S-Class - 2008/9 (W221)
Discussion
Just wondered if anyone had owned an S Class from the this era, how was it, any known issues?
My main car currently is an E320 CDI (3.2 I6), I've had it nearly 4 years and it's been frankly brilliant. I only do 12-13k a year but I do 250 mile round trips four times a month so I'm sat in the car 4-5 hours at a time.
The E Class is comfy but is the S Class that much better? I'm only looking at the S320 or 350 diesels which I'd look to remap in the future anyway.
If anyone has any tips or advice they'd be most welcome. These seem to be crazy value at around £7-8k with sub-100k miles. I bought my E Class with 102k on the clock and have covered 40k so far. I'd hope the S would cover distances as well if not better.
My main car currently is an E320 CDI (3.2 I6), I've had it nearly 4 years and it's been frankly brilliant. I only do 12-13k a year but I do 250 mile round trips four times a month so I'm sat in the car 4-5 hours at a time.
The E Class is comfy but is the S Class that much better? I'm only looking at the S320 or 350 diesels which I'd look to remap in the future anyway.
If anyone has any tips or advice they'd be most welcome. These seem to be crazy value at around £7-8k with sub-100k miles. I bought my E Class with 102k on the clock and have covered 40k so far. I'd hope the S would cover distances as well if not better.
In isolation the E class is comfy.....then you experience the S and that's a whole new level of ride comfort.
I had an ex chauffeur 2012 S350L last year which was brilliant, I actually drove that to look at a 2009 E320CDI for my bro-in-law. I remember thinking on the drive home how different the same piece of road felt, in that in the Eclass on test drive there were road surface changes and surface imperfections which weren't noticeable in the S.
Happy hunting!
Cheers,
Chris
I had an ex chauffeur 2012 S350L last year which was brilliant, I actually drove that to look at a 2009 E320CDI for my bro-in-law. I remember thinking on the drive home how different the same piece of road felt, in that in the Eclass on test drive there were road surface changes and surface imperfections which weren't noticeable in the S.
Happy hunting!
Cheers,
Chris
I struggle a bit with all-to-familiar tropes in relation to particular cars and their place in the pecking order.
Over the past 15 months, I have covered 22,000 miles in my 2013 W221 S350L and the overall experience has been rewarding, but ‘ride quality’ is highly subjective and the biggest variable is the road surface itself.
My car runs 18” wheels with the OE M0 spec Contis but as soon as you hit a concrete surfaced stretch of dual carriageway, you feel the need to drop your speed to avoid the sensation of driving into a belt sander which rotating in the opposite direction and I am convinced that ‘lesser cars’ cope at least as well if not better.
Over the past 15 months, I have covered 22,000 miles in my 2013 W221 S350L and the overall experience has been rewarding, but ‘ride quality’ is highly subjective and the biggest variable is the road surface itself.
My car runs 18” wheels with the OE M0 spec Contis but as soon as you hit a concrete surfaced stretch of dual carriageway, you feel the need to drop your speed to avoid the sensation of driving into a belt sander which rotating in the opposite direction and I am convinced that ‘lesser cars’ cope at least as well if not better.
Thanks for the replies chaps, it's what I was hoping to hear. The E Class is the comfiest car I've owned and over the years of owning it, it's never let me down. I mean I am literally up and down the motorways but after 2-3 hours I do find the legs ache.
Nice to hear that the S Class is that step up though, I've got my eye on a low mileage S320 with under 70k on the clock. Will see what happens.
Nice to hear that the S Class is that step up though, I've got my eye on a low mileage S320 with under 70k on the clock. Will see what happens.
Some W221 shopper tips..
320 will be Euro4
350 BlueEfficiency will be Euro5
350 BlueTEC will be Euro6 and ULEZ compliant (for the near future at least)
This will presumably be reflected in valuations but consider a higher miles Euro6 car for similar money, other things being equal.
In my BlueTEC I’ve seen 48mpg on a 600 mile Devon to NE Scotland run which was completed on one tank with 100 miles left in reserve...
Day to day I get 40mpg.
I spent some time looking for a car with DistronicPlus. Surprisingly rare but it makes the car for me. Easy to spot which cars have it as there is a smooth plastic square section of the front grille below the there-pointed star.
I prefer the looks of the AMG line but wanted the best ride comfort so chose the base trim to get the 18” wheels. Would be interested to know if anyone has experience of the AMG line on 19”.
I enjoy the DAB (it was an option).
Panoramic roof is great, but only available on the L.
