I've not owned a Mercedes for almost 12 years and am considering an S-coupe (63 or 65). It's one of two cars—the other is a Ferrari 599 GTB—that have my eye on. I'm curious if there's anyone here who has owned or driven a 599 and how you think it compares to the S-coupe. On one hand, my major concern about the S-coupe is its steep depreciation for new cars ('18 and newer). The Ferrari, on the other hand, seems to be bottom of it's depreciation curve and will hold it's value better. Thoughts anyone?

 

WOW, 2 different cars. A mercedes S is a luxury car of the highest standards. Its not a performance car because of its size and weight. The 599 is a performance car with AC, good leather, a nav and radio. And alot of fancy, impressive shapes and lights. If you are just driving around town, you could get by with either. But you sure wouldnt be as comfortable, or confident, in the 599

 

Driven not owned. These are two entirely different rides. My big headache or disappointment with most Italian cars, F cars and Mas, is the sticky button soft touch issues along with overall fit of the interior. You'll most likely spend lots of money on little things, unless you don't mind the sticky/melted buttons or headliners that may sag, or dash covers that may shrink etc... Drive train, ROCK solid. 599 is probably one of the best looking cars out of Modena. I love em, but when I got close to pulling the trigger, my repair punch list was just too extensive. Best of luck. So a good/nice 599 will set you back around $140k and then plan on another $10k to get the little things resolved. As an example, when I added front and back cameras, I spent $4k to ensure I had a factory style and integrated system. And cameras are a must for me on these coupe's.

 

Thanks for your replies. . .and I understand that the cars have different personalities and suspect that the S-coupe (depreciation aside) is easier to live with...I wonder—with regard to the 599—if I'm getting caught up in the hype associated with owning Ferrari. I love the 599's look but wondering if I can live with the little (and potentially expensive) things that go wrong.

There's not a bad angle on either car. Both are beautiful. I've got some thinking to do.

 

I live about 10 minutes from Algar Ferrari and I have bought 20 cars from them in the last 30 years. Ferrari's are wonderful machines (though the transmission in the 599 is not for everyone) and being what I am (autistic I have no ability to feel emotion other than fear), I can only see them as machines. I have a 2016 S Class coupe in my garage (it is one of my girlfriends cars) and I have owned 62 other (including a 2016 AMG GTS also in my garage) MB's over the last 35 years. If you have never owned a Ferrari my advise would be do not make the 599 your first. I have seen repair bills easily hit 25K, in fact one of my Ferrari's Algar put over 25K (at their cost into) and it still needed somethings done to it when I brought in home. When it comes to performance the GTS would be a better bet, in fact there are many cars I would buy instead of the 599 (this is coming from someone that just bought car #489). I have been on Ferrarichat for close to 18 years, if you are truly interested in buying one I suggest you join that forum. To some Ferrari ownership is just the thrill of saying I own one, I don't judge (or care if that is someone's reason), though it does seem like a lot of money to waste if that is your reason. Do yourself a favor go to Ferrarchat learn a few things before you make a decision. Good luck

 

Or you could just get a Maserati Granturismo 2013 and up models and also buy an S class coupe for the price of one ferrari 599


i have the S coupe as my daily driver and have a 2015 granturismo sports as my weekend car show car.. best of both worlds until i find a good deal on a ferrari f12

 

This is an opinion of someone who's never sat in a 599 GTB. If you did, you would know it doesn't really have a NAV, other than turn by turn on the display to the left of the Tach.

I own two 599 GTB's. One is a 2008, one is a 2010. Neither are HTGE because that's mostly a marketing gimmick, and it completely ruins the ride of the car. Most people leave the car in race, or sport and drive like psychos. Around town, you can drive in sport (which gives you the faster shift time in the 100ms range, and won't wear out the clutch) but it rides harder on the suspension. Once you're doing over the road cruising speed, you can flip the manettino to "low grip" and then the ride is the same as any sport suspension in an AMG. It's comfortable.

I just considered buying a C217 S65 coupe, and after seeing one in person it was the same exact car as my older CLS55 (which I've also had for a very long time since Mercedes went downhill in 2008). People toted the interior of the S-Coupe car as something spectacular, and I was unimpressed entirely. Even the seats were less comfortable than the daytona seats in the 599. The trunk size of the coupe is the same as the 599. The backseat in the coupe is good for tossing your coat on, but no one can actually sit back there (I tried, it's like my older 850ci --- strictly decoration).

The S coupe rides well, but it doesn't handle right. It has no torsion bars at all, and relies strictly on the ABC system similar to the McLarens. It does lean. My CLS55 doesn't lean. My 599's don't lean. This car feels more like my older 750iL that would take a set, but it doesn't feel right when you're in it. The AMG steering wheel in the coupe is top notch though. However, it blocks out the instrument cluster display on the dash the way I would position myself in the car. Also, the interior on the Bentley is twice as nice as the S65 coupe (unfortunately), and the Ferrari 599 is nicer than both. Assuming you don't care about having all this modern technology in your car like the new S class with the 20 inch television in your face - which I don't even want.

