peterkastias

Hey everyone, Im looking into the new w222 s550, and an 2011 S65 amg fully loaded. What is your take on both cars, which one has better drive quality, luxury, and interior and which one would you rather have.

As of now all I know is that the W222 s550 is extremely smart and furutistic inside, and the W221 S65 is fairly futuristic but is rare on the streets of Toronto (Seen 2 my whole life there) and has massive amounts of torque.

cookstar

How much is the S65? its terrible on gas and has the clunky 5 speed, I remember watching a video showing that in some tests the S65 was actually slower than a S63 and had worse 60 to 0 braking as well. I would recommend waiting till the 2015 S-class comes out if you absolutely dont have to get one right now, that way the kinks are worked out and you get the new 9 speed/Head up display/touch pad knob like the Audi A8.

P.S 738 crank lbtq means nothing when all your doing is making smoke when u floor it, even the 590-630 lbtq to the wheels means little. For those numbers to make real world sense you have to have 12+ inch wide pilot sport cup 2's or awd.

In terms of technology/safety/comfort the W222 is light years ahead of anything on the market today including vehicles 3 times its price.

peterkastias

You seem to not really like the S65 W221 too much. My main thing pulling me away from the W222 is the exclusivity, and yeah someone mentioned the ride is extremely smooth. Is it smoother than the w222?

cookstar

W222 is softer than the last gen. It has nothing to do with what I like or not, Iam more concerned with what value I get for my $. If you want exclusivity you can consider the Aston Rapide S.

russjr

you also need to consider the expense of repair/maintenance on the V12; had a 65 and later a 63 and the 65 only showed its power at high speed, but in general the 63 was more responsive and somewhat more agile. in a choice between a new S and an older model of any engine configuration I would unhesitatingly go for the new car....and with a chip and awd, this is a very swift car of exceptional quality.

cookstar

+1 you can get over 600hp with a chip, couple people have done it with the GL550 and are getting more hp and torque than the GL63.

Wolfman

Which tune is that. Never heard of a 550 going over 600hp. More like 540-550hp (which is still plenty)

absent

+1.
600 is possible on S550 but you really don't want it and there is a reason no reputable tuner will not crank that much power out of it.
Very,very short life span for that powertrain in a tune like that.....

cookstar

Kleeman and Renntech are the well known ones, Renntech in particular has a very good track record in the U.S. I am taking about just an ECU Tune, no major Hardware upgrades (i.e stage 3 turbo or exhaust/header)

kafklatsch

Ironically, I was contemplating replacing my "lost" S55 with an S600 W221. For me, I became very attracted to the smooth and quiet of my S500 (stand in S55 replacement). BUT, the S55 power was intoxicating. I want both "smooth quiet" AND "power"...

Thus my dilemma..... my solution to this point has been to buy a 2012-13 S600 "like new condition".... BUT, there is another issue now

the W222 appears amazing in all aspects..... Typically, I am not a first year buyer. as I do not cope well with "dealer BS" nor do want to reserve the "first year bug fix" time at the dealer......

The W222 is pulling me nonetheless...... I really love what I see so far... I see $120K+ for my desired setup... even the nearly unjustifiable $7k sound system is a must for me...... (120K+ compared to 80-90k for a loaded puff S600)

either is expected to be a garage king..... W124 everyday

Wolfman

I am well aware of ECU tuning from these companies, but neither is coming anywhere close to 600hp for a W222 550 engine.

cookstar

give them a call they will tell you otherwise, all it means is you pay more $$

Wolfman

Like which one? Spoke to Renntech. No dice there...

W140 Lover

IMHO The S550 W222 is really not a goodlooking car from the side... no more wheel arches. Makes it look no different then any other car.

Jason B

True, but what does one do when they are in search for the best car made? Keep their w221 forever?

Mitch Alsup

The W221 S65 will be loud and consumptive
The W222 S550 will be quite and thrifty

It all depends on what you want your S-class to be.

sam9187

I have 3 AMGs all tuned by Renntech. I had a great experience.

Donnymac

Yep. I'm at 45k with a 2012 and only issue was RF Airmatic failure that was waranty repaired. Trouble free otherwise. Put flares on the 222 and I would consider one. Otherwise no.

canes85

You comparing two cars that are targeting totally different buyer. If you purchasing a S65AMG you expecting more agressive exhaust , stiffer ride more cost for everything in terms of maintance & repairs. I've owned both 65 & 600 without any real issues. I've always purchased extended warranty for peace of mind though. You can't go wrong with either!