sixfour

just purchased a 2020 w222, after owning a 2011 w221 since 2014, the w222 is not as good as the w221, in my opinion, less storage space, cheaper materials inside and out, the ride is good as the w221, my thinking is that Mercedes is selling technology, i am still reading the owners manual to learn all of the new functions of this car, did not get night vision because i would never use it, auto start stop is a problem with me , will be cutting it off as soon as i find out how, just venting

joeshannon095

You'll be in the minority with that opinion, but you're entitled to it. Good looking cars!

MBNUT1

There was a member that went from a W221 S600 to a W222 S550 and made a lot of the same comments.

Nico9182349

The only downside I noted on the W222 vs W221was the interior quality. The W221 seemed less rattly and less squeaky. Other then that they are very similar. The W222 handles a little more nimble imo which I think is owed to the lighter weight. And of course infotainment is superior in the W222.

BenzV12

W222 looks modern and makes W221 outdated but W221 is more masculine car to me , namely pontoon fenders add value to it but those are not for everyone .
I like W222s interior and prefer its styling over W221s . I prefer W221's door panels more than W222's including shape of the buttons

Barry Hanna

The W221 is to the W222 as Jason Kelce is to Travis.

Lou B

Like noses, etc., opinions are rampant and widespread.
W221 - bought a late made/delivered 2012 S460 off the showroom floor, drove it for 6 years,extremely happy with it - no remembered troubles. Sold it six years later with maybe 25,000 miles, to my son who has accumulated c 72,000 miles, had no troubles. Looks, feels perfect
W222 - placed an order for 2018 Emerald Green Metallic S560 w MBC, took delivery June, '18. Now has c 32,000 miles. Other than an initial recall on trunk lid latch, not a single problem.
Esthetically, outside and inside, I have been totally pleased with both cars. I would have arranged the placement of the dark and light color leather in the front differently than the Germans, but that's minor. Just last week I rode in both of them - found nothing that bothered me about either of them. Zilch - nada.
Items of concern mentioned above have never registered with me with either car.

SW20S

Never liked the look or feel of the 221 inside or outside, as soon as I saw the 222 I knew I had to have it.

In any event the newest 221 is now 11 years old, not anything I would want to drive, too old and outdated however great a car it may have been.

Nico9182349

I think the design on the W222 is much more elegant and will stand the test of time better than the W221. The W221 was very much a product of its time and had an unusually opinionated design for a S-Class. I did still like it, I still think it doesn't look bad, especially the facelift. In terms of ride quality and even performance the cars are closely matched in my opinion. I totally understand if someone goes for a W221 if they can find an outstanding example. For me personally the infotainment alone was a strong argument to go with the W222.

Lou B

See, this is a perfect example of such questions, while on occasion are entertaining, never really serve any purpose as sources for information. And, that's okay so long as things don't get over cluttered.
Between our 2012 and 2018 S class still with us, I doubt I have used the cars' infotainment system a half dozen times. Reactions due to aging affecting taste, there just isn't anything I want to hear.

JohnLane

I had a 221 S-65. Currently drive 222 S-65.

221 car.... Forever warped brakes. Even with rotors on hats and a Brembo big brake kit. Front suspension arms every 30,000. Ignition coil pack drama! 275 spat a main bearing shell into the chains at 78,000 miles. That was a treat. Loved the diamond stitched hides. Hated the PSE ish that would intermittently inflate one side of the driver’s seat to the size of a cantaloupe and leave it like that for days on end. Hydraulic steering assist gives a LOT more feel than dead (electric) 222 steering. ABC never gave trouble. Left front ABC strut would drip with wheels off the ground. Never an issue while driving. Loved the 221 car until....

222 S-65. Magic Body Control. The seven speed box. Bermester audio. Best audio I have enjoyed in a car. Love the subs that let me feel bass at my feet. Carbon Ceramic brakes that NEVER warp, never fade, wear A LONG time. Two front suspension arms were new when I bought the car. I have given it front upper control arms, a water pump, frightfully expensive sunroof rails, fluids and too many tires. Windshields break early and often! Peter has helped with software that banished start-stop and added modes for the transmission such that I really like the box among other things. So many cry and complain about the transmission. The 222 car is as big an improvement over the 221 car as the 221 car was over the 220.

Streamliner

Even though I consider the 2015 S550 & 2018 S560 I had to be wonderful cars, to me, I always lamented moving on from my 2013 S550. The W221 was just so much more “majestic,” in my opinion and the last of an era in many ways. You could still order the W221 without the frigging Panorama Roof, which I personally hate. The W221 came with a spare wheel/tire, jack & tool kit as all civilized vehicles should. I loved the good looking 18” wheels I ordered that came shod with non-run flat tires, which gave my ABC equipped W221 a simply marvelous ride quality. The way the engine & transmission worked together seamlessly, without being pushed to ridiculous fine tuning limits to satisfy ever increasing CAFE & other government requirements is also something I fondly remember.

