S55 AMG ranks as the 2nd most expensive car to maintain
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Newbie
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E55
S55 AMG ranks as the 2nd most expensive car to maintain
Thought you guys might be interested in this report.
Best And Worst Cars to Maintain | Frugal Mechanic
Top Five Most Expensive Cars to Maintain:
1. Mercedes-Benz ML550
2. Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG
3. Porsche 911
4. Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
5. BMW 750i
And just for fun.....the Least Expensive Cars to Maintain:
837. Pontiac 6000
838. Buick Reatta
839. Yugo Cabrio
840. Nissan Pulsar NX
841. Chevrolet Celebrity.
Best And Worst Cars to Maintain | Frugal Mechanic
Top Five Most Expensive Cars to Maintain:
1. Mercedes-Benz ML550
2. Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG
3. Porsche 911
4. Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
5. BMW 750i
And just for fun.....the Least Expensive Cars to Maintain:
837. Pontiac 6000
838. Buick Reatta
839. Yugo Cabrio
840. Nissan Pulsar NX
841. Chevrolet Celebrity.
Last edited by EB_1920; Mar 29, 2010 at 01:22 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
I'm not really sure what the Frugal Mechanic is talking about, but the under $500 quote they list there would be a steal, IF I could actually sneeze at brakes for the numbers they have quoted. With the exception of the O2 snesor, the rest of those numbers don't look all that bad to me. But like I said, I cannot sneeze at brakes for the AMG at those numbers, and I'm talking about a highline indy shop a friend owns where he gives me his prices on parts.
And of course, the obvious is true -- you don't buy an S-Class AMG to save money.
This is still America -- you get what you pay for, but only if you're smart.
And of course, the obvious is true -- you don't buy an S-Class AMG to save money.
This is still America -- you get what you pay for, but only if you're smart.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 550
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From: California USA
2004 S55 ///AMG, 2007 E350
BVLDARI,
BMW maintenance is NOT free, it is pre-paid. It is added on to the price of the car and hidden. You can always buy pre-apid maintenance from any new car dealer, MB, Toyota, Nissan, etc. It includes a certain number of services based on mileage and time, packaged and sold.
If you lease a BMW for 2 or 3 years, you have lost out on the balance of pre-paid maintenance which is 4 years.
This is a common mis-representation by BMW, nothing is free........
BMW maintenance is NOT free, it is pre-paid. It is added on to the price of the car and hidden. You can always buy pre-apid maintenance from any new car dealer, MB, Toyota, Nissan, etc. It includes a certain number of services based on mileage and time, packaged and sold.
If you lease a BMW for 2 or 3 years, you have lost out on the balance of pre-paid maintenance which is 4 years.
This is a common mis-representation by BMW, nothing is free........
Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 231
Likes: 2
From: Chicago
GL550
BVLDARI,
BMW maintenance is NOT free, it is pre-paid. It is added on to the price of the car and hidden. You can always buy pre-apid maintenance from any new car dealer, MB, Toyota, Nissan, etc. It includes a certain number of services based on mileage and time, packaged and sold.
If you lease a BMW for 2 or 3 years, you have lost out on the balance of pre-paid maintenance which is 4 years.
This is a common mis-representation by BMW, nothing is free........
BMW maintenance is NOT free, it is pre-paid. It is added on to the price of the car and hidden. You can always buy pre-apid maintenance from any new car dealer, MB, Toyota, Nissan, etc. It includes a certain number of services based on mileage and time, packaged and sold.
If you lease a BMW for 2 or 3 years, you have lost out on the balance of pre-paid maintenance which is 4 years.
This is a common mis-representation by BMW, nothing is free........
are you serious?
wow. thanks for clarifying. and here I was thinking that I actually paid nothing all these years to have my BMWs serviced at the dealer...
Of course it is included in the price. But as far as maintenance costs are concerned, it is free. And as far as “losing” the maintenance if you lease, you don’t lose it, the guy that buys or leases the car after you, uses it - you pay a prorated amount. It is no different than me paying my portion and you paying your portion on an MB.
What I was referring to in my original post is that it is near impossible to compare what the price of maintenance is. The guy that wrote the article is whack because he is comparing part prices for Yugos to MB and others. He forgets that there are no running yugos left and if there were, the price to keep it running will be cost prohibitive to do so. The entire article compares apples and oranges. If we compare apples to apples, e.g. 2010 S550 to 2010 750i, the BMW has a much much lower cost of maintenance = free.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 550
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From: California USA
2004 S55 ///AMG, 2007 E350
BMW's ads even car magazines very are misleading re "Free Maintenance".
