BBBSS

I've been reading for a couple days and pricing used cars and am down to the S55 AMG Vs. the E55 AMg. I like the looks of the front of the E55, and the back of the S55. The S55 has some nice options but the ABC system repairs scare me some.

I'm pretty new to benz's and was wondering if someone could go over the differences in the cars for a new guy like me. Seems the S is the higher end, car but what else?

How expensive do the ABC system repairs run? Also I will be purchasing something in the ~50K mile range. What can I expect form 50-100K miles repair wise? I've read several threads about repair costs being high, but it seems most of them were with dealers performing the work and labor was a great majority of the costs. I've worked on my cars and raced them for years. About the only thing I haven't done is rebuild an automatic trans. I have access to a shop with a lift and a good selection of your typical automotive repair tools. Are there a ton of specialty tools required to work on these? If I can do most of the work on my own I suspect my repair costs would plummet quite a bit.

I appreciate anyone's input here.

Also I should add this will not be a daily driver. It will come out on nice days when I want to have a lil fun in a nice car, or for occasions where a big loud old diesel pickup truck would be frowned upon. I'm usually alone or have one passenger with me so the big back seat of the S would kinda go to waste. I'm looking for a large comfortable prestigious car with ridiculous power. I've driven and built plenty of fast cars, now I just want something fast comfy and reliable in a classy wrapper.

dgreen1069

Both cars are expensive to own without a warranty. I had a 2002 S55 and now I have a 2005 E55. The suspension is the biggest difference between the two cars. Almost everything else is a wash between the two cars. Without a doubt, ABC is more expensive to maintain than Airmatic. When the hydraulic pump for my ABC started squealing, my warranty covered the $2500 repair.

If you are handy, you should have no trouble with the general maintenance of either car. With that said, some repairs require specialized tools or computers, and you might be stuck looking for a mechanic.

If you don't think you will be using the back seat, I'd say go with the E. It is a little smaller and a good bit sportier. Personally, I miss the huge back seat of the S.....but I have two kids that are in the back quite often.