RE: Mercedes S-Class (W220) | Shed of the Week
Discussion
Besides, I knew it's days were numbered so I just focused on putting miles on it instead of the slightly inaccurate badging the owner graced his diesel barge with. The exhaust tips on it were worse, he welded 4 beancans on which ended up scraping the ground as it got loaded. He also tried to ceramic coat it which destroyed the paintwork, it looked and felt like the entire thing was thinly grooved. Brilliant car but a neglected example. Loved it though even with it's ricey badging and Heinz exhaust, didn't love the ridicule friends gave me for the badging every time they saw it 
Edited by aaron_2000 on Friday 11th June 13:32
milesr3 said:
bitofayank said:
It’s an S class for probably what a dealer charges for a minor service on the latest generation.
You'll be surprised to hear that the W222 costs £430 on a service plan for minor/major service.
My mum has the next gen version of this car as someone has also said already. She agrees: rather costly to run. My dad was driving it for awhile, ignored a check engine light (I had a talk) and the turbo ended up sucking something through a hole in something
. After much argument with MBUSA they relented and granted a new engine under the CPO warranty myMum got
aaron_2000 said:
Now that's what a W220 looks like in my mind. f
ked suspension, massive aftermarket alloys, knackered paint, chav tints, upbadging, dopey exhaust. Extra credit for having the smallest engine 
I see so many like that I wonder if it was an optional styling pack, like a slightly more tasteless version of the current "AMG Line" which is the only way you can order a W223 S-Class in the UK.
milesr3 said:
In life before COVID mine was the A12/A14, M25 & M4 and I opted for the next, next generation. I've had no warranty issues at all in 5+ years. Now it just sits on the driveway and is worth so little, it isn't worth getting rid of.
I'm not a Mercedes expert but I'd say that the car in the picture is worth at least £15k, in what universe is £15k 'so little' because I'd like to live there!? stickleback123 said:
aaron_2000 said:
Now that's what a W220 looks like in my mind. fked suspension, massive aftermarket alloys, knackered paint, chav tints, upbadging, dopey exhaust. Extra credit for having the smallest engine I see so many like that I wonder if it was an optional styling pack, like a slightly more tasteless version of the current "AMG Line" which is the only way you can order a W223 S-Class in the UK.
The smallest engine was the wheezy S280, I've had a couple of 320CDI's, an S430 and an S55 and I'd say the diesel is the one to get for a daily. I did like the CLS alloys with the black paint and tints although I wouldn't have done any of it myself. This is how I'd want one, a sensible colour with big tyres and the extended leather package. I always looked too drug dealery in the black onehttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114841157754?hash=item1...
Odd how first impressions and retrospectives differ.
The press positively spumed over the W220 when it came out; as if it was everything the W140 was, whilst also being relatively dynamic and small enough to be manageable for the private user.
Nowadays we dump on them because they rust, have electrical problems and the SOHC 3-valve engines were clearly row-rent when compared to their predecessors - which is fair enough on all counts. They also seem to suffer from being "off ethos" - lacking the scale and stately proportions (not entirely recaptured until 2013) that a "proper S-Class" is supposed to have.
£1500 though - that deal can only go so wrong.
The press positively spumed over the W220 when it came out; as if it was everything the W140 was, whilst also being relatively dynamic and small enough to be manageable for the private user.
Nowadays we dump on them because they rust, have electrical problems and the SOHC 3-valve engines were clearly row-rent when compared to their predecessors - which is fair enough on all counts. They also seem to suffer from being "off ethos" - lacking the scale and stately proportions (not entirely recaptured until 2013) that a "proper S-Class" is supposed to have.
£1500 though - that deal can only go so wrong.
If I needed a disposable long distance cruiser/barge I'd be all over this. Still a good looking machine and as ever the inside is a nice place to be, hell I wouldn't even mind robbing the seats out for a "man cave" and it seems to have dodged the worst faults of the 4th gen car.
Top shed.
Top shed.
milesr3 said:
Sheepshanks said:
As a Merc owner I doubted that, so looked on ServiceCare - it's £936 form new or £1128 if over 12mths old, for two sevices.
Last August they were doing 20% off service plans, so I extended it with 2 years' servicing for £864.
I realllllllllly like these, Problem is in Ireland it's €1,800 a year to tax a 320.
Actually bought one last year that had 6months tax (€900ish worth) so I ran it for 4 months and then sold it because I wasn't going to tax it again.
Truly brilliant car, Loads of comfort and just wafts along.
Actually bought one last year that had 6months tax (€900ish worth) so I ran it for 4 months and then sold it because I wasn't going to tax it again.
Truly brilliant car, Loads of comfort and just wafts along.
milesr3 said:
They have offers on every once in a while. Currently 25% off brakes.
Servicing offers from MB are very unusual. I don't see the brake one either, and haven't been emailed about it - may be a local dealer thing. Anyway, it's a bit irrelevant to this thread, you'd have to be beyond insane to take a car like this to a dealer. My local dealer more or less bundled me out of the door once mine was 10yrs old. I can't say the £3K of work they found was complete nonsense - but it was very exaggerated. The Service Advisor knew and didn't want to even discuss it. The mechanics get bonused on what they find.
Sheepshanks said:
Servicing offers from MB are very unusual. I don't see the brake one either, and haven't been emailed about it - may be a local dealer thing.
