MB S550 Lover

I had owned a 2001 E320 for 17 yrs. until the car got totaled in crash a month ago, due to no fault of mine. I was absolutely in love with my 2001 E320.
Now I am truly smitten by the sheer luxury of a S550. I have seen a few cars 2007 upto 2013 models with between 50-70K miles, and in excellent condition.
My questions are?
a) Is the car too troublesome and expensive to maintain? I am asking only from a repairs point of view (not gas mileage, insurance, purchase cost etc.).
b) How much money should I set aside per year for about 8K commute in regular traffic? I get my car serviced by qualified MB mechanics, but not at the dealership. I order my own parts online when required.
c) So, broadly how dependable is the car? mechanically, electronics etc.?
d) Should I be looking at lower mileage vehicles? Is 50-70K too many miles?
e) I have heard that the suspension and brakes are a major problem. Is that true and how much should I expect to spend on those?
f) Is it worth buying a good warranty? For my kind of commute, I need a waarnty which covers most repairs with low deductibles, and something like a 5/7 yr.100K warranty.

Thanks for your thoughtful advise!

Rimola

The car is fine, get it if you want one. In my opinion its nothing more or nothing less expensive than any previous "used" MB i have owned. Especially if you are savvy enough to do your own research, order parts and inquire at indy shop vs dealer. The W222 is a different story. My W221 has 56K on the clock and is barely broken in. Any particular year that you were looking for ? What is your budget ?

No brake issues here. There is def a shelf life on the airmatic ones, but I don't think it is gruesome repair costs. The forum is your friend, spend some time on here and have a look.

PS. Nobody goes on car forums to make a post about their car being in perfect working order. Its only when issues arise. So I would be careful on your sample size and general research/consumption of "issues" related to any car model.

MB S550 Lover

Thanks for the response. That is really helpful. BTW, how old is your car, and was it new?
Here is my situation, I am a typical middle class guy. My wife was dead against (saying I could not afford) when I bought my E320 17 yrs. ago. That really worked out fine and we both absolutely loved the car. Now, she is making the same noise, now that I have set my eyes on the S550!

I can only afford a used one in the price range of about $25-$30K. I do see many very well maintained ones in that range. I like the older models better. Ideally I am looking for one with LED lights, Executive Rear Seat package, Moon Roof.

And, my primary concern is, will a well maintained 10 year old car with 50-70K miles prove troublesome and expensive to maintain after I buy it, given its age & miles????
Appreciate some more feedback on this question!!!.

THANKS A TON IN ADVANCE!

Rimola

It sounds like you are looking for 2011-2013 range then. Just be mindful that those are twin turbo as well vs the pre face lift NA motors. Not saying one is better than the other, I am sure other guys can chime in on that topic. With that said, realistically speaking, we are now talking about a car that is 6-8 years old. So your milage range would appear to be "within normal range" of what a car that old should presumably be at. By all means, should you source lower milage sample, go for it. Presumably it will be a few bucks extra, depending on year/miles. They do appear to have settled within that range (25-30K), again, depending on miles and year.

I bought mine a few years back with 21K on the clock and it is a 2008 !! I am now knocking on 60K on the clock and honestly for the most part it has been smooth sailing. I think I did more "preventive" maintenance and repairs more so than "must fix something broken." That has always worked for me in the past.

On a sidenote, I was so impressed by this car so much, that even though last year I bought a W222, I still kept it as my "beater" daily. Maybe depreciation has something to do with it and knowing that what its value is today vs what I paid, it just is not worth a sale for me. So I would rather keep it and enjoy the crap out of it.

MB S550 Lover

Great response Thanks!

Given my search range 2007-2013, what would be a good model year that I should be looking for (given the specs, and any past issues being remedied in later years, or new issues cropping up?)

1bad540

2010 was the facelift with the led lights, 10-11 was Na non turbo motor and 12-13 and the newest twin turbo engines. I had a 2010 facelift and loved the car(its a land yacht)the w222 is less so.. You can get a 10-11 and have the newer look but at this point I dont think the 12's would run you much more.

MB S550 Lover

Thanks for the update on the models, that was indeed very helpful!

No doubt the turbos add a lot of power to the engines and gives it a sporty feeling, but the turbos I hear can be troublesome and pretty expensive to fix. That's what I was told by a European Car Mechanic when we ran into a lot of problems on my son's Volvo S40 Turbo.

Any such red flags on the S 550s?

Thanks again!

Rimola

I will be honest and say durability and longevity was part of the reason why in my opinion the NA motor option was the better of the two for me personally. Also, at the time when I bought, the face lifted versions TT were def significantly higher. So I guess it was a combination of the two because I just needed a daily.

Bklyn

I WAS going to say something like you said but you said it better thanI would have.

Great insight and advice here. This is a GREAT place. I have come here just to ask some questions and I have learned a lot. This is a very smart group. Opinions differ but this is a wonderful place to stop in and read a bit. As for me, I have an 08 550 4Matic, black inside and out. Just got it 5 months ago with 125,000 on clock. I ran it up to 129,000 and so far, it is PERFECT. I love that car and you will too. I had a 2002 E430 before that. They are worlds apart. The new 550, that happens to look like it was made yesterday, inside and out and is like a spaceship. Pick the right one and choose slowly. Do your research and great things can happen.

