Can You Buy An S500 For £6K AND Get Away With It? Mercedes S500L (W221)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 มิ.ย. 2024
- Today we check out a 2007 S500L S Class bought for only £7K.. and find out how much the owner has had to spend so far to fix the various faults. True Luxury For £6K BUT Will You Regret It? Mercedes S500L (W221)
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It’s a bit strange seeing your car on TH-cam.
My is an 07 56 plate, S500L (5.5) I think the cost new was around £110,000, mostly due to the huge about of options that were ticked.
So why did I invest so much money, well I have no intention in selling it.
If you can why wouldn’t you, I don’t feel the car deserved to die.
The ESP, is a module on the side of the abs pump, it’s going to,cost around £500, as they’re coded to the car. Waited to get Christmas out of the way.
The car is fitted with the ABC shocks, which have been replaced
I think it’s worth mentioning, the car only covered around 1300 miles in 9 years.
So a lot of the work is down recommissioning, rather than faults.
Thanks Jack, it was a pleasure to have spent the day with you, hope we meet again.
You can get them repaired I had the same issue and it cost about £225 IIRC. Turn around was 4 days from pick up to back on my doorstep. Edit to add it gets a Lifetime unlimited mileage warranty as well.
Beautiful car that could give you years of reliable service. But a relatively minor fault could financially ruin you. Such lovely cars but it is litterally like playing Russian Roulette owning one without a big repair budget. Had a lot of experience with these cars running an executive car hire business.
I had a ML320 in Calgary. I bought it very cheaply well under market value. The previous owner was a wealthy elderly woman who had bought it new and had serviced it like clockwork at the mercedes dealership. The car was in brand new condition particularly the interior as she had never used the rear seats or boot. I was pretty nervous buying it as i knew that it was entering the age of expensive repair and maintenance and looking at her service history which added up to $24k over 10years my heart was racing for a few weeks after purchase. Trying my best to keep it trouble free as possible i changed the fluids on it very regularly using the very best champagne liquids. The car ran for 3 years without a single issue. But one day it went into limp mode and turned out it had a oil leak on the oil pump. This cost me $3k Canadian to replace 4 washers that cost 75cents each, this was because to access these parts the entire engine had to be removed and almost completely taken apart. After that i sold it on quickly. But i have to say the total cost of ownership over that period was pretty good and the pleasure of ownership was fantastic.
That's the famous german engineering...
Hmmm... 3k Canadian every 3 years. I don't know what you paid to buy the car, but that sounds pretty darn good to me. Add another $1000/year for regular maintenance and that breaks down to only $111.00 Cdn ($83.00 USD or £64.90) per month. Double that for a few more unforeseen problems and you've got a $222.00 car payment.
What can you buy (that's worth driving) for $222.00 Cdn (£129.80) per month?
The cheapest new Kia you can buy, in Alberta today, will set you back $23,000. Buy that over 36 months, with no interest, and you'll be paying $638.89/month. Extend that to 60 months with no interest and you'll fork out $383.33 Cdn per month.
We all have to live with (and pay for) our decisions. You probably made the right decision for you. I think I might have kept the Merc. Even more so, if it had been an S-Class.
@@EdAb i paid $8k for the ML on its 10th birthday. I sold it and bought a Lincoln Towncar Cartier L with 90k km from new. Zero issues with that car. But sadly gone as i left Canada in 2021.
@@jddarnes1131 "..i left Canada in 2021". Lucky you! I was born here and have lived my whole life in Canada. With Alberta being the only possible exception, the country has become an unmitigated disaster. I pray we will get a new government ASAP!
@@jddarnes1131 "..i left Canada in 2021". Lucky you! I was born here and have lived my whole life in Canada. With Alberta being the only possible exception, the country has become an unmitigated disaster. I pray we will get a new government ASAP!
I did the whole "running an aging luxury car" thing and you get tired after a while.
i doin it now. last may i purchase s320cdi for 55.000$. repairs and restoration cost another 10.000$. last week just put it 3000 km in a 5 days. totally worth it...
Can you tell me about more about that?
@@sha22276 me or him?
