dpavid

I've been lurking weekly for a deal on a S65. Price haven't dropped much since Dec 2010. This week however, I noticed a wide gap of prices. 2007 S65's from $75-ish to $95ish. Majority of them have 35K-ish miles. I can understand Designo, lower miles, P2 package, or rear seat package to justify the higher price but the gap is still too wide.

What am I missing? Why such a wide gap? Seems like people can sit on them for long periods or time but I would have to assume they're going to take a bath in depreciation very soon. Am I wrong? Maybe I should pull the trigger already.

Thoughts?

jdhbraves1

I think you are right on the money. The asking prices on autotrader etc. are not truly indicative of the true value of the cars. If you look at the mb residual charts you wil notice s63 and s65 lose about 1/2 their value after two years. That is draw dropping depreciation folks. Yes, there are things that can influence price up or down but the vast majority of prices I have seen is wishful thinking imo. I see 2010 s63's priced still way over 100k but someone on here said he has seen them for 80ish. Back to the s65, my opinion is they appreciate so fast, if a car sits unsold for three months with the price staying the same, that car probably depreciated 6k minimum. There was a nice 2009 on autotrader about two months ago for mid 90's. That was the only reasonably priced s65 I have seen and I have been poumding the pavement. I think the people wanting 90k for a 07 will never see it. I am ready to buy but I have not found anything resemblimg a fair price. I saw a 2010 listed recently for over 170k. I dont see it. these are the most depreciated cars you will find according to everything I have read but not according to the prices I see. there is another thread discussing this very subject. Hopefully by years end prices will be more akin to a true reflection of these cars true value.

jdhbraves1

I apologize for the typos. Trying to jog and discuss s65s is a bit much to ask of myself.

pas

try to find an 07 mystic white designo for less than 90K there are none out there. Regular S65's are selling for less but not the most desirable ones.

jdhbraves1

I am speaking in general terms. Certain colors, options etc are bound to influence price. I do think that the designo option adds little to the true value of the car and influences pricing minimally generally speaking.Back to the significance of the thread...there is a huge variation in pricing for these cars especially in the 07,08 and 09 model years. Is it because of mileage, condition or options? Perhaps some of all three factors but my instinct tells me that many sellers are holding out for top dollar or are unwilling to accept their depreciated s65s are not worth what they are asking. I sincerely hope others will weigh in with opinions and the end of this year will bring some stability and pricing that is more indicative of true value.i would love to know what they are bringing at auction.

jdhbraves1

A quick glance at autotrader reveals almost a 20k difference between the lowest and highest priced 07 s65. That is a huge variation for that model year imo. Just goes to show prices are all over the place, nobody is sure of a truly fair price to pay and 75% of what is for sale is overpriced at the moment.

ima55r2

A $20K difference in 07s would not only reflect mileage but some could be out of warranty.

gripforce-cl65

I have 07 Mystic White Designo S65 for a sale. It's a MB CPO car and has every available options. If interested, let me know.

* CPO warranty 'til May 2012
* 46K mi
* 79K firm
* No accident, no story car.

Thanks,
Gregory
310-613-5896
hakdkim@hotmail.com

Busa196

I just purchased a Flint Grey '07, S65, 45k miles, CPO'd car with warranty until May 2012, brand new tires/wheels, P2 package and not a scratch on the car (literally) and with a flawless interior for 69.5k. I had been looking for one for about 3 months before I pulled the trigger. The auction prices (Manheim) a month ago for the 07's were averaging 69.6k and 47k miles..... I definitely feel like I got a good deal and it was worth the wait....especially considering I drove over and hour in rush hour to look at a local '07 S65 with 47k miles at a dealer and upon starting it the CE light came on, then as we pulled out onto the feeder road it immediately went into "limp mode" and I had to turn on the hazzards to keep from getting rear-ended.....all for the bargain price of 86k if I had the itch . The deals can be had, you just have to patient.

As always with these cars the CPO was the #1 factor for me. The new warranty that MB offers for a CPO car is much better (up to 7yrs/135k miles) than I could get on my 220 S65 when I purchased it. I plan on extending the warranty for the full 2yrs past the CPO on this one ($4500) and keeping her as long as I can. The only reason I sold my 220 was the warranty was almost up. Once you drive an S65, you're spoiled.....I'll never be able to drive anything else.....

haris3344

I am selling my 07 S65 with

40k miles
Warranty until 2014
2010 face lift ( front and rear) done with OEM parts with, no warning lights
Silver with Black Interior
Immaculate condition
PM if interested and I will send you the pics.

AZBENZ-CTSV

I'M LOOKING FOR A NICE S65 2006 W220 body car. If anyone has one for sale pm me. I'm looking for a no story car with less than 35k on the dial and under $45,000.

christophers

i'll be in the market for an 07 and newer s65 in two months when our place closes. if any of you should have one for sale then, hit me up!

jdhbraves1

Busa196, thanks for the info. Your post is very informative. I believe it is a good benchmark to use in looking for anything close to a reasonable price and very accurate as well. Thanks again.

