and dirt so well, it just isn't as dramatic as a black CL - not in the least.

Now, to mentally deal with losing the 2 cars I love so much (my 911 and 740i). I guess I need to find a local car to drive to seal the deal. Once I drive one and am fully wowed by it, I can start searching the internet for a car.

Peace - hope they finally caught that d**n sniper today!
Lurker
Silver Spring MD

99 XK8 Jag
88 911 Coupe
95 BMW 740i

Don't get silver, I think it's too common and will look outdated in a few years. Black is very nice but not easy to keep looking clean. How about bright yellow?

__________________
190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

Silver looks great on an S500 (new model) 4 door with the AMG wheels, but it does look pretty pedestrian on a CL500. Black seems to be the way to go. At least I'll only have 1 car to clean instead of my current two!

Now, to find one to test drive. They're not really a dime a dozen around here. Anyone seen any used ones in this area Rockville Md or the surrounds?

Lurker,
Aspen Hill, Maryland - a very scary place to live right now!!!
The shootings today happened a few blocks from our quiet Victorian home backing to ... woods! Hope the sniper stays away from our back yard.

88 911
99 XK8
95 740

Do not get a Black M/B.

I have just disposed of an Obsidian Black E320 CDi Avantguard Wagon that had driven me crazy for a year.

I spend a large amount of money and considerable time trying to get rid of the swirl marks. Whatever I did, at night under lights, I could still see them.

Also a few hours after a full wash and wax you could see dirt.

The most anoying was when condensation occured at night on the roof. As soon as it dried in the morning you could see the residue.

I agree that when it was 100% nothing looks better (See Below). It always got stares from other drivers.

I have gone to a brilliant silver E320CDi Avantguard Wagon with extra chrome on headlamps, bonnet air intake and tailgate lifter handle.

I also have on order a Lorinser spoiler to top the rear end out. It also reduces road spray from pitching onto rear window at speed.

After a week without washing it still looks good.

As soon as it stops raining in UK I will take some pictures and post them.

Mike

Thanks for your advice on not getting a black colored vehicle. I know they are extremely hard to keep clean, especially in the pollen belt where we live! I would like a black one, but don't want to have a car that never looks clean, other than 1 hour after it's been washed. Silver seems to be a fairly dull color for that car, though. I was in Miami last year staying at the Lowes Hotel on South Beach and a 2001 white CL500 was parked out front for a morning and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Is white a "chick's" color for that car? It's a pretty tough looking car, maybe white softens it up a bit, or is white a sort of lame color on a CL?

Any opinions on a white CL?

I definitely don't want a beige interior, as they get quite dirty with our sometimes rugged winters here in Washington DC. It would have to be a black or as a second choice, a grey interior.

Thanks,
Steve

PS - hope these guys they caught are the snipers. I live in Aspen Hill, Md. USA and this is very scary as of late. I hate being "ground zero" for a shooting spree.

99 XK8 Jag her's
88 911 coupe
95 740i BMW

One of my favorite color combinations on any MB is white with cream or light tan / parchment interior. Breathtaking.

I know gray is probably a more popular leather color, but I'm just not a gray kind of a guy. Doesn't match my skin color.

I also love silver with a black interior.

I agree that you should avoid black. My wife drives a black Infiniti G20, and it is a bear to keep clean. I wash that thing every weekend, wax it every 2-3 months, and it still shows swirl marks like crazy. I have buffed it out so much that I'm afraid to buff it out anymore - not enough paint left. And there are still swirl marks that I can never seem to get out.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

I think CLs look great in silver. Very elegant and shows the lines of the car better than any other color IMHO. Maybe dark metailc grey is a compromise? I also think that it's a nice appropriate color choice for your CL. I do think a black interior looks nice but try to spend some time in a car with a black interior before you decide. My 400e is dark grey on black and though I think the interior is very handsome in black I do find it a bit oppressive. If I could do it over I'd go with a light grey interior. Feels more upbeat.

Thanks for the advice on the grey interior - I LOVE my grey interior on my 740i. I guess black interior might seem a bit oppressive and small, and hot in the summer. I'll have to spend 30 minutes in a black interiored CL to be sure. Black interiors look so rich when looking at them from the showroom floor, but living with a black interior may be a different matter. I did like my black on black Maximas (2), and M5.

95 740i
99 XK8
88 911

Dont hate on black interiors. I have a black interior in my W140, and couldnt any other color. It looks so rich, and it doesnt look bad after it fades. It is hot in the summer for the first few seconds, but once you start the car its almost instantly cooled down. I think you should stick with black!

