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Hi everyone it's been a while since I've posted but I've been lurking. I previously had an S63 a few years ago and now I'm in the msrket for another. While checking out S63s my curiosity got the best of me and now I'm between 2 great used vehicles local to me. The V12 S65 and a V8 Maybach. Both at around 100k miles and I'm leaning more towards the Maybach due to its complete and detailed dealer service record. The S65 has a gap from 38k miles to 90k miles of no records and also 4 years.
What should I be aware of when it comes to these vehicles? Yes I have already budgeted for regular yearly maintenance and I'm going to use FCPEuro for all parts to help with cost since you can just continue to swap out parts with their warranty. What kind of extended warranty can I purchase from 3rd party that will hell me protect and save me on future costs? I plan on keeping this car as my daily for a very very long time as my next vehicle will be an exotic thankfully.
Thank you all in advance!
Edit : Can anyone recommend me an indy amg mechanic in Miami? I used to do dealership maintenance when my buddy was the master tech so I would get wholesale cost parts and dirt cheap labor.
S-65 sporting with exhaust tone, much bigger brakes (find one with Carbon Ceramic... worth the effort) MUCH more power and the seven speed.
The ‘19 Maybach will have the nine speed, another 18” of length for back seats and be a smooth sensation deprivation chamber.
Both have beautiful interiors.
I have 153,000 on my S-65 and love it.
Thank you! Anything I'm particular in regards to maintenance for the V12 outside of the regular service schedule? I'm getting a PPI from Benz Miami to check it out and coil packs for sure is one of the items I want them to check. Only thing that scares me is the huge gap in service records.
One coil for each cylinder for the 279 V-12. No more Uber expensive coil packs and voltage transformer as found in 275.
You will get to maintain it. No crankcase ventilation disasters as seen in bent eights. I’ve got to give mine a water pump, idlers and a belt and a few sets of spark plugs. Solid engine. 222 car is great too.
One coil for each cylinder for the 279 V-12. No more Uber expensive coil packs and voltage transformer as found in 275.
You will get to maintain it. No crankcase ventilation disasters as seen in bent eights. I’ve got to give mine a water pump, idlers and a belt and a few sets of spark plugs. Solid engine. 222 car is great too.
Awesome! Never bought a high mileage car before but I know the S Class is meant to be driven for way more miles.
2019 AMG S 65 and too many other vehicles to list here in this small box
Just like @JohnLane said, those two cars are very different. Way beyond the obvious V8-V12 difference.
The divide between Mercedes and the AMG is huge. I was amazed at the separation between the normal S Class and what AMG did to make it a completely different car.
The ride, the look, the tech, it is all at another level with the AMG. Even the engine internals are different if you have a Mercedes V12 compared to an AMG V12. Forged components for the AMG instead of cast pistons and crank in the S580 and S600.
OP your looking at two different animals which are different in many many ways. One difference not mentioned is the sticker price. I would guess somewhere about $125k difference in the price to purchase when new.
Not sure how the price factors into your decision but one thing is for sure, they don't make S65's any longer and are hard to find but you can buy a ton of S580's all day long.
I bet you’ve sold more v12’s from your continuous positive experiences than most Mercedes sales people.
Too many people are scared of the V-12 due to issues in previous generations. Coil packs and the voltage transformer proved a disaster in 220/221 generations. Under-hood temperatures are what they are when parked on a hot day.
MB got it right with the 279.
ABC disasters with cars before 2014 are solved with more functions that just... work without drama in the 222 vintage cars.
Easily over a thousand engineering changes. Overwhelming majority of them make for a better long term relationship with my drug of choice: AMG Crack.
She still goes through tires. But that is a me issue.
S65 (driver probably floor it mad times to show off) just an opinion not saying it was driven like that
maybach ( owner probably was driven in the back and left idling while waiting to leave the location) also just an opinion
Good luck and enjoy life with your future purchase.!
S-65 sporting with exhaust tone, much bigger brakes (find one with Carbon Ceramic... worth the effort) MUCH more power and the seven speed.
The ‘19 Maybach will have the nine speed, another 18” of length for back seats and be a smooth sensation deprivation chamber.
Both have beautiful interiors.
I have 153,000 on my S-65 and love it.