Run it for a couple of years rather than a couple of hors and then tell us what a bargain it is.
It will be a bargain!
I had a W220 V8
2 years, 25,000 miles, and it worked out (excluding tax, fuel, and insurance of £300 per year) as costing me £86 per month including all repairs and servicing.
This will be better than a W220
I agree.Seven years with a W220 and it´s been very inexpensive to own.In that sense,it may be the best of all the S-generations.@@SeanPensive
@matsujarvinen Great life choice!!😁 I only moved mine on when I inherited a V12 Daimler. Otherwise, I would still have it!!
My last car was this model, had it for 9 years, only regret is selling it.
If you want to have a hassle free car ownership and motoring experience, get a Toyota Aygo. If you want to feel pride whilst driving in utmost luxury and comfort and having the ability to go 155mph at any given moment, you gonna have to spend a bit of money. And it’s worth it
my 70yo boss got the diesel version, had it fully mapped straight out the box, that bugger was FAST... he put 200k on it in 4yrs, it never flickered, but it went the journey when all his clever lawyers couldn't keep the constant speeding tickets at bay any longer [he got a 3month ban]
his rear tyres were lucky to last 4 months... keep it up young man
Good to hear the word plethora used.
There had been a paucity of plethoras on TH-cam recently.
It’s a gutsy thing to buy one of those bad boys 😂
Road tax here in Ireland kills it....€1,809 per year! Add that to crazy fuel bills and maintaining it, they just are not an option for everyday driving for the ordinary people. A stunning car and I am a Mercedes fan, having an E220.
Great video! This has been the central question of my adult life resulting in numerous old Benzes being purchased.
A few points:
1. You need to use a trusted MB specialist in your local area. They can save you thousands as they know all the obscure faults and don’t waste hours on diagnosis.
2. If you can afford it, never buy the first three years of modern S class production. The Gen 2 W221 has most of the problems worked out. They can be identified by the LED running lights and LED tail lights.
3. I believe this s500 is actually a 5.5 litre. The video suggested it was a 5 litre.
4. For me these are the best cars in the world. You can keep RRs and Bentleys. The sheer amount of engineering, design and safety features is mind blowing. I keep finding new things to appreciate even after many years.
5. If you agree with point 4 above. It’s always worth it.
Did you get these from the book of Proverbs? Lol, WORD
I concur, having a knowledgeable specialist on call is one of the ways of living with an older S Class.
A mate of mine had an S63, he loaned it to me while he was visiting his parents in Portugal.....I enjoy every single journey I had for the following two weeks. Truly amazing cars! Made you feel good every time I started it up with it's beautiful sound and I thought it was super car quick and Rolls Royce comfy.
Great review yet again Jack. Having spent 37 years in the auction industry ive seen many of these come past my auction box. They arrive with a telephone book of receipts, drive beautifully (as you say), then as the idle whilst i auction them something goes wrong eg warning lights, coolant, hydraulic fluid. We have specialist Euro car repairers and sometimes they cant fix it, then its off to merc and they will come back with some obscure reason for failure eg “oh you need new headlights because they read the road” (or something like that), in the end we list the faults, announce them and hope a dealer buys it and not the general public. Never had issues like that with say a 1984 500sel.
All my best
This was my comment:
*I GAVE AWAY MY 2012 S-500* 85k miles and a hundred million electrical gremlins - sick to death of it it sat for 3 years before I gave it to a neighbour's kid *DO NOT BUY ONE*
It would literally forget what it was and need reprogramming at Merc. The seats would stop working, the wing mirrors would stay turned in. It would randomly flatten the battery. W140 1994 to 1999 that what you want.
@@piccalillipit9211 spot on. We even had a staff member have an equivalent and she simply auctioned it off with a list of faukt that even merc aus couldnt fix
@@simonhjc Merc could not "fix" this. They could reset computers and make things work - but 3 weeks later it would be a DIFFERENT thing that was now working - it was never a motor or a switch, it was the electronics between the switch and the motor. They have I think 13 different computers on them and the faults were never just the one computer, lights are on a different system to seats.
