Cost of owning a 2003 S55
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Newbie
Joined: Sep 2008
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VW Passat
Cost of owning a 2003 S55
I have an opportunity to get a 2003 S55 from a family member for virtually nothing. I really want this car, but I am not sure if I could handle the operating costs of such a beast. I have heard that general maintenance is quite spendy, so I am having trouble trying to decide what to do. The car has 52k miles on it and is perfect shape (owner is a fanatical car guy). Do brake jobs really cost $3k? What does insurance run for this car? (I have a clean record) Would an aftermarket warranty make sense? Any help would greatly be appreciated. Every time I have driven this car it has put a smile on my face, but I don't want to starve just so I can have it!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 579
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Well how do you want this answered? You want the truth or a smoke screen? Well here is the truth. These cars are just awsome! If you really love cars then you will certainly appreciate the S55 AMG no questions asked! They have almost 500HP stock and I get about 21 MPG on the highway, what else could you ask for really? I use to drive a Z06 Vette and it was just missing something for me but not my S55. Everytime I get to drive her I am happy. The brute power yet the beautiful luxury of the interior are great. They are expensive to fix and a oil change is like $150 (Except when I get my MB dealer coupon then it is only $70!) but it is well worth the price just to drive this car in my view. Like someone else on this board reffered to the S55 as a ultra performance luxury barge. The only thing that is bothering me now is I have reading so much about these ECU tunes and now I WANT MORE POWER!
So if you feel the S55 will drain you financially then maybe you shouldn't but if you LOVE cars and think you will be OK then just do it! These cars ARE great investments but only in smiles not cash!
Johan
So if you feel the S55 will drain you financially then maybe you shouldn't but if you LOVE cars and think you will be OK then just do it! These cars ARE great investments but only in smiles not cash!
Johan
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 329
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A slow Tahoe!
I have an opportunity to get a 2003 S55 from a family member for virtually nothing. I really want this car, but I am not sure if I could handle the operating costs of such a beast. I have heard that general maintenance is quite spendy, so I am having trouble trying to decide what to do. The car has 52k miles on it and is perfect shape (owner is a fanatical car guy). Do brake jobs really cost $3k? What does insurance run for this car? (I have a clean record) Would an aftermarket warranty make sense? Any help would greatly be appreciated. Every time I have driven this car it has put a smile on my face, but I don't want to starve just so I can have it!
Thanks!
Thanks!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,681
Likes: 2
From: SF
07 E63 06 CLK55 Cab 03 P-car C4S
I have an opportunity to get a 2003 S55 from a family member for virtually nothing. I really want this car, but I am not sure if I could handle the operating costs of such a beast. I have heard that general maintenance is quite spendy, so I am having trouble trying to decide what to do. The car has 52k miles on it and is perfect shape (owner is a fanatical car guy). Do brake jobs really cost $3k? What does insurance run for this car? (I have a clean record) Would an aftermarket warranty make sense? Any help would greatly be appreciated. Every time I have driven this car it has put a smile on my face, but I don't want to starve just so I can have it!
Thanks!
Thanks!
PL
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 783
Likes: 13
2006 s65. Ford Excursion 6.0. Pontiac GTO convertible. Porsche 944 Turbo SCCA car. Wife-E550 and 968
S55's are awesome cars, but I'd say that it mostly depends on your financial situation. I have an E63, my front brakes had to be replaced under warranty, it was $2800. 900 dollars for each three piece rotor. The S55 is a beautiful car, but you need to buy an extended warranty and you need to be prepared for replacement parts to cost two to three times what they cost in a Toyota, and three to four times what they cost on a GM product. Trannies are bulletproof yet expensive, but engine parts are expensive and it is the niggling electronic parts that will kill you one repair at a time. I'd budget 3k a year for repairs if you are driving 12-15k per year. I'm not saying it will cost 3k per year, I'm just saying that some years it will cost you 1k, and some 5 or 6k if you have a couple of failures in a row. These cars are sophisticated as hell, and what sometimes happens is you have a number of small things break, and if you don't keep up with them you begin to kill the resale value. But if you budget for it and are covered for things like catastrophic engine failure by a strong warranty, I'd go for it. It's a whole lotta car, and if you love the experience of driving it, only you can put a price on what that is worth. Oh yeah, and make sure you have a competent mechanic, because the dealer will crush you in terms of cost once you are out of warranty.
