bt1340

Just looking for opinions on the above question. I am aware that the depreciation factor is disgusting to say the least. Just not sure if the 40K upcharge is justifiable.

ajm0623

first off, for the record, i don't own a 221.

however, i saw the owner of a 07 s600 getting out of his car at the home depot the other day and went up to him to oooo and aaww all over his new acquition. he said he liked the car but wish he had gotten the s550. he explained to me that he had a s500 (v220) prior to his buying the s600 (v221) and thought for the money, he should have stayed with the equivalent to his s500, the s550. when i inquired why he felt that way, he said, most of the car is 'useless' to him as he primarily drives from the western suburbs of chicago to downtown chicago and back during the week. with the congestion we have here, he felt he could not exercise the car in the appropirate manner for which it was built (i.e, there are way more toys than he can play with). that said, he said he did take it to indiana recently and said the s600 was like a bullet when he pressed it. an extra $40k for a 'once in a while' thrill was lost on him.

so there you have it -- an opinion from a current (v221) s600 owner that wishes he would've bought the (v221) s550.

by the way, i think all you'll get with this thread are peoples' assumptions about their opinions as i doubt that anyone here has BOTH the s550 and the s600 and able to give you an objective opinion based on driving both cars for any extended period. cheers.

cmcjo

You would probably make an easy desicion if you drove them both. The V12 is very smooth and powerfull. And if your into leaving lots of sports cars in the dust at traffic lights like I am, the 600 is the way to go to ensure that you will do just that.

I drove the 550 and although it is a superb car, I didn't like the feel of the engine. It felt a like it reved too high or that the RPM's didn't come down fast enough if I hit the gas.

But then again, I was comming from the 2005 -S600 so I was used to the V12 power and forgot what the V8 was like.

whoover

If you consider the equipment that's optional on the S550 and standard on the S600, it's a $30K upgrade, not $40K. The answer to your question depends partly on whether you want the car fully loaded. Some of those options would be very important to me (like ABC) while others might not be so important (rear-passenger comfort). Only you can assess this aspect of the price difference.

That said, there's nothing like the V12. It's absolutely addictive. I agree completely with cmcjo. When I drive my wife's C55, the engine feels so coarse and rough now.

Buffer

I like my S600. I'm in agreement with cmcjo, the power is the main attraction. But I also enjoy the bells and whistles. If you don't adapt to technical things, it may not be the car for you. Like C&D says, the S600 is "fitted with all the electronics known to German engineers and a few known only to Homeland Security." I traded a 2006 Audi W12 for the S600...there is no comparison between the two cars. The S600 is far superior. However, I know nothing about the S550 except what I read here. It sounds terrific but I have never even driven one.

///MB

Obviously the question of whether or not it's worth it, depends on you. For us, yes, it's worth it. The V12tt as everyone has mentioned is amazing. Also, the interior with the extra wood, extra leather and alcantara headliner makes the interior feel much more luxurious. Also, the leather is higher quality and has nice soft feel, than the 550. I'm not sure how it compares to the "premium" leather option on the 550, but my salesperson said it's still not the same.

I do agree that it's a marginal return for the money, but even so, I would only take the 600.

MB Fanatic

The S600 is worth every penny they charge and more. The power as other 600 owners have stated is the main attraction, along with all the bells and whistles, along with the better choice of interior materials.

///MB the leather in the S600 is above the S550. My mothers S550 has premium leather and when compared to my fathers S600 its no comparison. Both are mighty fine vehicles, to say, imply, or suggest one is better than the other is ludicrious.

///MB

Thanks for clarifying that the 600 leather is better than the premium 550. I think I read a post from Chucky saying that they were the same, so I wasn't sure.

absent

S600 is unquestionably worth the premium over S550,the difference in performance and equipment justifies it easily.
But the question should rather be :
Is the S65 worth the extra $40k over S600?

vraa

590lb-ft torque.
That is all you need to think about.

aschb

In Germany/Switzerland the S 65 runs about 60K $ higher than a S600 with same features and equipment. The difference goes to 95 HP (or 700$ per HP), which rarely will be used in any circumstances.

S 500 (S 550 in US) with same features and equipment as a S 600 runs about 20K US$ higher, which is a reasonable price for an V12 and 129 HP more.

///MB

It has 612 lb-ft now. =)

vraa

That's worth another 10k$

ddskier

My father has owned several S600's and his '07 is even more powerful than last years model. The standard equipment (upgrades on an S550) with the increase in power to weight ratio make it a worth while purchase. It's great to be able to drop the hammer at a light and be gone in a blink of an eye.

I drive an '07 E550 and it's no comparison.

He actually just sold his S600 and picked up the S65 AMG. Now that car is truely sick. Scary fast.

Good Luck.

Chucky300

wait Wait.... The 550 PREMIUM leather and the 600 EXLUSIVE leather....
The poster b4 you said they are DRASTICALLY different and no comparison? Im sorry - are you kidding? No need for Drama statements .... my boss has a 2007 S600... i have a 2007 S550 with Premium Leather. I sat in both. COME ON NOW..... the difference is SOO Minor.... His is a touch softer and more supple to the touch..... I hardly hardly hardly consider his to be WORLDS better.

NeverColdCall

I actually ordered standard leather in my S550 because the Nappa leather in my previous S500 was too delicate (too many wrinkles, creases, starting to crack, etc). and in fact my MB salesman even agreed that the new premium and exclusive leather are very delicate and he encouraged me to stick with standard if I don't want to see wear after 20k.

To be honest, the standard feels quite nice to me, and I have clothes on when driving anyway so it's not like I can feel it against my skin ... lol

Chucky300

lol You are so funny. TRUE that. The premium and Exclusive are the same stuff except for a bit more suppleness to the exclusive.
I am in the fashion industry. Funny enough, I have a leather supplier in my office. (Madison Leather LLC) Even he says its the same stuff, except for the way they treat the skins. Surely no one thinks Mercedes looks at Crap leather to put on standard S550, DECENT for Premium and AMAZING for Exclusive.
Definetly will see a difference in wear for the premium/exclusive because of the finer grade. Would be the same as wearing a GAP leather jacket and an AKRIS leather jacket. The leather from AKRIS is such a high grade of skin that it will naturally give way due to the intense softness when new.
By the way - AKRIS leather jacket at Bergdorf Goodman / Saks retails for $3990.