brianw430

Since selling the '01 S55, I am beginning the process of finding a worthy replacement. Initially I was looking at '04-'05 S55's and began to notice '05 S600's were less expensive. Came across a pristine "appearing" '05 S600 with 42,000 for $28,000. Ran the VIN through CarFax and AutoCheck and turns out it was repo'd 12/2009. I have not contacted the dealer to verify any service/maintenance records, so we'll see. My guess is when money gets tight, auto maintenance drops to the bottom of "things to spend money on" list real quick. Is it even worth pursuing, or should I simply pass based on this one fact? It appears to be very well kept....who knows. Just looking for ideas/insight.

Thanks!

tusabes

get a warranty. Many forum members like the chrysler 5yr 70k warranty at factoryplans.com

The coverage starts on day you buy it. so it would cover till 2015 and 112k miles.

AMGTTV8

why not?

as said previously, hedge ur bet and get a warranty...

mbusa repoed 8 of madoff's cars - pretty sure they were in good condition.

guess it's a case by case situation

suggashane410

id get it

C280 Sport

To be honest if you can get a Pre Purchase Inspection on this car(PPI) from a dealer or inde that will be servicing the car this could be an ok buy.

Corsa9000

Repo cars typically have damaged items since the Repo Man has to get into the car quickly and drive off. I would inspect lock and window mechanism very carefully to make sure all are working and all the keys are there, etc.

Other than that Repo cars should be an OK purchase, the history stays with the car though, so selling it later will require explanations.

tusabes

For a car like a 600, the lienholder (bank) usually has a key premade before the repo, they do not "breakinto" the car. They hold the title and it is very simple for them to have a key made.

They start it up and drive off just like you or I would do.

brianw430

Thank you for the replies, and I heard from the dealer and they have no service records. So it would be up to getting a PPI. Thank you for the extended warranty info tusabes! The highest level covereage for the S600 and S55 are the same 4 years/100 deduct at $3,460...not bad for the expense associated with this model!

There is another eBay S600 with the same mileage and he'll take $27,000! Both appear to be in very good condition.

Thanks again!

Corsa9000

Keep in mind the used S600 prices drop like a rock, so it is wise to look around to find the best car at the lowest price. Best deal would be on one with service history and some warranty left on it. It is a sweet car with lots of power and all the luxury amenities around.

Good luck with your search.

brianw430

Hey thanks Corsa. Are you referring to the natural depreciation, or is there another new S600 coming out soon to further drive down the price. I think there is a new CL coming out that will greatly impact the used CL prices, but other than natural depreciation, is there something else to consider regarding the S600?

tusabes

The insane post-warranty repair bills is what makes 600s lose their value after warranty is over.

Most people dont know an extended warranty is available on these cars, since most warranty companies exclude covering v12 models or charge a ridiculously high surcharge. Thats the value of these forums, to find out little-known info.

Fraser

The biggest dive these vehicles take is when they go from current generation to past generation. There's no new S/CL in the works currently and even if there was I wouldn't expect it to affect resale values all that much.

Getting one with warranty still remaining isn't essential. You'll pay a decent amount for that privilege, if I were you I'd find one you can slap a decent warranty onto (usually requires no more than 70,000 on the clock) and get it inspected.

brianw430

Excellent info all around, thank you! I agree, this forum specifically has saved me thousands in future repairs bills, simply by educating me on what model/year to avoid buying! Still struggling between an '05 S55 and the S600! I love the brakes of the AMG and the quality of interior finish on the 600. It's going to come down to mileage/price and service records...I'll purely enjoy owning both!

tusabes

Depends if your preferences lean to more sportiness or more luxury,.... but either one will be amazing.

brianw430

Leaning more towards luxury, with the smile factor of having a V12. After owning NA Clk55's & an S55 AMG, I realized what these cars of capable of. Plus the brakes and other upgrades on the AMG are simply inspiring. I'm just really taken by the interior quality of the S600, and will mainly be driven with the girlfriend as my only passenger...and she could care less about the engine! So I really think it will come down to what I find, how many miles, options and what service records are available. Thank you for all your input, let the fun of searching continue!

tusabes

be sure to update us when you make the purchase!

brianw430

Oh absolutely, I'll be back posting pics of what I get...just not sure how long it will take, as I want it to be a pristine example! Thanks again for your help!

Fraser

Sounds like you're looking at a 600! The interior is pretty special; alcantara and leather everywhere Although you would get the same on a designo S55.

