The Prez

I'm really just asking you guys to talk me out of this ridiculous idea...

I'm 27. I make about 75k a year, single, no kids. So I don't make a ton of money but I do OK and don't have many expenses. I currently drive a 2003 e320 sport (w211) which just passed 100k miles. I love it. I also have a 2010 kia sportage that I use mostly for one of my jobs.

There is a beautiful 2007 s600 v12 TT 5.5l, black on black, for sale on craigslist for 24k. It has 69000 miles. The seller is the second owner and claims to have extensive maintenance records and has agreed to send a Carfax, but I've not yet seen it. I asked if the ABC system has ever had an issue, leaking etc... Or if there have been any engine misfires. He claims never to have had any significant issues.

I have a non Mercedes mechanic, runs a small shop, and does great work on all my cars, including my e class. He knows his way around Benz's... He has 3 himself (2 w211 e classes and an 07 s I believe). But this is a different animal altogether. I know maintenance and parts are really expensive. But what are we talking? I read a thread where an owner said to budget 1000 to 2000/ Year for maintenance. I read another where someone said 8000 for a single service! So what am I really looking at?

I have some extra money and could easily finance the rest of the car. I could pick up a little extra work to cover a car payment without much stress (I paid of my sportage in July and I bought the e class cash last year).

I've heard the adage "if you can't afford a new luxury car, you definitely can't afford to maintain a used one". I get that, but I have a very fair mechanic and a close friend who happens to be a BMW tech who gets many of my parts at a discount from auto zone (he has done my brakes, pads, shoes, oil change, fixed valve cover leaks and many routine things for next to nothing). So I have found that adage to be untrue in my case. Again though, the s600 is a different beast.

What do you guys think? Is it a terrible idea?

Mike5215

Yeah, it's kind of a terrible idea. Even a 550 out of warranty can quickly become a handful.

mercedesbenzs55

Get it man. Have your buddy check it out first though.

YOLO!

boltonblue

that could be the most rewarding experience you will ever have in your life. ( seriously )
you also could kiss a frog and she'll turn into a lovely princess that loves just making you happy as well.
Anything can happen.
You might be able to get 'some' parts from autozone for an S600 but probably not many.
Go to autohuasaz and look at part prices for while.
I think 2k/yr for service would be on the low end at the dealer. It also depends on how much you use it.
if anything interesting goes wrong figure on the order 1500 -32500 is not an unusual repair expense, on my simple little 430 v8 I've dropped ~$3200 at a shot. no turboes. no v12. no ABC, and the litany of other things that make a s600 what it is.
not trying to be a debbie downer but at least it sounds like you have your eyes open going in.

Mike5215

My S550 was in the shop a couple of months ago for a front strut, bad cam position magnets, and a flickering dash cluster. $6,000.

Dave has a 600 with half that mileage and his warranty company just replaced motor mounts and a tranny mount. He's got a running total on here somewhere.

I'd approach it like I had no guarantee of having substantial savings on repairs. Then if you are able to save something on anything it'll be like a bonus.

superpop

If you have to finance a 9 year old car, you cannot afford it. These cars are a very demanding mistress that will bioch slap your bank account with one oddball repair. Also, don't forget to call your insurance man and ask about insuring it.

The Prez

Already talked to insurance.. It's not so bad. But yeah I mean I don't want to spend half of my savings on a 9 yr old car. Would rather put a down payment and finance the rest. But your point is well taken, that's why I asked. Thanks!

steveb9771

Based on your earnings, you can not afford this vehicle. Keep in mind that the original cost of this vehicle was about $140K and you need to be prepared to pay the potential high repair costs. As an example, the list price for a single turbo is $6000 ($4500 discount price).
A simple failure such as a ruptured ABC hose can easily cost in excess of $1000 for replacing the hose as well as the engine v-belts which will likely get ruined by being soaked in ABC hydraulic fluid.

The Prez

Thank you for your response

MrRat

It's a really stupid purchase, big, heavy, fast, nice. You should be engaging in financial foreplay. Start more modestly and build up to more expensive exotic expenditures. Save and invest for the future but leave something for enjoyment too. That S600 could be your next house, replace the sportage with something fun, similar in value, and not on a potential money pit.
However if you insist:
1) Service History / carfax
2) Negotiate price
3) Have it checked at the local Mercedes dealer. Scanned. And have them check the service history. Get a copy of the VMI if possible
4) Be prepared to spend up to about $12,000 in the next 3 years. You may spend less, but from 69k to about 100k there are many potential repairs. It could cost more, or maybe much less but you should be prepared.
Transmission, abc pump, suspension, control arms, brakes, seat bladders, coil packs are all reasonably common items.

kn51

You really have to walk into these cars with eyes wide open.