Yep. This was our problem in the industry. Lol its a bit like how they lost the war. Their tanks were technically masterpieces but a sherman and the russian t34 flattened them. Same with todays cars
@@simonhjc Funny you should say that - I lived next door to the airfield at Brighton when they were restoring a Meshasmit ME109, the engineers said the engineering was amazing but SO complicated they dont know how they finished more than 10 of the in the time they had.
Ive had the older S Class mercs the 1990 version the 1994 and the 1996 they were all very good. The 2002 was a bit crap and the 2012 was utter junk.
I have a 2012 320cdi Bluetec. 80,000 miles. Been a dream to use. Still excites me on every journey which is amazing. Recommended tool as a daily user too.
I bought a W221 S320 about 18 months ago, for 4.5k. Sold it for parts about 2/3months later, for parts, for £400 - plethora of issues, ranging from bad gearbox, to leaky injector seals, to corroded brake pipes, and bad turbo. Realise not every S320 suffers the same issues, I definitely bought a bad example - but had quotes of way more than purchase price to rectify, which aligns with Paul’s advice of budgeting (at least) 3-4k for remediation!
Mine had the same intermittent ESP fault which was wheel speed sensor related. Loved it when it worked, was sad to have to get rid, not just because of the £4k+ loss!
Why would you buy a diesel S-Class??
@@Pommo70 Many, many mistakes were made, fuel choice being one of them. In fairness, when it was running, it drove fairly well and was quiet... though I have no doubt the S500 is leagues ahead in that department.
@@Pommo70 You realize that some years ago the diesel cars were known for much longer longevity....ie...W126, W123, W124
Certainly a lot nicer interior that the current crop of Mercs!
Are you clinically insane? Maybe if you compare it to a CLA. Current S class is so next level compared to any old merc interiors
@@adamgizka8670current s class has a joke interior you must be 5 and dropped on your head
@@adamgizka8670 latest S Class looks like a visit to Currys with stick on monitors and no longer have a clock- cheap build quality with disco lighting indoors.
@@adamgizka8670 It looks like shit, tacky as fuck
We got a 1999 w220 S500 with just over 300 000km. So far the suspension, more specifically the airpump infront of the right front wheel was the only reliability issue with it. (2 pumps in the last 12 years) The electric heater actuator (water valve) for the right side is next! Fantastic cruiser on long journeys on main roads in SA, but it really struggles on our narrow pothole infested back roads! 10km/l is the norm at 120kph to on a typical 800km trip. Interestingly it seems to be more economical at 140kph, typically 11km/l which is fantastic for 300 Hp!
I have a W220 S500L 4-matic. Had to replace the air struts with Arnott ones, air pump, heater actuators and the transmission lock actuator (using an upgraded aluminum one). It's a lot of trouble but the car is so lovely to drive...
I had an S320CDI in the W221 shape for 4 years. Soon after buying it, it went into some form of limp mode - basically no turbo boost so I had to change gears manually to get any acceleration. No warning lights whatsoever. Got it home, stopped & restarted it and it was fine. The garage checked it for fault codes and got a turbo boost error, and about 50 other historic fault codes ! I changed the battery - no more boost issues but I had random lights & warnings come up for the next 2 years - never let the batteries deteriorate on these - it kills them ! Also had to have a new air suspension compressor, new aircon condenser, and 6 new glow plugs, one of which had jammed it and needed specialist removal and the head rethreaded. And my hifi packed up - no sound, so you lose radio, cd, tv and voice guidance on the satnav. It's a common fault - and £1000 for a new Harmon Kardon amplifier. These cars drive nicely, but they're a minefield of poor quality electronics. So far after a year my Bentley Flying Spur that replaced the Merc has been much more reliable.
Did you have the OM642 engine in that car ?
No idea, sorry. It was the 3 litre V6 diesel - not bluetec if that helps
Very nice review and as always a pleasure hearing you presenting cars. The V12 which you mention is actually unproblematic when serviced properly. Maybe you were still thinking of the M137 which appeared in the early W220s? The M275, which is the V12 the W221 would have is very reliable. It is also for this reason that it has been produced for such a long time, up untill the end of the W222 range in its latest version, as the M279. Problem is, that it is a rare engine and not many people know much about it. Keep up the good work!
