W220 Opinions

[Spinal]

Recently, I've been keeping an eye on the car market price crash, and one of my dream cars has come into the "affordable" price range"; the monstrous 6-litre, V12 S-class...

So I started looking at the W140 vs the W220, and the difference in engine power is just shocking... so I quite like the W220!

Now, my plans were to get the car next year, as a prize for finishing my masters and the timbuktu rally; and I really wanted a 3-door coupe... but while chatting to a friend, I saw this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mercedes-Benz...14&_trkparms=72:1301|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318

Now, at just under 10k for a W220 with 45k miles seems like quite a good deal, even though it's not a 3-door model...

What do you think?

M.

 

[jonnyboy]

i'm not convinced by it. Not keen on the colour combo, plus 4 previous owners yet only 45k miles for an uber-saloon? careful provenance check required.
a 430/500 is plenty fast enough and a hell of a lot less to put right when it breaks down.....now....if it was £7k thats different!!!!

 

[stumpy1]

Stick to the 500 is my advice. More than enough power and your budget gets you a newer better built car. The 600 running costs are truly shocking if it goes **** up.

 

[jonnyboy]

PS i've got a lovely w140 s500 in azurite/mushroom for £3150!

 

[alanuk400]

Stick to the 500 is my advice. More than enough power and your budget gets you a newer better built car. The 600 running costs are truly shocking if it goes **** up.

I Agree

Alan

 

[stumpy1]

With the fall in demand and prices for cars like this at present I see many people getting in over their heads. At 10 grand a 600 is 10% of its new price, but the repair bills go exponentially the other way. And for its first big tantrum it could swallow another 10 grand easily.

 

[Spinal]

I thought the 600 had the selective cylinder thing-a-ma-bob (magic the turns off/on only a certain number of cylinders) which the others don't have...

As for maintenance costs, I'm not too worried. I maintain all my cars (that's quite a few now as I get attached and never want to sell them) myself; if something very serious goes wrong... well, at that price I can just buy another, can't I?

The mileage did seem a bit odd... I wonder if a HPI check will show anything..

M.

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

An ex boss had a S500L and that was lovely to drive you just glide along. I remember using it once and he said it had the keyless go, he gave me the card I jumped in foot on brake pressed the gear lever and it wafts to life.

Went for a spin and got back to the office, parked up.....could I stop the engine??? In Park, credit card in pocket NO key..... Had me baffled until I realised you have to press the gear lever again


All that waffle basically to say the 500 was pleanty fast enough, he had the option that shuts the cyclinders when cruising. His would do 28 mpg on a run.

Lots and lots of electronics to go wrong, with the v12 lots more to service? is it any quicker?

The 45K looks good on bits of that car but the arm rest is very worn and seat does look a little tired.


I'm guessing there a lot of margain on the asking price as how many people are looking at them now?

 

[Will]

Hi Michele,

I agree with you - they are very nice looking cars for the money

But - one thing that a lot of people often forget:

A £100k car doesn't get cheaper to service/repair as it gets older, it gets much more expensive.

When they were new they were bad enough, but now that they are out of warranty and several years old, they can make even the most comfortable of wallets cry when they go wrong.

We're not talking brake pads and general service items here - complicated, expensive, specialist repairs - eg air suspension, electrical faults, exhausts can cost ££££s at a time.

Just for interest - what was your estimated budget for servicing/repairs per year?

Will

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Am I missing something? The map Around Liverpool etc doesnt look like this, the waters on the wrong side is it not?

 

[stevesey]

Am I missing something? The map Around Liverpool etc doesnt look like this, the waters on the wrong side is it not?

It's rotated the map to the direction of travel!! That's supposed to be a female trait isn't it?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Hahah, well I thought that but it still doesnt look right???

Ive only ever used old skool Tom Toms which dont do that.

 

[lynall]

Looks nice but with the tints and the colour i reckon ex limo/taxi hire car.

Bloke across town from me has got a w140 95plate s600 and i often wonder what thats worth not a lot i reckon.


Lynall

 

[Spinal]

Hi Michele,

I agree with you - they are very nice looking cars for the money

But - one thing that a lot of people often forget:

A £100k car doesn't get cheaper to service/repair as it gets older, it gets much more expensive.

When they were new they were bad enough, but now that they are out of warranty and several years old, they can make even the most comfortable of wallets cry when they go wrong.

We're not talking brake pads and general service items here - complicated, expensive, specialist repairs - eg air suspension, electrical faults, exhausts can cost ££££s at a time.

Just for interest - what was your estimated budget for servicing/repairs per year?

Will

I don't really budget but realistically, I was thinking around £2k or £3k a year for servicing.

On a side note, I'm sure the 5L engine is plenty, but I really have my mind set on the 6L (just wasnt sure on the W140 vs the W220). Oh, and I really really really would prefer the coupe - that's why I didn't click the buy-it-now button on that listing

I think I may wait, hopefully a coupe comes along with a less-dodgy mileage.

M.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Am I missing something? The map Around Liverpool etc doesnt look like this, the waters on the wrong side is it not?

Mine does that.

If you have a destination set up the map rotates to show direction of travel.

If you just select map with no destination entered it sometimes shows from the wrong angle, very noticable when I am travelling alongside the bay where I live and the sea shows on the wrong side of the road.