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Would you get a W222 pre-facelift (2017 S550), or the 2017 or 2018 W213 AMG (E-class E43 4-Matic) given the conditions below. Both are in the 40-55K USD range for reasonable mileage, and within what am willing to invest for this use.
Usage: non* daily drive, occasional multipurpose family/daughter-Son/bonus/parents/airport trip+long-term parking/guests/dirty tasks car. Have been using a 2005 Honda Accord hybrid for so long for such use; with 271K miles and 15 years years old now, the car is ready for retirement.
Expectations: I’d like to keep it for 10 minimum or 15 years if possible. We drove the Accord from 15K miles to 271K miles in 13 years, but mostly in the first couple of years when it was a daily drive. I expect we’ll use/drive this car way less (~4-5K miles/yr).
Wife thinks another brand new Accord is the best option and will again last 10-15 years, but am thinking of a medium/low mileage S550 or a 2017 W213 E43 for the fun element - I never owned an AMG but concerned about it’s longevity. I asked the E-class folks too.
Would you get a W222 pre-facelift (2017 S550), or the 2017 or 2018 W213 AMG (E-class E43 4-Matic) given the conditions below. Both are in the 40-55K USD range for reasonable mileage, and within what am willing to invest for this use.
Usage: non* daily drive, occasional multipurpose family/daughter-Son/bonus/parents/airport trip+long-term parking/guests/dirty tasks car. Have been using a 2005 Honda Accord hybrid for so long for such use; with 271K miles and 15 years years old now, the car is ready for retirement.
Expectations: I’d like to keep it for 10 minimum or 15 years if possible. We drove the Accord from 15K miles to 271K miles in 13 years, but mostly in the first couple of years when it was a daily drive. I expect we’ll use/drive this car way less (~4-5K miles/yr).
Wife thinks another brand new Accord is the best option and will again last 10-15 years, but am thinking of a medium/low mileage S550 or a 2017 W213 E43 for the fun element - I never owned an AMG but concerned about it’s longevity. I asked the E-class folks too.
E43 uses the highly reliable and well proven M276 V6 engine.
S550 uses the poorly aging M278 V8. Oil leaks, bore scoring, valve and chain issues, to name a few.
S-Class ride comfort is unparalled. E-Class AMG ride quality has been described as “jarring”.
You have posted in the S-Class section so in advance you know what the preponderance of responses will be.
I'd ask right now what you and your wife's tolerance is for repair and maintenance, and if you have access to a good Benz tech. Neither will be comparable to an Accord in any way, shape or form when it comes to reliability and maint cost over an extended 10-15 yr period.
That said, an Accord can't compare to either of these when it comes to the overall driving and ownership experience. How much is that worth to ya ?
And I ask all this as the new owner of a 2014 S63 AMG with the same use case as you. It's a 4th car in the house and will only see 3k per year max. It's for the fun trips and airport runs and for me - I can live with something a little more needy in return for a superior experience behind the wheel.
E43 uses the highly reliable and well proven M276 V6 engine.
S550 uses the poorly aging M278 V8. Oil leaks, bore scoring, valve and chain issues, to name a few.
S-Class ride comfort is unparalled. E-Class AMG ride quality has been described as “jarring”.
You have posted in the S-Class section so in advance you know what the preponderance of responses will be.
Feedback like this (M276 reliability) is exactly that type of advice or feedback I was looking for; I appreciate it.
I had the S550 before, but since i never had issues, I thought it can be a good option. I think the oil leak issue can be address by replacing one of the harnesses (isn’t?). Not sure about the bore scoring, valves and chain though, this is all new to me.
Ride quality: That should be fine. Keep in mind this is a replacement of an old Honda Accord, so in all cases all options would be an “upgrade”. My current S560 will continue to be my daily drive. What I care mostly about in the car that will replace the current Accord is the interior and trunk space as well as reliability (maybe comfort is 2ndry here).
