PURCHASING A MERCEDES S-500 any input on this car??

Try to get a car with the optional AMG sport package if you can....it really adds to the look of the car.

The S600 is usually not significantly more money on a used basis than an S500....you may want to consider the power and opulent luxury that this car has for $10K more.

Ensure that you have adequate warranty coverage....buy more if necessary.

I sold these new for 7 years....ask away with specifics if and when required.

 

I've been thinking about doing the same thing. I want to trade my 2002 C320 (black on black) in for a S500 in silver. I've looked at a few lately and the prices are surprising low. $30,000 to $40,000 for a 3 to 4 year old car with average miles. I love my C but need a little more back seat room as my kids get taller. I think all MB's have a problem with wiring harnesses failing and causing electrical grimlins and the S class has twice as many harnesses as the c class so the warranty is a great suggestion. My last two MB's have had several wiring harnesses replaced under warranty at about $3k per incident. Other than that, the cars are fantastic. Probably the best thing that Chrysler puts out right now.

 

Great cars. I've not yet warmed up to the new body style but KDS is right about them looking fantastic with the sport package. If you haven't driven a W140 style 600 you should. IMO one of the best cars ever built. You can easily get a 99 600 in your price range. FWIW, the W140 600 is the car they looked at when designing the Maybach, NOT the current S-class.

 

Kds,

Not to hijack the thread, but can you speak to the difference between the 55 and 600 models? For example, the SL55 is close in price to the SL600. The S55 is close to the S600, and the CL55 is close to the CL600.

I always thought the 600's were the way to go, but I have friends with the S55 and CL55 who say it is the better car. Most dealers dont have one of each sitting around, and its hard to get unbiased honest commentary on the differences between the two.

Thanks

 

My experience with the MBZ S-class cars has been fantastic. You won't find a more refined platform for a luxury auto. Great seats, lot's of power, smart looks and pre-owned cars are a bargin for what you get. My only problem with MBZ is stuffy dealers and overpriced service/parts. I guess most Ferrari owners are used to that.

The S55 vs. S600 or SL55 vs. SL600 debate is IMHO to close to call. The performance specs are so close between the AMG 8cyl cars and the V-12's. The price jump to the 600's seems a little steep for what get if you're comparing just 500's to 600's.

 

SRT Mike.....

Well....here in Soviet Canuckistan (Canada) we get the cars in slightly different flavors than you do. Read...."more US options" are included as Canadian "standard equipment".

This has to be watched out for.......so my comments should be taken in such a vein.

Basically SL600's....CL600's....S600's "DO NOT" come with the AMG body kit or AMG wheels as standard equipment. It's an $ 9,000 CAD option on this car.

You also know the engines are similiar in power output, but different in configuration. AMG hand built supercharged V8's versus twin turbo V-12's.

Having said that......I have driven both and while MB likes to say the 600 is their flagship......the AMG just smokes it performance wise IMHO by my seat of the pants feeling.

The AMG cars have a genuine race track suspension that is compliant for daily use, whereas the 600's have EDC which moderates the damping based upon the driver's setting of a button on the dash console. The sport mode of EDC does not come close to the AMG set up IMHO.

The AMG cars "DO NOT" come with the "exclusive" two-tone full NAPPA leather interiors that the 600's get as standard equipment.....this was a $ 10,000 option in the past on these cars in Europe.

The AMG cars are much cheaper by $20-40K CAD over 600's as well.

What is the better value ???

Well.....I'd buy a SL55......CL55......S55 over the V-12 car all day long.

 

MB sold just over 30,000 S-Class cars in 2000, 26,000 in 2001, 21,000 in 2002.

I'd opt for a Supercharged Jag VDP. They sold 5,800 XJ8s, 3,900 VDPs, and 1,400 XJRs in 2000. They probably sold LESS than 100 Supercharged VDPs. They are $90k long wheelbase special order only cars only with the XJR power plant and the BEST Connolly leather available that year, equivilent to Bentley and Rolls easily.

There's a 2000 model in Platinum/Ivory with 29k miles for $38k for sale. Hey, S500 and S600's are at the top of the food chain, I just prefer something with more looks and exclusivity.

Sunny

 

Beware, the S600 WILL not be the Twinturbo if you're getting it some 60K$. They TT V12's came out 2003 and so did the supercharged V8's.

Go for the S500, it's a god car. The ones higher up are insane and personally, I think it's absolutley stupid to spend more money when your aren't getting as much power unless you buy new or 2003.

