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Any thoughts on trading my 13 S63 in for a 14 S550?
My AMG is pretty basic, only options are illuminated door sills and Distronic. It's Andorite Grey with black leather and has 31k miles. My car is CPO and I'm good till 11/2019 for warranty.
The S550 (RWD) is Iridium silver with black Nappa leather and has 21k miles and is pretty loaded with: Nappa leather, Prem pkg 1, Sport Pkg Plus One w 20" AMG wheels, warmth and comfort pkg, Magic Body Control, Air balance pkg, rear seat entertainment and Distronic.
It would take my car and about $8k to move into the W222... What would you guys do here?
What is the number they are offering you on the 13, and what is the cost of the 14? I am assuming it is the (222).
Also, will they CPO the 14?
You should check AutoTrader for similar cars, one that matches the 13 as well as the 14 with all the options you mentioned. Be very carful when you do the search. Its amazing how many s550's are listed for such a high price and actually have no options.
The easiest way to trim the fat on autotrader and match similar is to choose the exact year and only with photos. Then immediately look in the photos for the 5 buttons to the left of the steering wheel, this will show you if the car has most of the High Tech goodies. The 6th button would have been for the HUD which the 14 did not have.
Then look at the rear photos, quick glance will tell you by the buttons on the door (Heated / Cooled seats etc.) Good luck....
I was able to pick up a fully loaded s550 4matic Sport Pkg, Executive + rear seating, Burmister upgrade.... every goody except Fridge for under 80K, still under B2B, CPO and I added an additional 2 years to the CPO for about $3,800.
If you take your time, you can work out a great deal.
Good Luck!!
Any thoughts on trading my 13 S63 in for a 14 S550?
My AMG is pretty basic, only options are illuminated door sills and Distronic. It's Andorite Grey with black leather and has 31k miles. My car is CPO and I'm good till 11/2019 for warranty.
The S550 (RWD) is Iridium silver with black Nappa leather and has 21k miles and is pretty loaded with: Nappa leather, Prem pkg 1, Sport Pkg Plus One w 20" AMG wheels, warmth and comfort pkg, Magic Body Control, Air balance pkg, rear seat entertainment and Distronic.
It would take my car and about $8k to move into the W222... What would you guys do here?
the 2014 s550 has awesome tech but you are leaving the amazing m157 engine ... which may be ok for you and you will get awd
$8000 is a small price to pay but you may look for a nicer s550
Thanks bro... I will look around AT and see what they have, but I do think the deal is pretty good. I'm thinking more of SHOULD I trade my AMG for a S550, and not if its a "good deal".
The 550 is still under factory and is also CPO'd. I think it was $4k for the extra 2 yrs warranty too.
Both cars have high depreciation with the S63 dropping at a much faster/higher clip.
While the S63 has a great engine, so does the S550. Get the 4matic S550 and then add a Renntech or similar (Eurocharged) ECU upgrade, taking the engine to 540hp with over 700 ft-lbs of torque.
With the extra traction, this will easily beat the S63.
Also agree with the OP's, get a fully loaded model; most upgrades will be freebees when buying used.
Essential would be exclusive nappa, distronic (and for me the sport package with 20" wheels). Depending on climate the warm/comfort package and for goodies the rear seat packages, extended wood and the Burmester 3d.
I would keep the S63. The S550 is super quiet and you will miss the AMG. You can put a Renntech tune on the S550 and it will be fast but still won't have the sound of an AMG and the transmission shifts won't feel the same. You also risk your warranty once tuned.
There were some issues with the first year W222 platform as with most first year cars. I would go for a 2015 if I were going to go with an S550. The tech is better but there are kniwn issues with backup camera in some cars and the hot spot is slow with only 3G speed and does not work very well. For this reason, you cannot enjoy the built in apps. This is a complaint by several people and MBUSA does not have a solution. Just some things to consider before going to the S550.
I would keep the S63. The S550 is super quiet and you will miss the AMG. You can put a Renntech tune on the S550 and it will be fast but still won't have the sound of an AMG and the transmission shifts won't feel the same. You also risk your warranty once tuned.
There were some issues with the first year W222 platform as with most first year cars. I would go for a 2015 if I were going to go with an S550. The tech is better but there are kniwn issues with backup camera in some cars and the hot spot is slow with only 3G speed and does not work very well. For this reason, you cannot enjoy the built in apps. This is a complaint by several people and MBUSA does not have a solution. Just some things to consider before going to the S550.
Renntech tune doesn't impact warranty. In fact, our local MB dealer does Renntech upgrades with full MB warranty. Sound is a matter of taste and so is the AMG 7 speed MCT. It's famous for some harsh up/downshifts. Software has improved that on newer models.