The 5th seat is quite a compromise. My mistake to think otherwise, but I came to the S from a Discovery and 3rd child has the short straw.
You can connect an iPhone (with a 30-pin adapter plugged into a short cable the glovebox) and use it as a source of offline music/audiobooks and I see some basic info on the Command screen (not sure what version of Command I have and older versions may not be up to it).
I can also get the Alexa app on my phone to work with Amazon Music.
Try and find some speed-humps on any test drive as you might hear some creaks from the suspension which you won’t hear in general driving.
320 will be Euro4
350 BlueEfficiency will be Euro5
350 BlueTEC will be Euro6 and ULEZ compliant (for the near future at least)
This will presumably be reflected in valuations but consider a higher miles Euro6 car for similar money, other things being equal.
In my BlueTEC I’ve seen 48mpg on a 600 mile Devon to NE Scotland run which was completed on one tank with 100 miles left in reserve...
Day to day I get 40mpg.
I spent some time looking for a car with DistronicPlus. Surprisingly rare but it makes the car for me. Easy to spot which cars have it as there is a smooth plastic square section of the front grille below the there-pointed star.
I prefer the looks of the AMG line but wanted the best ride comfort so chose the base trim to get the 18” wheels. Would be interested to know if anyone has experience of the AMG line on 19”.
I enjoy the DAB (it was an option).
Panoramic roof is great, but only available on the L.
The 5th seat is quite a compromise. My mistake to think otherwise, but I came to the S from a Discovery and 3rd child has the short straw.
You can connect an iPhone (with a 30-pin adapter plugged into a short cable the glovebox) and use it as a source of offline music/audiobooks and I see some basic info on the Command screen (not sure what version of Command I have and older versions may not be up to it).
I can also get the Alexa app on my phone to work with Amazon Music.
Try and find some speed-humps on any test drive as you might hear some creaks from the suspension which you won’t hear in general driving.
Edited by Mogul on Saturday 25th January 20:38
I get to mess around with a lot of Mercedes, both new and old and still think that the w221 is an great car. I used my (albeit it slightly neglected) w220 for a few days recently and was almost overwhelmed at how much nicer my 221 is in comparison.
I'd rank a face lift 220 with a 211/212 E - Class in terms of build quality ("good, but not quite top luxury tier"). A 221 with extended leather is the closest I've found to the interior feel I experienced apprenticing on Bentley Conti GTs outside spending £20k+ for a dog earred example (I've tried phaetons, a8s, 7 series, etc.)
I primarily use mine for doing a three hour drive into London after a 9 hour shift of driving a Vito. I genuinely feel more refreshed and awake after the drive in the 221. Leave, zone out a bit, arrive, it's ace
.
The V6 diesel is a lovely engine and the first (and probably only diesel engine) I've ever worked with that I kinda want to own. All the torque you realistically need nice and low down the rev range, generally reliable (although I'd keep a ~£1k war chest set aside "just in case") and fuel economy that makes me green with envy as a V12TT owner.
I've put 7k miles on a bargain basement 212k mile s600 in a year and the worst I've had to do are engine mounts (£300 Inc labour), a evap sensor (£35) and an unexplained cracked sump pan (£150 + Oil).
I've noticed that many older gentleman seem to hold onto their 221s purchased new (or close to it). They're always super passionate and enthusiastic about their cars and almost always share my thoughts: "Well, What on earth am I supposed to replace it with?"
The correct answer is a 222. But I'm waiting for my pal depreciation to do their work first
.
I'd rank a face lift 220 with a 211/212 E - Class in terms of build quality ("good, but not quite top luxury tier"). A 221 with extended leather is the closest I've found to the interior feel I experienced apprenticing on Bentley Conti GTs outside spending £20k+ for a dog earred example (I've tried phaetons, a8s, 7 series, etc.)
I primarily use mine for doing a three hour drive into London after a 9 hour shift of driving a Vito. I genuinely feel more refreshed and awake after the drive in the 221. Leave, zone out a bit, arrive, it's ace
.The V6 diesel is a lovely engine and the first (and probably only diesel engine) I've ever worked with that I kinda want to own. All the torque you realistically need nice and low down the rev range, generally reliable (although I'd keep a ~£1k war chest set aside "just in case") and fuel economy that makes me green with envy as a V12TT owner.
I've put 7k miles on a bargain basement 212k mile s600 in a year and the worst I've had to do are engine mounts (£300 Inc labour), a evap sensor (£35) and an unexplained cracked sump pan (£150 + Oil).
