Oxygen

For some reason, I've always loved the W220... ever since I drove one back in 2002, I instantly fell in love with the car. It felt very engineered and very scientific, not so much of a "car" but more of a sophisticated machine that drives around.

I've owned three W220's in the past five years and I'm glad I documented each one with videos and pictures.

Let's start off with my very first Mercedes.. this was very exciting. It was a beautiful black 2003 S500 that I purchased from Benzl-Busch Mercedes in New Jersey in 2005... I had it fitted with the Brabus B11 performance upgrade which gave it about 40HP+ over the stock S500.

Video: http://youtu.be/7ftR5mEBDBU

The car:


After owning the S500 for about three years, I traded her in for a 2005 S600 at Sovereign Mercedes in Brooklyn. All in all it was a very special S600, modded inside and out beyond anything that I've done to my S500.. the car even had 65 AMG turbochargers and methanol injection!

Video: http://youtu.be/k41S6WOV0oc

The car:


I sold the S600 in November of 2010 and jumped into an Audi A4. Fast forward to spring time and I felt the itch for the V12. This brings us to Park Place Mercedes-Benz in Dallas, Texas for my latest 2006 S65 AMG...

Video: http://youtu.be/pVt3IBz-5kU

The car:

Skylaw

And beautiful they are!!

I like Audis too; have owned a 5000, a 5000S Turbo Quattro, an A4 1.8 Quattro and an A6 2.7T (twin turbo, Quattro).

But my first ('00) S-Class spoiled me.

Fraser

I'm there with you Oxygen, the W220 has a real something about it.

My family got our first new in '00. My father had a W210 and it went in for a service, our local dealer had just got one of the first 220s (a LWB S430) to hit the UK shores and gave it to my father as a loaner. We took it out for the day as a family and we all loved it. I can remember it being in the parking garage and sticking out about 3ft more than any other car there! Well when my father returned it at the end of the day he placed his order for a new S500 there and then. Although it was one of the earlier 220s I thought it was still the dog's proverbials...LWB, COMAND, Parktronic, all 4 seats heated and cooled, separate AC in the rear, tables for passengers in the back and the AMG monoblocks to top it all off. I'd volunteer to wash it just because it looked so good when clean!! Sadly as with many of the early 220s it became rather unreliable so my father and I swapped vehicles towards the end of its stay in the family. Even though I had to jump it almost every time (!!) as I was 19 it felt great driving around in it. I remember my father dropping me off at University the day before he traded it in. He knew I was really sad to see it go. I remember waving him off as a stood on the street and he roared off down the road, the sound of a flat out V8 engine ringing in my ears...


Then a few years back I got my own W220, a twin turbo S600. Have really enjoyed owning it and hope it to be the first of many S600s I'll own!

Quadcammer

while I can't say its my favorite car of all time, i'm certainly beyond pleased with my 220.

Even after 3 years as a daily driver, I can't find anything else that offers additional value for less than about $150k

Arnee

Group hug, anyone?

Trinsoca

I grew up in another country. I have always looked at the MB, S (in the 80's and 90's) I have always said that "I will own a MB, S one day". After coming to the US many years ago I said the same thing. I bought a W220 in 2009 and have not looked back. It is not a daily driver but every time I am stressed out from work etc I would drive it and every thing seem to go away.. I have driven several W221 and still love my W220.

classyS

GROUP HUG EVERYONE!!!!!!

i remember ones post saying:

"the s-class makes it impossible to downgrade"

i asked myself eversince the day i first drove home from the owners house in this s430..
"i wonder what the s600/s65 feels like?"

so i went test drove s65 here in san antonio, one with 35k miles.........................

ive been saving $$$ eversince... now it may be impossible to downgrade, but all possible to upgrade!!!

my 1st w220, purchased in 2010 (rims back to stock now)



very nice history of all you w220 owners, eversince ive acquired my s430 theres no looking back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jgh1987

I would have to agree. There is just something about the 220 design that other vehicles cannot match, even the 221...

maw1124

I'm with you there, Ox. This thing has "Instant Classic" written all over it, especially in AMG format. I'm thinking about getting another one, but I've also got a "classic" itch I need to scratch first (either a R129 or a W124).

