Are there many W221 S class owners on here?
Discussion
So I'm looking for a new luxury car. I've got a Vauxhall monaro up for sale at the moment, it's amazing when I'm giving it stick and making noise out in the countryside but I work away 5 or 6 days a week, so in reality, I have a car which is very susceptible to parking damage (bumpers are £2000 each, no front parking sensors) and it has a load of tranmission shunt. Then I only really use it to go to the shops and up and down the motorway. In short, I miss my old lexus ls400.
Since owning my lexus, I've gone from minimum wage, to a good wage, and I've decided I want another Luxobarge. My current dilemma is wether to spend a few grand and get a W140/C140 or Lexus LS430 or wether to spend more, save less, and get a W221 Mercedes S500 or Lexus LS460 (I'm currently eyeing up the red S500 in Edinburgh on the auto trader).
So this thread is really about the W221. I know the W220 had quality and reliability issues which Mercedes seem to have improved vastly, but I've spent the last couple of weeks googling them, but it seems W221 owners on the whole aren't big forum users, or Internet users for that matter. What I have found out - diesels have diesel problems and v6 petrols have timing gear issues (not an issue as s500 or nothing for me). I think some cars can have gearbox issues around the 120k mark but I've not worked out which engine has to be fitted for this to be an issue. aside from these issues they seem pretty reliable on the whole, am I right? Is there anything I should be looking out for?
Spec wise, I'm limiting myself slightly as I don't really want a boring colour with a black interior, but is distronic worth looking for? How's the lower spec audio, and do they all have an aux in, is it easy to fit one if not? Do cooled seats really make much of a difference? Other options I should look for?
Has anyone had a go in this and the LS460? I've yet to test drive anything (seems rude to do so before I've sold my current car) I'm interested to see your comparisons.
Thanks all.
Nick
Since owning my lexus, I've gone from minimum wage, to a good wage, and I've decided I want another Luxobarge. My current dilemma is wether to spend a few grand and get a W140/C140 or Lexus LS430 or wether to spend more, save less, and get a W221 Mercedes S500 or Lexus LS460 (I'm currently eyeing up the red S500 in Edinburgh on the auto trader).
So this thread is really about the W221. I know the W220 had quality and reliability issues which Mercedes seem to have improved vastly, but I've spent the last couple of weeks googling them, but it seems W221 owners on the whole aren't big forum users, or Internet users for that matter. What I have found out - diesels have diesel problems and v6 petrols have timing gear issues (not an issue as s500 or nothing for me). I think some cars can have gearbox issues around the 120k mark but I've not worked out which engine has to be fitted for this to be an issue. aside from these issues they seem pretty reliable on the whole, am I right? Is there anything I should be looking out for?
Spec wise, I'm limiting myself slightly as I don't really want a boring colour with a black interior, but is distronic worth looking for? How's the lower spec audio, and do they all have an aux in, is it easy to fit one if not? Do cooled seats really make much of a difference? Other options I should look for?
Has anyone had a go in this and the LS460? I've yet to test drive anything (seems rude to do so before I've sold my current car) I'm interested to see your comparisons.
Thanks all.
Nick
Edited by bigfatnick on Friday 10th April 06:38
That is a lovely looking car. I'm not after a cheap car to run, but could be swayed towards something else if I know I'm likely to receive bills for multiple thousand pounds, I'm hoping this will be a long term keeper so I'd like something built to last and without too many design flaws.
Thanks for replying!
Thanks for replying!
Thanks Andrew. I'm glad you said about being able to get comfortable, it's something I've struggled with in the past, hence the Vauxhall Monaro as finding sports cars for people who are big is tricky to say the least!
The servicing sounds like a real bargain compared to what myself and the previous owner has spent on my car. Though I am concerned that people keep saying to buy from a dealer. I think these cars are at the age where thy are no longer being sold by Mercedes dealers. All the w221 s500's under 13k (my auto trader search) are either at second hand dealers or private sales. Though I have noticed that many are one owner cars, which indicates to me that the owners might just buy a new S class when the new one comes out, trade the old one in, which the mercedes dealer doesn't want to sell so it goes to a local second hand dealer or auction.
