Looking into 2020 S class used

low mileage 20,000-30,000 miles

I usually drive my cars to 120-150k miles

which engine is more reliable 560 or 450 on 2020 S class ?

thanks

 

I believe the North American S 450 with the M276 is more reliable. I am not sure if you are in North America or Europe because they have different engine versions despite both being called 450.

That said, the S 560 will be smoother experience over all due to more cylinders.

 

i am in North America

 

You asked about (reliability), but is that the only factor you care about? In a W222, I don’t see reliability of the M256 in the S450 being a priority over the smoothness of the M176.

The M256, as an inline-6 cylinder engine, should be more reliable, but without the 48V system, there is turbo lag and hence the ride feels sluggish and not as smooth (you’ll find a need to push the accelerator harder which causes harsh shifts by default). I chose the M265 in the GLS (and would do the same probably in a W223) only because the engine uses the 48V electrical system to operate an electric supercharges which spins up to 10s of thousands of rpm to reduce turbo (almost no lag at all); very smooth and very reliable .. and in that case the ride is VERY subtle combined with the reliability benefits. 48V and the electric motor isn’t an option in the W222, so make sure to drive one first and see if you’ll like it.

 

Maintenance wise M256 should be more budget friendly but M176 is V8 and nothing is like a V8 once you drive in . Reliability wise , I don't even think M176 would be a bad choice over M256 either . I also think some M278's failures (turbo line oil leaks ) must have been sorted out by now and M176 engine should present a better owning experience as well