Hello everybody,


I have just recently realized how cheap the second hand S-class cars here are in the UK. I always though they are beyond my reach and now I see that can easily get a 2000-2001 (and possibly even 2002) W220 S320 with 50-70k miles on the clock at the price of brand new Fiesta


With that mileage I expect the car like Mercedes to last for the next 3-4 years with ease, especially taking into account the fact I'm doing no more than 10-12k miles a year. Therefore, I’m incredibly tempted to get one, however I’ve got some doubts about reliability and potential repair costs. I’m currently driving BMW E39 with 2.5l engine and I can easily afford the bills without any harm to my budget. Any ideas how does the maintenance of both compare and I not asking about petrol bills? (and please don’t get me wrong, I am a young chap and just don’t like pointless spendings)


I’d appreciate your opinions.

A 2001-2002 S-Class will be very reliable. A fabulous car, really.

Howerver you should not forget that it ISN'T a brand new Fiesta.

If something goes wrong in your car, the repair bill can be very very expensive.
It has an air-suspension, all kind of expensive components everywhere...before you buy one, check the Comand, it is the weakpoint of the pre-FL W220 from what I know.

Everything is more expensive with that kind of cars, from the services to the bumper damage...

The insurance will be very costly too.

On the other side, what you have is one of the best car in the world, the perfect sedan.
It is a choice, but you have to be conscious that it not as economical as a Ford, even if the price tag is the same...

I had one for 4 years ... a US 2001 model. Never had any problems. For 4 years, I did basic oil changes and fixed the a leak in the airmatic suspension plus 1 new set of break pads. That's it! Of course I put 8-10K miles a yr ONLY

coolraoul,
thanks, I understand S-class is different than a Fiesta

I have checked with my insurer, comparing to my current 5-series the monthly difference will be 5 quid only... Tyres are also pretty much the same, the 2.5l petrol engine gives me now an average 25mpg - not that much more than a 3.2l... I was curious about other costs, but it seems 5-series isn't significantly cheaper to maintain anyway.

I know I'll have to pay attention to the air suspension and all these electric/electronic bits. Is the Comand system optional? I don't care about sat nav that much as I've got a decent one already and generally I don't watch the TV too (I don't even have one at home ).

Pre-owned S-Class can be a great value for the RIGHT car. Warranties are a must.Mercedes-Benz CPO are even better.

Yep Comand is optional (well, in Europe at least). It is only TV/sat-nav so if you don't need it... It is often on the S500 and above however.

The first Keyless-go (first yeat I think) had some little troubles sometimes, and did not recognize the card from some angles of the car very well. It was corrected quickly, so in 2000/2001 there are no more probs.
Notice also that keyless-go + darkened windows = harder for the system to recognize the card, it needs more time and you need to be really near the car.

Other than that I don't see any problem on the W220.

I would say the 320 is too small, the 430/500 is much more adapted. The 320 cdi is smooth and refined, a bit short on power, but I don't like the 400cdi at all: noisy and not very refined, and some little turbo troubles.

The finition is very good, but some details are a bit...cost-cutted, like the door panels for instance.

The comfort is just divine, it is a pleasure to drive such a car. You can travel the world without beeing tired at all... It is not sporty, but it does not feel heavy, it is really a masterpeice.


Like mpelchen said, it is important to choose the right car. Go and see them, testdrive them, to be sure the car is ok. With a warranty, one year is perfect but 6 months should be enough, you will see id the car is good or no. If you have no probs in 6 months, it means that the car was well-serviced and you won't have troubles with it normally.

I think if you take a car with a clear past, not too much kms, a service-book correctly filled, and a warranty, you will be travelling in one of the best cars ever and enjoy the car immensely.

My dad had immense problems with Airmatic on his W220 which made him sell it in the end. A 2001 model I think.

Airmatic is generally reliable, but on some cars it clearly can be a nightmare...Your Dad had bad luck on this...

It is why you have to test the car and to have a waranty to make sure that everything works well, because if not...

Yeah, he got it second hand, the previous owner must have thrashed it.

Sorry for bumping an old thread.

But you really have to go for the W220 FL model. There no recalls for the FL W220. Unlike the pre-FL cars were recalled for issues with the trunk spring, the hydraulic fuel line and Airmatic suspension.

Oh and the FL W220 has a better looking dashboard as well.

1999 to 2002 Pre-FL W220 dashboard:



2002 to 2005 FL W220 dashboard:



Oh for the love of all that you consider mighty holy in this world. Don't buy it with these wheels:



They are called "Toliman". They appear to be steel wheels, but actually they are alloys... don't ask me who the hell had the brilliant idea, to make an alloy wheel look like a steel wheel that belongs to a Mk2 Golf. What I do know, is that they ruin the look of the car. Oh and the car above is a Pre-FL S320 W220.

This is what the FL W220 looks like:



Notice the difference? No? Give you a clue: Look at the reverse light. The car above is a 2004 FL S350. The S350 is the replacement for the S320.