For the last point, yes I know; which is why I also posted a similar question with slightly different content under the W213 forum : ). I will take the weighted average of both responses/groups, lol!.
I'd ask right now what you and your wife's tolerance is for repair and maintenance, and if you have access to a good Benz tech. Neither will be comparable to an Accord in any way, shape or form when it comes to reliability and maint cost over an extended 10-15 yr period.
That said, an Accord can't compare to either of these when it comes to the overall driving and ownership experience. How much is that worth to ya ?
And I ask all this as the new owner of a 2014 S63 AMG with the same use case as you. It's a 4th car in the house and will only see 3k per year max. It's for the fun trips and airport runs and for me - I can live with something a little more needy in return for a superior experience behind the wheel.
The closest MBenz dealer to me is a couple hours away in fact. I never ever (yet) had to tow any of the Mbenz vehicles I had (again yet), so maybe that’s one reason for not being super concerned (mentally). I already have S560, so having another Benz by no means will expose me to less or more risk (am already exposed to that risk anyway). The Honda accord replacement is and will be a 4th extra car in the house like I said (son/daughter/parents/guests/airport parking/parks/etc) (and will never be used for state to state family trips), so if it needs to be towed or if it breaks, we won’t miss it that much. I am not a truck or pickup guy, so this is truly our bonus tough tasks vehicle. The reason I considered the E43 is that I also wanted to add the fun and weekend element.
overall driving and ownership experience doesn’t worth much here for this one. Practicality is #1. It’s not my daily drive not my wife’s, so we really just want a good reliable and yet good looking and drivable vehicle for the kids, parents and other occasional uses. Am not willing to spend more than the cost of a new Honda Accord Hybrid Touring, so it should be closer to 40-45K or 50/55K max if it’s a Mbenz.
You said you have the S63 AMG as the bonus 4th car here, so you know what I mean, but I think my usage is a bit more focused on practicality than weekend/fun drives. But, if I can find an E43 (assuming it’s a good option), I thought I can add the fund/weekend element to this car usage.
Given your use case with guest drivers, I think the overall learning curve and complexity of an S class might lead you in a different direction. It's not exactly a car you can just jump in and easily drive unless you are used to modern MB's.
Given your use case with guest drivers, I think the overall learning curve and complexity of an S class might lead you in a different direction. It's not exactly a car you can just jump in and easily drive unless you are used to modern MB's.
S-class owners think W222 pre-facelift is too complex and engine is not reliable, for a bonus car; while W213 owners are reporting that the reliability may not be sufficient for such use. Sounds like a new Honda Accord might be the winner, lol, to replace the current retired Accord. I’ll think about it, I still would like to hear more from W213 owners under the other thread. Regular (non AMG) W213 might also be a good option, but one user recommended against any 4-cylinder W213 for longevity.
I'd vote for the Accord. I'd rather leave that at the airport than a MB. If it gets a door ding or other minor scratch no huge deal - and probably cheaper and easier to fix. Cheaper to insure also. I'd think it's a better back-up car to have. There also seem to be lots of comments on poor MB battery life and the need for a battery tender if not driven regularly.
My 2019 E-wagon, AMG pkg, I just sold was fantastic, but guessing a fairly stiff ride and robust exhaust compared to an Accord. As another said they're not simple to operate if not familiar. That spin wheel selector is a pain even for me and I kinda know how to use it. My wife doesn't touch it unless absolutely necessary. Touch screens are so much easier to use - does the Accord have one? And you know all the stuff about wheel size and tires for comfort.
I don't remember where you are yet one negative to the Accord is no AWD if that matters.
We replaced our 2015 S550 with a 2018 E63s.
Those were not comparable in any way. The AMG was more expensive, drove like a brick and felt cheap inside compared to exclusive Nappa in the S.
But the experience was very different on purpose and designed that way (apart from the plastic bits in the E-class).
The E43 had a regular V6 engine and standard 9 speed tranny and the suspension was softer than the 63 but I would consider that an interesting car to test drive. Definitely a desirable car for many.
