osyl2us

Hey everyone Im new to the site and new to Mercedes. Im recently drove a 2000 s430 and fell in love with it and I am now currently looking at 2000-2002 s430s. Now I don't know much about these cars and I would like to learn. the cars im finding in my price range usually have 45-60k miles. is there anything I should be aware of when looking one. Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing your impute.

Sean

Mark_K

what price rage are you finding with 45-65 K on it?

cala833

Mercedes S430, 2000. Have only 25.000 mileages, good condition. Paid $25.500 from private party. Very happy!

osyl2us

yeah im finding them around 25-30k

newton22

Get extended warranty.

Jayhawk

Welcome a-board!!!

I love my car! Bought it new and may never sell it. But my dealer told me a few days ago that cars like mine, in near original condition, are wholesaling for around $20k. He offered my $21,500 for mine, but I told him no thanks. You should be able to get a great car for about $30k retail.

I would strongly recommend, however, that you get an S-500, not 430. They came w/ much better wood, leather and of course the engine! It is probably the very best engine MB ever made, and I think will bring better resale.

osyl2us

yeah i would love to get an s500 it all depends on how much i can sell my curent car for and how much i can get the dealership to come down on what ever car i decide to get. hopfully i will be able to sell my current car for close to what i owe on my loan. And yeah i will make sure i get the warranty. I had a friend tell me his father in law had a slight oil leak and it was going to cost him over 1200 to get it fixed and i know nothing about thease cars so i cant work on it my self.

newton22

This much you need to know: maintenance is expensive on this car. And the 2000-2002s aren't the most reliable either.

osyl2us

How so? what kind of problems could i expect and are they covered under the extended warenty? Please let me know im trying to learn as much as i can before i buy.

newton22

I'm not sure what extended warranty covers.

Problems? Don't know where to start. You'll run into airmatic problems (unless they have already been repaired/replaced), instrument cluster problems (look around and you'll see all the fuss about recalls etc.), electronics problems in general like malfunctioning CD changes and faulty COMAND screens. And then you have the usual German car problems like the occasional malfunctioning of power windows and power seats and stuck gloveboxes and broken sensors.

I don't want to scare you, its still a nice car, just be prepared.

osyl2us

yeah i have spent alot of time on the board the last couple days and i have herd alot of issues about the cluster and airmatic I will make sure to find out if that is covered in any warenty i buy if and when i buy a mercedes and one of my friends that has an s430 is having problems with her changer ejecting the cartridge and she wants me to see if i can replace it for her if she buys the unit. The other thing is this car will not be daily driven it will be a weekend car and maybe a day or so during the week on average 2 to 3 days a week

Jayhawk

There will be NO oil leak if the car was "raised" on synthetic Mobil 1 oil. If it wasn't, keep looking... These are GREAT cars and if people take GOOD care of them they will be the best you have ever owned!!

osyl2us

Hmmm Dont know if there is anyway for me to find out if the car has only had synthetic mobile 1 through it if im buying it used from a dealer : / But there is no dout that if i get either the s430 or the s500 that it will be the best car i have ever owned i have only had sports cars that i have basicly modded to take to the track and race with so im ready to have something thats quiet and rides nice. I think thats why i fell in love with the 430. I had the chance to take one out and drive it around for a lil while and it was by far the nicest car i had ever been in.

SUNILP

2002 S500 84k miles = 25,000 dollars.
Be aware of leaking front shocks. Check for cracks on top of the front struts
Instrument cluster needs replacement usually as well. There is a repair kit available for the airmatic struts.

newton22

I take awesome care of it and it has been one of most problematic cars we've owned.

Jayhawk

You should love the S-class--I know I do!! But the dealer should be able to provide you w/ service records. If he cannot, I would be very careful about doing business w/ him.

koreanpers

Like everyone else said, make sure you get an extended warranty. My vehicle came with the starmark warranty.

osyl2us

Thanks for all your replys it looks like im going to be putting my current car up for sale today or some time over the weekend wish me luck

whoover

One thing to keep in mind: the new W221 has depressed the prices of all W220s. This means that there are great bargains to be had higher up the 220 "food chain."

I just got a steal on a new 2006 S65, which depresses prices on remaining 2006 S55s, which depresses prices on used S55s. And pre-2003 S55s (the non-supercharged ones) have always been much cheaper than the 2004 and later ones.

All of which means that an early S55 is not much more than an S500 now. The dealer gave me $30k for my very, very clean 2001 S55 (60k miles). I didn't complain because I was getting a new S65 for like $55k below invoice, but the next owner is going to get a great car. A Starmark early S55 in the thirties is way worth stretching for over an S500. Beyond the 60 extra HP, the handling is night and day. They also look pretty cool.

Mine was extremely reliable. With a 100k extended warranty for a couple of years, you shouldn't think twice.

osyl2us

so is there a milage that i should try to stay under i have noticed that alot of the ones im looking at have around 60k miles i have found one or 2 in the 40k but alot are 60-70k plus.

newton22

Actually, I don't really see a correlation between # problems in these cars and # of miles they have. I have 35,000 miles and have gone through a bunch of problems.

If you're buying high mileage, do three things: Check records and make sure it was properly care for, check the things that were replaced (like if airmatic was already replaced, you're in good position) and still, get extended warranty.

Should have no issues that way.

whoover

Yep, these cars can go lots of miles and stay tight. The biggest issue is the warranty if you get a Starmark. They're only good for 100k miles, assuming the calendar doesn't get you first. The longest Starmark warranty you can get is good for 7 years from the original delivery date, or 100k miles whichever comes first. If you get a 2002, let's say, that was delivered 3/1/2002, let's say, you can be covered until 3/1/2009 or 100k. And that asumes that the car didn't go past 50k miles in the first 48 months.

These calculations are one reason that 60k for an '02 is a lot better than 85k, for example.

osyl2us

Ok thats really good to know a friend of mine was thinking about selling her s430 i may think about buying it from her we will see how the sale goes with my current car.

osyl2us

so i have a question about starmark does it only apply to cars bought from a dealership or can i buy a car from a private party and have the car and still get the starmark warenty if its with in their time frames and miles?

Jayhawk

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/p...ess022638.html