Take a any new BMW, say it needs 4 oil/filter changes, one set of brake pads, 2 tire rotations for the first 4 years, 48K miles. They simply add the cost of the above service to the price of the car and hide it. You can not go into the dealer and ask for more frequent maintenance, say every 2K miles oil changes or a set of brake pads every 3 months, since coverage is limited. It is pre-paid service not free.
You can buy the same pre-paid maint. from MB too, I think it is $765 for the C and E Class cars, it is actually an item on the option list. This is a better approach, since you can take it or leave it, with BMW it is a hidden charge and you have no choice. If you do your own maintenance with a BMW, then you have paid for something you are not using.
Take a any new BMW, say it needs 4 oil/filter changes, one set of brake pads, 2 tire rotations for the first 4 years, 48K miles. They simply add the cost of the above service to the price of the car and hide it. You can not go into the dealer and ask for more frequent maintenance, say every 2K miles oil changes or a set of brake pads every 3 months, since coverage is limited. It is pre-paid service not free.
You can buy the same pre-paid maint. from MB too, I think it is $765 for the C and E Class cars, it is actually an item on the option list. This is a better approach, since you can take it or leave it, with BMW it is a hidden charge and you have no choice. If you do your own maintenance with a BMW, then you have paid for something you are not using.
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Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 231
Likes: 2
From: Chicago
GL550
Corsa,
I respectfully disagree with you. If I leased a BMW and was only interested in doing “scheduled” maintenance, then I know exactly how much this is going to cost me from the start = my monthly payment. Also, if I used up 4 sets of brakes, they are all covered. Agreed that they will not cover in between oil changes.
With MB and most everyone else (VW now is doing free maintenance) you don’t know how much it is going to cost you. You either: A. Find out when you show up to get your brakes changed or B. You pre pay.
Either way, I do not think it is misleading at all.
And of course, one can always argue that this is an incentive similar to say “0% financing” which BMW eats. No one knows for sure, but logic would dictate that they build it in the price of the car. Either way, I don’t think it is misleading in any way shape or form.
But going to my original point, if we are going to compare apples to apples, then a 2010 S550 maintenance is ~$800, and a 2010 750i maintenance is ~ $0 for the same type of package.
I respectfully disagree with you. If I leased a BMW and was only interested in doing “scheduled” maintenance, then I know exactly how much this is going to cost me from the start = my monthly payment. Also, if I used up 4 sets of brakes, they are all covered. Agreed that they will not cover in between oil changes.
With MB and most everyone else (VW now is doing free maintenance) you don’t know how much it is going to cost you. You either: A. Find out when you show up to get your brakes changed or B. You pre pay.
Either way, I do not think it is misleading at all.
And of course, one can always argue that this is an incentive similar to say “0% financing” which BMW eats. No one knows for sure, but logic would dictate that they build it in the price of the car. Either way, I don’t think it is misleading in any way shape or form.
But going to my original point, if we are going to compare apples to apples, then a 2010 S550 maintenance is ~$800, and a 2010 750i maintenance is ~ $0 for the same type of package.
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Super Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 550
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From: California USA
2004 S55 ///AMG, 2007 E350
Maintenance costs are not a secret, your MB dealer can tell you exactly what a Svc A, B or brake pads cost before you go in.
I don't want to beat this topic to death but, nothing is for free, it is pre-paid, so calling it free is misrepresentation.
As to your last point and example, maint. cost on a 2010 S550 is $800 and probably the same on the BMW. The difference is that you had no choice with the BMW, you paid for it when you bought the car, it was hidden in the price of the car, along with the cost of 4 tires, audio system, horn, steering wheel, seats, engine, warranty, etc.
If you still disagree with my point, it is perfectly OK, fine to disagree.
Thanks.
I don't want to beat this topic to death but, nothing is for free, it is pre-paid, so calling it free is misrepresentation.
As to your last point and example, maint. cost on a 2010 S550 is $800 and probably the same on the BMW. The difference is that you had no choice with the BMW, you paid for it when you bought the car, it was hidden in the price of the car, along with the cost of 4 tires, audio system, horn, steering wheel, seats, engine, warranty, etc.
