aric2324z

Hey, I plan on buying a used S63 once I graduate physical therapy school. I want an 07 or newer. I've looked at a few models, ranging from 07-08, and I'm willing to spend 65k on one. I don't want to spend this money on something that's not reliable, and I've heard that major repairs can be expensive. The AMG model is a must. It's the only S I'll buy. The sound is intoxicating, along with the power! If you guys recommend anything, please help me out. I would also like to replace the taillights with the 2010's. Ive also been thinking about a CL550.

rominl

i would say definitely get extended warranty. the w221 is relatively reliable, but you can still run into small problems here and there, and after warranty you definitely don't want to deal with major items like ABC.

mrbenzes

It will be as reliable as any other car, but the ABC and possibly engine parts will be more than your average Toyota to replace. It is all worth it so go for it, warranty is suggested, especially of you put big miles on fast.

aric2324z

Thanks a lot you guys.....I cant wait to take it home!

tonykharper

If you are willing to spend a little more you should look at the S-65's. An 07 S-65 will cost a little more, but you get so much more for your money.

The S-65 is a big upgrade (all the way around) to the S-63. Do yourself a favor and don't spend that much money until you have driven both back to back.

Tony

aric2324z

I thought about one of those....the cheapest I could find was around 80k. I don't want to spend that much just yet. Are the maintenance cost around the same? If its close, I'll consider one.

aric2324z

One more question....is there a way to convert the 07 headlights to the 2011? I don't really need them, but it would be nice.

tonykharper

They can be converted, but it ain't cheap. In my opinion it isn't worth it either.

Do yourself a favor and drive the S-65. You might find that 15K extra is the best money you ever spent.

As far as reliable, they are probably about the same . Neither is the best daily driver. They are very high performance specialty autos, not your basic Honda or Lexus.

Tony

rominl

for the added money the s65 does give you a lot more, ridiculously more i almost would say. but from what i heard it's also harder to find extended warranty (i personally don't think cpo is enough). maintenance cost are probably about the same between the two, but if there are problems, the s65 probably would be more expensive. s63 is NA engine, s65 is twin turbo v12, so you do the math

you can do the conversion but very expensive. there are no aftermarket so you need to get headlights (oem) and then some module plug in otherwise you get error codes. not worth it imho

aric2324z

I'll be done this summer with school. The S65 sounds temping, but I'll probably hurt myself, haha! I'll travel anywhere in the states to purchase one.....and what about the tail lamps? Will I have to purchase anything extra to go along with it? I'm glad I dumped the 7 series. You guys gave me the go ahead to make my purchase. I would kill my city with the S65 in both classes, power and luxury.

aric2324z

What about the 600???

aric2324z

It wont be a daily driver. I'll drive it maybe 2-3 days out of the week....road trips for sure. I feel that this is it. An Escalade would be nice, but everybody recognizes that famous 3 point star, no matter what year it is. It shows that hard work and dedication pays off.

tonykharper

ari2324z,

I know this is going to sound funny, but I don't know a better way to describe it.

If you drive an S550 it gives you the feel of a heavy very comfortable luxury car. The S-600 takes that and adds smooth power with the V 12 bi turbo, plus gives you a complete package of options. Very nice car. Basically, a senior executive car.

The AMG is a different animal. It takes performance to another level. Plus it adds to almost every component of the car. Even the back up camera is better. This is as good as it gets, it is really for the enthusiast.

Tony

Quadcammer

Am I the only one who gets the feeling this person may not be affording the repairs and upkeep on a car like this?

Straight outta school, looking at bottom of the barrel first year S63s/65/600.

OP, ask yourself this (because its a very real possiblility):

How will you cope (mentally and financially) with a $5k repair bill?

aric2324z

I have about 25k saved up. I plan on putting about 10k down. I'll be making around 85-90k per year. I'm not spending over 65k on this vehicle. Read the title. It's the reason I joined this forum....to get feedback from actual Merc owners. Yes, I could settle for something else, but why??? I must have the star on my hood. My home is paid for, so I think I'll be able to handle a 5k repair bill. I'm just sayin....

sound 8

You must get a warranty, 4 years is just about the time things start to go wrong. Second hand top models drop out of bed after 3-4 years expect
to pay much lower than half the new cost. I bought my 100 grand S600
4 years old with 50k on the clock, for 26 grand. The first thing it needed
was a new gearbox. It's not whether you can afford to buy one, it's can you
afford to run one.
Best of luck.

jdhbraves1

Does anyone know what the difference in price would be for the after market warranty would be for the s63 and s65? Would less than 50k miles be considered normal miles on a 08 s63 or s65?

aric2324z

I need this information too. I want to be prepared for a worst case scenario here....I'm not buying anything that has over 50-60k miles on it...