Love the CL550 ❤ great vid as usual my friend...cheers!
Excellent unbiased report and interesting at the same time. More please.
I still love the smooth overall shape of the design from all angles.
Inside its a beaut too just under the bonnet ig petrol its a different story.
My neighbour would always show off the car but honestly the amount of times he says he cant be out because cars in garage or parts/labour is going cost too much. He doesnt laugh when all the time i wave to him in my civic 20010 1.4 car looks great too...
❤2ALL
✌🤜🏽
I own a W204 C200 and I've had the ESP/ABS error message a few times. Twice it was the ABS pickup ring (first time was the right rear one and the second time it was the left rear one). The pickup rings were just under £40 each and I was able to replace them myself so it was a cheap repair. The other time I would lose power and this was a split intercooler hose. A genuine new one from the dealer fixed that particular problem.
Jack nothing can compare to the W140 600 SEL, love a review of one.
I have a 98 S600. Might be worth putting it forward to see if he is interest?
@@andrewyts82z
Yeah 👍
hoooo Pauly Walnutz ova heaaa
I was lucky enough to win the model after this one and a full AMG spec too - I sold it before registering and only reversed it 10 meters in a warehouse - lovely motor - I think these two were the last good lookers in the 500 range 👍👌
30 mpg on the highway with a 20 year old 2 ton V8 380hp powered car, is, I have to say, amazing! And also, I’ve driven one of these a couple of times, and although it was a 320cdi, and indeed they are a sweet to drive. Even in town (fantastic vivibility of that bonnet!)… Yeah, these are great cars. I love them!
Arghh…you did it again. Don’t tempt me like this. Already on the classifieds 😅
It's that time of the day again!
Home from work
Cold beer
And Number 27.
Sheer brilliance I say...
Greetings from the Netherlands
If someone buys a bargain Mercedes or BMW, those people should be good with the spanners. You save sooo much money buy servicing the car yourself. And then the car is worth it. Also, if you already went to the trouble of wanting a more bargain S-class, it means you like the car which in term means you should start learning how to fix the car's specific issues. I.e., do not buy this car if you have 0 mechanical skills and just want to use it daily.
m273 5.5 US spec called 550. Have same engine in my w212, produced till MY2011 when it went to turbo 4.7, lovely thing, last of the real NA V8's The earlier years like this one have balancing shaft issues, the last years 2010/2011 are sorted and pretty bulletproof.
These noble motors were always purchased new by customers that could afford them, three or four plus owners down the road every thing is skimped on. The car will not have seen the inside of a franchise dealer for many years now. As the saying goes 'all of life's costs are high', buy one of these but don't complain when the bills come along. There is little on the road to compare with a properly maintained S class. Nice review.
It is a gamble with these cars.
I had the previous S500 (2004).
Paid only £8,000 for a 6 year old car with just 37k miles. Almost every option available was on this car. £80k new.
About 2 weeks after buying it the alarm system failed. “Oh no I thought, have I got a lemon?”.
It was a £120 replacement PCB from the local indie Merc garage (fitted).
That was the only thing to go wrong in my 6 years of ownership.
Cost a lot less to maintain than my wife’s A class!
Great car. I’ve heard some horror stories about these cars but I got lucky.
I wanted one so much, but while researching what possibly goes wrong and the possible repair bills, I decided I do not want to go broke. Might still pull the plug and buy one one day, they look super elegant.
Don't be a pussy ! Just get one bro. Even if you keep it for a year or two , its an experience that you have to try at least once in your life . Just get one under 80,000 miles thats clean and you sure won't regret it. Its as refined as a car can be and the silky smooth ride , sound and power are just intoxicating.
You will not be disappointed. You can also upgrade the infotainment system quite cheaply too .
Good luck my man.
Buy a Lexus LS instead. Similar luxury but WAY more reliable. Because Toyota.