I've noticed that many older gentleman seem to hold onto their 221s purchased new (or close to it). They're always super passionate and enthusiastic about their cars and almost always share my thoughts: "Well, What on earth am I supposed to replace it with?"
The correct answer is a 222. But I'm waiting for my pal depreciation to do their work first
.Thanks both for even more top info! Thank you. 
In terms of the Euro 4, 5, 6 aspect I'm not too worried, 99% of my driving is along the M25/M3/M4 so I'm rarely in town. I work in Central London but take a bus and train to the office. My only thought were the power differences but a re-map would see 280bhp and 470lbs which I think for a steady cruise and plenty of overtaking grunt would be fine.
At least from a comfort perspective it sounds ideal. Features wise, my daily car is a 2003 so CDs only and if I'm feeling particularly retro I could use a casette, I'd be happy with MP3 CDs if nothing else although a USB socket would do me nicely.
As long as it's got memory heated seats and I'd like a sunroof it'll be comparable in spec to my E Class. Of course anything extra is a plus.
In terms of the Euro 4, 5, 6 aspect I'm not too worried, 99% of my driving is along the M25/M3/M4 so I'm rarely in town. I work in Central London but take a bus and train to the office. My only thought were the power differences but a re-map would see 280bhp and 470lbs which I think for a steady cruise and plenty of overtaking grunt would be fine.
At least from a comfort perspective it sounds ideal. Features wise, my daily car is a 2003 so CDs only and if I'm feeling particularly retro I could use a casette, I'd be happy with MP3 CDs if nothing else although a USB socket would do me nicely.
As long as it's got memory heated seats and I'd like a sunroof it'll be comparable in spec to my E Class. Of course anything extra is a plus.
A couple of other thoughts...
The headlights on my 2013 W221 are ace and the auto dip functions well. Am I correct in thinking that all facelift models have these as standard?
The reversing camera is rather poor. Low res by today's standards, it will get wet and at night, the reversing lights aren't great.
Reversing can be a bit hit or miss (geddit) as it would appear that they want you to look at the rearview mirror (for the yellow and red warning lights to appear in the headlining, just above the rear window) but you'll also want to look down at the screen to see what the camera sees. I was surprised how close one needs to get before the first beeps are are produced and you'll need to recalibrate your approach if you are hopping between cars that start beeping from much farther back....
The headlights on my 2013 W221 are ace and the auto dip functions well. Am I correct in thinking that all facelift models have these as standard?
The reversing camera is rather poor. Low res by today's standards, it will get wet and at night, the reversing lights aren't great.
Reversing can be a bit hit or miss (geddit) as it would appear that they want you to look at the rearview mirror (for the yellow and red warning lights to appear in the headlining, just above the rear window) but you'll also want to look down at the screen to see what the camera sees. I was surprised how close one needs to get before the first beeps are are produced and you'll need to recalibrate your approach if you are hopping between cars that start beeping from much farther back....
I would be surprised if they don't all have the reversing camera.
Back to your original question about comfort and bork factor. You will probably enjoy the adjustability of the seats as I find it helps to adjust the seats from time to time on long schleps. The memory function helps here as I have a couple of positions set which I alternate between etc.
The overall feel good factor though is limited by the road surface (can't get around this, IMO).
As a serial Merc. owner, you will be familiar with the Artico fake/vegan leather. It's very durable and sensible but you just don't get the same feeling as you do with hide.
My BlueTEC takes some time to heat up on a cold morning (too damn efficient) and I miss the fuel burning heater on my Disco. Heated steering wheels also very rare on W221s and the air conditioning works well overall but I have found it hard to get my feet toasty when I might want them to be.
Other trivial points include the fact that reclining rear seats are standard on the L and an incredibly rare option on the SWB.
I have never seen one with double glazed side windows option (I think it was possible: two sheets stuck together with no gap between them unlike the W140 of yore).
Bork factor wise, I've been OK so far but the previous owner had an EML which was though to relate to the heating element in the AdBlue tank but was cleared with a software refresh (if the notes on the main dealer invoice are to be believed) and I recently had one which cost me £600 to fix and involved the replacement of the AdBlue injector). The first I knew about it was a message to say that engine start will not be possible after 500 miles. It counted down below 400 a few times and cleared before re-appearing and then when it dropped below 200, I took it to a specialist and they did what they did and it's been clear since.
Overall, I do rate it quite highly in terms of VFM. I started off looking for a E-class and realised that a good S was available at the same price point.
