Good morning everyone. I've been lurking a long time and currently own a 2004 Mercedes S430 4matic. I know this has been covered, but I'm wondering if any opinions have changed. While I currently own the old S430, that was only to get a "feel" for Mercedes. I'm coming from a E39 BMW M5 Stock, a 2014 Audi RS7 w/full bolt-ons (& APR Stage III tune) and a built 2016 Challenger Hellcat. Impressions from my limited experience with the S430 is its very comfortable, quiet and its held up incredibly well with almost 200k on it, interior looks like new, and other than general maintenance its been extremely reliable.

My Goal: This Mercedes will be my wife's daily driver, and after a couple years, I will keep it for my self as a driver / toy. What I'm looking for her is daily comfort, and reliability. Down the road for myself I'm looking for the ability to modify and just general fun.

What I've found so far between these two different models and please correct me if I'm wrong:

The 2017:
Good
1. Very receptive to modifications - possibly capable of more power for less money. More mods available from what I've seen, both aesthetically and mechanically.
2. Less expensive for repairs in comparison to the 2018 - this is relative, but it's considered generally less expensive due to age and a less complex engineering side (matter of opinion).
Bad
1. Possible Transmission issues with 7spd.
2. Dated Design
3. Harder to find with lower mileage
4. More turbo lag by design differences

The 2018:
Good
1. Better Tech
2. Better MPG (not a huge deal)
3. Easier to find lower mileage
4. Slightly higher power to start when stock

Bad
1. More expensive on general repairs
2. Doesn't sound as good (opinion)
3. Less available modifications
4. Generally more expensive with higher miles

I've noticed that pricing on both seem to be dropping in the last few months. I'm guessing this is because of the recently released complete re-design showing up and people trading in the older models. My budget is roughly from $60-90k, but I'm trying to get the best value for my money (as everyone is). Hoping to utilize the knowledge that this forum obviously has. Thank you in advance.

 

I would get as new as you can. The 2018 transmission is far better than the one it replaced and the hot V turbo set up means instantaneous throttle response. Tech is also far better. I think mods will become more prevalent as time goes on. The M177 drivetrain is still used in the new S63's with a supplemental electric motor but most of the flagship MB cars use this set up at this point and mod options will certainly become more mainstream. The tech is a very big issue as the pre facelift W222 is really showing it's age at this point. I have a 2019 with 20K miles on it at this point and it has been trouble free except for a radar sensor in the rear that was causing an issue. This car replaced a 2015 S550 BTW.

Here is one I would consider. CPO 2019.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing

 

Thank you, this is the kind of response I was hoping for. I appreciate you taking the time to respond, and I have the one you linked saved to inquire about. Thanks again.

 

OP find one with carbon ceramic brakes. No dust... pads last and last.... rotors don’t wear.

 

CCB are awesome but almost impossible to find. I looked for about 6 months for a fully loaded 2019-2020 example and they are very hard to find. I ended up with a 2019 with standard AMG brakes and they work great. Swapped the factory pads to Carbon Ceramic pads and I have great braking now with no dust. Rotors can be had for around 1K front and back for the S63 so I am not as concerned about this as I originally was.

 

@Bandit4142 what is more expensive on the 2018 as far as "general repairs" are concerned?

Know that M-B generally, and AMG specifically, are not known for reliability. Reliability left the stage in the diesel W126 days.

I would go with the newer vehicle. The 4.0L has not shown itself (yet) to have the tendency to grenade itself like the M278 has shown itself to do. Replace the oil-vapor separators proactively, as these are showing the tendency to plug and cause crankcase overpressure, forcing pressure out the crankshaft rear main seal, requiring seal replacement. German engines are using catch cans (oil-vapor separators) lately. These are new tech and sources of problems.

 

What rotors do you find for $1k front and back? I can only find aftermarket for front rotors, but don't see any for rears. As you probably know, OEM rotors are around $1500 each.

 

FCP Euro is your friend.

 

I looked on FCP Euro. My car is 2015, it gives different result. Only VNE front discs and OEM rear discs. Yours is 2019.

 

Sorry, I thought they were the same application. You may want to double check as I think the brakes are the same from 15-20 on the AMG S Class cars.

 

Are those OEM rotors or are they FCP Euro rotors? I assume they’re FCP- in which case I’m curious as to the quality/longevity relative to the MB rotors? I’m all about a cheaper solution, just don’t want to cut corners on such an expensive car. Appreciate your feedback.

 

These are not OEM rotors but I would trust Brembo and Zimmerman as they both are OEM suppliers to most of the German brands. I doubt they are the made in China ebay specials. I am still running OEM on my car as it only had 18K miles on it when I did the pad swap. Will probably go this route on my next set of brakes though.

 

I believe they’re the same. But you can call fcp euro to confirm. Best thing about what they sell is that everything is “lifetime warranty” including wear and tear items!

 

For what it's worth, I think the 2018 looks far better... the first year of the final S-Class that stuck to the classic Benz design language.