John, you absolutely love your car and that's great. But to tell someone it's worth it to find CCBs deserves more explanation/information. If 2 cars are the same, then definitely take the one with CCBs. They last longer and produce zero brake dust and some say look cooler. But they offer no advantage to real workd driving or even track driving, which nobody is doing in cars like these. And the OP finds CCBs on a used car that cost more than one without it, or you has to make other concessions to get the car with CCBs, it probably isn't worth it. He can get 95% of the benefits of CCBs just by changing pads, and that cost less then $100. I speak from personal experience.
Yes, the new 4liter TT can suffer from an RMS or valve cover leak due to the OVS clogging, and that's a pricey fix. But if the OP finds a car where they've been switched out already, might not ever happen again. And otherwise the car's generally don't have a lot of problems. Plugs and coils are another matter; I changed coils and plugs for around $800 all in with OEM parts, coil packs from dealers and plugs from FCP. The V12 needs 12 coils and 24 plugs, I know they cost significantly more than that. That engine, along with the ABC system probably mean equal mainteneance and repair costs to the S63, and higher than the Maybach S560. You also run up against people who don;t want to touch the cars because the cost of correcting mistake is way too high. That's also still a factor is some areas. Or the opposite, the luxury tax where they charge you more based on the car you drive.
Unfortunately the S65 I checked out was very beaten up and the suspension needs a ton of work. I'm most likely going to go with the 560 Maybach because it looks gorgeous. The PPI was great and the pony issue was a leaking Axel and they told me it would be around 3-4k cost to replace the axel. I'm going to negotiate with the dealer so they replace it in house before I purchase.
Here is the copy of the PPI. I would love some feedback if anyone has any. I appreciate you all and looking forward to this new chapter of my life if this all works out! The car is beautiful and I can't wait to pull up to my work meetings in it haha.
John, you absolutely love your car and that's great. But to tell someone it's worth it to find CCBs deserves more explanation/information. If 2 cars are the same, then definitely take the one with CCBs. They last longer and produce zero brake dust and some say look cooler. But they offer no advantage to real workd driving or even track driving, which nobody is doing in cars like these. And the OP finds CCBs on a used car that cost more than one without it, or you has to make other concessions to get the car with CCBs, it probably isn't worth it. He can get 95% of the benefits of CCBs just by changing pads, and that cost less then $100. I speak from personal experience.
Yes, the new 4liter TT can suffer from an RMS or valve cover leak due to the OVS clogging, and that's a pricey fix. But if the OP finds a car where they've been switched out already, might not ever happen again. And otherwise the car's generally don't have a lot of problems. Plugs and coils are another matter; I changed coils and plugs for around $800 all in with OEM parts, coil packs from dealers and plugs from FCP. The V12 needs 12 coils and 24 plugs, I know they cost significantly more than that. That engine, along with the ABC system probably mean equal maintenance and repair costs to the S63, and higher than the Maybach S560. You also run up against people who don't want to touch the cars because the cost of correcting mistake is way too high. That's also still a factor is some areas. Or the opposite, the luxury tax where they charge you more based on the car you drive.
Carlos... Carbon Ceramic brakes add none-zero-zip-nadda upon resale. You're not going to find one advertised with CCB with a $10K premium. Only a benefit; so if one can find a car so equipped; Boom! Reduced un-sprung weight (rotors at 3lbs each. Really!) and pads that are still measuring to 12mm 63,000 miles into their life of my driving the car and I'm a savage with my brakes.
Bent-12 does not suffer from OVS as it is not equipped with it. As close as my car has come to an oil leak has been getting to replace the oil cap and the plastic stand it is on. Five minutes + a can of brake cleaner. I did get to replace a water pump, idlers and belt at 120K or so. Not terrible to do; esp on a hoist. I've replaced spark plugs three times and one ignition coil. Not bad and your results may vary.
Agreed; the 222 cars are generally excellent. Magic body control is excellent.
Thank you so much for your input! Gives me much more confidence in my purchase. Looking like I will be picking up the Maybach as the dealer will be fixing the Axel by replacing it upon finalizing the paperwork.
I've owned two S65's (and two S63's) over the past 12yrs and will give you my opinion, for whatever it's worth....(or is it FWIW??) I can't keep up.
