S Class experience sought.

[fredboo]

Im seriously thinking of upgrading to an S Class, (nothing new may be 2002).
i have a class 2002. are there a lot of differencies between the 2? my class is a 2.2 diesel auto, i have gotten up to 60 mpg on the motorway. what do you think, is there a matching economical S Class, i saw there is a 2.8 diesel,?
also are they as reliable? sorry to ask what may be so those more experienced members an easy question to answer but i have been so focused on my class that i havnt really looked elsewhere, i want to upgrade for the reason of more comfort on long journeys, does this make sense or shall i stick with the c class?

thanks all

 

[LTD]

I've just had my S500 for just over a month. 5 litre V8 petrol so it's not economical in the 60mpg sense. I did a day trip to Newcastle (around 360 miles on the day) and achieved 26mpg.

It's a 2003 with 100k on the clock. Runs like a Swiss watch.

Stunningly comfortable car and a joy to drive and be a passenger in.

 

[superhandsjeff]

Sclas

I have an S280 myself and wonder what the mpg is, good post mate, u got any further

 

[yachtman]

register on
Spritverbrauch berechnen und Autokosten verwalten
spiritmonitor.de, to see results in english.
there are
7 Diesel 29,8 MPG (Imp) 94.516 mi and 3.168 Imp.gal
8 Gasoline 22,1 MPG (Imp) 113.911 mi and 5.146 Imp.gal
2 LPG 18,8 MPG (Imp) 34.989 mi and 1.862 Imp.gal

on the site of various engine sizes, it will give you a idea of expected probably better consumption figs.

 

[Skintia99]

Friend of mine has a 2003 S350L and loves it, 120k bought it new, no major problems usually gets around 22mpg average, the only problems with the S-Class are the equipment levels, once you get used to the very smooth ride and gadgets I bet it's very hard to trade down to a 'lower' car

 

[glojo]

I thought the diesels were the straight six 3.2 Cdi engine?

 

[LTD]

I thought the diesels were the straight six 3.2 Cdi engine?

In the S Class yes.

The OP mentions C Class

 

[A-AvantGarde]

In the S Class yes.

The OP mentions C Class

Yes, I get the impression the OP has a C Class C220 CDI and is considering upgrading to a 2002 (ish) S Class.

As for the W220 (that's what that shape is called) S Class, the diesel was only available in one engine size 3.2 Diesel, it's called an S320 CDI.

As for economy I couldn't comment however it certainly won't be anywhere near as close to 60mpg!

The 2.8 is a petrol only and is probably best avoided. The S320 and S350 petrol or even the S500 5 litre could be considered, it really depends upon the amount of mileage that you cover and what type of driving you do. Don't be too concerned about quoted MPGs if you're only doing a few thousand miles a year.

As for faults / issues, main ones are:

Airmatic suspension fault/s (my dad has had issues with his W220)
Rust (again my dad has had problems on his too!)
I also think that some of the earlier cars had instrument cluster (speedo) failures.

Try to find a car with COMAND navigation. Also if you can stretch to it look for a facelift model (circa 2003+). They have clear front lights and revised rear lights, plus the interior looks slightly fresher with a completely different version of COMAND.

Hope this helps & good luck...

 

[silversilver]

Have driven my RHD 2004 S350 (42k) for 10k miles now in different conditions, around town usually around 19-21mpg, long motorway cruise around 24mpg, most I've ever had was 34.1mpg on a 60 mile motorway trip, driving at a constant 55-58mph. Comfort wise, would definitely reccomend the S class, especially as I live in Germany (nothing like cruising constantly at 125mph on the german autobahns!).

One thing I would say is having the correct tyre pressure really made a huge difference to my mpg (2-4mpg)

 

[The Boss]

s class diesel never available in 2.8 form.. only the 6 cylinders...

great car.. and if luxury is up your street, u cant do much better.. forget bmws and audis, the merc is the King!

 

[nullogik]

In general, how does the W220 hold against rusting that we see in similar aged W210s and CLKs?

 

[eGuru]

In general, how does the W220 hold against rusting that we see in similar aged W210s and CLKs?

Unfortunately some do have the rust problem, like mine for instance! However MB have been helpful in trying to sort things.

 

[mr. shr]

Mine's a year 2000 car and suffered from rust.
MB repaired it under their 8 year good will offer.

If you're buying a 2002 car, you will probably miss out on the 8 year thing as you have to own the car for six months before they'll entertain you (that's what my dealer said, anyway).

As already mentioned, I'd go for a face lift one as the interior (buttons etc) look a bit more modern. Plus the COMAND is better.
Get as many toys as possible, as that (IMO) is what an S Class is all about.

As for ride quality: my S Class has nearly 100k on the clock but it still feels and drives like a brand new car.

There are plenty out there so make sure you get one in good nick. I looked at a few that hadn't been looked after all that well (they are expensive cars to maintain, particularly if you have a fault.)