Be prepared to fly somewhere to get the right vehicle (although Chicago has a decent amount of 600s pop up) There aren't many 600s around that fitted the bill for what I was looking for and then the right one came up on this forum 3 miles away from where I lived!

tusabes

Fraser, what particular attributes were you looking for?

Fraser

For the 600 it was:
-Twin turbo model
-Silver or black exterior but not a black interior.
-AMG package
-Keyless Go.
-Rear ventilated seats
-Still in factory warranty

The rest were fairly standard things I always go for in a car; no accidents, decent service history at dealer etc.

I didn't end up ticking all the boxes on this (as I went for an '04) but it is still a CPO vehicle that was so local I couldn't believe my luck. About $15k less than I was prepared to pay as well without the hassle of having to fly halfway across the country to buy it Currently between cars.com and Autotrader there are zero vehicles that fit my criteria. I consider myself lucky!

brianw430

Lucky indeed! How long was your search before the one in your back yard appeared? That's great, and with the options! All the standard options on a 600 will suffice for me, but the S55 I would like to have rear heated seats if/when there are other passengers. I am finding this very hard to locate. Currently am checking cars.com, autotrader, eBay, The Star magazine and here of course...any other suggestions to search?

Living in Iowa, Chicago is the closest, but also has the snow/salt issues. None of my prior cars have come from the midwest, so I surrender to the fact there will be travel involved...small price to pay! I did buy one CLK55 from a board member, so that worked out very well.

Fraser, you have any pics of your S600 on the board? Would love to see it.

Fraser

I was looking for one that fit the criteria perfectly for around 9 months! I could have probably picked one up somewhere along that line (and was happy to fly somewhere) but my wife was out of work for some of that time and with only one income I was hesitant to pull the trigger unless something much better than the norm came up, e.g. one that was a fair step below market value, for sale in our local area, etc.

Cars.com, Autotrader, ebay and the Classifieds on here were the main ones I looked at. You can set up saved searches on each so you can bookmark the search you want and in one click can see if anything new has come up.

Exotic Motors (in Rolling Meadows, IL) and Luxury Motors (in Chicago and elsewhere) sometimes don't show up on the big websites, and Malones Automotive in GA have a lot of decent late W220 stock. I don't have any experience with working with any of these places though.

If you do see a classified on here do a search for that author's posts to see if any of their posting history contradicts what they say about the vehicle.

Though not all the Chicago cars have spent their lives in Chicago...

Only a few as it is stock and the weather hasn't been good for photos since I bought it.
https://mbworld.org/forums/3851550-post993.html

brianw430

Thanks for the inspiration...your car looks amazing! I have actively looked at 55's and 600's at the dealers you mentioned. Luxury Motors had a few bad reviews, but none on Malones or Exotic Motors. There are a few other high end dealersin Chicago that really take the time to hand pick luxury cars, and they will get good S & CL models frequently, so I have my name in at those places for an S55 or S600 if it comes in.

Nine months of searching will be painful, but well worth the wait if it takes that long! I really need to see service records on models like these...but a good inspection can sometimes help. I had a PPI conducted on an S55 when I was looking years ago, and it uncovered a "good looking" S55, but the inspector was very hesitant on the oil change frequnecy (as there were no service records and nothing on carfax/autocheck) as he did not like the looks/smell of the oil and did not like the looks of the oil cap(?)...additionally, he said the tires were on backwards!?!?! The 245's in the front and 225's in the rear...did not know that was even possible!

Thank you for all your info and the pics, these are awesome auto's! Congrats on finding your S600!

Fraser

It certainly will be, at least it was for me. I just knew when I drove it that I'd found the right vehicle...there's always the thrill of the chase too!

Luckily for me the vehicle had been well looked after with decent service records and passed the warranty inspection with no issues. Just had my first Service B with it and nothing came up on that either. With these cars, especially complex engines like the superchargered 55 and bi-turbo V12s you can't afford to buy a wrong'un.

Thanks for your kind words! I hope you'll be as happy as I am when you find your next W220!

rondocap

That's a long standing debate on S600 vs the S55, take a look at the S class AMG forum as there are a few threads comparing these.

I'd personally go for the AMG, the bodykit with the quad exhaust in the 03 and up models really make it look sharp. The S600 will look more or less like your 01 S55. (I have the 55 - looks great either way!)

Drive and sit in them both, the supercharged S55 and the V12TT S600. That's the best way to see which one appeals to you the most.