Around 15 years ago I drove a couple of W220 S Classes and really enjoyed them. My wife (girlfriend at the time) discouraged me from buying one because of the size. The net result is that it is an itch that never got scratched and it seems like these cars offer an nice value proposition for what they offer in terms of refinement per dollar.

I am reasonably educated having periodically read this forum. My fundamental question is assuming I bought a well maintained model how painful will the ownership experience be from a reliability standpoint, and is it possible to turn one into a reliable car and which one (year / model) would someone recommend ( I would prefer the shorter length of the 2006 S350 but I am leaning toward a 2006 S430 with the AMG package).

My impression is that the drive train is generally reliable but I am aware that the 7 speeds had conductor plate issues. I know that one should expect to deal with the airmatic. I am aware of the rust issues. The area that concerns me the most is electrical issues. Don't have good feel if they would be an ongoing nightmare or if it possible to get them sorted.

I should add that I can do some maintenance myself. My skill level includes pretty much replacing the entire suspension on my wife's Mazda 3 and redoing the timing belt on my old Audi A4.

The other thing that I am aware of is there are some real experts on this forum who provide awesome guidance to others with problems with their cars.

Thanks in advance for any guidance that you may be able to offer.

If you are willing and able to do most, if not all, of the maintenance and repairs on your W220, you can afford to own one, and can get it into good repair and keep it there.

One major factor will be whether or not you decide to buy SDS. SDS (STAR Diagnostic System) is the dealer-level computerized diagnostic and repair system, and it is a vitally essential tool for DIY on the W220. The dealer system, which is available, is somewhere around $35,000, plus sizable annual cost. You can buy a Chinese clone of the system (which is actually slightly more powerful than the dealer system) for $400 - $600. While that sounds expensive, it can save you that much the first time or two that you use it. SDS includes a powerful diagnostic system, the complete factory workshop manuals, the complete electronic parts catalog, parts location, etc., etc. - for every Mercedes vehicle from about 2000 to about 2015. When/if you decide to get out of the Mercedes game, you can sell the SDS and recover most, if not all of your cost.

A new W220 cost $90,000 - $175,000 in today's dollars, and the parts cost is appropriate to that level. "Parts Darts" (throwing parts at a problem hoping to score a hit) gets really expensive really quickly.

Not bad at all. Find a 2006 s500 with the amg pack.

Are you planning on running an almost-20 year old car as a daily driver?

No. I no longer have daily driver needs. Car would be strictly for pleasure, not to say I wouldn't drive it every chance I got but would have back-up car(s).

"Are you planning on running an almost-20 year old car as a daily driver?"

My daily driver is a 2003 S500, my "new truck" is a 2007 Ram, my wife's daily driver is a 2007 GL450, her other truck is a 1999 Suburban...

In my experience getting one that has been well cared for is key. One that has a reasonable and consistent service history is what I would recommend seeking out. You'll pay a little more up front, but you avoid the "most expensive S-Class is the cheapest S-Class" pitfall. I was able to find a low mileage, well maintained '03 S500 locally, and the car is a gem. I've owned and experienced both BMW and Audi and can tell you that nothing I've experienced drives, rides, or operates quite like this S-Class. The only issue I have with it is minor--and I believe I'll be able to tackle myself when I have the time. Meanwhile--I look forward to driving the car every chance I get, as I'm sure you will as well. Go for it!!

I drive a CL500 as my daily. I have done for nearly 6 years.

Apart from oil, tyres (correct spelling) and brake parts this car has not cost me. The worst unexpected cost was to do with a burst ABC line and pulsation damper...total cost about $300.

I think the S Class is a super reliable car, assuming you can find one in good condition. I have a 2004 S500 and it's been a daily driver for 8 years. Like everyone else said, stay on top of the maintenance and buy a STAR scanner. I went with the Autel MP808 and it does a good job. I had to install a new PSE pump and I used the Autel to program all the features back to original.

I had a '03 S500 for ten years, we drove it all over the country and my wife drove it to work daily, great car. we traded in a '93 S500 for it and now have a '13 E350, not even in the same league.

Nice! It's such a great car. Really ahead of its time too, specially the 03 with the aux input haha! Are you saying the 03 S500 is better than the E350?

Well, yes, other than the obvious decade of improvements, we actually liked it better than our '07 S550, The ride and highway handling was far superior, we could drive for 10-12 hours at a time, no way we can do that in the E350. literally going until we needed gas or food, You could also hit the raise button when you parked to make entry and exit easier, the seats were way softer and more comfortable, the Xenons were awesome, the room in the back seat was bigger than a Manhattan apartment with 12 inches to the back of the front seat. You just felt safe in that car,Don't get me wrong the "07 was a nice car too, but between the two, I would take a brand new 220 over a new 221. the only thing I remember being tough was trying to put four golf bags in the trunk, that's easier in the E 350, it's also easier to park but I've also bent three wheels, 2 on the '12 and one on the '13.. the 220 remains our favorite car out of the eleven Benzes we had since the first '92 190E 2.6

One thing I should mention, i like to do my own maintenance and repairs if possible, this forum and WallyP enabled me to keep the "03 for ten years, I would still have it if it wasn't totaled by a golf cart in a parking lot!