I remember seeing a pre-production W221 cruising around the Black Forest in summer 2005 and thinking how fantastic it looked. It still looks modern now, to my eyes at least. What a wonderful machine.
I have one of these. Love it. Not that heavy - around 1850kg? 20mpg around town 30 on a run. It's a PERFECT daily.
Got a big L Merc with more options that one can throw a book at. Bought it off the first owner with full MB history and plenty of receipts. Still it is an expensive car to run as when the wear and tear things come, the costs are never going to be cheap despite being serviced at a good Merc specialist garage. They even do a pre-purchase inspection on the thing too. After some years, sold it off to another Merc enthusiast. The amount of maintenance spent is not far off from the purchase price. It is still an expensive car to run and service despite getting it cheaply used.
This review has given me nostalgia, but it is certainly rose tinted glasses.... I had one of these - 2007 S500, almost identical spec but with a 'peanut butter' brown interior. I bought it for £11,500 with around 55k miles on it. I owned it for 1 year and it costed me around £7,500 to keep it running. It went to my local merc specialist at least once every 2 months with a major issue. In the end i paid £2,100 for a gearbox electroplate replacement and took it straight to mercedes and part Ex'd it. They gave me £6,000...
That’s a very scary story. A real money pit..
I like it but wouldn’t want it 😂😂
He sounds like a sensible buyer. Mercedes-Benz cars prices always look tempting once out of warranty and into the hands of people who can't really afford to run them, but I would only purchase one from a dealer I trusted, there are always unexpected bills to pay.
The type of review i like , gives a honest look at owning one
Mercedes build quality has suffered over the last decade or two. For me the real Mercs were the 80's and 90's cars. They were over engineered.
They’re still over engineered, but on a budget 😂😂
Another great video. Thanks. And on Harry’s road, too!
I love my 2000 CL500. The way it drives, the luxury interior and the coupe looks. I bought a good, low mileage example and it has done me proud with only a couple of small issues. These big Mercs command very little money and are fantastic cars, if you have the cahonas.
I bought a2007 S320 for £5450 6 months ago with a couple of issues but was surprised how cheply i could get parts for it. Bosch front discs and pads £160, Front shocker £122 (ebay brand new pattern part) second hand amp[ £200. Hasnt had any warning lights on it since the day i bought it! There is no nicer way to travel for that kind of money! Its now for sale too lol
A guy with a black car service I used to use had one of these with about same mileage, maybe higher. It was still like a vault, amazing build quality
S450 W221 owner here, great car but as with all the big Merc’s you need to throw some money at them to keep them in good shape. The logic7 amp is a known culprit and the (repair) costs for an out of production old amp is ridiculous (went through 2 already). Other then that, fantastic car!
Great video and a lovely car that is a very tempting proposition but you rightly issue a health/wealth warning about the running and repair costs of these older executive barges. The Merc specialist "SPR" on his UT channel points out that whilst the price of an older Merc will have depreciated massively the costs of maintainence and repairs will be as much as when the car was new - basicly a lot! sage advice!
True, however German cars tend to get the kinks worked out of them by around 170k miles. Especially BMW's and Mercedes. Anything that will break has broken by then and anything that won't break is built to last a long time and that rule has oddly enough stood true for me and my family.
Wasn't the W220 produced during the M-B / Chrysler years? I don't think the merger did Mercedes any favours in terms of quality!
I had a W126. Probably the best car I've ever owned. Have come close to buying one of these on several occasions.
Had a ‘89 500SEL and a lot of Merc’s after that, the W221 is the only one that comes near the 126 in terms of comfort and quality imo
@wouterleeders yeah the W126 was special in those terms. Good to hear the quality piece on the W221, I'm often scared off newer Mercs as quality dropped post that generation. It's also a great looking car though.
My e class used to chuck out the abs and EPS issues. I cleaned the wheels with a house and that sorted it every time...😅
Have bought 7 cheap Mercedes for about 1,000 each , run them for a few years , never worried about mileage.
They are so well made as vehicles .
Just keep up with the basic maintenance and replace the odd thing .
Currently in South of Spain for a couple of months in our 2002 Sprinter campervan which is coming up to 200,000 miles .
