Mercedes R class R500 5.5

[Gholloway81]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and looking for some advice, I've recently had twins and now have 4 kids needing car seats and have decided upon an R class as a good option.

I recently sold a lovely Audi A6 avant 4.2 V8 and have seen a nice 2008 R500 5.5 on auto trader with 64k miles for 8.5k.

Has anyone on here had experience with this engine, is there anything I should be looking out for in terms of know issues?

I know it's a thirsty car but we will only be doing around 5000 miles a year in it and much prefer a large petrol engine to a more expensive turbo diesel option like the r350d

Any thoughts and experiences would be greatly welcomed

Thanks

George

 

[BTB 500]

Hi & welcome

That car is discussed at length here:

R500

 

[Gholloway81]

Hi and thanks for that, it's certainly had a lot of interest on here.

Does anyone have any generic comments on that engine or common r class problems I should be aware of.

Tyabjs

 

[E55BOF]

Welcome to the forum. I wouldn't pay more than £7K, though, and even that is £800 more than the 'going rate' as established on eBay. He says he paid the full asking price of £10K, but I certainly wouldn't have after seeing what it bid to. If you want it, just go for it. Let us know if you do; it will save me a phone call.

 

[E55BOF]

You actually need what it has to offer. I don't; it's just a whim for me, and I might not like it anyway. I'm not going to get into a bidding war; I'll pay £7K, but no more.

I'd leave it a while, though; I'll not be calling him before the 22nd, with a view to going to see it on the 24th, and the longer it stays unsold, the more likely he'll take a sensible offer. He's had it on eBay twice now (plenty of watchers, but no buyers), and on Autotrader too, so he's keen to sell.

Good luck, and enjoy; I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[E55BOF]

Did you buy it, GHolloway81? If you did, do tell us what you think of it.

 

[Londonscottish]

Does anyone have any generic comments on that engine

Tyabjs

I've got that engine in my E Class and it's a cracker. I had 2 x C43's before and 5.0 E500 which were listed as having 303-306 bhp and 300-340 lb/ft. The 5.5 supposedly puts out 383 bhp and 390 lbt/ft it feels like more to me. The difference in shove all the way through the rev range is remarkable. With the 5.5 the car has diesel-like torque off the line, a barrel-chested mid-range and a pretty ferocious top end. Two years on and it still suprises me when I use the paddles to drop a couple of gears and let it rip. Being a V8 it's also super smooth and very quiet unless you prod it a bit.

I'm not aware of any issues with the engine. I'm sure it would suit the R Class well.

 

[SW18]

I've got that engine in my E Class and it's a cracker. I had 2 x C43's before and 5.0 E500 which were listed as having 303-306 bhp and 300-340 lb/ft. The 5.5 supposedly puts out 383 bhp and 390 lbt/ft it feels like more to me. The difference in shove all the way through the rev range is remarkable. With the 5.5 the car has diesel-like torque off the line, a barrel-chested mid-range and a pretty ferocious top end. Two years on and it still suprises me when I use the paddles to drop a couple of gears and let it rip. Being a V8 it's also super smooth and very quiet unless you prod it a bit.

I'm not aware of any issues with the engine. I'm sure it would suit the R Class well.

I second that! A great engine and its thirst for fuel is not as bad as people think. In the E class I get 26-27mpg from a mix of town and long trips (I don’t commute in it though). A long steady motorway trip might see 30-31mpg. The R class will be slightly thirstier due to its bulk.

There was an engine issue with early examples of the M273 5.5 V8: the timing gear could wear prematurely and lead to an expensive repair. Engines up to a certain engine number were affected so it’s easy to check the engine number on the V5. Details here: Looking at a W221 S500L ('56 plate) with EML some advice

 

[Gholloway81]

No haven't bought it as yet and like you see it isn't on Ebay anyone.

I am actually waiting to sell another car before buying something else and was hoping to be in a position to buy it already but it hasn't happened yet.

I was pretty sold on the car but the seller was sticking to his guns price wise.

I hope it is still for sale as I am still keen on it.

Thanks for the comments on the engine, very helpful and persuasive......

 

[BTB 500]

The R class will be slightly thirstier due to its bulk.

And being 4WD, I think.

 

[E55BOF]

The engine number from the car's VIN is well outside the 'at-risk' range for timing gear issues, so no cause for concern on that score.

 

[Gholloway81]

Just found out from seller someone purchased it through auto trader.

Back to the drawing board....

 

[DaveE320CDI]

Still listed for sale here? Saved Adverts

 

[Cyclone1]

Wonder if the buyer is on here?? Was a good price.....

 

[E55BOF]

Phew! Saved me from possibly having to sell the E63...

 

[E55BOF]

Did the seller actually say it was sold, or that he had taken a deposit? He told me he had taken a deposit to try to push me into raising my offer, but it was still for sale a week later...

If you want/need an R500, there are still a couple around, albeit with the 5.0 M113 engine.

 

[Cyclone1]

I reckon the buyer is on here. It was a decent and rare example, so a good buy. I’m sure they’ll be along soon posting some pics.