Anyway, it's a bit irrelevant to this thread, you'd have to be beyond insane to take a car like this to a dealer. My local dealer more or less bundled me out of the door once mine was 10yrs old. I can't say the £3K of work they found was complete nonsense - but it was very exaggerated. The Service Advisor knew and didn't want to even discuss it. The mechanics get bonused on what they find.
I took mine to get a new set of plates from the dealer and instead of properly lining them up, they just put the badly lined up plates over the top of the new ones and drilled them then fitted them with exposed screws. It was just a set of plates but they cost the same for a £850 car as they do an £85000 car so why do a lower quality job just because it's a lower value car? Anyway, it's a bit irrelevant to this thread, you'd have to be beyond insane to take a car like this to a dealer. My local dealer more or less bundled me out of the door once mine was 10yrs old. I can't say the £3K of work they found was complete nonsense - but it was very exaggerated. The Service Advisor knew and didn't want to even discuss it. The mechanics get bonused on what they find.
Great cars, but obviously not without issues.
Apart from the N/A S600 and S280 / S400 CDI, I have had every engine iteration in this car, so know them pretty well.
S320 CDI is more than adequate to waft along and be decent on fuel. S320 petrol is a smoother and more responsive engine, which obviously sounds better than the agricultural clatter of the OM648 diesel.
I had a Japanese import S430, which had low miles and that engine was good.
On a few of mine over the years, the air suspension would drop over night and then raise when the car was started - leaking airmatic lines or airbags were the culprits. Sometimes the compressors and ride height sensors also let go.
But as with everything, they don't ALL do that and you might lucky with this one. Ask to see the car on a cold start, make sure it's sitting level before firing up, and check all suspension settings work properly.
The S500 is probably the best all rounder of the bunch - plenty of grunt, nice sound and not horrific on fuel if you drive them sensibly. On a motorway run, they drink no more than an S320 petrol.
The S55 AMG Kompressor was a best of a car with a sublime engine. 500BHP and a thunderous soundtrack. Lovely AMG dynamic seats, the quad tail pipes and 18" staggered wheels really set that thing off.
Also had the S600 Bi-Turbo, which on paper, was identical in stats to the S55 - but they were chalk and cheese. The S600 was whisper-quiet, with turbine-like performance. Whereas the S55 really shouted about it's performance.
Overall, this is a decent shed - something which was around £50k+ when new, it has the facelift exterior & interior switchgear and being last of the line, should have most of the earlier issues niggled out. Clean MOT history gives a but more confidence and it doesn't look rotten. Worth a punt, and another SOTY contender.
Apart from the N/A S600 and S280 / S400 CDI, I have had every engine iteration in this car, so know them pretty well.
S320 CDI is more than adequate to waft along and be decent on fuel. S320 petrol is a smoother and more responsive engine, which obviously sounds better than the agricultural clatter of the OM648 diesel.
I had a Japanese import S430, which had low miles and that engine was good.
On a few of mine over the years, the air suspension would drop over night and then raise when the car was started - leaking airmatic lines or airbags were the culprits. Sometimes the compressors and ride height sensors also let go.
But as with everything, they don't ALL do that and you might lucky with this one. Ask to see the car on a cold start, make sure it's sitting level before firing up, and check all suspension settings work properly.
The S500 is probably the best all rounder of the bunch - plenty of grunt, nice sound and not horrific on fuel if you drive them sensibly. On a motorway run, they drink no more than an S320 petrol.
The S55 AMG Kompressor was a best of a car with a sublime engine. 500BHP and a thunderous soundtrack. Lovely AMG dynamic seats, the quad tail pipes and 18" staggered wheels really set that thing off.
Also had the S600 Bi-Turbo, which on paper, was identical in stats to the S55 - but they were chalk and cheese. The S600 was whisper-quiet, with turbine-like performance. Whereas the S55 really shouted about it's performance.
Overall, this is a decent shed - something which was around £50k+ when new, it has the facelift exterior & interior switchgear and being last of the line, should have most of the earlier issues niggled out. Clean MOT history gives a but more confidence and it doesn't look rotten. Worth a punt, and another SOTY contender.
Edited by pSyCoSiS on Saturday 12th June 12:33
milesr3 said:
In life before COVID mine was the A12/A14, M25 & M4 and I opted for the next, next generation. I've had no warranty issues at all in 5+ years. Now it just sits on the driveway and is worth so little, it isn't worth getting rid of.
I and this model as a courtesy car for a week or so and I can't believe how well it soaks up the miles. I feel totally refreshed even after driving 50 miles on the motorway, it felt like a 10 mile commute. Seriously considered one but it's just a bit too large for my drive.njw1 said:
in what universe is £15k 'so little' because I'd like to live there!?
What I meant was that it’s reached the point where it is worth so little relative my perceived value of it. It still drives like a (very good) £70k car. If I still needed to ‘commute’ 300+ miles in a day then I’d keep it because it’s the perfect tool for the job.At some point I’ll put it in the classifieds and someone else can put it to use.
aaron_2000 said:
Besides, I knew it's days were numbered so I just focused on putting miles on it instead of the slightly inaccurate badging the owner graced his diesel barge with. The exhaust tips on it were worse, he welded 4 beancans on which ended up scraping the ground as it got loaded. He also tried to ceramic coat it which destroyed the paintwork, it looked and felt like the entire thing was thinly grooved. Brilliant car but a neglected example. Loved it though even with it's ricey badging and Heinz exhaust, didn't love the ridicule friends gave me for the badging every time they saw it
That looks like a f***ing disaster! Edited by aaron_2000 on Friday 11th June 13:32
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff