I traded a 2010 BMW 760Li Individual, a 2012 BMW 750i Individual and a 2008 Merc S65 AMG for new 2 new 2015 S Classes: a S600L (my car) and a S500L (wife's car). Out of the showroom floor the S500L air conditioner didn't work, so I returned it and bought another S600L that was available. So I now have 2 X S600L's for just under a month.

My initial impressions were that these W222 S classes were amazingly quiet and refined, especially at speeds below 120km/h. Engine noise was genuinely non-existent.

However when one S600 clocked 570 kms and the other 2500 kms, annoyingly audible engine noise began emanating from the driver's footwell. The noise can be described as a hiss building to a metallic rattly sound as engine revs increase. It's clearly audible on acceleration - moderate or hard. It can even be heard at idle.

One S600 has been at the dealership for 4 days now and the technicians have not been able to identify the source. After comparing the noise in my S600's with his Managing Director's S600, the workshop manager agrees that the noise is abnormal and should not be there.

I've looked through the very informative bulletins and posts on this forum but can't find related material.

The dealer has undertaken to escalate the matter to Mercedes Benz Technical after they've completed their "procedures". But in the meantime I'm left without one S600 and with one noisy S600 - less than one month since taking delivery.

I'd appreciate any thoughts/advice on this.

BTW, the technology in the W222 is amazing. I've done one long distance trip and a lot of bumper to bumper city driving in one of the S600's. The Distronic Plus with Steer Assist feature has been a revelation. It's almost autonomous driving. Magic Ride Control has great potential - but it only works "50%" of the time, the remaining times you get a rude jolt or clunk that's out of character with the car. Hope Mercedes works on this and pushes out software updates to improve it.

The W222 is way ahead of the BMW 7's in terms of sheer luxury and refinement. BMW will have to do wonders with the next 7 to compete. I just hope that my early issues with both S600's aren't the start of many visits to the dealerships - like was the case with the BMW's.

 

How much cash did you have to pay to get those S600/500s, if at all? I'm afraid I can't help you with much, but I want to ask is, are both S Class' noisy from the drivers footwell? Could the cars be part of a "bad batch" then? I wish you get these cars back soon to good condition, but do you have a loaner from Mercedes? With the amount of business you have given them, I'd either request for another S Class, an AMG or a car to your liking.

 

Im thinking the same thing. Ask your dealer if they were delivered at the same time. My ML the rear seat lights wouldn't turn on and after two times in the shop they said it was a problem with the batch.

 

Great news. Both my S600's have been repaired.

It appears that the engine sound was travelling up the hollow steering shaft possibly because a seal on the engine side had come loose. The hollow was sealed ... and I know have 2 properly silent S600's.

 

how quiet is your S600 exhaust? I saw a video where the exhaust growled and rumbled like an SLS AMG. I expected the S600 to be Rolls Royce quiet.

When you floor it, does it rumble like an AMG?

 

When the car starts up in the morning after no use for the night it always growls like an AMG and is fairly loud. However after 45 seconds or so the car mellows down and the engine is barely audible. If you floor it, it definitely does not growl like an AMG and is fairly quite.

When driving around the car is whisper quite and the Eco start function is barely noticed