2006 S65 advice
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 59
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==
2006 S65 advice
Hello,
After forty seven years with the make I sold my last MB, a 2010 E63 6.3 four years ago. I took a break and bought a new VW GTI MK7 Autobahn, a superb car for the money, but after four years I miss Mercedes. For a few months I have been looking for a W126 - 560SEC/SEL but when my wife asked me why go back to a thirty plus years old car I started looking for something newer. I was always a fan of V12, I had a '97 S600C. My urologist has a 2016 S65 and convinced me to try one. I found a 2006, please see link, located a few miles away from me, it is being sold by a dealer.
I understand that a set of brake rotors will eat up my whole social security check and realize that I may be making a mistake. I would like to hear from experienced owners of what can I expect from a sixteen years old car with 83K miles and five previous owners before it is too late.
Cheers,
Horacio
https://www.ebay.com/itm/22511281726...3a70%7Ciid%3A1
After forty seven years with the make I sold my last MB, a 2010 E63 6.3 four years ago. I took a break and bought a new VW GTI MK7 Autobahn, a superb car for the money, but after four years I miss Mercedes. For a few months I have been looking for a W126 - 560SEC/SEL but when my wife asked me why go back to a thirty plus years old car I started looking for something newer. I was always a fan of V12, I had a '97 S600C. My urologist has a 2016 S65 and convinced me to try one. I found a 2006, please see link, located a few miles away from me, it is being sold by a dealer.
I understand that a set of brake rotors will eat up my whole social security check and realize that I may be making a mistake. I would like to hear from experienced owners of what can I expect from a sixteen years old car with 83K miles and five previous owners before it is too late.
Cheers,
Horacio
https://www.ebay.com/itm/22511281726...3a70%7Ciid%3A1
Super Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 810
Likes: 182
From: Laguna Niguel
'94 SL600,'05 SL600,'06 S65,'07 E63,'14 E63S,'09SL600 all sold, ‘15 S65,‘18 E63S,'17 SL65, '17S65Cab
Be aware someone removed the original Comand system and replaced it with an Alpine unit. On balance that may be good, I would want to know how well integrated it is with the existing MB controls.
I owned a W220 S65 from 2006 through 2015, then sold it and bought a W222 S65.The 2006 had about 90k miles on it. About the only things I did not have to replace at least once were the brake rotors but I did mostly expressway driving in SoCal. My 2005 SL600 needed almost all the same repairs at the same mileage points so the motor mounts, coil packs, ABC hoses, Comand head unit, seat inflators and more all failed on both of the older V12's. In the case of the ABC hoses, multiple times. The accumulators and valves also needed repairs. I currently own three MB V12's. A 2009, 2015 and 2017.
The only way I could recommend buying a 2006 S65 is if you can do all your own work. If not be prepared to spend thousands of dollars every year to keep it in like new condition. The problem I found with the V12's is many repair shops will not work on them and some who do really have no experience. Many of the needed repairs are their first time doing it.
The 2015 S65 and 2017 SL65 I now have are a totally different story. The only repair either has needed since new is replacement of the aux battery in the trunk. Nothing else. Plus they have much better factory tunes and a 7 speed transmission. Highway fuel mileage is 25% better on the 2015 than on the 2006 if that matters.
Pay your money and take your chances. In my experience spending more large sums of money is a certainty on any V12 made prior to 2009.
I owned a W220 S65 from 2006 through 2015, then sold it and bought a W222 S65.The 2006 had about 90k miles on it. About the only things I did not have to replace at least once were the brake rotors but I did mostly expressway driving in SoCal. My 2005 SL600 needed almost all the same repairs at the same mileage points so the motor mounts, coil packs, ABC hoses, Comand head unit, seat inflators and more all failed on both of the older V12's. In the case of the ABC hoses, multiple times. The accumulators and valves also needed repairs. I currently own three MB V12's. A 2009, 2015 and 2017.
The only way I could recommend buying a 2006 S65 is if you can do all your own work. If not be prepared to spend thousands of dollars every year to keep it in like new condition. The problem I found with the V12's is many repair shops will not work on them and some who do really have no experience. Many of the needed repairs are their first time doing it.
The 2015 S65 and 2017 SL65 I now have are a totally different story. The only repair either has needed since new is replacement of the aux battery in the trunk. Nothing else. Plus they have much better factory tunes and a 7 speed transmission. Highway fuel mileage is 25% better on the 2015 than on the 2006 if that matters.