Palmeroj

Hello, I own a S550 4MATIC, and I really love it. In my experience, maintenance costs are comparable to most other luxury vehicles. I also have an older Jaguar sedan, and maintenance costs is about the same. With the S550, you'll be doing what is called a Class C maintenance once a year or every 10,000 miles. This is primarily an oil and filter change (they take synthetic oil) wiper blade replacement and brake check. I take it to a repair shop that specializes in German cars, but just about anyone can do the oil change (I've done it several times). The cost at the shop is usually a couple of hundred. Mileage-wise you'll get about 18 mpg.

Cheers

Bklyn

One more thing. With the S550, you will always need to get gas. Always.

Palmeroj

I agree, I'm guessing they have small tanks. I've noticed that after a fill-up, it goes from full to 3/4 full very quickly. My other cars would give you 30 or so miles before the gas needle would start to move away from full. Still, my average gas consumption reads 17-18 mpg.

Bklyn

Just looked it up. My 2008 S550 has a gas tank that is 23.8.

Mine goes down fast in the beginning and than slows a bit. I get about 21MPG grind the back and secondly roads. I trips to NYC from Boston, I can get 23; something 24 but the I about as well as it does for me. Others here told me they get 27 MPG and that is really good.

Rimola

lol....truth

MB S550 Lover

1bad540

when i bought my 10 it was the exact color and specs I wanted and it was cpo, so it wrked for me. I dont think you will need any more power as the car was plenty fast. Fast forward a few years and id say get the newest model you can afford. When I was getting my 2010 the difference between the 2010 and a 12 or 2013 was about 20k.... today i bet its maybe a few k. Now in my 222 w the TT its impressive.

MB S550 Lover

Thanks for the exclnt advise. I am leaning towards a 2012, 2013 also, after much thought! Spending a few thousands upfront is better than paying for repairs. Also, what I believe is an older car even with low miles could throw up sufficient issues purely because of the aging rubber parts, unless I can find a car with most of those parts replaced. And on a 2012-2013 I can get a warranty, which I probably can't on a car older than 10 yrs.

Am I right?

Rimola

As someone has already mentioned, which was def a factor for me when I was buying, the difference a few years back was pretty significant between the NA vs TT. Now, it is minimal so I would def fork out the few extra bucks to get the most recent year model possible. Just my opinion.

MB S550 Lover

Friends:

I have a new problem - deciding about buying a 2010 S550 4matic or 2012 S550 4matic !!!!!
The 2010 S550 has 38K miles is in pristine condition, has nearly all of the options/colors that I wanted, incl. most notably panoramic roof and executive rear seat pkg, Premium 2 pkg, Premium sound , and also has AMG (even though I am not a gr8 AMG wheels fan, like the luxury wheels more). Ext.color is white, I would have preferred Black though. Still this is a car I have totally fallen in love with!

The 2012 car has 30K miles (is good, but does not appear as well maintained as the 2010), does not have Executive rear seat pkg. (that I love), but has the newer Turbo engine.

The 2010 is in fact priced $2K more.

Which one should I buy????? Any helpful advise is greatly appreciated.

FYI - The only reason I am looking at the 2012 is because of the newer engine, and to a lesser extent the better mileage ; else I would prefer the 2010.

Thanks in advance!

boardboy330

I have the rear seat option - it is VERY hard to find (here in DMV) and I personally would go with a 2010 if it has everything you want. I absolutely love my 2007 and prior to looking for a new car considered getting a 2010-2013.

Rimola

2010

Palmeroj

do you mind sharing how much they’re asking for each? It would be good to compare with mine. I might put mine up for sale.

thank you

Polar Bear

I would personally go with the biturbo engine as the fun-to-drive factor is very important. There is no question that any W221 will be a nice, smooth, and comfortable ride, but the feel of the torque the turbos provide when you want it never gets old. Although I have not personally owned the S550 biturbo, but I do have an S600 V12 biturbo, and haven't had any issues that have been turbo related except occasionally exceeding speed limits. The S65 (and likely the S600) do have coolant that is run through the turbochargers, and occasionally they can develop a small leak. I have not had this happen, but from what I have read if the top fitting leaks it is a very easy fix. It the bottom leaks it is a pretty involved job to get to the leak and repair it. I do not know of the V8 suffers from this issue, nor do I know if they have the coolant running through them, but the S550 biturbo models have not received a bad reputation from any source I have read or had any substantial reliability issues. If you have never owned a turbocharged vehicle, turbochargers do not automatically = unreliable/troublesome. I have personally driven more than one (probably three or four of them) Buick Grand Nationals with the 3.8L V6 turbocharged engine with well over 200k miles with the original turbo. Many of these cars were taken to the drag strip nearly every weekend, and unless someone neglected or abused it, there were no issues. The important thing to remember about a turbocharged vehicle is oil changes and quality is very important. In most cases, when a turbo fails it is due to lack of oil changes, using the incorrect oil, etc. This will destroy the bearings in the turbine wheel and cause oil to seep through and out the exhaust. It does NOT cause a catastrophic engine failure, however.

MB S550 Lover

Highly informative.....truly appreciate the detailed response. Thanks a ton!

1bad540

whats details on both cars? and price? are we comparing a loaded 2010 amg pana car to a 12 with no amg pack no pana roof and door dings scratches? Im all about condition of car 1st if 1 is flawless and one isnt Id lean towards the cleaner car.