In terms of reliability I think both are reliable but adding a 3rd party warranty is always a smart idea.
Before getting an appliance like an Accord I have to admit that a Tesla model 3 or Y seems like a better deal.
I don't see the point of having two S Classes, personally
I don’t, either. Not that I tried to add an element that would encourage W222 folks to offer feedback, but the W222 as an option is ranked low in the list, and since am considering an E-class, I thought the S450 with the 6-cylinder engine would fall within a similar price range to a 2018 E-class, and it might be an option to keep an eye on. Having the S560 now, I agree that it would kill the fun of it and the regular E-class or E43 is a more reasonable choice. My wife’s choice honestly seems to be the most practical one though, another Honda Accord. As a car guy, the Honda and Toyotas just don’t excite me when shopping for a car.
We replaced our 2015 S550 with a 2018 E63s.
Those were not comparable in any way. The AMG was more expensive, drove like a brick and felt cheap inside compared to exclusive Nappa in the S.
But the experience was very different on purpose and designed that way (apart from the plastic bits in the E-class).
The E43 had a regular V6 engine and standard 9 speed tranny and the suspension was softer than the 63 but I would consider that an interesting car to test drive. Definitely a desirable car for many.
In terms of reliability I think both are reliable but adding a 3rd party warranty is always a smart idea.
Before getting an appliance like an Accord I have to admit that a Tesla model 3 or Y seems like a better deal.
The E63 is not an option as the price is a little higher than I’d want to pay for an extra or 4th house car. As for the E-class being a downgrade, just keep in mind it’d be replacing an old Honda Accord, not my current S560, so in all cases it would still feel like an upgrade for that particular use. Your point about reliability is what I was looking for, but I also don’t want to consider 3rd party warranty for that particular car.
As for Tesla, honestly, my wife keeps poking me about Tesla cars, so the Model Y (as an idea) is reserved as a future/potential trade for her current daily drive (BMW X5) rather than just a 4th car. Meaning, a Model Y willl be ranked slightly higher on our car “organizational chart“, lol. I agree though that the Model 3 might be an option to look at, but I have old parents and am not sure it would be easy enough for them to drive when they visit. That’s one concern. Another concern with the Model 3 is interior space, the Honda accord trunk fits 3 large luggage bags and 2 carry ons, and then one additional large luggage goes in the back seat with a space for one kid and one child seat. Model 3 (I assume) might have less trunk and cabin space. Here is a photo from last year when the BMW 530e served as an airport vehicle and long-term parking, as the Honda was not available —> it was bad, like really bad, that I’d never consider a small size vehicle for such use. Couldn’t fit all our items for the vacation. I could not even set my driver seat to a good seating position for the 2 hrs drive to airport. There was a space left for the child seat and no other space for anyone else in the rear seat. The accord would have left space for another kid next to the child’s seat.
Yes sir, it might be the only practical solution on all ends!!!. Honestly, she still doesn’t know am thinking of the E43 or S450 but she knows the regular E-class can be an option, lol!. I thought I’d vet the idea here first.
The E63 is not an option as the price is a little higher than I’d want to pay for an extra or 4th house car. As for the E-class being a downgrade, just keep in mind it’d be replacing an old Honda Accord, not my current S560, so in all cases it would still feel like an upgrade for that particular use. Your point about reliability is what I was looking for, but I also don’t want to consider 3rd party warranty for that particular car.