Pay your money and take your chances. In my experience spending more large sums of money is a certainty on any V12 made prior to 2009.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
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==
Thank you so very much for an excellent analysis of the V12 models.
I am 78 years old and have always been a parts changer not a troubleshooter. I think that this 2011 S63 with 75K miles on it is a better alternative to a V12. It is located just a couple of miles from me and, according to the photos, the car looks very nice with a lovely color combination. It is priced around $800 above the KBB book. Unfortunately, there is no description of what has been done to the car.
What is your opinion about this car, it will help me a lot to make a decision.
Best regards,
Horacio
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invent...ting=328883278
I am 78 years old and have always been a parts changer not a troubleshooter. I think that this 2011 S63 with 75K miles on it is a better alternative to a V12. It is located just a couple of miles from me and, according to the photos, the car looks very nice with a lovely color combination. It is priced around $800 above the KBB book. Unfortunately, there is no description of what has been done to the car.
What is your opinion about this car, it will help me a lot to make a decision.
Best regards,
Horacio
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invent...ting=328883278
Last edited by Francorchamps; Aug 12, 2022 at 04:34 PM.
Super Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 810
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From: Laguna Niguel
'94 SL600,'05 SL600,'06 S65,'07 E63,'14 E63S,'09SL600 all sold, ‘15 S65,‘18 E63S,'17 SL65, '17S65Cab
I have never owned either a W221 or an S63 so I am reluctant to speak to things without first hand experience. I do know that across the MB line, reliability of motors, transmissions and the ABC system was greatly improved by 2010. So the 2011 would be about as good as it gets for a W221 S63. We did have the same engine/transmission combo in a 2012 E63S. From a reliability standpoint we had no failures in three years. However from a smoothness and driveability standpoint is was jerky, rough shifted, hunted for gears and was not what we had come to expect from AMG. There were multiple software updates issued that slightly improved it but not a lot. When we got the 2018 E63S with the 9spd and 4.4L combo it was a night and day improvement. The 5.5L S63 likely was tuned differently than the E63S and may be fine. I just recommend a longer than normal test drive to check it out.
Make sure the Comand system works, your phone pairs with the bluetooth connection and the Sat Radio works (if you care.) Check that the CD players work as well.The biggest ticket wear items would be the rotors. If it does not have new tires look at the wear patterns. If the fronts are uneven that is usually just bad toe alignment and underinflation. If only the inside edges of both rear tires are worn that can be a difficult to fix issue.
That's it for me, some W221 owners can be more specific.
Make sure the Comand system works, your phone pairs with the bluetooth connection and the Sat Radio works (if you care.) Check that the CD players work as well.The biggest ticket wear items would be the rotors. If it does not have new tires look at the wear patterns. If the fronts are uneven that is usually just bad toe alignment and underinflation. If only the inside edges of both rear tires are worn that can be a difficult to fix issue.
That's it for me, some W221 owners can be more specific.
Super Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 810
Likes: 182
From: Laguna Niguel
'94 SL600,'05 SL600,'06 S65,'07 E63,'14 E63S,'09SL600 all sold, ‘15 S65,‘18 E63S,'17 SL65, '17S65Cab
I have no idea what the K40 remote controls. Was the Comand system changed out or just a new external device added? My rear seat remote controls for the Comand system in my 2015 look nothing like that.
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Thread Starter
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==
Thank you Tom.
My 2010 E63 6.3 was exactly like you described the 2012 E63S, my wife could not stand it. The software had a lot to be desired too. The C36, CLS55 and the 500E were the best of the modern cars we had. The 170D unbreakable.
Cheers,
Horacio
My 2010 E63 6.3 was exactly like you described the 2012 E63S, my wife could not stand it. The software had a lot to be desired too. The C36, CLS55 and the 500E were the best of the modern cars we had. The 170D unbreakable.
Cheers,
Horacio
Last edited by Francorchamps; Aug 12, 2022 at 05:16 PM.
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Super Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 810
Likes: 182
From: Laguna Niguel
'94 SL600,'05 SL600,'06 S65,'07 E63,'14 E63S,'09SL600 all sold, ‘15 S65,‘18 E63S,'17 SL65, '17S65Cab
We had a 2007 E63 with the 6.3, my wife loved it. The 2007 did not have the SMT transmission, it used a conventional torque converter. After she got the 2012 she wanted the 2007 back. The 2018 E63S was a great improvement over the 2012. Of all our cars she likes the W222 S65 the best.