If you still disagree with my point, it is perfectly OK, fine to disagree.
Thanks.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,670
Likes: 13
2006 E55, 2012 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible, 2014 Kia Sorento SXL AWD
Originally Posted by BVLDARI
He forgets that there are no running yugos left and if there were, the price to keep it running will be cost prohibitive to do so.
Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 231
Likes: 2
From: Chicago
GL550
Maintenance costs are not a secret, your MB dealer can tell you exactly what a Svc A, B or brake pads cost before you go in.
I don't want to beat this topic to death but, nothing is for free, it is pre-paid, so calling it free is misrepresentation.
As to your last point and example, maint. cost on a 2010 S550 is $800 and probably the same on the BMW. The difference is that you had no choice with the BMW, you paid for it when you bought the car, it was hidden in the price of the car, along with the cost of 4 tires, audio system, horn, steering wheel, seats, engine, warranty, etc.
If you still disagree with my point, it is perfectly OK, fine to disagree.
Thanks.
I don't want to beat this topic to death but, nothing is for free, it is pre-paid, so calling it free is misrepresentation.
As to your last point and example, maint. cost on a 2010 S550 is $800 and probably the same on the BMW. The difference is that you had no choice with the BMW, you paid for it when you bought the car, it was hidden in the price of the car, along with the cost of 4 tires, audio system, horn, steering wheel, seats, engine, warranty, etc.
If you still disagree with my point, it is perfectly OK, fine to disagree.
Thanks.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,071
Likes: 0
From: NoVa
2004 S55 (SOLD, miss it every day), 2009 GL550
my 2004 S55, which I bought in May 2009 at 17K miles, has had about $4,000 in repairs (left side ABC struts, driver's door mirror, driver's door lock, "cupholder" 
) and has cost me zero due to the car being CPO through 12/31/2010. I have at least $3,400 more coming (right side ABC struts which I expect will be replaced within a month) that will also cost me nothing.
I'd say zero is pretty low *repair* costs.
I'd rather not talk about the *maintenance* costs
If I had more time I could cut that cost by close to half, but time is in short supply, and the dealer is a half-mile from the office...
I did have a nice coupon, and was able to score A/B service and an alignment for about $450 .
On the not-so-bright side I got a
C300 loaner
) and has cost me zero due to the car being CPO through 12/31/2010. I have at least $3,400 more coming (right side ABC struts which I expect will be replaced within a month) that will also cost me nothing.I'd say zero is pretty low *repair* costs.
I'd rather not talk about the *maintenance* costs
If I had more time I could cut that cost by close to half, but time is in short supply, and the dealer is a half-mile from the office...
I did have a nice coupon, and was able to score A/B service and an alignment for about $450
. On the not-so-bright side I got a
C300 loaner
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 769
Likes: 5
From: New York
Mercedes S55 AMG
If your car is out of warranty, I'd avoid the dealer...find a good specialized shop and you'll get better work at half or 1/3 of the price usually. The dealers charge way too much - and there is a lot of commission work so often they push you to do things you don't really have to.
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From: NoVa
2004 S55 (SOLD, miss it every day), 2009 GL550
If your car is out of warranty, I'd avoid the dealer...find a good specialized shop and you'll get better work at half or 1/3 of the price usually. The dealers charge way too much - and there is a lot of commission work so often they push you to do things you don't really have to.
as for service, I have more money than time (not that I have a lot of money, I just have zero time to waste F-ing around with my car), so I go to the most time-convenient place, and that's the dealer down the street from work.
Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 186
Likes: 10
From: Memphis, TN
04 CL & S600 designo Espresso's
I don't have an S65 or CL65, but do have what are probably a close 2nd in maintenance cost, a S600 28,000 miles & CL600 50,000 miles (both STILL in warranty), I personally wouldn't want to own ANY W220-W215 without warranty. But I am glad to see that I DO have one of the ones in the cheapest category. i have a 1990 Buick Reatta (they were hand build like the Cadillac Allante) it's held up well, but the ABS system can be problematic and expensive to repair/maintain, not by MBZ standards, but US vehicle standards.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 328
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From: Northern Virginia
05 CLK500; 07 Volvo XC90
BVLDARI,
BMW maintenance is NOT free, it is pre-paid. It is added on to the price of the car and hidden. You can always buy pre-apid maintenance from any new car dealer, MB, Toyota, Nissan, etc. It includes a certain number of services based on mileage and time, packaged and sold.