I never use the paddle shift but S mode is great way to get away from the lights...
I chose the L because of the comedy value but would like to try a SWB and would expect it to be that bit more nimble.
A petrol engine would be be preferable but happy with the diesel MPG and 1,800 rpm cruising.
Back to your original question about comfort and bork factor. You will probably enjoy the adjustability of the seats as I find it helps to adjust the seats from time to time on long schleps. The memory function helps here as I have a couple of positions set which I alternate between etc.
The overall feel good factor though is limited by the road surface (can't get around this, IMO).
As a serial Merc. owner, you will be familiar with the Artico fake/vegan leather. It's very durable and sensible but you just don't get the same feeling as you do with hide.
My BlueTEC takes some time to heat up on a cold morning (too damn efficient) and I miss the fuel burning heater on my Disco. Heated steering wheels also very rare on W221s and the air conditioning works well overall but I have found it hard to get my feet toasty when I might want them to be.
Other trivial points include the fact that reclining rear seats are standard on the L and an incredibly rare option on the SWB.
I have never seen one with double glazed side windows option (I think it was possible: two sheets stuck together with no gap between them unlike the W140 of yore).
Bork factor wise, I've been OK so far but the previous owner had an EML which was though to relate to the heating element in the AdBlue tank but was cleared with a software refresh (if the notes on the main dealer invoice are to be believed) and I recently had one which cost me £600 to fix and involved the replacement of the AdBlue injector). The first I knew about it was a message to say that engine start will not be possible after 500 miles. It counted down below 400 a few times and cleared before re-appearing and then when it dropped below 200, I took it to a specialist and they did what they did and it's been clear since.
Overall, I do rate it quite highly in terms of VFM. I started off looking for a E-class and realised that a good S was available at the same price point.
I never use the paddle shift but S mode is great way to get away from the lights...
I chose the L because of the comedy value but would like to try a SWB and would expect it to be that bit more nimble.
A petrol engine would be be preferable but happy with the diesel MPG and 1,800 rpm cruising.
Thanks Mogul there's some more food for thought.
I have seen the odd SWB model with electric rear seats but literally one in the current search.
I've found a nice example of an S320 though, memory/heated seats, silver 19" AMG wheels which seem to be a rare-ish option. Only 66k on the clock and looks very nicely cared for. Only thing that I need to check out is that it's only done 10k in the last 5 years which won't be DPF friendly. It's from a trader and is due an MOT shortly so no purchase without a fresh MOT on it anyway.
Do they all have Xenon headlights? I'm assuming they do but my other half has a CLS350 which doesn't and at just under £50k new I'm amazed it didn't come with them as standard!
Oh I meant to say, I'm good with the artificial leather in these cars. My E Class has it and to be fair with 140k on the seats they hold up incredibly well. I believe my CLS has real leather on the seats at least but the mileage on that is sub 20k so they look fine.
I have seen the odd SWB model with electric rear seats but literally one in the current search.
I've found a nice example of an S320 though, memory/heated seats, silver 19" AMG wheels which seem to be a rare-ish option. Only 66k on the clock and looks very nicely cared for. Only thing that I need to check out is that it's only done 10k in the last 5 years which won't be DPF friendly. It's from a trader and is due an MOT shortly so no purchase without a fresh MOT on it anyway.
Do they all have Xenon headlights? I'm assuming they do but my other half has a CLS350 which doesn't and at just under £50k new I'm amazed it didn't come with them as standard!
Oh I meant to say, I'm good with the artificial leather in these cars. My E Class has it and to be fair with 140k on the seats they hold up incredibly well. I believe my CLS has real leather on the seats at least but the mileage on that is sub 20k so they look fine.
Edited by Alex_225 on Sunday 26th January 12:38
Hopefully I'll get to see the silver S320 I mentioned in my previous post at some point this week.
Confirmed with the seller that it'll have a fresh MOT which is nice. I think my only reservation at this point is two gaps in the service history.
Should have had a service in 2012 between 25k and 45k miles which is surprising as it's got 9 service stamps (in 66k) and mostly MB. The other gap is 2018 but had only covered 6k from 2017-2019 anyway.
Confirmed with the seller that it'll have a fresh MOT which is nice. I think my only reservation at this point is two gaps in the service history.
Should have had a service in 2012 between 25k and 45k miles which is surprising as it's got 9 service stamps (in 66k) and mostly MB. The other gap is 2018 but had only covered 6k from 2017-2019 anyway.
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