benze550

i bought my e550 brand new in 07. only have about 28k. only had 2 oil changes done so far. so its not that bad to maintain.

bobcatflip

I was toying with the idea of a E55 or E63 until I actually drove an E55 this past Dec.. I live in Mass and this would be (like my E320) my year round car. I spun the tires 3 times in the short test drive and though Im in love with the style of these, esp the E63, its just too much power for a winter driver in the North East IMO. I do have Blizzacks on my RWD E320 and have had no trouble in winter but not sure this is a viable option on the E63. Any cold area drivers tried snow tires on an E63?

BenzboyW210

I have not driven an E63 in the snow, but this was the same dilemna I faced, and why I went with the E550 4Matic. I needed the winter performance/safety. The 4Matic outperforms RWD by a significant margin in terms of snow/ice handling. Even my E430 was tough to drive in the winter, I can't imagine having that much power on tap and being able to keep it under control on snow/ice. My tech informed me of a client with a C63 who traded it in for this very reason - too difficult for the winter. Here in Ontario, we've got snow/ice/freezing rain for 5-6 months of the year. So you either need a great all-around car or a summer/winter combo.

Who knows why MB doesn't make a 4Matic AMG...too much torque for the system? Purist viewpoint?

So long story short...if you are concerned about winter driving, go for the 4Matic. Just my $0.02.

WEBSRFR

I am completely sold on 4Matic. I drove the car in some pretty bad winter weather and the feeling of control is incredible, even when going uphill on packed snow and some ice. You probably also get some benefits even driving in severe rain as you have more traction. I hope Mercedes starts integrating 4Matic with their AMG models. I basically would not consider another Mercedes without 4Matic.

WEBSRFR

Ah. but I like a lower center of gravity

lovnlife

Love mine. I have about 67k miles.

WEBSRFR

Care to share what maintenance you have had done on the car? My 40K mile service will be due in about 6-7 months and it seems it might be a bit expensive because I think it includes a brake flush as well as a transmission and 4matic differential flush unless I am mistaken.

notyal

I'm looking at a 2007 E550 101.5k miles. Pristine cosmetically. Drives well for age and years. At this age and mileage what should I look (out) for? In addition, I'm looking at this as either my last or second to last car I will purchase for the remainder of me. I'm at the 50 mark. Thanks much. LJ

Barry45RPM

It will cost you 2 - 3 thousand bucks a year in unscheduled repairs to keep it in good shape and on the road.

N_Jay

How little do you drive, or how soon do you expect to die??

cetialpha5

I believe the E550 has airmatic for the suspension which can be very expensive to replace, around 1k per corner if you go to the dealer and OEM although you can get aftermarket for about half that. Nice thing about the E550 is that they are more likely to be loaded with options than the E350.

I also don't follow your point about it possibility being your last or 2nd to last car that you will ever drive. They're good cars to drive regardless of how many cars you have left to drive. I don't think there was a specific recommendation that says these are good cars to drive if they're going to be the last or 2nd to last car you will ever drive.

steelers6

2-3 thousand dollars,a year,thats pretty hard to believe,what kind of unscheduled repairs are you exactly talking about?????

cmriv

"keep it in good shape" he should explain what that means? Good shape varies mind to mind....