Any comments from those who switched from a 500/550 S class to a 600?
In the long run they depreciate so much that there is little spread between them and the resale value sucks.
Plus after the ext. warranty expires are you looking at a nightmare in repairs?
Thanks!

I think the line is too thin to compare the S600 with the S500.

Both cars are equal with different engines. It`s almost like comparing a man to a woman.

The S600 might have a little more muscle and feature, thats about it.

Yeah, they are already fairly close in features and price ... the 600 will remain about 10K or so more than the 550 after 2-3 years and continue down to about 5K after 6 or so years.
The cost to repair after warranty runs out will be the same for both cars.

If you want to talk about real depreciation don't tough the AMGs, my dealer had a 2006 CL65 (10k miles) for the same price as the 07/08 S550 ... now that's a 60K drop.

Of course, majority of typical AMG buyers can afford a brand new one ... the rest of the buyers will only pay a small premium for an AMG... for example; someone budgeted to buy a CLS550 may agree to dish out only maybe 10K more than 'budget' for a pre-owned CLS 63.
IMO

I have a colleague from work who was considering the S600 or the S550. He was told by the service advisor that MB bi-turbo V12 engines are much more exclusive and more likely to breakdown and harder/more expensive to repair. The 5.5L V8 from MB (like the previous 5.0L V8) is built like a rock and shouldn't have as many problems, as it is a high volume seller and should be easy/less expensive to fix, if any problems arise.

My colleague ended up getting a S550 4-matic, and he absolutely loves it.

The S550 is by far the more sensible choice. For the long term, it's cheaper, more reliable, less fussy and overall a lesser pain on the back.

I would also consider the S 550!! It's a powerful car and like Mr. M (great to have you back Mirage) said, the most reliable and cheaper car!!

Go with the 550, V12 has more parts, more expensive parts and labor is more. So repairs dealing with anything under the hood are a lot more.

Soon they are bound to release the S600 with the new 7 speed, or even DSG-type trans. Also a new V12 may be around the corner. Other than this, I see no other arguments against the V12.

The labor rate for any new Mercedes is the same with all models. It can range from 98- $100 an hr to work on them. The part are also very expensive for all the new models.

Although the new generation S-Class (W221) seems to be vastly improved over the prior (W220) version, it's nonetheless a plethora of computers, sensors and other electronic components. If this were 25 years ago and the same question about "long term" involved a 6.3 or a 6.9 vs a 4.5, I would be comfortable recommending the more "exotic" variations of the W116 and W126. Today, the repairs aren't about shocks and wheel bearings but more about air suspension systems that cost thousands of dollars to fix.

The S600 is a great car, but in this scenario, it's just not the winner in the "long term" contest. Owning one "out of warranty" could be a very hairy experience.