Quadcammer

a 220 a classic?

don't believe so...which goes for every modern mb, save maybe the sls.

maw1124

OK, so you caught me being nice. I really meant "only" in AMG format, no offense to anyone here.

But I understand where you're coming from. Reasonable minds can differ on all of this.

Oxygen

AMGs are also pretty mass produced.. They pump them out!

jgh1987

would have to disagree (nothing to do with my ownership of a non-amg 220)

IMO.....if the 220 ever becomes a classic, it will have become one due to its unique design, something every 220 possesses. not due to a power plant thats not even unique or specific to any of the 220 cars. but no question about the 65 being the most desirable....

tusabes

sedans rarely become true classics. Coupes sometimes do. Roadsters almost always do. Perhaps the 215 CL class.

maw1124

A couple of thoughts here:

1. First, I can appreciate the "rarity" approach to all of this. Rarity's certainly something I look for in all purchases, be they cars, cigars, art, wine, whatever.

2. That said, it's not rarity or excellence alone that I think defines a classic. It's often the combination of the two. For MB Sedans, the 500E comes to mind. For MB Coupes and Convertibles, the 560SEC and E320 Cabrio come to mind, mass production be damned. And the SL Silver Arrows come to mind.

So when I put all that together, Excellence + Rarity seems to be the equation. And more or less of one or the other isn't the end of the story. Here's where the W220, S and CL, AMG 55 and 65's (MY 2005+, after the kinks were out) come in to play.

But like I said, reasonable minds can differ. And in this forum, all minds are reasonable.

Be well, Gents. Enjoy the ride.

maw

maw1124

And not for nothing, I wouldn't call production in the hundreds or less exactly "pumping them out" when cars these days are mass produced in the tens or hundreds of thousands annually.

;-D

maw

hyperion667

nice vids man.....looks like a lot of fun....
guess there's no point in all those horses if you can't do some
gallopin'.....

thanx for sharing

tusabes

The w220 s65 is akin to
The 6.3 and 6.9 sedans of the past. While there is some collector interest in those , the coupes and roadsters are far more coveted. Just being rare or high performance is unlikely to get a sedan to command higher prices than coupe or roadster

rondocap

I'm with you guys, I love my s-class as well. In fact after my S55 the only place I may want to go is an S65!

Oxygen

Awesome! Just don't use it as a daily driver, you will regret it... fast.

tusabes

Why do you say that?? Gas usage? Tickets? Repair costs?

xliemx717

folks, let me chime in here also. I love my S600 for many reason, style, engine, class, goodies, etc. as far as a sedan, would not have any other car. then you have to look at the down side of the car, suspension, engine reliability, exhaust problems, throttle issues, motor mounts, the list goes on. these are the things I hate about the car and make me want to drive it off a cliff! on the other hand, once you have driven or owned a porsche, mine was an 88 928S4 with every option , a mercedes do not compare, in my opinion. the porsche had, speed, agility, class and the biggest thing, reliability! if I had the money, and the choice between a 2011 S65 or a porsche panamerica turbo, i would chose the panamerica no questions asked. might be cramped and smaller than the S65, but I know it will not let me down. this is just my opinion, hope I did not get anyone upset.

tusabes

The panamera turbo is awesome but also 4x the cost of a w220 s600 right now . I can get a s600 and gallardo for the same price

The Porsche is depreciating at over $1000 per month and I don't buy cars until they're near the bottom of the depreciation curve. The w220 is here at the bottom and one of the nicest cars for the money.
When the panameras are selling in the $30k range then I might be interested

Quadcammer

lol, you may be the first person to claim porsche reliability on the 928.

That thing has more failure points than a trabant.

TBF, TT clamps, oiling issues, etc.

xliemx717

As far as the 928, guess i got a good one. Tusabes, you are correct, I would not buy a panamerica until the depreciation has hit bottom, like when I purchased my S600. but until then, I can just dream about what could be. dreaming never hurts anyone.....