Hey y’all, this is purely a review of my 2015 s550. I bought the car back in December with 92k ish miles now I’m at around 94k. I have owned and do own many many Mercedes but this is my first s class and I must say, WOW. I know it isn’t a brand new S class but I got such a great deal on the car and I swear the technology and ride quality in this 7 year old car is still miles ahead of my new E class and new Glb. The spec of the car is high from what my dealer said having every option besides the fridge which I did not want due to lack of trunk space. In the 2.5 months I have owned the car I have taken it from La to Vegas twice and la to San Diego once. I do drive it frequently from la to Long Beach for work as well. For the price of less than a Camry or accord this car in my opinion is the best car under 30k you can get. I have ~94k miles on it and it runs beautifully. The engine runs smooth and crisp, the suspension is lovely and airy with the power and comfort delivery being second to none from what I have owned and driven. If anyone has had any reservations with possibly purchasing one, you can purchase aftermarket warranty as I did with 24k miles bumper to bumper for 2900, which is not bad from what I researched! The tech in the car is great, from the options my car has I think it is a MUST to have the 3d burmester, distronic, and lane keeping assist. The other features such as night vision, rear seat+entertainment etc are all great but can be lived without.

 

I appreciate your review , night vision is a great feature but 360 view camera is a must have to me too . I know older cars don't even have door mirrors but once you drive a car with a 360 camera you always want it

 

Glad you're enjoying your car! My 2016 with 49k miles is just a young pup, but I'm hoping to have many more years with it ... until, I suppose, I can't live without Apple Carplay, inductive phone charging or some of the newer features ;-)

 

What kind of maintenance are you seeing based on service history (if you have it)? Any suspension or control arms failing at a certain point, or are they still factory? Hoses, radiator, etc? Now that I regret selling my former W222, I am planning on keeping my new-to-me W222 S560 for 10 years plus this time. I will create a thread about my new-to-me W222 later this week or next which I just purchased.

 

your not wrong! All those options are indeed handy!

 

they have plug ins for CarPlay! You can also probably add a power mat and it’ll be the same Lol!

 

I actually purchased the car as is from the dealer, from the looks of it, it was maintained. The car was a demo car for Mercedes going dealer to dealer showing it off. When you pop the engine bay (I haven’t detailed it) it looks new in regards to hoses and belts. All I have done is a oil change today with LM 5w-40, ceratec and engine flush!

 

Do all your maintenance and you should be good for another 90,000 miles. Car is a beast wrapped in class.

 

Well stated...wow

 

I have owned a number of 2015-2022 vehicles in the past 6 years for me and my family. I feel confident saying that at least based on being super active on the forums of all these difference brands, the W222 shows the least amount of complaints or angry members complaining about anything failing. I hardly see one post or so per week, despite the forum being active, whereas other brands or cars have the majority of posts basically related to a new mechanical issue or software glitch.

Dare I say that the W222 is one of the most reliable vehicles produced since 2015? Even lexus LS forum has plenty of complaints. Thoughts? Is this going to be true hassle-free 200K miles vehicle? Just like the 2001-2005 Lexus LS 430!!!?

 

I bought a 2015 S550 4Matic with only 37k miles the summer of 2021 from an MB dealer and it was previously a CPO. I test drove it but didn't notice the rear air struts were failing, so a couple of months later I had them replaced at the dealer for $1,500 each. Then I started to notice the front ones were really noisy and failing as well. Aside from these issues and not many extra options on the car, I loved it but didn't want to keep dumping money into it. Honestly, I was pretty discouraged to have these suspension issues with such low mileage, so I decided to part with it. Two months ago I traded it for a 2019 S560 4Matic CPO with only 24k on it and almost every option I wanted. I must say it is amazing and the only thing I plan to add is the Renntech ECU tune like I had on the 2015. The car is quick, but the tune makes a significant difference for anyone who is considering one for their W222.

 

What does the tune do exactly, and how much does that cost, and how hard/easy is it to do that remotely?
My concern with these tunes is that why MBenz did not do it that way and why would a 3rd party have better knowledge about that car than MBenz. i.e.: does it have reliability consequences down the road!..

 

Also
wondering about the tune, does it affect Rudd quality etc? When I had my mechanic do a PPI yesterday and change the oils etc he mentioned sometimes tuning these cars can cause issues. Does renntech comply with warranty still? I know these cars with a simple tune bring it close to
S63 AMG numbers.

 

I have a Weistec Engineering Tune on my S550. It is the most powerful Stage I tune for the M278 at 540 hp & 715 ft/lbs torque. It does not change the daily drivability at all. By far the primary mode of increased power is by increasing boost. So if you putter around down under 2.5k RPM you will not notice much difference and not affect wear significantly. If you mash the pedal it will throw you back in your seat like a rocketship and it will wear everything in the drivetrain at a higher rate. I do not think there are any specific problems related to any specific tune for the M278.

 

[QUOTE=cfmistry;8725680]I have a Weistec Engineering Tune on my S550. It is the most powerful Stage I tune for the M278 at 540 hp & 715 ft/lbs torque. It does not change the daily drivability at all. By far the primary mode of increased power is by increasing boost. So if you putter around down under 2.5k RPM you will not notice much difference and not affect wear significantly. If you mash the pedal it will throw you back in your seat like a rocketship and it will wear everything everything in the drivetrain at a higher rate. I do not think there are any specific problems related to any specific tune for the M278.[/QUOTE
whwre are you located sir?

 

[QUOTE=AMG__POWER;8725726]Rockville, Maryland.

 

They range from $1,000 to $2,500, look at Renntech’s site and it will explain everything. As the car owner, you can flash your ECU with the provided module connected to the OBD port under the dash. It’s easy and can be reverted back to factory if desired. If you search in these forums you will read that the M278 engine can safely provide much more performance. Many suggest that for marketing reasons these cars are limited from the factory. If MB offered an S550 or S560 with specs too close to the AMG version it might cut into AMG sales. This is only a theory, but makes some sense to me. Renntech and Weistec are very reputable and I have yet to read anyone experiencing vehicle damage due to using these tunes, but they may exist. I’ve loved mine but I didn’t abuse the car, just loved to get on it every so often on the highway and the occasional on-ramp.

 

You guys should watch some throttle house reviews, they say the 222 is more beautiful and elegant than the 223, which I agree with as well as a more refined interior