TomS

I realize others will disagree (partly because of confirmation bias) but I cannot understand why one would get a>$100K auto and quibble over a $7300 in options for P1 and the driver assistance package. Those two packages honestly should be standard and MB should just raise the price of the car so the base is > $100K (but I understand why they don't). Driver Assistance is the package I use most and it along with P1 makes the car such a pleasure to drive BOTH in town and on long trips. Without those options, I would not own this car—simple as that.

I'm looking at my sticker now and it was $121,360 and I do NOT have the sport package or the 3D stereo upgrade. I use every option I have regularly except Magic Body Control—well the kids use the Rear Seat Package (325) but it's not the exec package so they have to rough-it a little bit. Of course, with European Delivery, I pad $10000 less than the sticker but if you are considering buying the car without P1 and 997 (Driver Assistance), make sure you are NOT doing it so you can afford it. You are not going to be happy without it.

Certainly, if it is a choice between sport or the stereo upgrade and these options, that is no contest in my mind. You need P1 and 997 to really experience this car properly.

Of course, the floodgates will now open up from folks that do NOT have these packages telling you how you don't need it. But as I said, that is confirmation bias. What you want to find is someone that has P1 and 997 that says, "I should not have purchased those options and you should save your money". Let me know if you find someone like that.

Finally, this car should be ordered. In fact, you should order it exactly the way you want it from Herbert and go get it in Sindelfingen. Forget settling for what the dealer has in stock because you are going to get a $100a month off a lease deal. It's not a Chevy Malibu after all. We are talking money for a car that should be exactly the way you want it. Driving down the road, you are going to miss features more than you are going to appreciate anything you saved on the car because the dealer had it in stock. Building this car, arranging delivery, going to Europe and yes, even the waiting was a fantastic experience. Heck, just look at the thread of the Dentist and his EDP experience. What do you think will bring a bigger smile to your face—that few bucks you saved or the whole car buying experience while you are sitting in the MB Center of Excellence enjoying lunch looking at your car and driving your new S550 through the Alps?

OK - this morphed into an EDP thread, but you get the point. You need P1 and 997—don't let ANYONE tell you different.

newyorktoLA

I got my car without sport package and premium leather because to be honest, the car at the dealer with these options was way over budget (I'm paying 2K/month lease on my $114K MSRP car).
The OP should do what's in his budget. With private school tuitions of 30K upwards, mortgages, meals out, and designer shoes and clothes arriving to the house daily, there's nothing wrong with a little cost cutting here or there, especially if it's just a rental car.

I regret not getting sport/premium leather, but I wouldn't necessarily say I'm any less happy without it. The car will probably go back in a little over a year now (with lease pull ahead) anyways.

emilner

I'm sorry, but anyone buying or leasing an S class should not have a budget. On nearly anything...

Streamliner

I really agree. I thought that the W221 was a spectacular looking car. If I could still order a new one, I would, instead of the W222. The new car, with that "Jack-O-Lantern" grill and the standard Pano Roof is just so "In Your Face" that it borders on being comical. Whatever happened to understated elegance?

K-A

You really think that the W222 is "in your face"? To me it almost blends in too much when not viewed at the ideal angles, even with Sport Package. IMO the W221 actually had a lot more brazen features that gave it a more "respect mah authoriteh" presence. The W222 has some lines that to me are trying too hard (maybe that's what you refer to), and add imo unnecessary discordance, but overall it seems to try a lot harder to be more passive, to the point where it can almost just seem too basic, especially when not taking into account its size.

I wish the Pano wasn't standard as well, especially for headroom issues for taller people. And the grill is almost needlessly oversized, but at the same time, it's a friendly round shape, while the W221 facelift while smaller grill'd, has a more pronounced/aggressive "V shape" (I prefer the W221 facelifts approach in this respect).

Overall, I still (currently, at least) think the W221 nailed it just right right in respect to modern S Classes.

DaveVY

As is obvious from the differing opinions on this thread...options are exactly that, just options in order to allow you to personalize the car to what you like.
Personally I have a couple regrets in not getting a couple more options. Wish we had gotten the warmth and comfort package (even though I am in florida) and wish the HUD was available as an option when we got our car a year ago.
I LOVE the Distronic option and lane keeping features. I would get the sport package again too for both the change in wheels and change in front bumper (I agree that it is the way the base car should look).

newyorktoLA

I'm sorry you don't understand personal financial management. Good for you though - you have an amazing garage and no budget, so it must be nice to live in the world of ignorant bliss. One thing though - You don't need to be a billionaire to have an S550
Most people cruising in S Classes around LA make probably between 200-400K. I know - it's despicable. How can the middle class be driving around in an S Class? G-d forbid. I rather spend money on my children's school, charity, and others' wants rather than my own.

As far as sports package is concerned, I wish we could get the rear exhaust shown on all the spy photos of the W222 with the futuristic, curvy exhaust. That's probably the only thing that would make me have to have the package. I love the 20" multi spoke wheels though - I feel like this is more a luxury looking than sporty. Also the side sills are pretty cool with Sport Package. However, not sure either if it's worth the huge price premium. In LA, most luxury cars have MBC so I rather have that.

schuk

Are you saying you don`t know how much money you have coming in and how much you spend?

Ormond2004

I definitely like the upgraded leather, P1, and Distronic Plus.

I have the upgraded sound, and while nice, I listed to mostly news on Sirius/XM. I also have ABC, and doubt its worth.

I wish I had the HUD. If I get another S, I will definitely order the next one.

emilner

I doubt most S class buyers are making between $2-400k. I would say that number is well over $500. But who knows.