If you lease a BMW for 2 or 3 years, you have lost out on the balance of pre-paid maintenance which is 4 years.
This is a common mis-representation by BMW, nothing is free........
BMW maintenance is NOT free, it is pre-paid. It is added on to the price of the car and hidden. You can always buy pre-apid maintenance from any new car dealer, MB, Toyota, Nissan, etc. It includes a certain number of services based on mileage and time, packaged and sold.
If you lease a BMW for 2 or 3 years, you have lost out on the balance of pre-paid maintenance which is 4 years.
This is a common mis-representation by BMW, nothing is free........
. So I say the marketing dept at BMW has come up with a brilliant idea.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,830
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From: NY & FL
MB’s of all kinds.
Who is dummy that put this info togeather? ML550 as the most expensive? What? I bet any amount of money my Porsche is more along with the Maserati. What about cars like a Ferrari or Lamborghini? BMW Service is free for like 3 years so how the hell can it be #5? And how come the CL55 and S55 are one here? What about the E55, SL55, ML55 that have the same or similar motor?
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 271
Likes: 1
From: Maryland
09' GL550, 05' S55 (sold), 04' Yukon Denali XL, 05' 745il (sold), 01' 740il (sold)
Thought you guys might be interested in this report.
Best And Worst Cars to Maintain | Frugal Mechanic
Top Five Most Expensive Cars to Maintain:
1. Mercedes-Benz ML550
2. Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG
3. Porsche 911
4. Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
5. BMW 750i
And just for fun.....the Least Expensive Cars to Maintain:
837. Pontiac 6000
838. Buick Reatta
839. Yugo Cabrio
840. Nissan Pulsar NX
841. Chevrolet Celebrity.
Best And Worst Cars to Maintain | Frugal Mechanic
Top Five Most Expensive Cars to Maintain:
1. Mercedes-Benz ML550
2. Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG
3. Porsche 911
4. Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
5. BMW 750i
And just for fun.....the Least Expensive Cars to Maintain:
837. Pontiac 6000
838. Buick Reatta
839. Yugo Cabrio
840. Nissan Pulsar NX
841. Chevrolet Celebrity.
I owned a 05' 745 IL, everything was OK until the 50K mark.
- (BMW) to change the battery $600 dealer only (battery has to be programmed to the car)
- (S55) bought and install the battery myself $140..(autozone)
- (BMW) Guibo Joint (similar to flex disk on mercedes) not a DIY. Part $800 plus labor
- (S55) buddies-Flex Disk $210 DIY
- (BMW) Navi/ASK unit issue, cannot be DIY (needs to be program to the car)_ used $1300 dealer $3180
-(S55) pop a new or used unit in you are done
-(S55) brakes and rotors all way round parts $980 DIY
these are some of the examples I and friends have experienced. BTW I had the 745 for 9 months and it was in the shop ever other month....had S55 21 months, only issue was my IC changed under warranty but could be a DIY. Not sure how they gather their data but from my experience I have to disagree.
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
2004 S55
fun to drive
Perhaps expensive. But well worth it!! 
Thought you guys might be interested in this report.
Best And Worst Cars to Maintain | Frugal Mechanic
Top Five Most Expensive Cars to Maintain:
1. Mercedes-Benz ML550
2. Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG
3. Porsche 911
4. Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
5. BMW 750i
And just for fun.....the Least Expensive Cars to Maintain:
837. Pontiac 6000
838. Buick Reatta
839. Yugo Cabrio
840. Nissan Pulsar NX
841. Chevrolet Celebrity.
Best And Worst Cars to Maintain | Frugal Mechanic
Top Five Most Expensive Cars to Maintain:
1. Mercedes-Benz ML550
2. Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG
3. Porsche 911
4. Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
5. BMW 750i
And just for fun.....the Least Expensive Cars to Maintain:
837. Pontiac 6000
838. Buick Reatta
839. Yugo Cabrio
840. Nissan Pulsar NX
841. Chevrolet Celebrity.
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Posts: 2,318
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From: OC, SoCal
08 S65, 06 M3 CS(stick), 02 BMW X5 4.6iS, 07 R1 Raven, 08 F-450 4x4, 08 CooperS JCW
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