miylive

Hey fellow members.. newbie here... let me give you a brief intro first....

I currently own a 740i sport 01 as my DD.. have owned a 98 740i as well in the past so ben driving the 7 series since the past 4-5 odd yrs....

Ive driven mercedes back in the 90s... e190 was my second mercedes and the 240D was my first back in the days I restored a 72 (bottom up) ... was a fun project...

anyway - want something new and sophisticated that would be fairly reliable as a DD - I dont have too much of a commute - just about 300 odd (km) a week and some spirited weekend driving if i get the chance..

ive checked out reviews on the quattroporte, 750i tt 2009 and also the s550... Id go for the bmw but the reviews on the engine with the tt arent too good... also I like the shape of the exterior styling on the mercedes - not too much a fan of the interior - but then again i guess thats something i can live with ...


im looking for a list of all the must haves - i do like the panoramic roof and believe 4matic would be ideal for canadian winters.. plus the night vision and what not.. is there a full optiosn list so i can match it to cars at the dealers?

what service to i need to look out for - i heard there was a problem with the tranny ?

pls help guys... thanks so much ...

miylive

come on guys... help me out )

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/g...ationFlag=true

does the ad on top cover all bases or should i be looking for something more and when did this night vision option come out? 09 or 08 ?

Mike5215

That 08 looks very well equipped (P3 package)


It's tough to sort out since every year of the S550 seemed to change standard features and option packages. Below is the info on options and packages in the 2008.

As far as Nightview, it's a cool gimmick but I have it and only turn it on to impress guests I'd want the P3 package to get the heated and cooled massage seats and also the AMG sport appearance package, and the IPod connection (which can be added aftermarket).

Everything else would be negotiable.

Like your BMWs this is not a car to own out of warranty, and no amount of pre-purchase diligence can completely protect you. Ir needs to go to a MB dealer for a pre purchase inspection. They'll have the cars internal service and warranty repair history.


Distronic PLUS with Parking Guidance and - $2,850
Cruise control with distance sensors; Blind junction cameras

AMG Sport Package - $5,630
Front and rear alloy wheels with 19 inch rim diam; Front conventional tires with 255 mm tire width and 35% tire profile , rear conventional tires with 275 mm tire width and 35% tire profile; Body color front spoiler; Dual chrome exhausts; Excludes: [23R] 18" 7-Split Spoke Wheel And [R85] 19" 9-Twin-Spoke Wheel

Rear Seat Package - $2,920
40/20/40 front facing electrically adjustable heated ventilated rear seats with four adjustments lumbar adjustment and climate controlled; Air conditioning with rear control for climate control 4; Individual rear secondary ventilation controls; Rear heater; Rear air conditioner

P1 Package - $1,250
Heated driver and passenger ventilated seat climate controlled; Electric trunk/hatch pull down

P2 Package - $2,860
Parking distance sensors front and rear and radar; Smart card / smart key automatic, includes central locking and includes ignition starter; Card key power locks; Includes: [P01]
P1 Package

P3 Package - $6,190
Parking distance sensors rear and camera; Night vision; Driver and passenger active/massage seat; Includes: [P02] P2 Package
Mercedes-Benz S-Class S550 Sedan Options

iPod Integration Kit - $425
Connection to ext.entertainment devices ipod

18" 7-Split Spoke Wheel - $0
Front and rear alloy chrome wheels with 18 inch rim diam and 8.5 inch rim width; Front and rear tires with 255 mm tire width and 45% tire profile; Excludes: [321] AMG Sport Package And [R85] 19" 9-Twin-Spoke Wheel

Wood and Leather Steering Wheel - $560
Wood & leather steering wheel

Power Rear Side Window Sunblinds - $710
Side manual blind

Panorama Sunroof - $1,010
Glass roof

Heated Steering Wheel - $460
Heated steering wheel

Active Body Control (ABC) - $3,920
Driver selectable responsive suspension; Interactive front and rear suspension levelling; Front and rear suspension with hydraulic springs