Bought it during lock down for not much two trips to Germany , two to France , two to Spain , done about 20,000 miles in it.
Future proofed it with a new clutch and 4 new Michelin tyres.
I love Mercedes Benz
Jack, you are a sly, knowledgeable, and industrious creature.
I am always amused from across the pond (actually, the south coast). Out there having fun, in that hot Galveston sun.
Beautiful majestic and dramatic S class Jack, like the W140 in the 90s
I bought a S500 Coupe @ £40K. Very low milage and superficially in mint condition.
To get it perfect, including tyres, brakes, discs, window motor, gearbox + brake fluid and filler cap unit = £5K. I love it and is delicious to drive. With a luxury car with all the toys, you have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Probably the last generation of Mercedes where they had some level of class and dignity before they went full obnoxious with the technology.
My head say used Lexus LS but my heart says W221.
this merc is beautiful I love how you react to this beautiful car
Fabulous car it's carbon footprint is well offset at this stage, cleaner overall than any electric car love what the chap has done 👍
Carbon footprint?
Can’t believe gullible people are still referencing that IMProper Ganda.
But hey ho.
The one query I would have is insurance. Which I suspect will be utterly penal for an S500.
Hi, I pay £560, fully loaded per annum, however the car tax is £695. 👍
It's a 5.5 litre Jack
I have a 2012 c250 w204 estate…the warning lights and deactivation of traction control/abs/cruise control etc usually stems from a dodgy abs sensor
Now that looks like the Charlbury TT to me. Impressive that it'll hustle along there.
Per that £3.5k extra, this did include some things which might eventually need renewal anyway (such as the batteries) and I assume that after spending the money most things had been rectified. I guess that makes it a £10k car with everything sorted. One would have to ask oneself if that is good value.
Jack, again, an interesting video on a car I didn't know. Love that interior by the way, especially that centre dashboard section.
Hi, you have raised a very valid point, my investment is basic services items, oil, filter etc, due to have been sat for 9 years, but also preventative maintenance.
Since filming, I haven’t encored any further investment.
The ESP issue has been traced to a shot drop link.
Yes £10k is a fraction of the cost of the car new, after the initial £6k purchase £4k to have the car in good order will give the owner a drive and ownership to enjoy for a life time
The W222 (2014-2020) S-Class was TRULY the return of understanding:
The Best Or Nothing.
The W222 answered the world with another generation of S-Class that is honestly PERFECT..!
2+ years of ownership of a CPO 2016 W222 Mercedes S550 4MATIC….ZERO ISSUES!
It’s exactly what you expect…right on the tin!
I LOVE THIS CAR!
She loves me, and I love her..!
KISMET
Yes , the breast or nothing.
We were picked up by a newer S class and it could only fit 1 of our suitcases in the trunk!!! The other had to ride on the passenger seat whereas our Nissan and Toyota rental sedans swallowed the two cases.
ABS/ESP/BAS inop there are a couple of simple things you can try. Firstly reset the steering angle sensors, secondly clean the ABS wheel sensors. They’ve worked on my W220.
I’ve also had the experience of the same lights when I replaced the big battery in the boot. After an hour or so they went out….. scared the shit out of me! 😂
@@Pommo70 It is a worry. A lot of things go through one’s mind; ABS pump, a leak etc. But it’s usually quite robust but at the same time quite affected by dirt, or by a battery disconnect necessitating a steering angle sensor reset. There are simple things one can check first.
Mercedes seems to have a problem with sensor warnings.
My ABS and BAS warnings would come on periodically and then go off and stay off for quite some time on my 01 e320.
When I could not smog it last June, I got rid of it. I think the ecu was faulty after replacing the battery and not getting it to get a proper read on 3 of the sensors.
Just to expensive to fix.
Nothing beats the dashboard ergonomics of a Saab; and the looks of it in addition.
Thank you for this video. Amazing how big that car is! Did this Mercedes also have a Maybach variant?
I believe so!