As for Tesla, honestly, my wife keeps poking me about Tesla cars, so the Model Y (as an idea) is reserved as a future/potential trade for her current daily drive (BMW X5) rather than just a 4th car. Meaning, a Model Y willl be ranked slightly higher on our car “organizational chart“, lol. I agree though that the Model 3 might be an option to look at, but I have old parents and am not sure it would be easy enough for them to drive when they visit. That’s one concern. Another concern with the Model 3 is interior space, the Honda accord trunk fits 3 large luggage bags and 2 carry ons, and then one additional large luggage goes in the back seat with a space for one kid and one child seat. Model 3 (I assume) might have less trunk and cabin space. Here is a photo from last year when the BMW 530e served as an airport vehicle and long-term parking, as the Honda was not available —> it was bad, like really bad, that I’d never consider a small size vehicle for such use. Couldn’t fit all our items for the vacation. I could not even set my driver seat to a good seating position for the 2 hrs drive to airport. There was a space left for the child seat and no other space for anyone else in the rear seat. The accord would have left space for another kid next to the child’s seat.
Wow. We travel a lot internationally but we haven't checked luggage in a decade+. No way I would touch a suitcase anymore. Carry-on only...
Wow. We travel a lot internationally but we haven't checked luggage in a decade+. No way I would touch a suitcase anymore. Carry-on only...
We usually don’t need them on the way out as much as you’d need them on the way back home, at least for long vacations which may include shopping. My stuff would all fit in one or two carry-on : ) —> Another way of saying, it’s not me causing the problem!
I would pick the S Class , what's Accord ? The car lacks even power trunk lid and it's already an aged model to me . I don't see a point of having two S Class either . Well, I don't like W213's exterior styling at all . No matter what I would pick a Mercedes Benz product that's surely . If I'm pinched I would get the S Class in the end
I would pick the S Class , what's Accord ? The car lacks even power trunk lid and it's already an aged model to me . I don't see a point of having two S Class either . Well, I don't like W213's exterior styling at all . No matter what I would pick a Mercedes Benz product that's surely . If I'm pinched I would get the S Class in the end
W222 was a consideration, but like others said, I changed my mind a bit as it makes no sense since my daily drive is already the S560. So, am not looking for a drive for myself or the wife, but rather a 4th car and it just doesn’t sync well to have another W222, especially that it would be the S450 and pre-facelift in that case and it will look as a lesser vehicle no matter what compared to my current S560. The accord is fine because for 15 years that’s what we’ve been using for that particular 4th car usage. The E43 or regular E-class is a reasonable option given it’s size and that it would still be an upgrade from the Accord or even a new Accord, and at same time, would sync nicely in our stable/garage as a toy. The accord would look like an appliance maybe, lol. But still, I might be more inclined to the Accord now unless i can find a good E43 or standard E-class. There isn’t many MBenz dealers near me and not many options. I checked the new accord, as well as the 2020-2022 model years too, they all look decent in fact with apple Carplay, Drive Assist, etc.. The hybrid Touring model looks like a good car. Of course, it is not a MB..
@S_W222 Have you considered a 2022-2023 W213 All Terrain?
This is an interesting option, I just looked it up. It’s just slightly above what I think I should invest for a 4th house car. Sounds like a great multi-purpose vehicle though.
PFL205.064 with M276.823 (Oil pump solenoid defeated)
Hmmm not sure since you did mention you are a car guy and that Hondas and Toyotas don't excite you, perhaps maybe Mazda? Mazda is known for its drives for example. There is also Subaru I guess.
Hmmm not sure since you did mention you are a car guy and that Hondas and Toyotas don't excite you, perhaps maybe Mazda? Mazda is known for its drives for example. There is also Subaru I guess.
That’s why am considering the E42 or E-class, lol.
This is a 4th house car that I rarely ever use so if it ends up being the Accord that’s fine. I really think the Accord especially the Touring trim is nicer than Mazda, really.
PFL205.064 with M276.823 (Oil pump solenoid defeated)
Originally Posted by S_W222
That’s why am considering the E42 or E-class, lol.
This is a 4th house car that I rarely ever use so if it ends up being the Accord that’s fine. I really think the Accord especially the Touring trim is nicer than Mazda, really.
I saw your other thread reply to my post that if Japanese you would wish to stick with Honda and Accord. Guess let's go back to MB then : )
06-09-2023, 08:31 AM
Mazda is known for its drives for example. There is also Subaru I guess.