Passion Leather - $1,310
Leather seat upholstery with additional leather
Standard Paint Type - $0
Black paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type
Standard Paint Type - $0
Gloss paint; Excludes: [J004] Standard Paint Type

19" 9-Twin-Spoke Wheel - $1,210
Front alloy chrome wheels with 19 inch rim diam and 8.5 inch rim width , rear alloy chrome wheels with 19 inch rim diam and 9.5 inch rim width; Front tires with 255 mm tire width and 40% tire profile , rear tires with 275 mm tire width and 40% tire profile; Excludes: [321] AMG Sport Package And [23R] 18" 7-Split Spoke Wheel

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2008/...#ixzz312mpDAZa

njsdavis

I have had my 08 s550 p2 and amg sport package for about 3 months. It's been pretty reliable so far. i agree that the night vision is not useful and just a gimmick to wow passengers. i would of liked to get the distronic for cruise control and rear camera built in already but i didnt do my research prior to my purchase. I have a 2 year warranty with USAA and after my warranty is up depending on my financial stability a that time i plan to upgrade since Ill have a little MB experience under my belt.

Good Luck

Mike5215

The 2010 cars got a lot of stuff that was previously an option as standard. The massage seats, back up camera, Parktronic etc. It also got the paddle shifters, metal pedals, LED front and rear lamps, three color ambient LED cabin lighting, IPod kit, Aux In.

Jump to a 2012 and add a BiTurbo V8.

miylive

thanks so much Mike - this is all very informative! now I know what to look out for -

yes the link I pasted here is really nice - I would definitely go for soemthing like that and I like the wheels too are there any special factory wheels I should look out for ? I particularly like the amg ones with 5 spoke black and chrome on the outside... or something to that effect - i guess the wish list just keeps building.. but I learnt from the bm purchases that its better to wait it out than go on an impulsive buy - and hey - you get what you pay for right!

miylive

awesome!! and good to hear - how many clicks did yours have when you purchased it and did you get a ppi with the warranty ? were there service records? If im getting into one of these beauties i will be very particular when it comes ticking all the boxes............

i believe i would like the p3 package with amg ( i mean with amg package:p)

miylive

nice!!! specially the ipod integration other goodies wouldnt be too bad either - im a gadget freak and when it comes to cars loaded with gadgets im like a kid in a candy shop

I really do like my 7 series too - shes ben such a good girl and i searched 6 months before finding the perfect one*** - sigh!! maybe ill try and convince my wife to sell the family car (MDX) and keep the bmw with the new stallion - the w221

Mike5215

The big Bimmers are nice, but nothing coddles you like an S Class. You get used to it pretty quick and then it's your new "normal". If I had to do my S550 over I'd hunt one down with the optional Bang & Olufsen sound system. It was a $6400 option and fairly rare but they're out there. The stock audio system isn't great. In fact mine's going in tomorrow to have the front door speakers replaced with Focals.

Popo Here

I've owned My 08 4Matic since 2008 and recently hit 105k miles with no problem. Ive been out of warranty for the last 3 years and never really had any or needed any warranty work done. I've had three oil leaks and the occasional P0025 error code that only seems to come when I don't warm up the car for about 3 mins before a cold start. I also go through tires almost every 4-5 months but probably because of my driving habits.

I drive hard every day because I can, crusing at 3 digit speeds and love it (except for that annoying limiter). Commute to work is 45 miles on densly populated interstates one way and 10 miles on city streets. My nite view assist is only a gimmick since it doesn't really do anything except getting other drivers looking in awe. The later years added pedestrian detection which makes it a little more practicalnbut not mine.

So I can tell you to buy with confidence and check vehicle history. You'll enjoy the car.

Atcpup

Haha, I like this guy! ^^^
I also have a 2008 with 80k and no warranty. It has been very reliable and am looking forward to a lot more miles. To me the biggest thing to look for is the transmission service. Make sure it was done at 40k and 80k if it has that many miles.