Ferrari's do not hold their value if you drive them. They are hideously expensive to repair because of the cost of parts, but the 599 is actually very reliable overall. The problem is there's certain things you will have to repair, and the prices are not even remotely reasonable, even if you buy parts from Scuderia or Euro Spares. Essentially, I never recommend AMG or Ferrari's to people who don't work on their own cars. My father used to rebuild race engines, and had about $120k in Snap-on tools that we use on all our cars. I have very bad experiences with nitwit dealers doing third rate work at $160-180/hour, so I prefer to just take care of things myself, and in the long run it's less grief. I consider it an honor to work on my own Ferrari V12s, but I spent $3500 on the diagnostic equivalent of DEIS/SD3, and have the workshop manual, wiring diagram manual, and parts catalog manual for the 599's. I'm informed about the car, and that's difficult to do.

On a side note --- People on Ferrari Chat are 99% idiots who do not even own a car.

Would I recommend a 599 to someone? No. It's out of warranty, and can cost you $20,000 in short order if you have to pay someone to do work on it. People manipulate the mileage on Ferrari's in the states, and so you think a car has 4,000 miles on it when it really has 24,000. They also use these mileage blockers they install behind the instrument cluster, and can essentially drive and drive with the mileage being the same.

I also wouldn't touch any other Ferrari. Aside from this one car, they really don't build decent cars. The 599 is something of a unicorn, and I would put the 430 Scuderia in that category as well. The 430s oversteer terribly, as do the rest of any mid-engine design from any current manufacturer. The F12/812 use that Getrag transaxle P.O.S. that is nothing but trouble, and you can't use the extra power in normal driving. Plus, I think they look like Fiats more than a Ferrari now.

I could go on, and on, and on, but I don't really feel like typing out a dissertation on the subject. If you have any specific questions, PM me. If you do test drive a 599, remember that it's a manual transmission and those triple cone synchros on first and second will be unyielding unless you take your foot off the gas slightly during the shift. If you lift ever so slightly, you'll never feel it shift.

 

I'm leaning towards the S coupe. When I think about how I drive, the experience that I want (i.e. to be isolated from outside noise) and after hearing the advice from 599 owners, the Merc makes more sense. The tech (convenience and safety features) is important to me and my wife who may drive it occasionally. We'll see.

 

Disclaimer: I own a non-AMG S coupe though have driven other AMG models, and I have not driven a 599, so caveat lector.

From your posts, and given that they truly are two different beasts even without having driven the Ferrari, it sounds like you'd be happiest with an S.

The depreciation curve matters (as do Ferrari maintenance costs), but to be fair, if you're making a car decision like this, the financial difference between the two will be less than the buyer's remorse you'll have by not making the most optimal decision the first time. It would seem to me that an S63 (or to some degree, even an S560) will give you some of the kick that the 599 will give you at the expense of being a non-Ferrari and having more "boaty" handling, but also add a much more recent model year, CPO availability, lots of tech, lots of safety, lots of comfort and NVH insulation, etc.

Just my two cents.

 

Nothing depreciates harder than a Mercedes, except an AMG. The S63/S65 coupes have no kick compared to a 599, and don't handle even remotely the same. If you need warranty, buy a Mercedes.

I personally didn't find the interior on the S coupe to be very appealing, and the seats were extremely disappointing.

 

I have spent the last 5+ decades taking cars apart and building one of's (almost 200 of them) owned 489 car myself (including a one of a kind 911 that sits in one of my garages). The S class is not a sports car (and depending on your definition of one neither are many modern Ferrari's). I don't suffer fools very well and because I see cars only as machines (they have no soul sorry to anyone with that misconception), and machines have a purpose (which is how I see cars the same way I see a coffee maker). What is your purpose for this vehicle OP? Once you decide that you can decide what machine serves that purpose the best. When I was younger I have a lot more purposes in life so I owned sometimes 18 to 22 cars at a time, now under 10. I must always have a hot hatch (I had the second GTI that came to the US in 1983), a nice coupe, a couple SUV's, a sports car, and at least two three pedal cars, and a car to take my dogs to day care, vet, and grooming. I would not say 99% of the people on Fchat are idiots that do not own a Ferrari, of course there are some on every forum but there are a lot of people (mostly old timers like me) that owned many Ferrari's and have a good knowledge of the brand and the machines. There are in my mind no perfect cars right out of the box (that goes for Ferrari's as well). In 2004 I bought a Gallardo, it was a good design but it drove like a Toyota pickup truck. Never caring about warranty I took it apart rebuilt it as a RWD car and it was suddenly a true sports car and a pretty good one too. I even sent the specs to Lamborghini. My point is that you cannot learn about cars from videos or what others who have never lived with a car might think. You can learn from reading owners experiences on Ferrarichat, though many drink the Kool-aid and believe the brand to be more than just a maker of machines (but that happens to many owners of other brands). I am more the Colin Chapman type Lotus Evora 400 gearshift, Alfa 4C (I owned both at the same time) and my one of a kind 911 weighs 2212lbs has 650hp no traction control and will kill you if you are not both careful and talented. I was born autistic I feel no emotion (I can only feel fear) and the one I can feel I get from driving the machines I built to induce it. I think the S class coupe is a indulgence, it is not practical but as many have told me, it makes them feel special. My current girlfriend likes it so that is why I have one. That is its purpose. Good luck

 

I'm in the UK with a 2016 S500. I'm spending around $10,000 to get the turbo replaced with an S63 turbo plus software updates which will take it to more then 600HP. A lot cheaper than buying an S63 and with much better fuel economy.