The bottom line is that the W221 was a simpler car than the W222 and I truly appreciated it just the way it was. Had MB Laguna Niguel not royally screwed me by selling the Palladium Silver car I ordered out from under me, resulting it me getting a black one, a color I just could not deal with, I would have kept that car much longer than I did. To me, the late model W221 was just stunning to look at and they still turn my head when I see a nice, clean one on the street. The W222 & W223 were lesser in the looks department, in my opinion and in virtually every other way.

S_W222

I had a gap in owning Mercedes cars from 2005 until 2016/2017. It's a shame that this is the only S-class generation that I really wanted to own recently but its time has passed before I can get one. We hated our 2003 S500 at that time which forced me to leave the brand for 10 years then (I am afraid to get the W223 now before the facelift now for that same exact reason; I don't want to hate the brand again). Lexus and BMW had a ton of great cars during that time from 2005-2016 which I very much enjoyed during that gap. Without owning a W221 though, my opinion is simply based on speculation, but the W221 does feel like a more premium built car compared to the W222. I wish I had the chance to try one. W222 is a great car but it at least it "looks" as if it has more plastic parts than the W221 though it might not be the case.

SW20S

Personally I think the interiors of the 221 feel much more plasticky than the 222...

Donnymac

For me both did the job just fine. I went for performance, engineering and safety. Both models met my expectations with style and class.

And, if I want a super quiet ride, I just remove my hearing aids.

S_W222

I agree... Just take a look at any S500 from 2000-2006 generation, and see how much plastic parts it had (even compared to the previous gen "W140"), and you'll quickly realize that Mbenz recovered pretty quickly with the W221 and W222. There is still some plastic parts around in the W222, but nothing critical though they could have done better especially with the parts around the bottom of seat and rails (probably the only area that has excessive use of plastics). I had the executive rear seat package and I can hear the front passenger seat creaking when switching from the rear seat to the fully-reclined position. The 7-series from the same era (at least 2016-2023) doesn't do that.

carlosinseattle

Agreed about all the plastic parts in the W220. I had a 2001 S600 V12 with all the goodies but there was a lot of plastic. People also forget about how that generation of cars was plagued with problems. I could give you a list as long as my arm. But it was an elegant design and ahead of its time in some ways. It was the first full size luxury vehicle to gracefully integrate an aerodynamic look to the whole body. Nothing compared to it visually at the time. It truly had presence, power, and prestige. And like W_W222 said, the W221 was a mechanically better car, with a class setting interior design. I personally never liked the look of exterior on the W221, mainly the fender flairs. But I've drooled over the W222 ever since I first saw one, and still feel the same after going on 2 years of ownership.

SW20S

The 221 was a colossal improvement over the 220 I agree

JohnLane

Get an AMG 222 and you’ll have a lot of leather and wood that you touch and see. Not the plastic fantastic of lesser models.

I sure wish that my S65 could be had with a steel sunroof or a delete option. Having got to replace the rails in mine (135,000 miles) I have a particularly bitter taste in my mouth for all that weight, cost, complexity riding that high in the car that for me doesn’t add anything to the experience. Two roller blinds in the roof. Three electric motors. $2500 of rails. Thankfully I can do such things. I’d rather replace the engine. I love so much about the car. But not the sunroof.

Streamliner

135,000 miles on an S65? Shouldn’t you be receiving a reward or something from Mercedes-Benz? My hat is off to you, sir!

JohnLane

I’m not the original owner; but a depreciation monkey who gets to have them ‘pre-loved’ if you will. The 221 car had 58,000 on it when purchased and driven to over 150,000 miles. The 222 car had more miles. Long commute and love driving. The 222 car has required much less babysitting than the 221. Love me some AMG Crack! “First hit is free” then you’re hooked. LOL

SW20S

The non AMG 222 with the exclusive napa leather has all the same leather. Even a car without that like mine doesn't have any "plastic fantastic", all the interior materials are stitched MB Tex synthetic leather. The only hard plastic is around the bases of the seats like someone else mentioned, and in an AMG car or an exclusive nappa car that same plastic is still there.

TripleDown

Unfortunately the wood trim in many w222's has now faded due to it not being UV treated properly. E-class owners got together and sued for replacement trim but we S class owners are stuck with it.

Another win for the W221. As much as I love my w222 S63 (and believe me I do love it), I still pine for a w221 S63 with the Bruno Sacco body flares and that legendary AMG 6.2. It's not as fast as the M157 but DAMN does it make some amazing sounds.

SW20S

I have not seen trim fading in the refresh S. Pre refresh sure. I have also seen lots of 221s with faded wood trim, the UV blocking glass in the S Class helps

Streamliner

The Burl Walnut wood trim in our 2010 E350 Sedan really faded to a disgusting gray color. The steering wheel did not fade. Every piece of trim was replaced by MB under warranty, when the car was about three years old. We have not had any other fading issues with any of our MB’s since then. We kept the 2010 another three years and the wood looked like brand new when we sold the car.