If you want, I can post a lot of pictures of an S500, my aunt has one, my next door neighbors have two, my uncle has a s430 and we have a few of the old school W140's too

Be aware though, the 2000's were very problematic. You can take a browse around the www.mbworld.org forums to see common stuff people do these days to their car.

 

I forgot to mention what vraa correctly pointed out.

Regardless however......the AMG car is still better IMHO.

 

I just sold my W140 500. Boring cars, expensive parts (even more than Ferrari parts). Dealer sucks. Watch out for A/C blower problems, hydraulic suspension issues. MB's are nothing more that taxis. Fit and finish went down after 1996.

Get a Bentley Turbo R/Brooklands for that price if you want a four door.

 

There is a great thread about the Turbo R's within the last 2 months that covers what years are good to get. The mid 90's are the best but they will set you back more than $40-50k for a nice one. The only thing the Turbo R's don't have that the smaller more, uhhh "economical" lux sedans is the speed and the athletic suspension. I almost bought a Turbo R... I was very very close. But ultimately, the body shape, reliability, and handling of the base Jag won me over where my dollar for my only car stretched farther.

Let us know what you decide! Especially if its a Turbo R... mmmmm I love em.

Sunny

 

May I respectfully suggest that with a warranty the price of parts and service is a non-issue.

Secondly, price said parts on the "unsprung bathtub" that is a Bentley or a RR and find out how fast you get to the poor house.

Also.....compare costs of aftermarket warranties on both these cars.....I suggest "if" you find a carrier who will cover a Bentley....the cost of coverage will exceed that of the Mercedes.

 

LOL! I'm one of the other world, nothing better then the sound of the hustling V12

 

I am thinking of selling my 1995 S600 and getting a Maybach soon. It has the original S600, the 6 liter one as opposed to the current S600's 5.5 liter engine. It was rated at 412 HP. I have 19 inch wheels. It is white with a light brown interior. I think it has about 55,000 miles.

aehaas

 

I have driven both and IMO in terms of drive, comfort lux, the Last gen 7 series was better then the S. It had better fit finish and overal quality. If you want a ~1997-2001, get a 750iL; 2002-2004 S class; and 1996 and before, S class.

Best.

 

You may want to wait another year. Sales haven't hit their forecast according to friends in MB. They might start offering discounts...

Used ones are not getting sticker.

 

I've had a '95 S320 for almost five years and I love the car. That said, parts are expensive, but I have an independent who sources OEM parts when possible and it's pretty reasonable. I'm averaging $1000-1500 per year in maintenance. Car has 81,000 miles on it so far.

The '95 S320 SWB was a relative "stripper" though. No heated seats, pneumatic door closers or headlight washer/wipers.

The 2000's are notoriously problematic, and truthfully, I'm not as crazy about the newer body cars. They just don't have the "bank-vault" feel of my W140. That said, the 140's are NOT even remotely sporty. (That's why I also have a Ferrari...)

 

Ali,
Are you going to drive that thing or get a chauffuer? I've been in one and it's not really built around the driver.

 

I had the opportunity to drive both the 57 and 62 last August at the Sebring Racetrack. I was impressed. I was offered a small discount as well. But I ended up buying a Murcielago after sitting in it the week after at Pebble Beach.

aehaas

 

Errrr...Strongly disagree. I just test drove both extensively and bought a CL600 yesterday.

The CL600 has the same hp rating but much more torque. Like 60lb/ft or so. The 600 pulled a lot harder at higher speed and the sprint to 60 is about the same. Factory literature claims them to be the same at 4.6 or so.

Check pictures of the car in TX section topic name has CL600 on it. Or check general discussion topic name what 2+2 to get. The car has AMG wheels on it. The ABC feature stiffens the shocks for cornering but does not deliver the way the AMG model does, but for real world driving the 600 will smoke the 55 AMG. Yes, these are all "ass-dyno" perspectives, but I think the numbers also prove me right. At least this is what the dealer said. Price difference was a few 10k. Well worth it.

When are you ever going to track a CL Mercedes-Benz. I mean, really. The suspension settings on the 600 are just fine for aggressive street driving. The car is not floaty and grips well. No, not like the AMG, but probably a limit you won't soon hit with the car. After all, that's what sports cars are for. Opinions are like bellybuttons, everyone's got one, but I had a good amount of cash on the line and the differences are fresh in my mind since my purchase was made a day ago. The Bi Turbo V12 has more power than the AMG 8. Not only, would I say "I'd buy a CL600 over a CL55 all day long", I did it.

Edited portion of the post:
Found the dealer's specs he showed me.