Thanks
The servicing sounds like a real bargain compared to what myself and the previous owner has spent on my car. Though I am concerned that people keep saying to buy from a dealer. I think these cars are at the age where thy are no longer being sold by Mercedes dealers. All the w221 s500's under 13k (my auto trader search) are either at second hand dealers or private sales. Though I have noticed that many are one owner cars, which indicates to me that the owners might just buy a new S class when the new one comes out, trade the old one in, which the mercedes dealer doesn't want to sell so it goes to a local second hand dealer or auction.
Thanks
Woohoo! So I sold my monaro today!
The Scottish red S500 is at the top of my list (it isn't on the silver/grey/black scale, has a light coloured interior and seems well ish specced). I'm also hoping to view the lwb, black (but tan interiored) and well specced S500 in Blackburn tomorrow, that said the garage was a bit iffy with me on the phone and I HATE rude garages.
I'm interested in the CL's but I feel I'd be really scraping the barrel with a C216 CL500, looking at the absolute cheapest on offer, and whilst I'm sure the c215 are amazing, they are from the era of dubious Mercedes quality, so whilst I wouldn't mind a couple of grand throwaway one, I think even a nice C215 could be a timebomb. Or am I over thinking this?
On a side note, I had a go in an old knackered W140 S420 today, just because I could. Very refined, but not for me I don't think, I think Id like something a little more modern.
I'd still like a go in an LS460.
The Scottish red S500 is at the top of my list (it isn't on the silver/grey/black scale, has a light coloured interior and seems well ish specced). I'm also hoping to view the lwb, black (but tan interiored) and well specced S500 in Blackburn tomorrow, that said the garage was a bit iffy with me on the phone and I HATE rude garages.
I'm interested in the CL's but I feel I'd be really scraping the barrel with a C216 CL500, looking at the absolute cheapest on offer, and whilst I'm sure the c215 are amazing, they are from the era of dubious Mercedes quality, so whilst I wouldn't mind a couple of grand throwaway one, I think even a nice C215 could be a timebomb. Or am I over thinking this?
On a side note, I had a go in an old knackered W140 S420 today, just because I could. Very refined, but not for me I don't think, I think Id like something a little more modern.
I'd still like a go in an LS460.
So I drove a W221 today. The black lwb one with the tan interior in burnley. Well it was one of those garages where they basically wanted you to commit to buy before you could drive it, I explained it was between his and the one in Edinburgh and I couldn't commit before having a go.
Impressions, not really any improvement in ride or roadnoise over yesterday's w140. and the engine is nice, but the gearbox nowhere near as nice as the 8 speed in the f10 523i I drove yesterday. Still good, but not amazing. Didn't get up to open road speeds, garage only allowed a 5 minute, round town test drive. Tan leather is my favourite thing! And I don't mind black paint if combined with tan leather. Bum warmers were not particularly good, nothing like my brothers e65 7 series and worst of all, a car like that, fully specced up, and no aux in for the audio. Is this common? However, with all these comments, it was comfy and made me feel special ( especially the tan interior) which is the main thing for me.
In short, I liked it, it made me happy, lack of aux in and decent bum warmers was disappointing.
Is it an easy job to retro fit an aux in? Or can you play music through the Bluetooth?
Thanks
Impressions, not really any improvement in ride or roadnoise over yesterday's w140. and the engine is nice, but the gearbox nowhere near as nice as the 8 speed in the f10 523i I drove yesterday. Still good, but not amazing. Didn't get up to open road speeds, garage only allowed a 5 minute, round town test drive. Tan leather is my favourite thing! And I don't mind black paint if combined with tan leather. Bum warmers were not particularly good, nothing like my brothers e65 7 series and worst of all, a car like that, fully specced up, and no aux in for the audio. Is this common? However, with all these comments, it was comfy and made me feel special ( especially the tan interior) which is the main thing for me.
In short, I liked it, it made me happy, lack of aux in and decent bum warmers was disappointing.