__________________
"If I teach you half of what I forgot, you'll still have enough to compete with most people"

Experience call:

Black exterior - avoid completely: impossible to keep clean.

White exterior - too dull and also very difficult to keep clean (believe it or not).

Black interior - the best color for a worry-free life, although tends to be too hot in the summer time.

Beige interior - diffucult to keep clean, but nice looking.

Best exterior color for an M.B.: Smoke silver (now called Travertine Beige in some models) It hides dirt incredible well.

A research in Germany shows that all new Benzes (SL, E, S) look much better in dark metallic colors, instead of solid or bright shades.

A nice dark metallic green would be an interesting option based on this.

A. Rosich
S320, 1998
E320T, 1995

I have owned a black vehicle and I must say, it's a losing battle with dirt and all. Probably won't do it again, but I have been known for momentary lapses of sanity. Alot of it has to do with the environment that surrounds you. If I lived in England where it rains all the time I would never do the black thing. If I lived in the country where I had to travel down a gravel/dirt road to get to my house- NO WAY! Too much trouble!! If I lived in a place where I had a garage and a paved driveway and I hardly got my car dirty, well.....maybe......
In light of the swirl mark issues, that can be a friggin NIGHTMARE!!! I have found only a handful of products that will take care of this. Malco makes a product that is called Restore-It that is exceptional on dark finishes. Black looks liquid. The key to this is the PREP WORK!! You start out with clean water and a relatively new wash mitt, preferably cotton chennile or sheeps wool (genuine- no synthetics, they scratch) and a BIG 5 gallon bucket that needs to stay at least half full because the dirt will settle to the bottom and that's where it should stay. Don't make the mistake of letting the bucket get down to the 1/4 full mark, because you are going to be slinging dirty gritty water all over your "clean" car!!! KEEP THE BUCKET FULL!! Add soap if you have to, but try to not let the water get too low!! (you will thank yourself later) Also, don't rinse your wheel brush in the same bucket that you wash your car in!! Wheel cleaner is MUCH stronger than wash soap and really, do you want all that brake dust in your wash water? Didn't think so. Separate wheel wash bucket is good, doesn't have to be as big as the body wash bucket. You wash from the top and work your way down, not the other way around. This alone will save you some grief and it amazes me that people don't pay attention to this stuff. I have seen people take their wash mitt and run it along the bottom of their car and before even rinsing the wash mitt go all over the top of the car and everywhere else!! This is where I start to cringe!! Anyhoo, another thing. Wash the car twice. I mean when you get done and you think you're done, wash it again. When we did a "high end" detail on a black car, it got washed TWICE before we took it in for buffing. You'll be suprised at the results. Don't forget the doorjambs, trunk jambs and around the hood area. I dry my car with a chamois or CLEAN thick cottin towels. I have used the Toro yard blower before and it DOES work, but the neighbors will wonder what the hell you're doing to your car.
On the polishing side of things I use a CLEAN applicator pad (preferably new- they are cheap) and a CLEAN foam buffing pad. Work your way from the top to the bottom, and I would recommend doing the part below the moulding by hand- much less chance that you have a boo boo with the buffer. Paint cleaner goes first, or if you are using the Restore-It do this until you get the looks you want and go to the wax stage. If you are doing a three step finish, glaze is next. Try to clean your foam pad or better yet use a different one if you can, it will help drastically. If you really got crazy with the Restore-It and got the stuff everywhere like I do, you can wash the car AGAIN. (It does help) On the wax side of things, use a high quality wax and a NEW APPLICATOR PAD!!! I like the cotton terry ones myself, they're a buck or two and you can wash them. Go from the top to the bottom, one panel at a time. I stress one panel at a time because you tend to pay closer attention to what you're doing this way. Once you have completed waxing the car, and you think you're done, wash the car again. WHAT!?! I JUST WAXED IT!!! WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!
Just try it, you'll be suprised. Just make sure you DON'T use the dirty water you have sitting in your bucket from the previous wash 3-4 hours ago. I stress this CLEAN thing because dirt makes, scratches. Scratches show up on black paint like crazy!! But really, if you don't want to do the final wash, I understand. Do it anyway. It will be the easiest wash you have ever performed in your life and the car will almost wash itself. And you can marvel at how easily it cleans up and how the water beads up on it and all that happy stuff.
Yes, black paint is alot of work, but if you follow a few KEY things you will greatly reduce your chances for frustration. Don't ask me how I learned about the final wash thing. I just know it works.
Hmm, wonder if I should have posted this in the Detail section?