Re. the W222, the '14 and '15 have the same cameras and 3G hotspots (same as the '16). Internet access and MB apps are subpar no matter what but of course miles above the non-existing media access in the W221.
I think there are now Apple CarPlay modules available via 3rd party which resolves all of these issues. Carmakers just don't get software.
2015 S550 in Northwest.... Where can I get referenced Appleplay module and approx. cost?
I am having a difficult time finding the info. There was a vendor on this forum offering a third party CarPlay kit for various MB models (think the company was navtech) but I can't find the posts anymore. Possibly deleted?
The Renntech tune does affect warranty depending on dealer. Some dealers that install Renntech products will not even stand by their customers if they experiience a failure due to the product.There are several threads on these boards with members complaining because they had a tune installed by the dealer and they later had engine issues. The dealer was helpful but MBUSA denied warranty coverage. The problem is that dealers don't have any say in repairing/replacing an engine that is deemed to have failed due to the tune. MBUSA decides and they have been denying coverage in a majority of cases. Renntech offers a 2 year warranty but that is pretty much it.
At the end of the day the OP will have to make an informed decision based on the info available to him. I have driven both W221 and W222 S550s and neither were as good as the S63 in my opinion. Considering the OP has a lightly optioned S63, he may not be losing much but I would take a highly optioned S63 over the W222 S550 any day. I have never experienced the issues that I have read about with the MCT transmission and I feel it shifts better/quicker than the standard 7 speed transmission and the transmission internals and cooling are better. Wanted to give the OP a different perspective because it seems that he is primarily considering the S550 because of the tech which he may find very underwhelming if it even works.
Renntech tune doesn't impact warranty. In fact, our local MB dealer does Renntech upgrades with full MB warranty. Sound is a matter of taste and so is the AMG 7 speed MCT. It's famous for some harsh up/downshifts. Software has improved that on newer models.
Re. the W222, the '14 and '15 have the same cameras and 3G hotspots (same as the '16). Internet access and MB apps are subpar no matter what but of course miles above the non-existing media access in the W221.
I think there are now Apple CarPlay modules available via 3rd party which resolves all of these issues. Carmakers just don't get software.
I would always recommend for people to do their homework and assess the risks for any mods on any car.
That said, there is a lot of misinformation on the net as to what impacts warranty. There are also a lot of general assumptions about this. I actually have yet to hear about a car that had an engine failure due to a standard ECU tune from a run of the mill tuner like Renntech or Brabus. I am not talking about a maxxed out car.
Re. The OP, I assume he may not even care about AMG vs. non-AMG. Otherwise it would be a W221 vs. W222 AMG question
The Renntech tune does affect warranty depending on dealer. Some dealers that install Renntech products will not even stand by their customers if they experiience a failure due to the product.There are several threads on these boards with members complaining because they had a tune installed by the dealer and they later had engine issues. The dealer was helpful but MBUSA denied warranty coverage. The problem is that dealers don't have any say in repairing/replacing an engine that is deemed to have failed due to the tune. MBUSA decides and they have been denying coverage in a majority of cases. Renntech offers a 2 year warranty but that is pretty much it.
At the end of the day the OP will have to make an informed decision based on the info available to him. I have driven both W221 and W222 S550s and neither were as good as the S63 in my opinion. Considering the OP has a lightly optioned S63, he may not be losing much but I would take a highly optioned S63 over the W222 S550 any day. I have never experienced the issues that I have read about with the MCT transmission and I feel it shifts better/quicker than the standard 7 speed transmission and the transmission internals and cooling are better. Wanted to give the OP a different perspective because it seems that he is primarily considering the S550 because of the tech which he may find very underwhelming if it even works.
Anybody buying a tune from a dealer needs to review the conditions. If the dealer offers a full warranty and the failure occurs dusing the stated warranty period, the dealer is liable even if MBUSA declines a claim.
All this aside, the OP has good feedback to decide what matters to him. Both cars are cool but the tech in the W221 is just quite old at this point since much of the car was designed over 12 years ago...
2013 S550 4matic (AMG sport package), 2016 Corvette Stingray.
I'm curious as to how long you actually had your current S63. In any event it all comes down to what you're looking for. If you like the new bodystyle S Class along with its updated technology then the decision should be easy because it is a definite upgrade even though you have a w221 S63. However, if you still love your vehicle with its timeless styling, modern technology and not necessarily in the market for a new car then keep what you already have its still a great car with warranty.
here's what I would do: ride with your S63 until the end of it's CPO warranty in 2019. Then get a CPO'ed 2018 S550 or S63 and start over. The tech will be improved over the 2014 model and you'll get the much better CPO unlimited mileage warranty.
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