My ownership experience is zero and my input is anecdotal, however it looks like you are local to me. I would happily invite you to take a walk with me to see how many older S-Classes are parked behind our service building. Many of them spend a long, LONG time sitting on collapsed suspension and a myriad of other issues.

You should really focus on a 2006 S55....last year of the W220 and it comes with 722.6 (5-speed) transmission. A bullet-proof drive-train.

Well, sure. How many guys who can afford an S class do their own maintenance? I replaced my whole air suspension system, two power lock/ soft closers in the front doors, soft close and handle retractor in the trunk, crankshaft sensor, had to solder a headlight on the workbench after removal to avoid buying a new one, tires and brakes twice, which was interesting as my fronts were '03 and my backs were '04. also not many buy a good scanner or use this forum for knowledge. I agree though, there are lots of people who buy older Benzes that do not think the maintenance thing through...This was a sophisticated car that needs an educated and mechanically inclined owner. When mine was ravaged by an evil golf cart, the repair bill came in at 21k, the insurance company totaled it and said "oh, it's going to be way more than that, these cars always are" So did my service advisor " they're never going to pay to fix this, take the check and head to the showroom"

Also I would humbly suggest driving one for a few weeks, if you do, everything else will fail to measure up and you will want it back!

I drove a 2003 S430 for several years before it was killed by a kamikaze deer - I immediately went an bought a 2003 S500...

If something like a kamikaze deer were to happen to my S600, I would be shopping for another S600 (OK, maybe an S65 AMG).

I've yet to drive another car that has its combination of smooth ride, precise steering, great brakes, wonderful seats, excellent handling (thanks to a properly sorted ABC system) and amazing torque.

I can do my own work, and for me, a properly sorted and maintained W220 is very reliable. I've got too many cars in my driveway right now (4) and can't fit any more, so the S600 sits in my shop. I pull it out every couple of weeks and take it for a good 30+ mile drive running errands or just driving around. Suspension hasn't sagged. Fires right up. Runs like a dream.

I am biased towards the V-12, of course, but my W220 is simply a wonderful car.

I couldn't agree more! The W220 is hard to beat. I will say, that, massaging seats in the W221 are super nice and I think everyone should have that experience once in their lifetime. I just did a 12hr drive not too long ago in the W220. Drove straight through aside from getting gas. Sorry to hear about the golf cart. Maybe you can put the W220 engine in the golf cart and really have some fun haha! Yes, a huge thank you to everyone on this forum for sharing so much knowledge.

Mine didn't have massage per se, but it did have the multi-contour seats, which inflated and deflated the bolsters as you drove, I'm glad to see so many guys still on this forum and still excited about these cars, it's amazing how different each cars forum is...

The multi-contour seats are nice too. It makes you feel like you're driving in a race car. Me too! The W220 is an all around fun car to own. Oh for sure. Honda Tech is like visiting another planet lol!

Not bad at all once you take care of whatever bull****'s going on.

The M113 engine is fantastically reliable. The ABC suspension everyone loses their mind over is a beast mode suspension. It's the little **** that gets annoying: massage stops working, doors stop working (****ing doors!), yeah that's about it.

I have one with 240k being daily driven and showing no signs of stopping.

I have a 2002 S500 with 210,000 miles. I bought a SL55 so the S500 is currently being stored so I'll probably sell it just because I don't have room. I have had it for 4 years and reliability has been good but I am pretty aggressive on preventative maintenance. Here is what I have done.

1. Fuel pump stopped working at 195,000 miles, died with little warning and left me on side of I-75. I disassembled the pump and found the motor bushings had worn to the point they no longer made contact. So the lesson would be to replace the pump around 175,000 to be safe. It was easily accessible. Also do the fuel filter.

2. The alternator bushings wear out. You can buy the regulator and bushings cheaply and just replace the module but you'll have to remove the alternator to do it.

3. I had shift problems when I bought the car in 2018. It would occasionally miss 3-4 shift and I would have to almost stop to get the car going again. The problem was in the valve body. I replaced the entire valve body with a rebuilt unit from Sonnax but in hind sight it would have been a lot less expensive and probably work to install one of their upgrade kits.

4. I have not had any airmatic issues. The rubber boots protecting the strut are torn up so I wrapped heavy plastic sheeting around the strut and attached with wire ties to they and keep road debris out of the airbag area. I also bought a set of MB rubber blocks which are designed to fit in the suspension and support the car if an air strut fails. I ordered them from the dealer and can look up the PN if anyone is interested.

I've done lots of little repairs as well. Like all MB's any water intrusion can be a major problem. In the W220 you have to keep an eye on the cabin air inlet. If debris clogs the bottom drain water will fill up and spill on the main computer in the passenger footwell.