The CL600 weighs in at 4390lbs and the CL55 AMG weighs in at 4255lbs. That's a difference of 135lbs. The difference in power. HP is the same at 493, but torque is way different. CL600 has 590 as opposed to CL55 AMG which has 516. That's a substantial 74lb/ft of torque for only 135lbs of extra heft. Trust me. The CL600 is the way to go. There is a reason why Mercedes-Benz proudly calls it it's flagship vehicle.

By the way, peak torque for the 600 is achieved at a measley 1800 rpm. Brutal car.

Cheers

 

Taek, congrats on the new car! The 600 series cars are my choice over the 55 series too. I love smoooooth effortless power.

 

Taek.....

Like you said....it all comes down to the "assomometer" readings !!

And these all have a "built in"....heh....variance depending up on a number of factors such as personal preference and ownership experiences.

When it is time to write the cheque however.....I'd prefer to save the extra money...which in the case of the Canadian pricing is $ 22,000 in favor of the CL55, plus the cost of adding the AMG body and wheel kit to the CL600......another $ 9,000 for a total of over $ 31,000.

That's 2 SMART cars !!

Congrats on your new car BTW !!....I love 600's in all variants...don't get me wrong....but if "I" had teh money to buy at that level I'd opt for the rawness of the AMG suspension and the price difference here in Canada.

 

Kds,

I understand what you mean. You make it sound like the AMG suspension is extremely taught and track like though. Far from it. It's just one click away from the stock suspension if you ask me. Almost like switching on a "Sport" mode to the 600 suspension. Assometerwise, the 600 shows a marked difference when driven back to back so I don't really see where you can justify saying the AMG "smokes it performace wise" even if it is by the seat of your pants.

These cars are heavy. No suspension in the world is going to save this thing, at least not in an exotic sports car forum audience. I think the smart advice is to go with power. Better handling in a crappy handling car (keep in mind this is all relative to Ferrari type handling) is only a little better than crappy handling. Unless you take highway exits at twice the speed limit or do emergency evasive manouvers I really don't see when you would use that extra ounce of handling. Engine power, on the other hand, you will notice every time you hit the gas. I don't even mean mash on the gas. The torque is noticeable.

The price difference is understandable when you realize you are getting 4 more cylinders for one. Standard options on the 600 supercede standard options on the 8 cylinder models. As for the body and wheel kit, it should not even be considered. You are immediately assuming people prefer the AMG kit. It would be like me saying that you should factor in a 600 body kit on the AMG car to make it look classier. Take the base prices if you are going to compare. Base price difference is $9k USD or approximately $12k CAD. Less than 10% of the cost of the vehicle. And you get a monster V12. Compare that to other engine and trim upgrades in other cars. BMW 330 v M3 is over $10k USD although barely. This is a car that is about a third of the price of a CL yet the discrepancy is still $10k USD. Audi A4 3.0 Quattro v S4 is $13k USD. This is the one that'll grab your attention. Mercedes-Benz C320 Sport v C32 AMG is a $16k USD difference.

To prefer the CL55 AMG is perfectly understandable. Body style, exhaust, more road feel, cheaper, etc. I just wanted to show my reasoning in detail so that SRT Mike understood why I made my decision. I also felt compelled to dispute your comment on superior performance. With ABC switched on the CL600 lapped the Nurburgring faster than the CL55 AMG, incidentally. So it's faster on the track, and on the drag strip. Keep in mind that the true sporting flagship is not for sale in the U.S, the CL65 AMG. The CL55 AMG is a beefed up CL500, but no CL600 by any stretch, just like the CL65 is a beefed up CL600.

The one thing to the AMG's favor is the exhaust note. Pretty nice. But to be honest, not necessary in a luxury car like this. The interior is so quiet that even with the "loud" AMG exhaust the cabin is very quiet. Comparatively speaking of Ferraris and Lamborghinis, even the AMG exhaust is but a whisper.

Sorry about the thread hijacking. My opinion on the subject header is pretty much what Auraraptor said. 750iL all the way. No question.

Cheers

 

Taek....

I didn't disagree with your decision under the circumstances (much lower price difference in the US versus Canada) or because of your personal preferences and opinions. We just have different priorities in this kind of car....that's all. And I have different market conditions to contend with than you do.

Down in the US I may have gone the way you did and bought a CL600, even regarding how positive I feel about my impressions of the AMG car. You are also ahead of the game because your car has AMG wheels......it's a nice choice.

But I still say my assomometer recorded a higher satisfaction factor based on it's pre-recorded preferences and input. Thus my reference to "smoking it".....I prefer a lighter car with a feel that I think is different to me.

Alas.....I wish I could buy either one, but I cannot.

Now that the CL65 is out it truly is another story as well !!