DJE55

I spent over 3 months looking for an 07 or 08. I had Bruce M hunting them down at the auctions. If you are looking for a low mile car, they are still bringing top dollar at the auction or open market. Most of the deals are on cars with close to 40k or more miles on it. I found a low milage designo car (08 w/20k) that I really wanted and it sold for 105k at the auction. I couldn't pull the trigger on it but probably should have looking back on it. If you are willing to wait, of course the prices will come down. The cars aren't getting younger and each owner will get a little closer to you number as months pass you by. I was willing to spend a few extra k to start enjoying the ride now.

jdhbraves1

Do you think most 08's and 09's will be safely under 100k by years end. I looked for a nice s63 from 2010. Never saw one that I thought was reasonable. All I have seen online are over 100. Someone on this forum said they can be had for 80k. It is really frustrating with no access to auctions. That very nice 09 that sold recently on autotrader for about 95 was the best deal I have seen so far online.

dpavid

I think you got it right. Find a good one and pull the trigger even if its a few $K more than you want and start enjoying it now. The longer we wait, the higher the mileage gets on all S65's. I might as well put the mileage on myself with a smile...

Busa196

I agree....the motto "if I wait longer prices will come off" really contradicts the reason that people "wait". Of course the prices come off.....they're that much older, have that many more miles, and lose the same amount of value that you "saved" on the back end when you resell it. When it comes to the S65's you're going to pay up for it, and lose money when you sell it....end of story. It's really just a matter of how much money you can afford to spend and are willing to part with when you sell it......once you determine what's right for you, just pull the trigger.....and always, always expect to lose a decent amount of money. That's just a fact. But, the same reason that these cars depreciate so quickly is the same reason that guys like me (I'm not a high-roller by nature) can afford to buy and enjoy the perks of a 200k car that still looks, operates and performs as good as it did as a new car.

I just think that guys like us that by used S65's and get them with the extended warranties are simply smart car-buyers.....I get stereotyped all the time because of the 65. It's not my fault that co-workers, bosses, friends etc go out and buy brand new cars, trucks. etc that are within 5-10k of my 65 but they're one quarter of the car. I work closely with people that make well into the 7 figures and they all comment that I have an "S65 AMG!!!!" They dont' realize that my "flashy, expensive, luxurious German-engineered, flaghship benz" that outperforms 99% of the cars that dare to tangle with me with me was only 4k more than their brand new Ford-F350 fully loaded diesel truck.....or that I actually paid 15-20k less for my 65 than that boring S550, or that retarded looking station wagon looking Porsche. Everyone of them makes a significant amount of money and could easily, easily afford one....or 4, but simply don't know any better. Most people just don't know enough about the 65's or heard enough about them to buy one, and I prefer to keep it that way. It's the best kept hidden secret there is.....

Enjoy the ride fella's.....we're smart, true car enthusiasts who choose to drive the finest sedan in the world.

dpavid

My magic number was $65k for a 07 S65. That was what I mentally set out for. I sold the E55 in December 2010 and since then, price has not dropped much on S65's. I did pass up a two at the $72kish mark. I might as well have bought it, put a bigger down, enjoyed it for the past few months, and have my pay off lower than $65k right now. At that rate, my payoff probably would have been lower than the cars street value making an idiot proof purchase. I'm buying one right now if the right S65 comes along! I am picky but beggars can't be choosers...

What is a fair offer price equation? I see most of them offered at KBB Retail from dealers. I don't want to slap anyone in the face with a low ball offer but I'm not going to give in a get hosed either on an impulsive buy.

Your thoughts are appreciated...

DJE55

Keep in mind that MB only makes about 4xx or so S65's per year. Then you dial it down to how many they made in the colors you want, options etc... We really don't have a lot of cars out there to choose from. If you are willing to buy black or silver you should have a better chance to find a deal. If you want anything else, you may have no choice but to pay the premium or settle for a high mileage car.

Also, I wouldn't pay too much attention to KBB. Use it for a ballpark but it's not going to be too accurate. NADA doesn't even list these cars because there isn't enough sells on the market for them to come up with a number. Look at what the dealers are paying at the auctions and for what the cars are really selling for to get your range and make sure it's for your color and option choices.

jdhbraves1

I would like to ask a question. My local mb dealer is small and I live in a small market. There are no s63 or s65s on the lot and they have not had one all year. My question is would it be safe to buy one off autotrader without a test drive going only on car fax and the given details. I could drive out of state, buy and drive back but around here I am hosed. Local dealer said a s550 would do just fine. I said.....eh....no and moved on.

ima55r2

An Autotrader seller should be able to get the car inspected at a MB dealer and use the report as a selling feature. For a nominal charge, the description of the car’s condition should be accurate. If the car is still under warranty, there is still time to get things fixed. Check the pics as best you can. If everything looks acceptable then it would be worth it to see the car and drive it home if everything works out or if you really trust everything you see, have them ship it to your driveway.

pas

Beautiful car, I might be biased though mine is the same, but what would it be worth with half the miles and CPO until Mid 2014 or 100K? Still a good deal but high miles and less than 1 yr of warranty left.

e55 baller

I have a 2007 S65, Silver & Black leather. I purchased a Chrysler OEM extended warranty (they don't sell them anymore) for 5 more years or to 100K.

Flawless with 13K miles. Its lowered, tinted, ECU tuned (Eurocharged) to 670 hp, 840 tq (done at 9K miles) upgraded large high flow IC pump (meziere) and additional heat exchanger (Eurocharged) to lower IATs and it has the best OEM rims I have ever seen on a S65. Has Lorinser rear lip and integrated Valentine 1 radar. Brand new rear Pilot Sports which came out in April and are way sticker than the outgoing PS2s.

PM me if interested.