








Looking to upgrade in the foreseeable future
2010 s63. 6.2L
2013 s63. 5.5L biturbo
2014 s550 4.6L biturbo
Which of the bunch is most reliable? Cheapest to maintain/repair? Best bang for your buck?
I reckon, all the bugs of these 3 options should have ironed out by their previous owners. So, reliability is just about equal, in this sense.
The 1st 2 options are AMG and thus it will be more expensive in regular periodic maintenance and repair as AMG parts are often more expensive than regular S-Class counterparts.
I would not pick the 1st option as its main improvement is the engine. The 2nd and 3rd options, being W222, will bring a nice upgrade/change in the interior and exterior as well.
Choosing between the 2nd and the 3rd, I would think the 3rd one probably fits your concern more. MY 2014 is relatively newer and its being non-AMG should be the cheapest to maintain and repair.
According to some review, 3rd option is about 0.4 sec slower (0-60) than the 2nd.
I reckon, all the bugs of these 3 options should have ironed out by their previous owners. So, reliability is just about equal, in this sense.
The 1st 2 options are AMG and thus it will be more expensive in regular periodic maintenance and repair as AMG parts are often more expensive than regular S-Class counterparts.
I would not pick the 1st option as its main improvement is the engine. The 2nd and 3rd options, being W222, will bring a nice upgrade/change in the interior and exterior as well.
Choosing between the 2nd and the 3rd, I would think the 3rd one probably fits your concern more. MY 2014 is relatively newer and its being non-AMG should be the cheapest to maintain and repair.
According to some review, 3rd option is about 0.4 sec slower (0-60) than the 2nd.
Sounds about right. I do the maintenance and some of the repairs myself in the garage. Ik the 63's have ABC suspension which is definitely more expensive.
But only mentioned the 63 because it is a N/A option oppose to the other 2 having turbos and extra parts
While the biturbo S550s have similar drag times as the S63 (who will miss 0.4s?), the S63 feels entirely different for the reasons mentioned above. I can't name all of the things that make AMGs different from their brethren...but those difference add up to making them feel entirely different.
Personally, I'll take an AMG over a non-AMG anyday.
I own a W221 S63 and I've driven several W222 S550s, and the latter are simply too disconnected from the road for me. The steering is too light and I personally don't like the "riding on a cloud" feel that the suspension and seats provide...even for a full-sized luxury car. Again, this is just preference.
Last edited by CQHall; Mar 14, 2023 at 02:25 PM.
Last edited by WHPH28; Mar 14, 2023 at 05:40 PM.
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I’ve had the wind totally taken out of my sails about a car after a single test drive (…namely a bunch of Porsches, lol).
Knowing what you don’t want is as important as knowing what you do.
My S63 is plenty luxurious.
I’ve had the wind totally taken out of my sails about a car after a single test drive (…namely a bunch of Porsches, lol).
Knowing what you don’t want is as important as knowing what you do.
My S63 is plenty luxurious.
That's why I'm at this conjunction. With the price range I'm looking at.... It's either a well equipped w221 s63 (6.2 N/A OR 5.5TT). Or the w222 s550.
Ik the w222 s550 would feel like more of an upgrade. But that s63 speed and presence is definitely something serious LOL😂
I considered getting a W222 for a while. You know how it is when you are considering a car...you start to see them everywhere. Living in Atlanta, they aren't hard to find in traffic.
The pre-facelift non-AMG variants in black look like airport limos. Like the kind of car that a ride service would send. Fancy, but boring, with a touch of generic mixed in. The grill strikes me as a big teddy bear nose. I don't like it. The AMG body kits look better. The facelift AMG body kits look the best to me...even in black.
I'm not wild about my W221 AMG either. I feel like the butt is too high off of the ground. What's cool about it is the relatively sleek and spartan interior and dash. It's the opposite of the "airplane cockpit" show that a lot of manufacturers (including MB) are doing now to make buyers feel like the cars are more technically sophisticated than others.
The W221 interior is...well...elegant, in sort of an art deco kinda way. That was the first thing I noticed when I sat in one for the first time. "Wow. This is really nice.", I thought to myself. It was unexpected.
I considered getting a W222 for a while. You know how it is when you are considering a car...you start to see them everywhere. Living in Atlanta, they aren't hard to find in traffic.
The pre-facelift non-AMG variants in black look like airport limos. Like the kind of car that a ride service would send. Fancy, but boring, with a touch of generic mixed in. The grill strikes me as a big teddy bear nose. I don't like it. The AMG body kits look better. The facelift AMG body kits look the best to me...even in black.
I'm not wild about my W221 AMG either. I feel like the butt is too high off of the ground. What's cool about it is the relatively sleek and spartan interior and dash. It's the opposite of the "airplane cockpit" show that a lot of manufacturers (including MB) are doing now to make buyers feel like the cars are more technically sophisticated than others.
The W221 interior is...well...elegant, in sort of an art deco kinda way. That was the first thing I noticed when I sat in one for the first time. "Wow. This is really nice.", I thought to myself. It was unexpected.
And I feel the same way about the w221, the w221 looks more classic -luxurious interior and sporty one of a kind exterior. Meanwhile the w222 is more "futuristic" luxurious interior and a generic exterior that looks like a stretched out C class. 😂
I do appreciate that the W221 looks like no other car in that generation nor does it look like any other S-Class.
Also, I'm really over the "big intakes in the front bumpers" look. It's like someone told them, "That looks kinda cool." a few generations ago and they just went nuts with it. Like telling your mom that you liked her banana pancakes that one time and now that's all she makes for you whenever you visit.
I do appreciate that the W221 looks like no other car in that generation nor does it look like any other S-Class.
Also, I'm really over the "big intakes in the front bumpers" look. It's like someone told them, "That looks kinda cool." a few generations ago and they just went nuts with it. Like telling your mom that you liked her banana pancakes that one time and now that's all she makes for you whenever you visit.








That's why I'm at this conjunction. With the price range I'm looking at.... It's either a well equipped w221 s63 (6.2 N/A OR 5.5TT). Or the w222 s550.
Ik the w222 s550 would feel like more of an upgrade. But that s63 speed and presence is definitely something serious LOL😂
I went to test drive a 2015 W222 and did not like the drive at all. I could not feel the road as the steering was like way too light in highway speed. And the interior was like "plastiky" by what it looked and felt. I could see in everything that it was built to save money building it...Not for me.
So, I finally found a 75 000 mile driven 2012 S550 with exactly the same options I had in my 2013 model other than this one has better looking triple spoke AMG wheels in 19" size vs. less good looking AMG wheels in 20" that the 2013 model had. I like 19" better as it provider a little bit more protection for the wheels when hitting pot holes.
Last edited by Arrie; Mar 20, 2023 at 02:55 PM.

