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Looking to buy a car and have been looking at the e55 alot but the s65 peaks my curiosity. Which should I buy and why? From what I have read the e55 is pretty much bulletproof, how about the s65? Thanks -Josh
the money to upkeep an S65 is way more than an E55 due to its V12....unless you are really good mechanically and/or have some serious cash flow for upkeep i would recommend the E55.
S65 has motor mounts, coil packs, and ABC. ABC is by far the biggest cost, although they now have rebuilt lifetime warranty struts which bring down the cost a lot.
But other than those issues, the W220 is more reliable than W211
S65 is a much bigger car, which should also influence your decision.
I am very mechanically inclined so doing the work doesn't scare me but the cost of parts is a factor. From what I have read the s65 is not as fast as the e55 though. Why is this? I understand it is a bigger/heavier car but the numbers that V12 engine is making should destroy the e55. How is the s65 as far as aftermarket support? Thanks
2004 W211 E55 AMG >>gone but not forgotten > W123 280E > W124 E280 > W126 380SE
Originally Posted by JoeNobody
S65 is faster than E55, and it was Mercedes fastest yacht until the 5.5tt engine came out.
Even a S600 with a tune is crazy fast, and faster than a stock E55.
S65 is a high speed autobahn cruiser whereas the E55 is at home also running quarter miles down the track. How and where do you intend on driving it? Also the economy will be better in the E55. But who cares about economy when you've got the open road and a V12 under your foot.
I had the same debate when I was looking. The general maintenance costs of the S65 is a lot rotors are thousands. Abc suspension feels great. Airmatic cost are 1000-2000, abc would be double that. e55 production was low so parts are hard to find. S65's are 3 times as rare. Simple things will add up. If you can get a solid warranty I would do it if you really want one. Make sure you have some extra cash though. It's a big boy toy.
They are 2 completely different animals. I have a s600 and had a e55. Both modded. E55 has instant torque where as the power of a m275 is smooth and linear. Like a jet taking off.
Fyi the s600 gets much better fuel economy than the e55.
No matter what people say, the m275 is very reliable. They have 2-3 common issues. All have been updated. Idler pulleys, ignition voltage converter and coil packs. Fyi temic (oe) coil packs can be purchased from autozone with a lifetime warranty for $600.
Abc "can" be expensive. It is a unique system and without proper care can get very costly. However arnot remans struts, pumps are now cheap, the updated valve blocks are good and the old valve blocks can usally be rebuilt with $20 in parts. I've owned my s600 for over 7 years and have never regretted buying it. It has never broke down on me and aside from coil packs that I replaced about 5 years ago with updated p/n coil packs has never cost me much in repairs. Mostly just maintenance items.
That being said, i have been toying with the idea of selling it. After buying my ml63 it doesn't get driven much and I need a new kitchen. it's a 04 sport with literally every option but designo. I've only seen one other w220 with rear buckets. The paint and interior are perfect. It will come with all my spare parts that never got used. Coil packs, abc parts, s65 cluster, etc... I have the stock wheels too. It has a Kleemann tune, bill shur trans, bigger h/e and a few other things.
Crappy phone pic.
From 1/2 mile event. Went 149.8.
Last edited by stockC43; Aug 25, 2015 at 06:52 PM.
While I agree with you that the M275 is very reliable with the exception of the coil packs, ignition voltage converter, and idler pulleys, I would not consider it a reliable car at all. My old 600 was in the shop all the time but mostly centered around ABC issues. But I did suffer from the other issues I listed but ABC is a total pain.
I've moved on to a SL600 and plan on replacing the absolute POS ABC system with a shock and spring setup. Once you get rid of the ABC and replace the aforementioned parts, the car is very reliable. Don't go into ownership of a 600 thinking it will be cheap to own though.
While I agree with you that the M275 is very reliable with the exception of the coil packs, ignition voltage converter, and idler pulleys, I would not consider it a reliable car at all. My old 600 was in the shop all the time but mostly centered around ABC issues. But I did suffer from the other issues I listed but ABC is a total pain.
I've moved on to a SL600 and plan on replacing the absolute POS ABC system with a shock and spring setup. Once you get rid of the ABC and replace the aforementioned parts, the car is very reliable. Don't go into ownership of a 600 thinking it will be cheap to own though.
Agreed. But given the choice between abc and airmatic I'll choose abc every time. They both have there issues but 90% of abc issues can be avoided by properly flushing the fluid every few years and replacing the filter. The fluid becomes contaminated over time and causes valves to leak and the pump to fail. Also more people are comfortable working on airmatic than abc so that drives up the cost as well. Neither system is perfect but in my opinion the benefits outweigh the negatives. I have also serviced the car since it was 2 years old and owned it since it was 4 years old so that plays a part in why I've had no real issues with it. I understand most abc systems have been neglected. I have quoted customers over 10k on abc cars before but those were inner city Chicago cars that were destroyed by Indy shops. It's all in how and who maintains it. These are very complex cars that need specialized technicians (or skilled enthusiasts) servicing them.
Btw the 221/216 and updated 230 abc system has been extremely reliable other than one hose on early cars. Almost zero issues on those systems.
The issues I had were blown lines. Mine blew just about every line on the car over a few years. When the lines blow, the pumps self distruct if you don't immediately stop the car. Then those shards of metal contaminate the entire system. It's just an endless loop once the first pump grenades.
If you think ABC is better than Airmatic, that might be a first. Airmatic gives warning signs before you have issues. ABC is just often very sudden and catastrophic when it fails. I will have to agree to disagree with you on ABC. Aside from ABC, the 600 is an amazing vehicle.
Also, you can't buy the coil packs from Autozone anymore. Once you try to buy, it will tell you they are not available.
I agree, when the lines blow, there is no warning. I've 2 lines in 7 years. The common dampener/pressure supply tandem hose (common and has been updated) and one other hose that cost $60. And yes, do not drive it with no fluid. You are correct. Metal shavings in a hydraulic system is very bad. Also don't forget to replace the accumulators. They dampen the abc pump pulses to prevent lines from blowing out. There is 3 of them and they are only good for 5-6 years. We're yours ever changed? That could of been the cause of your issues.
You might be right though, I may be the first to prefer abc over airmatic. The other techs at the dealer bust my ***** about it but they all hate working on abc cars. I don't mind it.
Airmatic can fail instantly too though. Especially fronts on 164/251's. Air springs explode. The only difference is you can, but shouldn't drive it still.
That's too bad about autozone. That was a little m275 secret. I guess they caught on.
I still love my S600 and obviously you loved your v12's if you bought another one
Last edited by stockC43; Aug 25, 2015 at 11:51 PM.
My old 600 was less than four years old when I got rid of it. Doubt the accumulators went bad. The dealership never noted that they needed replacement. Went through 3 ABC pumps in a few years time, hoses galore, idler pulley - left me stranded, both coil packs, intercooler pump, some misc crap, and some that I've probably forgotten. I never had to replace a strut though.
Wow, that sounds like a nightmare. Honestly. I can tell you from my experience (11 years with mb) that most 2004+ well maintained abc cars don't have that many issues. Sure, they have issues but not like that. You should not of had 3 pumps fail in 4 years. Something else was going on that they weren't finding. Understand that most techs arnt necessarily comfortable working on abc cars. It's not right but... Not going there
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it's a 04 sport with literally every option but designo. I've only seen one other w220 with rear buckets. The paint and interior are perfect. It will come with all my spare parts that never got used. Coil packs, abc parts, s65 cluster, etc... I have the stock wheels too. It has a Kleemann tune, bill shur trans, bigger h/e and a few other things. 