@@Number27 not true. The Maybach 57 and 62 was actually based on a W140 platform and then came back on the later W222 platform
I think the W221 is the most beautiful of all S-Classes, but the W140 is likely the more reliable and better built.
Never liked this shape of S class these but this vid has changed my mind ❤
Something people never mention: one of the safest cars on the road.
Statistically that may be because they are mainly parked up due to fuel costs..
@@philtucker1224 The diesel has good mileage so your comment doesn't make sense.
@@danvelgtr my s350 does 1200km highway on a tank of petrol, it has no fridge so bigger 88 liter tank.
@@philtucker1224 don't come complaining when you die because of sideswipe with a bicycle in your tin can Aygo.
@@danvelgtr Is the diesel version called an S500? (Sorry I thought they were all petrol so my bad) yes my wife has always run diesel Mercs and yes they are absolutely superb cars.
Jack, it is a nice car. I think it is OK to take your chances with the understanding that it will cost you almost the purchase price. That is still a lot of car for the money. This car in Oz is still $40,000 AUS with about 100,000Klm on the clock.
Excellent video
Palm rest for the info system is a nice touch.
How would you compare this to a Maserati Quattroporte...post Dual Select gear box, but with the ZF 6 spd automatic?
I had a diesel 2006 model in Magic blue had it for three and half years it was magnificent. Bought it at six years old with 29,000 miles for £10,000.
I love the design of these. Better in standard but still very handsome.
Those lights are known issues with the car, one, or more of the speed sensors has gone, replacement cost is about £150 a corner, they last about six years
There lovely as long as you don’t have to pay for the fuel. I can’t imagine a private owner wanting one..
I wanted something similar but I prefer more reliability, so ended up with a mint '98 LS400. The Benz has the better looks though.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Welcome to my world with my clk 500, constant maintenance but after 8 years I still won’t let go of it.
Im lucky with my S550. It had been looked after. If you decide to get a mercedes with defered maintenance, be prepared to pay $$$$. Apart from that, get a good one, they go well
Pay a bit more and get one with a full service history with MB dealer or specialist. People often sell older ones when they need work through lack of maintenance and they are suddenly faced with a massive bill.
Love the look of w221 until I test drove one. Also test drove a E550. Both feel like my R350, feels bottom heavy, guess due to the air suspension. Perfect cars for highway long distance drive.
That’s crazy in Australia where I am. There is no such thing as a cheap Mercedes Benz.
If you want to know if it is a true bargain then run it for at least 12-18 months & 10-20k miles before reporting back.
I like the interior of the w220 better and less problems with the motor
For me the issue would be - how long do you keep spending if you still have significant faults outstanding? In this case you can say 6k +3.55k and it is nearly there - but it might not have been. It is obvious to me why these initially pricey cars become so cheap - you need some pretty well honed diy skills to keep them on the road and most people will not want to take the risk.
Nice review, however the engine is not a 5l but a 5,5, and the engine is bullet proof, the one with issues is the earlier version - try the E version with the same engine, it's even better, even if of course it isn't as luxurious.
where did the rear door window go? Its like magic!
The present fault; ABS, Cruise, ESP, etc. is most likely one of the wheel ABS sensors being affected by old road salt or dirt. A common periodic problem here in Denmark, where we salt a lot and the problem can even occur as far back, as to the W124. A good periodical cleaning of the backsides of the wheels goes a long way..
Agreed, I was about to suggest a faulty wheel sensor but chose to read the comments first. If one sensor fails then it throws up a long list of amber warnings connected to suspension, traction etc. Lovely car. My rationale would be that the cost of something new(ish) that gets anywhere close to the Mercedes is huge. The owner has the pleasure of S Class travel and the maintenance costs need to be filtered through the lens of what the finance (or loss on investment returns on any sale of equities etc.) would be if he bought something new, plus the horrendous depreciation. Thanks for the video - very enjoyable. Emotion, not just transport to the supermarket.
Couple of things to mention:
If you are buying one make sure it has full service history and if you have no idea about vehicle maintenance then make sure you know the location of a good Mercedes specialist who can update the cars (online) service history - NEVER TAKE IT TO A MERCEDES DEALER.