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From: Phoenix
222 S-65
220 Chassis cars.... Mercedes learned a LOT from that one. 221 chassis cars didn’t have the ABC issues but coil packs were an expensive headache when that happened.... also while command is much improved in the 221 vs 220 cars it still is garbage compared with what the 222 cars got. Pneumatic systems were a constant source of irritation in my 221 S-65. Driving along and it would decide to inflate the lumbar to what felt like 300lbs and not release it for a day... a week. Would intermittently do the same with bolsters. I ended up unplugging the PSE in the trunk to stop that madness. Also pneumatics would not follow instructions... I’ve seen the same in a few 221 cars so no doubt there is a pattern failure I never got interested enough in to wander down that rabbit hole.
222 cars have much improved ABC over 221 cars... Magic body control being very nice indeed. The car talks with the iPhone with complete functionality. Finally. The 4.7 liter bent eight goes good with 25-30% better fuel economy then the S-65 but as I have long said... there is more to life then good gas mileage. I’m glad for individual coils finally! She will get 24 fresh spark plugs when it cools down.
OP S-Class cars are wonderful. But not for someone on a fixed income. Keep that in mind.
222 cars have much improved ABC over 221 cars... Magic body control being very nice indeed. The car talks with the iPhone with complete functionality. Finally. The 4.7 liter bent eight goes good with 25-30% better fuel economy then the S-65 but as I have long said... there is more to life then good gas mileage. I’m glad for individual coils finally! She will get 24 fresh spark plugs when it cools down.
OP S-Class cars are wonderful. But not for someone on a fixed income. Keep that in mind.
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,264
Likes: 367
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Hello,
After forty seven years with the make I sold my last MB, a 2010 E63 6.3 four years ago. I took a break and bought a new VW GTI MK7 Autobahn, a superb car for the money, but after four years I miss Mercedes. For a few months I have been looking for a W126 - 560SEC/SEL but when my wife asked me why go back to a thirty plus years old car I started looking for something newer. I was always a fan of V12, I had a '97 S600C. My urologist has a 2016 S65 and convinced me to try one. I found a 2006, please see link, located a few miles away from me, it is being sold by a dealer.
I understand that a set of brake rotors will eat up my whole social security check and realize that I may be making a mistake. I would like to hear from experienced owners of what can I expect from a sixteen years old car with 83K miles and five previous owners before it is too late.
Cheers,
Horacio
https://www.ebay.com/itm/22511281726...3a70%7Ciid%3A1
After forty seven years with the make I sold my last MB, a 2010 E63 6.3 four years ago. I took a break and bought a new VW GTI MK7 Autobahn, a superb car for the money, but after four years I miss Mercedes. For a few months I have been looking for a W126 - 560SEC/SEL but when my wife asked me why go back to a thirty plus years old car I started looking for something newer. I was always a fan of V12, I had a '97 S600C. My urologist has a 2016 S65 and convinced me to try one. I found a 2006, please see link, located a few miles away from me, it is being sold by a dealer.
I understand that a set of brake rotors will eat up my whole social security check and realize that I may be making a mistake. I would like to hear from experienced owners of what can I expect from a sixteen years old car with 83K miles and five previous owners before it is too late.
Cheers,
Horacio
https://www.ebay.com/itm/22511281726...3a70%7Ciid%3A1
Good to see you back!
BTW, as I told you before, the W220 S55 is about the best of this bunch IMO, and running costs are what you’re familiar with from the 500E. Same basic systems, a bit more evolved, but not so much as to be a headache. And unlike the 500E, plenty of parts to be had. Trouble is finding good ones. One of the E5E guys is sending his through BaT. IIRC, ‘05 Designo with 130k on the clock and he’s done most if not all of the heavy lifting in his 3 years of ownership. He did replace the COMAND though, so there are some inevitable drawbacks from that.
I agree with Mrs. V though, having owned an E5E takes out every MB from ‘85 to ‘05 as far as I’m concerned, the S55k (or 65) being the only possible exceptions. I also hear good things about the twin turbo V8 550 EClass cars (2012+).
Cheers,
maw
Last edited by maw1124; Aug 17, 2022 at 12:13 AM.