Sgt. Schultz

put out a Bat Signal for Bruce Mendel here, Becks Imports

I just got mine from him for both our POS's and got 2 others from him over the 10+yrs prior - he is your go-to for this w/o question.

I cannot imagine much of a price differential from the 63 to 65 - however - some (most) company's simply WILL NOT TOUCH the 12's (for good reason heh heh)

so you'll find less options for the 65 for coverage, but coverage is out there

and

either are obscenely expensive in recent years - used to be you could pick coverage (good coverage at that) up for $3-4k

No longer - now try 7-10k (depending on many factors of course like year/miles/deductible/term/mileage limit/etc). That's NOT a quote but a realistic range... you can get the price down by playing w/ coverage options.

but as we darn well know - ^that^ obscene price <<<PALES>>> in comparison to having a failure w/ yer pants down

_NO_THANKS_... not an option! 8-)

Becks Imports

You rang? </Lurch>

Thanks all.

As others have stated:

1. Buying the car is the least of your worries. You can get amazing deals on fully depreciated AMG cars. But you have to look at total cost of ownership with these cars, meaning purchase price, maintenance cost, and repair cost. And it's the last one that can kill you.

2. You can't own an out of warranty S55/S63 or especially S600/S65 without a good extended warranty. The risk is WAY too high. You have to mitigate that risk or else have a huge leftover budget for potential repairs. Are some of them reliable, and if you bank $5K over a few years to pay for repairs you'll come out OK? Yes, some of them are. But most of them are not, and some of them are WAY expensive to own. Spending $15K in repairs on one of these cars over the course of a few years in the 50K+ mileage band is not uncommon, and $6K+ is almost a given.

3. As Sgt. mentioned, the 12-cylinder engines limit your options. First, they are higher risk so will cost more to warrant than an 8-cyl. And second, many companies will not warrant the 12-cyl, so your warranty company options are limited.

Extended warranty prices are all over the place, based on car, mileage, plan, term, etc.

But if you take a 2007 S63 with 49K miles, and a 2007 S65 with 49 miles, for full (exclusionary, aka bumper to bumper) coverage, from a good company (CRITICAL), it iwll be about $5700 for 4 years/50K additional miles on the S55/S63, and about $7700 for the S65/S600.

Now keep in mind these are ballparks, and can swing wildly over minor things. For example, if a warranty company has a pricing tier at 50K miles, they might price a 49K mile S600 at $7700 for 4 years, but a 51K mile S600 at $9900! It's very car and mileage dependent.

Bruce

p.s. I have an S600 with 65K miles, and have just spent (at dealer retail prices) about $22K prepping it for sale. It is NOT hard to spend huge money on these cars. Mine needed an ABC strut, pump, valve block, and fluid flush/rodeo/filter. At a Benz dealer, just those few items are $6200!

jdhbraves1

My question now is how do we get a no bs inspection of the engine etc prior to purchase? I would imagine breaks\rotors would need checking too prior to purchase. I doubt if these nuances are reflected in a carfax report, but will a dealer likely give me a no bs rundown on the condition of an s65 engine? alot of the sellers on cars dot com are not dealers which makes it more difficult. Do dealers offer extended coverage plans?

aric2324z

How can cars with such prestige be so unreliable???? American cars can go 100k+ miles before major service is needed #confused

Fraser

When I got my warranty I was told to take it to the local Mercedes dealer and give them a form to complete (well my wife did it). It was $170 for the inspection but was enough to get the job done. Given Benz labour rates they can't have spent much time on it but as long as the warranty company accepted it I didn't care.

mrbenzes

If you highlight the American, Italian, German, or any car with 500-600 hp 100K with no maintenance is pretty much not going to happen. If you take the normal Mercedes, yes 100K is barely broken in. Remember we are talking out high perfromance cars. I have an AMG with 55K on it and it has never had a single issue. I also have an e420 (non AMG) that has 240K without an issue...but they both get regular maintenance from me. I think that is critical.
My 2 cents.
Mike

tonykharper

Very well said. I have had two W220 S500s no problems with either. They were maintained and driven properly.

I now have an W221 S65 AMG. It is a totally different animal. The S 63 and 65 AMG's are special cars, for special driving experiences. They are really for the enthusiast.

I'll tell you one thing, you can't drive one without it bringing a smile to your face.

Tony