An I know an extensive amount about personal financial management. Especially where the cost of a car should never come close to busting a budget
Never said that. I know exactly what is coming in and what goes out. I don't have a "budget". After all expenses and auto savings programs, whatever is left at the end of the quarter gets invested.

Just saying that if a person is buying an S class, they should be in a financial position where an option package should not bust a budget. You are buying a $115k car, if you can't afford a $117k car then maybe rethink things...

emilner

And re-reading my original comment I can see where "on nearly anything" was poorly worded. Just meant to say at this level of luxury spending there should be substantial extra earnings, enough to not worry about expenses outstripping income...

AppleFan1

Tom,

I agree 100%. Without those 2 options, I would NEVER have purchased my S550. I also always use the Distronic options. ALWAYS!

Streamliner

I totally agree. I have posted a few times that I feel that the Driver's Assistance Pkg. Is THE, ALL TIME GREATEST OPTION ever offered by any car company. I use Distronic very often, driving on L.A. Freeways, down Pacific Coast Hwy and whenever we take a trip up to Napa Valley. Not only does it make driving so much more pleasurable, it is like having another set of eyes watching the road. Get distracted for a moment, the guy in front of you slams on the brakes and Distronic tightens your seatbelt, applies the brakes, beeps at you and gives you that fraction of a second extra reaction time that can save your life, not to mention the lives of the folks in the car in front of you. Or, being less dramatic, it saves you from rear ending someone and just screwing up your new car--and your insurance rates. How anyone could forgo an option like that and go instead for the Sports Pkg.--when they can only afford one of them, is just beyond me. I feel that such safety devices should be standard equipment on every vehicle sold, but until that happens, I am thrilled to be able to order such equipment. I also agree that P-1 should be standard as well. Either the S is an ultra luxury car or it isn't. If it is, all the bells & whistles--especially the safety related ones, should come standard.

DoctorJeff

I'm pretty surprised at some of the responses here from what I expected to be educated, successful people who I assumed are behind the wheel of a new S-class. Stating that one cannot afford something simply because they are asking if they're useful options or that one should not even question what they're spending their money on if they're buying an S-class (a la "anyone buying or leasing an S class should not have a budget. On nearly anything...") are quite ignorant in my opinion. Having purchased/leased cars with most of these options, only to find a lot of them to be gimmicky prompted me to ask current W222 owners whether or not they're worth it on the S-Class. I am surprised that people who have the mentality of "buy everything on earth that is possible because you can afford it" have the ability of building wealth. I appreciate the other comments that were very helpful. I've decided to go check out these options in person and make an educated decision on the options I'll go for after reading your responses and experiencing these myself (in addition to the overpriced, subjectively beautiful Sport package!). Thanks!

TomS

OP: Others may have made it about what you can afford. I was trying to say that what I believed are the essential features of the car. Also, how I think this car should be spec'ed by what is essential and not by what the dealer has on a lot or by what kind of deal you can get on the car. I presume for anyone other than our anxious 25 year old giant of a friend in another thread, that if one is considering an S Class, it is not a question of what one can afford.

That being said, I stated that P1 and the Driver's assistance package are mandatory in my mind and what makes driving this car the experience it is. Others clearly agree on that point.

Bottom line, regardless of the deal you get (and I hesitate to even say deal with this car), get the options it should have versus the options on the car that the dealer will make you a great deal. In fact, I could guess they are willing to make a deal on any car without P1 and Drivers Assistance as who would want an S550 without those options? Obviously, this is all my opinion and yes, options mean just that. It is your option to get the car you like at the price you like (without regard to affordability). It is our option to tell others how great driving down the road (city or highway) with P1 and 337 is.

TomS

Agree. The technology is the reason I purchased this car. It puts a smile on my face every time I use those options.

emilner

First- never be surprised at the responses you get on an Internet forum. Second- I redacted the comment "on nearly anything" with a full explanation. Third my comment was directed at someone saying they skipped an option package because they couldn't squeeze it into the budget. I can't imagine a financially responsible person saying it's ok to buy an pure luxury $100k car but at the same time say that it's ok if you can't afford a $2k option package on it (and on top of that it is an option package they actually wanted).

Back on the topic, as I've mentioned- I feel P1 and distronic should not be skipped, and it seems everyone agrees. Frankly they should be standard but alas they aren't.

BeachBunny

My comments are going to echo TomS's almost verbatim, despite me buying an E350 instead of an S-Class -- the technology on these cars and thought that went into them is why I'm buying a Benz instead of another Infiniti. Based on that alone, there isn't anyone even close out there, especially when you get into the types of technology used AND how well-implemented it is in the Mercedes. There's quite a few cars available today with adaptive cruise control. NONE of them work as well as Mercedes', and I can say this as I've driven all of them over the past year.

If you want to squabble about price, P1 is just Mercedes' way of keeping the original MSRP under the magical/psychological $100k barrier. You know the one in the back of your mind which says, "I could buy a house for this amount of money." But $95k isn't that far from $80k, where a lot of luxury cars play. It's only $10k more than a well-loaded E-Class or similar car.

Mitch Alsup

I know how much money is coming in, and I know how much is going out, but I did not have to look at the bank balance when writing the check for my S600.

hyperion667

wow you're a stud Mitch

Streamliner

Was that check for the lease "drive off," or the whole smash?

newyorktoLA

wauw ur so kool - 3 kool 5 skool







But seriously, congrats on the S600! Great car

Mitch Alsup

Whole smash.