Is it an easy job to retro fit an aux in? Or can you play music through the Bluetooth?
Thanks
Edited by bigfatnick on Sunday 12th April 19:38
Thanks again Andrew, this mercedes section of pistonheads does seem to give very good service! Perhaps indicative of the type of person who enjoys a mercedes!
I'm glad you've said about that PCMCIA slot! Myself and my Dad couldn't work out what the slightly minidisc ish slot beneath the cd barrel was for. Now we know. Does it play most of the normal file formats?
I have to agree the engine was very nice, didn't pull or have urgency like the 6litre ls2 in my monaro, but could definitely be described as effortless, and the car didn't Rock and shake like mine does on idle, difficult to tell it was turned on. A nice noise too, it's nice to know you have a v8, the Lexus I had was maybe too quiet, and the monaro too shouty, a nice compromise. I definitely wouldn't have said the gearbox was bad, maybe not quite as good as the modern 8 speed zf in the BMW's, but still nice. I woke up thinking about how much I actually did quite like it, the quality really was there, it made me feel special, and that tan interior,
.
I've just spoke to the dealer of the red one as I'm in Scotland today with work today, unfortunately he has someone coming today to view it, he says he'll let me know how it goes. I will say he sounded a lot more accommodating than the last garage.
I thought these cars would be difficult to shift, people tend not to want v8's these days, but I keep missing these ls460's and s classes! Lucky for me I'm not in too much of a rush.
I'm glad you've said about that PCMCIA slot! Myself and my Dad couldn't work out what the slightly minidisc ish slot beneath the cd barrel was for. Now we know. Does it play most of the normal file formats?
I have to agree the engine was very nice, didn't pull or have urgency like the 6litre ls2 in my monaro, but could definitely be described as effortless, and the car didn't Rock and shake like mine does on idle, difficult to tell it was turned on. A nice noise too, it's nice to know you have a v8, the Lexus I had was maybe too quiet, and the monaro too shouty, a nice compromise. I definitely wouldn't have said the gearbox was bad, maybe not quite as good as the modern 8 speed zf in the BMW's, but still nice. I woke up thinking about how much I actually did quite like it, the quality really was there, it made me feel special, and that tan interior,
.I've just spoke to the dealer of the red one as I'm in Scotland today with work today, unfortunately he has someone coming today to view it, he says he'll let me know how it goes. I will say he sounded a lot more accommodating than the last garage.
I thought these cars would be difficult to shift, people tend not to want v8's these days, but I keep missing these ls460's and s classes! Lucky for me I'm not in too much of a rush.
So I managed to get a go in the red one last night, the garage were brilliant, excellent customer service (actually drove out to meet me - I'm a lorry driver and they said I would struggle to park near them, so they brought it out to the ring road for me).
It was essentially the same as the black one, both in a similar, one very well off owner, want for nothing, excellent condition, even the spec was basically the same, barring the black one has Bluetooth and is Lwb. The red one also had 17 inch wheels, an inch smaller, I would say there was a noticeable difference to ride and possibly even roadnoise.
I have to say though, in pictures the red one looks quite different to in real life. The red is slightly more purple and the interior slightly more yellowish, I'm not sure it felt as special as the black one (mainly down to my love of tan interiors).
I think I have some soul searching to do. (And potential viewing of the newly appeared on the auto trader, 111k, one owner CL500 for sale in the Midlands.)
It was essentially the same as the black one, both in a similar, one very well off owner, want for nothing, excellent condition, even the spec was basically the same, barring the black one has Bluetooth and is Lwb. The red one also had 17 inch wheels, an inch smaller, I would say there was a noticeable difference to ride and possibly even roadnoise.
I have to say though, in pictures the red one looks quite different to in real life. The red is slightly more purple and the interior slightly more yellowish, I'm not sure it felt as special as the black one (mainly down to my love of tan interiors).
I think I have some soul searching to do. (And potential viewing of the newly appeared on the auto trader, 111k, one owner CL500 for sale in the Midlands.)
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