 

[tlzeebub]

I've got two a 1999 s430 and a 2003 s320cdi both have annoying niggles, the facelifted one is nicer inside with the later switches etc and the later lights, also from what i gather from the last quarter of 2002 they started to galvanise the bodies and from 2003 onwards they're all galvanised so no more rust, my 320cdi commuting 25miles gives me 40-42mpg and the 430 mives me 17-20mpg.

 

[hygt2]

Fortunately my 2003 diesel has never broken down but there are many niggles which can be costly to sort out if you don't DIY.

Here are the things needed doing outside the 2 regular services I had from when I bought it in June 2008 at 113k (at a very low trade price of £8,700 vs retail of £13,000) to now at 130k.

1) Front lower control arms and ball joints
2) Tyres - 2 sets
3) Brakes - front discs & pads and rear pads
4) LED indicators in mirror - 3 times
5) Parking sensor - 3 times
6) Injector no. 1, 2 & 3 replaced and re-seal no. 4 because of leaks
7) Airmatic front top struts re-seal
8) Torque converter replaced

Item 1 to 3 and to a certain extend item 8 were expected because it's a heavy car (LWB) and I used it on the track once every 2-3 months.

Item 4 and 5 was a result of people running into my car when parked on streets in central London without leaving a note as I could see scruff marks on the mirror and bumper.

Item 6 and 7 are common faults with CDI engines and W220 respectively.

The car averaged 32mpg overall in the period. I am guessing around 23mpg in central London rush hour traffic and 40mpg on fast motorway runs. The best I had was heavy motorway traffic doing 50 to 60 mph and the car registered 52mpg.

 

[hawk20]

Im seriously thinking of upgrading to an S Class, (nothing new may be 2002).
i have a class 2002. are there a lot of differencies between the 2? my class is a 2.2 diesel auto, i have gotten up to 60 mpg on the motorway. what do you think, is there a matching economical S Class, i saw there is a 2.8 diesel,?
also are they as reliable? sorry to ask what may be so those more experienced members an easy question to answer but i have been so focused on my class that i havnt really looked elsewhere, i want to upgrade for the reason of more comfort on long journeys, does this make sense or shall i stick with the c class?

thanks all

Get one produced in 2003 or later and it will be fully galvanised all steel panels. Ask when produced -not just date of registration.

Fantastic car. No real equal IMO. The 320cdi has a combined fuel economy figure of a bit over 35 mpg and that is what it does pretty easily on a run. More if you are very gentle. Magic carpet ride, loads of grunt, drives like a much smaller car. It is just such a pleasure to drive you will keep thinking up excuses to go for a drive.

 

[hygt2]

Get one produced in 2003 or later and it will be fully galvanised all steel panels. Ask when produced -not just date of registration.

Fantastic car. No real equal IMO. The 320cdi has a combined fuel economy figure of a bit over 35 mpg and that is what it does pretty easily on a run. More if you are very gentle. Magic carpet ride, loads of grunt, drives like a much smaller car. It is just such a pleasure to drive you will keep thinking up excuses to go for a drive.

Agreed with everything said. I just think the "drive like a much smaller car" bit was applicable in 1999, much less now.

Having driven the XJD and A8 when choosing my 2003 W220, both the Jaguar and the Audi drove like a smaller car on B-roads or single track roads than the W220. The steering was sharper and the whole car (front and back) could change direction faster than my W220.

However the W220 has the better "sat solidly on the road" feeling than any luxury car I have driven on any road surface and at any road speed and that was what I want for my saloon.

 

[glojo]

I do not want to be misunderstood when Isy this but when buying a modern car the servicing costs can be quite expensive.

If you opt to use an independant then PLEASE make sure they have a genuine STAR diagnostic unit. These expensive little gadgets are needed to carry out all the latest upgrades,which might be very important.

If you elect to use these outlets, or you decide to service it yourself then you will not see any of the very important service bulletins which tell dealers about any important\significant checks, modifications or alterations need doing. If you skimp on servicing... It will eventually bite andbite your wallet in a big way.

The 320Cdi is an EXCELLENT engine with amazing performance (for a diesel) plus economy that other executive cars can only dream of.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Have I ever said that if Mercedes ever built an S-class estate I would be the first in the queue

 

[dchester]

Have I ever said that if Mercedes ever built an S-class estate I would be the first in the queue

You might have mentioned it once before, but I'm not sure now!

 

[Goldcard]

Fantastic car. No real equal IMO. The 320cdi has a combined fuel economy figure of a bit over 35 mpg and that is what it does pretty easily on a run. More if you are very gentle. Magic carpet ride, loads of grunt, drives like a much smaller car. It is just such a pleasure to drive you will keep thinking up excuses to go for a drive.

I couldn't agree more. I've had my 2001 W220 320Cdi for nearly four years now, 37mpg average, 45+mpg on a long run if I'm careful with my right foot (the trouble is that it goes so well it's hard to be that restrained!).

Even nearly four years later I do still look for excuses to drive it!