Worth the Risk? 2000 Mercedes-Benz CL500 – SOLD!

February 24, 2022 Update – Somewhere in the Irvine, California area, a Mercedes fan just entered the deep end of Mercedes Halo Car ownership.  We hope their $9,500 investment does not turn into a money pit.  We confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

Late-model Mercedes-Benz vehicles don’t tend to get an enthusiastic voice of support as smart buys with 100,000 miles on the clock. But is it possible that if you buy the right one – a car that’s been loved – you could get a lot of bang for your buck? That’s the test in front of you with this seemingly clean 2000 Mercedes-Benz CL500 originally listed in February 2022 on Craigslist in East Irvine, California with a gorgeous black leather interior and just under 100,000 miles for $9,500. Comparing this price against the Hagerty Insurance Online Valuation Tool confirms this private seller has his big body coupe priced quite fairly, as it falls below the “Fair” valuation of $10,600 and well under the “Good” condition price of $16,800.

When the CL500 debuted, it was notable for a few different reasons. For one, it represented the final design penned by famed Mercedes stylist Bruno Sacco, who has a resume a mile long consisting of some of the prettiest German coupes and sedans ever made. The coupe was also pillar-less, a design feature that has practically gone extinct in an era of side airbags and SUVs. The coupe bodywork was made even more dramatic with the lack of a B-pillar, and few companies did this as well as Mercedes did. The CL500 also came with a host of desirable technology features, including massaging seats and Active Body Control (ABC), a system that effectively did what sway bars do but at a much higher level. The CL500 packed a 302 horsepower V8 that made the heavy coupe move far quicker than it had any right to.

The Nicolas Lester YouTube Channel features this Mercedes-Benz W215 CL-Class overview documentary:

There’s just one problem: most of these cars are sad, neglected dogs by this point in history, purchased by the wannabe crowd that loved the look but hated to pay real money for maintenance. As such, many 2000s-era Mercedes products are left on Road Dead, beaten into submission by failed sensors, non-functional air suspension, and engines and transmissions begging for a synthetic fluid change. Finding one like this that seemingly hasn’t been abused and is said to come with no warning lights illuminated on the dash or any codes being thrown is a rarity, especially considering it was still driven fairly often with a tick under 100,000 miles on the clock. If maintenance records can be tracked down, it looks like an even better buy, but get a pre-purchase inspection regardless to see if this clean CL500 really is too good to be true.

Here’s the seller’s description:

“Absolutely top of the line with clean title clean carfax super low miles, no accident, no rips, beautiful black interior, fully functional, sunroof, keyless entry, air massage on seats, AMG rims, no warning light, no leaks, xenon factory headlights, smog,tag valid, only serious buyers that they know about this beautiful car please & they know super hard to find, TRADE OR OBO“

Do you have a Mercedes-Benz CL500 story you’d like to share?  Comment below and let us know!