eurocarnut

Hi all. I am new to the forums and would like to share what my first impressions were of the new S.

My buddy just came home with a new black/black S550 and I have to say I was impressed. Fit and finish are excellent and the ride is supple and smooth. The car was not easily jarred and the controls were intuitive.

I am in the market for a new vehicle and took a look at the Aston Martin's recently in Palm Springs (V8 Vantage specifically) and I am faced with the choice of a new S or the Vantage.

I know they both serve different purposes (and the Aston is a tad more expensive) but it is an interesting dilemma nonetheless.

MercedesFTW

Do you have to drive people around? If not, go for the Vantage.

I love the new Astons...

CY

I would go DB9....I felt sort of cramped in the vantage...but maybe you fit fine. Im 6'2 and work out too much though...lol

pmb600

I don't know what other cars you have...but the S-Class is incredible. The Vantage is nice, but I feel like it's less interesting than the DB9. I really don't like sports cars because I feel too claustrophobic in them. I prefer sedans. If you are financially able to buy an Aston, then consider an S63 AMG or an S600 which are in similar price ranges. Both will offer loads more performance than the S550 (not that the S550 is lacking). This could be a good compromise since you will get sports car like power but comfort and luxury for most of the time.

xraes

CL 63 Designo, easy choice .

eurocarnut

The AMG version of the new body CL and DB9 are all significantly more expensive than the v8 Vantage as is the AMG version of the S class.

The CL550 is the same price as the Vantage.

pmb600

The Aston Martin Vantage is about $110K - $125K for the coupe, the convertible is significantly more. How much will the S63 AMG be? I would imagine it woudl have to be around there since the S550 usually goes out the door for about $100K and the S600 is $150K and comes fully loaded.

trumpet1

I believe the S63 AMG is priced around $130K last time I checked.

pmb600

I am not sure how much the S63 AMG costs, there is no pricing yet on the MBUSA website.

Chucky300

S550 bases at $85,000 and fully loaded is about $113,000
S63 bases at $125K (i believe) and fully loaded is probably near $140,000
S600 bases at $143K - no options except Designo packages.

Aston Martin Vantage would only be comparable to the S550 in terms of price..... but is a better performer

S63 and S600 are much more expensve - but again - no comparing a sports car - a 5000lbs machine.

eddietr

Yeah, well it's a little hard to compare a Vantage to an S-class. Two very different cars. Good luck with the choice.

I think you would want to look at the S63. It's not THAT much more money. And I know our local dealer has one coming in with nobody apparently interested in it yet. He was trying to talk me into it this morning. So you might be able to get a reasonable discount on one.

Also, if you are looking at the S550, try to get some time in a car with the ABC. Certainly if you want a better handling car, the ABC is a must-have.

trumpet1

The S63 seems out of place to me. Why not just go for the 600??? It is only another $5K to get the appearance package of AMG on the 600 if you just have to have it and you get a lot of extra perks like suede headliner, woodgrain on the COMAND knob, along with every option known to man. Or better yet, get a loaded S550 with the AMG package and have Renntech super tune it for around $6K???

eddietr

I can see your point. The 600 does seem to be a better value, particularly with that engine. In this type of vehicle, I would probably prefer the twin turbo V12 over a high-reving big V8. The only problem is here in the US we apparently can't get the sport appearance package on the 600.

My neighbor and I were just discussing this. He's a big AMG fan and wants the S63 mostly because he wants an AMG car. Can't go back to the regular Mercedes anymore

But he had a bad experience paying full MSRP for a CL65 a couple years back and then seeing 1-2 year old examples selling for so much less. His E63, on the other hand, is a much better value. So he's reluctant to buy another >100k AMG (new).

trumpet1

It would seem that you can't get the AMG on a 600 however it can be done as I've seen one. I don't know how it got done but I saw two or three on Ebay some time back

pmb600

They simply ordered the body kit and wheels and attached it to the car. I think the one I saw on ebay though was made to look like an S65 AMG.

kingtom

You guys are so lucky that you can geta S Class in such prices. I just got mine last week but only a S350L (Euro/Asia only, I am from HK), costs me $179k. I know S350L can't compare with you guys' S550 but i found that M Benz has done a really good job on getting back the No.1 Luxury car position. My first MB but won't be the last for sure..

SL65amg

Get a CL550 Sport Package, then Get Renntech ECU/Headers. You'll have alot more power than the Aston, and alot more high-tech gadgets & luxury, with more comfort, room and suppleness also. The S-Class is just too big to even be remotely compared to the Aston sport coupe.

zzoorrkk

$179,000 USD for S350L ?? How much of that is the list price and how much for tax?

kingtom

almost 50/50 splits between tax and list price. Whenever we register the car, we need to pay tax to the govt. S65 in HK costs around US$425k. S500L=S550 in US costs about US$200k. My friend bought a CL500 with AMG package. He paid US$250k for it.