Aside from normal operating costs and maintenance, unless you're ok spending a min of 5-10k on any given day for an unexpected dealership visit, I wouldn't venture to buy a 65 with 90k miles on it, and much of it undocumented. I can't tell you how many times I've had any of the 4 AMG's that I've owned in for repairs/warranty work and the bill is over 3-5k if I were to cover it with no warranty. I lost the the transmission in my 221 S65 and that was a 12k warranty job. My current 63 (222) is in for motor-mounts as we speak and it's about a 5-6k job with no warranty. It' isn't a daily driver, has 46k miles and is a CPO car.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the AMG S-Class.....both of them, and as long as I can afford one I'll never own anything else. They've been the most amazing sedans I've owned. But, you either have to have a warranty or have the ability to swallow a 10-15k repair IF it comes your way......because it's not as uncommon as most people think. And, I don't think you'll find any reputable company to warranty a soon to be 11yr old, V12, AMG with 90k miles.......ever.
S65 (driver probably floor it mad times to show off) just an opinion not saying it was driven like that
maybach ( owner probably was driven in the back and left idling while waiting to leave the location) also just an opinion
Sure seems that the majority of V-12 powered Mercedes got purchased by Octogenarians. These are the guys who generally DON'T exercise the engines. They need to be hammered on with regularity to prevent oil consumption.
I sure do my part. I'm rewarded with that shove in the back that always brings a grin to my face.
I've owned two S65's (and two S63's) over the past 12yrs and will give you my opinion, for whatever it's worth....(or is it FWIW??) I can't keep up.
Aside from normal operating costs and maintenance, unless you're ok spending a min of 5-10k on any given day for an unexpected dealership visit, I wouldn't venture to buy a 65 with 90k miles on it, and much of it undocumented. I can't tell you how many times I've had any of the 4 AMG's that I've owned in for repairs/warranty work and the bill is over 3-5k if I were to cover it with no warranty. I lost the the transmission in my 221 S65 and that was a 12k warranty job. My current 63 (222) is in for motor-mounts as we speak and it's about a 5-6k job with no warranty. It' isn't a daily driver, has 46k miles and is a CPO car.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the AMG S-Class.....both of them, and as long as I can afford one I'll never own anything else. They've been the most amazing sedans I've owned. But, you either have to have a warranty or have the ability to swallow a 10-15k repair IF it comes your way......because it's not as uncommon as most people think. And, I don't think you'll find any reputable company to warranty a soon to be 11yr old, V12, AMG with 90k miles.......ever.
Just my .02
Thank you for your input!! I've decided to stay away from high mileage V12s only due to the fact of the maintenance records being not up to par. The Maybach looks BEAUTIFUL but its not a drivers car and I'm buying the car for me not to be a taxi lol. Yes it's gorgeous and the passengers are going to be in ultra luxury in the back but lets be honest the only thing in my backseat will either be my dog or work stuff lol. I ended up getting an S63 and I'm tuning it. I picked up Eurocharge Stage 2 from Jerry at Eurocharge. The tune numbers will be Putting in cat less downpipes and cat less straight pipes. Not sure what else to do but just going to buy carbon fiber front and rear lips, carbon fiber diffuser, carbon fiber steering wheel, upgrading to android auto, rims and rotors are BEAUTIFUL condition being only 68k miles.
I really want to add a forged carbon fiber hood because I'm obsessed with the look of it but not sure if it'll kill the look of the car. I purchased a full Napa leather car cover kit in Tiffany blue and it includes the doors and dashboards but unfortunately they weren't able to add my custom logo to headrest. I'll try to find a local shop to do it for me. Does anyone know how much it would cost to have someone just put the car covers on and the leather into the door and dashboards? I'm only doing chrome delete as well to flat black grill and badges.
What year did you get? There are some specific things to watch out for and check depending on the year. I would think it would be a few grand to reskin the interior. Hopefully you are sourcing high quality leather hides for this and they look OEM or you will dramatically reduce the value of the car. Same with all the CF bits, a little is cool, a lot gets cheezy real fast, especially on an S Class. This would be an awesome one to see before and after pics of.
What year did you get? There are some specific things to watch out for and check depending on the year. I would think it would be a few grand to reskin the interior. Hopefully you are sourcing high quality leather hides for this and they look OEM or you will dramatically reduce the value of the car. Same with all the CF bits, a little is cool, a lot gets cheezy real fast, especially on an S Class. This would be an awesome one to see before and after pics of.
I got a 2015 S63. Yeah it's Italian Nappa leather that's Perforated in Tiffany blue. CF trim pieces are legit and the hood will be too but idk about the hood to be honest because the car is Palladium Silver Metallic.
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