MPE430

Does anyone have an idea on what a new 2006 S65 would likely go for at a MB dealership these days? Local dealership has one with a sticker of 173K.
Thanks for the opinions.

whoover

Depends on the dealer. A realistic dealer (in competitive southern California) took 110k in September, but others have been willing to lose money every month waiting for a sucker to materialize.

If you're serious, tell them to look at auction prices and make them a offer.

love2skiutah

Watch Ebay. I've seen a couple 06 S65's go for around $100,000 with 5-10,000 miiles in the last 60 days from dealerships.

gregwang

I drove this one with low mileage - Under 3,500 miles and they came down from $ 130k! Under $ 100k now! Wow!

http://www.enigmamotors.com/28

Cheers!

Blue_Monster

there was one @ my local dealer, and if you bought it for sticker, they would throw in a 30000 dollar Harley Davidson

Vic55

Which means one would still pay 50k too much!!! These cars have taken hits beyond belief- there was a new 2006 at the dealer I went to in August and I worked them to 105k out the door and I could have leased it for 24 months for under 1k but I passed because I didnt want the W220 body.

whoover

If I already had a CL65 I'd feel the same way. But without one, I see it a little differently.

The W221 has lots of improvements over the W220 -- no argument. But for me, together they're not worth $80k. The two things that would improve the S65 experience markedly (a transmission that would reliably allow turning off the torque limiter and help with traction -- LSD and/or four-wheel drive) are not part of the package yet. Either one has the potential to crash the value of an '07 S65, by the way.

Forgo those improvement and a dealer becomes a captive subsidizer to the tune of $50k+. If it's the only way to get into the 65 experience, it's a no-brainer.

Vic55

Oh I agree whole-heartedly and Ill bet the new 65's will plummet too- Its been the bain of the V12 existence with MBZ- priced high and then watch the value depreciate/drop at a factor quicker than the recent affordability index here in Orange County

But If someone pays for it, its not priced too high ... at least right now.

Mmmm

In the UK 4wd and LSD would not effect resale prices.

I don't see how unlimiting the torque would aid traction ? The reason the torque is limited in 1st gear is to aid traction , I may have misunderstood you .


Reason the S65 drops like a stone in the uk is simple

People will generally pay
£30k-£40k tops for an Audi (A8 W12 lose a fortune)
£40-£50k for a BMW (760 is worth buttons in less than a year, Z8 was a disaster)
£50-£70k for a Merc (S600, S65 drop much, much faster than the lesser S models)

So a £145k S65 class looks more or less like a £50k S350, for a bit more you get a Bentley which has no cheaper model, everybody knows what it is.

I got my S65 near 1/2 price at about a year old only 10% more than an S55 , yet it cost near 150% when new

whoover

Separate issues.
1) Torque is electronically limited to 738 ft-lb (1000 N-m) in all gears. It's not to aid traction. That's what ESP is for. The torque limit is because the transmission is only certified for 1000 N-m. The Renntech and Kleeman ECU/TCU upgrades remove this limiter along with the factory's designated margin of safety.
2) ESP is not a satisfactory traction solution. A real LSD or four-wheel-drive system would help with delivering the existing (or enhanced) power to the ground.

If AMG did any of these things, the resulting package would be more attractive than the current model, and would certainly depress their values. (1) would allow the factory to delivery another 100 HP with nothing more than a software change and (2) would improve the off-the-line performance dramatically.

joemoney415

Have you ever driven an all-wheel drive car? Let me tell you, my last venture took me that way with an Audi RS6 and I hated it two months after I bought it(after break in period). All wheel drive launches are just gummy feeling and boring. Sure it adds to traction and handling, but a trained monkey could drive it around a track(possible a monkey with no training for that matter). Since I got myself back into a rear wheel drive benz I thank the lord every time I mash the pedal and lose the rear end in third gear. The S65 is a car that needs to be driven by a driver, leave the AWD for the children.

whoover

I wouldn't mind an LSD, but would probably not be too quick to jump to a 4-wheel drive version. But the reality is that a Bentley will trounce the S65 in the wet, and in the dry if the driver is not very adept. If AMG moved to a Bentley-like system, the market would probably accept it wholeheartedly.

DFW01E55

Joe, you make a couple of valid points but would you apply the same logic to the 911 Turbo? It's an AWD.

eddietr

Well, Porsche AWD feel much better than other marque's AWD.

However, having said that I personally think the 996 GT3 is a lot more fun to drive than the 996 turbo. That's the primary reason I bought the GT3, because it was RWD.

I don't know about the 997s. I haven't driven a 997 C4 or Turbo (yet. )

whoover

Another thread reports that the S63 has a code 030 option. Although its content has not been announced, it likely includes an LSD. It's reasonable to conclude that the LSD will make it to the S65 at about the same time. If the SL65 is any guide, it will be added as a standard feature. (The SL65 is currently the only model with LSD standard; the SL55-030 has several SL65 components, including the diff.)

The only other possiblities would be:
1) You can get an LSD on an S63 but not S65. That would be moronic.
2) The 030 option for S63 is a mistake, or doesn't include LSD. That would be a shame.
3) They add an extra-cost code 030 or LSD option to the S65. That would be insulting.
4) They make LSD a no-cost option for the S65. That would be overly complicated and would send a message that SL65 drivers can be "trusted" with an LSD but S65 can't, which is even more insulting.