knfevg

Hey Everybody.
I have a 1994 sl500 for my weekend car and currently drive a Tesla as a daily. I want to try an switch the daily to a top model but 15 years old car. One option is a 221 s500. Most of the cars on the local market will have 200-300k km on them. I understand that such an old car with such a high mileage will always have some problems, but how reliable are they if used daily (really don't like being stuck on the highway waiting for a tow truck). I drive daily 60-120 km. What do you think? What if I go even crazier for a S65 of the same years?

BOTUS

its little different to any car - it can be an utter nightmare with cost most shouldn't seek to waste OR if u get one at a point in the curve where most stuff has been sorted and get lucky you might enjoy two years and 50k miles with only petrol and tyres

vs an immaculate, well serviced toyota the % risk increases somewhat

toyota no additional costs 95% certainty
merc 221 unlucky 85% certainty 2k will vanish - very unlucky 6k cost every 6 months

knowing what I do after 8 years of learning and spending lots I would never own another Merc - with zero regrets

knfevg

But you are still on this board!
So you'd say same years ls460 is a better option?

nath_h

It seems there is some variability with experience regarding the W221. I often look in on Bring a Trailer auctions, and am sometimes astonished to see people selling a W221 that has had nothing but oil changes for years. Others have had component after component replaced like Botus says. I've replaced component after component, but doing so is my hobby and I enjoy learning and making my old car as 'new' as possible. So, it's a gamble. If you don't do the work yourself, it could be a very expensive gamble. For the work MB has done for me (somehow a company sold me a warranty--duh) I've enjoyed driving new MB loaners for months at a time. Really enjoyed an EQE SUV that I put like 4000 miles on. I put another 2000 miles on a nice GLC SUV, and even briefly got an EQE AMG.

knfevg

I mostly do my own work but as this car planned to by my daily, I can't have it disabled for long periods. For now it sounds Lexus would be a safer option

Mannylove

When you say switch, are you keeping the Tesla?
In the used car market you will always take a gamble unless you personally know and trust who are getting it from.
When I was in the market 2 years ago, an 09-10 LS460 was my target, yet W221 kept popping up as another option - needless to say I’m on this board.
As someone mentioned here, older vehicles are a hobby for me as well and keeping them on the road is gratifying to me.
If you like it, buy it and drive it! Something happens, fix it and keep moving 🤓.
Laslty, there’s a reason Toyota is the brand with the 2 most reliable cars, ever!