Buy the long wheelbase version like in the video. Not only do they look and ride better your passengers will love the electric reclining rear seats you don't get on the short (regular) wheelbase cars.
Get one with as many options as possible - you will be amazed at how many don't have the fabulous active massage seats or keyless entry.
AMG styling package looks great.
Try not to exceed 19 inch wheels as the ride starts to get harsh and Mercedes alloy wheel quality is appalling. If you have them refurbed do away with having them diamond cut and get them properly powder coated.
Paying the extra for good quality (Michelin) tyres makes a huge difference and make sure that the car has a proper four wheel alignment done. This will not only make the ride even quieter but will make the car handle better and save fuel.
For the UK buyers a diesel makes sense but get a EURO 6 compliant S350 Bluetec model so you don't have to pay in ULEZ areas.
They are near silent in operation and are a lot more economical to run, the huge amount of torque they are capable of producing can embarrass some higher horsepower vehicles.
The W221 S500 should have the M273 5.5l V8 (same as in my W211 facelift E500)
and the early w212's, have one and love it to bits :)
M272 V6 and M273 V8's do/did suffer from balance shaft drive gear problems - that's a major engine out job. Really, a nice late model W220 is a better bet long term.
M278? I have the 4.7TT in my E500.
Hi i like your videos and i am looking forward to see them, but i have a question to you, to me it looks sometimes you take the same roads as Harry from Harrys garage are driving, maybe i am right?👍👍
i bought one last october in mint condition with all revisions made in a mercedes garage till october last year and paid 3.000€ for it,i was looking for the 3 door model or coupé that is what i buy every decade since mid 60´s but have a early 60´s model with four doors and a new in 73 also four doors ,i guess they didn´t make a coupé of that version but have a SLC a coupé with the SL body with top not possible to be taken out like the regular two seats SL but a four seats car, this is a very nice car . The model before wasn´t that actractive i had one but sold it, this when released was a incredible car and still is today, mine is the same colour black but when the sun hits the body it seems to have some metalized but very smooth, i´m too fresh to know if i need a reaqpir soon but nothing in the car is olde everything was changed and than he sold it to me ,a younger guy with only 60 years old
Problems and Achilles heel with cars from 70/80/90’s “rust” problem with cars from 2000 onwards “electronics and plastics”
I had CLK280 2006, when I bought it I bought diagnostic tool to go with it. It always had a "fault" for today. I may aswell left the tool connected to remove the "fault for the day". That said I ran it for two years and sold it for a loss of £500. Cheap motoring I would say...but always felt I was playing Russian Roulette. Would I play it again nope!
I have a 2005 CLK 55 AMG so I know what you mean with the "Malfunctions" lmao. Light bulb out? "Malfunction"... I swear it was a psy-ops trick from Mercedes to make you feel like you needed to get it serviced all of the time.
I own a W221 for a while. One thing I'll say it it's not the kind of car to have if you can't do your own maintenance and fix any issues yourself. Add to that road tax is high and 30mpg is ambitious. If you had it as a second or third car where it wasn't driven very much probably worth having.
Been browsing the classifieds for these over the last few weeks. I have a soft spot for them ever since I hoofed a S63 AMG around Millbrook Proving Ground back when they were new. Although reading the comments and listening to the spend tally in the video... eek! Think I'll go for a Jag XJ instead. Or an Audi A8... what I really want is a W126 with a retrofit newer engine and especially gearbox... love that era of Mercs.
Talk about out of the frying pan into the fire if you think an XJ or A8 will be more reliable or cheaper!
@@grandtrousers I knew someone would bite! 😂 Only one way to find out...
@@cabra2365 don't get me wrong they are all good cars, especially the aluminium bodied XJ358 but there really isn't much between any of them when it comes to service and maintenance costs.
Some people think they can run large luxury cars on a Toyota Aygo budget.
Even 9.5K is not that much if found something you like.
8:40 “no problems with the air suspension”. The air suspension on this car has been removed 😂
Err, no my car has the ABC suspension, which was replaced by the previous owner. As I’m sure you know, you could specify which suspension you wanted.