Either have deep pockets and/or procure an exclusionary warranty. I wouldn't have bought mine if I couldn't get a warranty. Those ain't cheap either.

The engine/transmission with regular maintenance are strong.

You will be plagued with coolant leaks, air leaks and occasional ABC problems along with random weird crap that leaves your head scratching.

Insurance at least for me wasn't bad at all with State Farm. But I have been with them forever and have a great record. (Knock on wood).

It helps if you are a big a DIY type. But even if you are when you open the hood you think holy crap. But some things are quite doable (refurbishing ABC valve blocks for example) that can save money. But have a bad coil pack? Well crap, there are two plugs per cylinder and the whole coil pack per side will set you back $1100 alone minus labor.

It may seem perfect now, but in two months you will have a combination of the above. Along with trim pieces falling off.

Now with that said, it's not everyday you can pick up a twin turbo V12 that catapults a couple tons deep into 4 second territory. Consider them a labor of love if you proceed. And to be honest, it wipes away a lot of the above concerns...at least momentarily.

In short, you only live once. But going this way won't be cheap.

The Prez

Thanks for your balanced and thoughtful response.

The Prez

Coming back to earth now, Lol

kn51

We aren't really trying to scare you (well maybe just a tad)...just telling you what to expect.

A couple ways to think about it...you are buying a $135K car for a fraction of the cost.

There is a reason for that which we gave plenty of.

To be honest the damn thing is more complicated than a 747. Not sure on where you live. It can be somewhat of a rare beast depending on your location and you might have to deal with the incompetency aspect for repairs.

I can tell you one thing, it really isn't happy in the snow.

But like I said, 600+ lb ft of torque makes most of the worries go away.

The Prez

I'm in Phoenix, no snow here..

DaveW68

If you insist on buying an S600, spend a little more for a lower mileage car and find a very good after market warranty (exclusionary coverage) that will cover you for the entire time/miles that you will own the car. It is a very rewarding experience to own one of these beasts when you don't have potential very costly repair bills looming over your head all of the time. The repair costs can be a killer to any budget, and even regular maintenance for things like brakes, tires, and oil changes aren't very cheap.

View this thread before making a decision either way:

https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...ms-thread.html

mercedesbenzs55

I don't think your going to find a lower mileage s600 for anywhere around 24k..

DaveW68

Who said he would? Unless he happened to be WPWH28.

mercedesbenzs55

That guys got real stealership skills.


If prezzy only has half to put down on it, why would be then want to only have a third on it? 69k miles is low mileage. You have 34k on your car Dave, but we know your a "special" case.

DaveW68

Cars with my miles can be purchased for around $30k. Add in $4k for an exclusionary warranty that will cover him for say 4 yr/50k, and the $34k total is better money spent than the $24k on a non-warrantied car. Read my warranty thread if you have any doubts.

jyang7788

One of these popped up in my local autotrader as well. While I gave it some thought, ended up going with a S550 with an aftermarket warranty instead.

The S600 would have been awesome, but insurance was substantially higher and it was very hard to find a warranty for it.

I would say, if you're seriously interested, make some calls and see if you can get a warranty, you'll most likely need it.

Nuru

+1

kn51

This is exactly what I did. My 600 has 30K on the clock.

So what is wrong?

Lumbar crap.
Motor mounts gone probably.
Leaks antifreeze.
ABC occasional problems.

I know most of the issues. There is damn near 6K worth of repairs just in that short list.

I'll update after I get it through the grind.

Fried Chicken

How good are you at DIY and do you have a really good relationship with a good indy mechanic?

If the answer to both of these are very good and yes, then with your income you're good to go.

Mike5215

(Ok, let me say right off the bat that "Fried Chicken" is a great username and I wish I'd thought of it.)

I have a really good relationship with my local Indie shop and several other trades and service people. The main reason our relationships are so good is because they do good work for me and I pay them good money for it. The benefit of the relationship is that if I need something in a hurry they'll find a way to make it happen, and I trust them to do only what needs to be done. Never price.

Unless you're involved romantically with your mechanic, or you helped him bury a body, he's not going to continuously cut his own throat on price so that you can enjoy low cost S600 ownership.

Hourly rates at a good Indie are not substantially less, and they buy Mercedes parts and mark up Mercedes parts like anyone else. They're good for personal attention. They're not good for service loaners. Some Indies may not want the hassle of dealing with an aftermarket warranty.

In short, unless you're an accomplished Mercedes tech yourself, and there are at best three guys on this board who meet that standard, an S Class, particularly a 600, will eat you alive if you own it long enough unprotected.