Mercedes-Benz S-Class

L8_ApexL8_Apex Member Posts: 187
edited October 2014 in Mercedes-Benz
Welcome to the continuation of the 2000 Mercedes S
Class topic. Those of you joining us from that
topic are welcome to continue your discussion.

If you're new to this topic, you may want to
follow the above link for additional archived
posts.

Thanks,

L8_Apex
Sedans Host
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Comments

  • is4b2rdis4b2rd Member Posts: 66
    If you could find an S-Class with a Starmark warranty from the dealer, I think that would be the way to go.
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    Hey Aling, I finally got the 1st post on something!
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Ctic: ;=)

    Paul, thanks for the pictures. You car looks great!

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • cris768cris768 Member Posts: 5
    i found great pics of the cl55 amg racing F1
    version.
    go to :
    http://autosupermart.com/

    click on their "car news" section, and click on
    mercedes.
  • mlbarnesmlbarnes Member Posts: 48
    HAS ANYONE OUT THERE BROUGHT A S430 FOR UNDER THE MRSP. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
  • ataieataie Member Posts: 84
    84 380SE with 135K
    or
    87 420SEL with 102K

    which is a better car????? both are super clean

    thanks,
    Shon
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    87>84 and 102K<135K

    Paul
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    100% more accurate? Isn't that overly optimistic? Just because there was that little glitch doesn't mean that it is completely wacked all of the time.

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    The COMMAND is that smart. It knew you were a BMW driver and wanted to throw you off the road. Actually, it's just that you don't know how to use it.
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    Guys!

    It's been 510 miles in my 2001 silver S500 and I have to say....WOW! Incredible! What a machine. I have taken 3 long trips of over 100 miles and it has performed flawlessly. Only on the worst New York roads (and there are many); does the S500 exhibit any noise (steering wheel) or rattles (underbed). Otherwise, it has been the most quiet, creamy ride in a car ever for me. Even my wife, who is very hard to please, loves our new car. My 2 year old loves sitting in the rear seat, on his safety seat, with the automatic shades blocking any annoying rays on his cute little face....

    As for the NAV, it too has worked perfectly. I tried many times to get lost and it found my location within seconds. The 'BMW' guy really needs to spend a little time to read the COMAND manuals. I just watch the 2001 S500 owner video to learn the basics to operate the S.

    Any of you had the pleasure to drive the new C?
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Paul, glad you're enjoying your car after the months of waiting and debating :-)

    Yes, I've had the pleasure of driving the C240, C320, and C320 Sport. I like all of them a lot, though they are a little small for my tastes. Very sporty though, much more so than the older C-class (which was already good in this department). The C320 4-matic coming out in late 2001 or early 2002 (along with the S-class 4-matic) should be a hit.

    BTW, how is the CNN headlines/stocks feature on the COMAND? Good? I take it than the stock tickers are not real-time though (delayed by 15-20 mins).

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    Gee, I don't know and haven't try them. I only drive my S500 on weekends anyway.

    Maybe it'll be more helpful next year, as I am planning to work from home.
  • glamourlifeglamourlife Member Posts: 49
    Can anyone share any discounts or deals they got on the 430 or 500. I am looking to lease, and the best I can do is $1,200/month on the 500 and $1,050/month on 430 with $6K total out of pocket down. I believe the actual cap cost reduction was $4K. Taxes, First Payment, etc. made up the rest. The lease was for 48 months at 12K miles/year.

    Has anyone done better than MSRP on the sticker? Or negotiated a better lease deal than above?
  • scargo160quickscargo160quick Member Posts: 63
    These cars are in such demand. I order my Brilliant Silver with Ash three months ago and am still waiting. You have to be prepared to buy sight unseen and to accept options you might not like if you want one right away (from order cancellations). If you like special metallic paint, wood steering wheels, and a bunch of glamour you're gonna be waiting 8-12 months easy. Get in line! I'm thinking about picking up a E430 sport while I'm waiting for the right S to come along.
  • ejerodejerod Member Posts: 86
    Ok.. I'm a Lexus GS owner.. and I love the car. Bought it for my wife's birthday two years ago. Now I'm in the market for me. I'm considering the new 2001 S500. Drove it and noticed the pickup wasn't what I was accustomed to, but then again the GS is a smaller car with more HP. Other than that I loved the S. Next week the Lexus dealer invited me to the caviar/champagne introduction event of the new LS430. I have to say although the LS is less expensive and has all the bells and whistles the S class offers for about 15k less. I like the styling of the S500 a lot better. Especially when the ground effects package and the cast aluminum AMG wheels are added. Going to add the wood steering wheel, rear climate control and rear heated/ adjustable seats.Salesman told me that lease is about $1500/month with nothing out of pocket except the first lease payment. Terms are 48 months 15k miles per year, MSRP is 87k or there abouts. Please give me some info. Although most aren't getting anything off the msrp I know I can get at least 3k knocked off. ( the 87k is after the 3k discount.. they owe me a favor ok ..lol) Can someone give me a gauge as to whether this is a good deal or not ? Thought about just writing a check for it, then thought again. I can do a hell of a lot with 87k instead of putting it into a hunk of metal. What a beautiful hunk it is.. but you get my point..lol
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    "A Car for Those Who Have More Enemies than Friends."

    Here's a direct link to Edmund's First Drive of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500 Guard, by Brent Romans. What do you think? ;-)

    Pocahontas,
    Edmunds.com/Roving Host
  • ataieataie Member Posts: 84
    sorry this is not a sedan, but same engine as 560SEL.

    looking to purchase a 88 560SL with 106k. the car is very clean, but the engine seem to be running on 7 cylinder. there's just a little shake or miss. He says it's because the car has been sitting and these big mercedes engines smooth out after driving for about 40-50 miles. I've heard this from other sellers as well. just need to see if there's really anything to that or what?

    thanks,
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Member Posts: 861
    Drive the car for 40-50 miles, then. Tell him that is a condition of the sale. Then you can see if it really does smooth out. Sounds fishy to me, though.
  • ejerodejerod Member Posts: 86
    Ok guys and gals.. please someone give me some feedback.. just drove another 2001 S500.. AMG sports package, powered rear seat adjustments, telephone/cd changer package. Going to add the wood steering wheel and shifter from parts dept. MSRP 88k, Black/Ash.. Lease or balloon options 1450/month 48 months. 5 year finance option, no cash 1950/month.. or of course 88k cash.. looking at lease or balloon.. please give me some feedback on your experiences in financing.. so I can guage the deal.. thanks
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Oh, I wouldn't mess with this car unless it had a complete cylinder leakdown test. Did you know that rebuilding that engine (completely, and including labor in California) costs around $16,000?

    Did I hear an audible (gulp!)?
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    I thought about leasing too. I ran numbers on my 2001 S500 before purchase...

    36 months, taxes down (about 9K on prices of 93,535) was 1,428/per, at 10,000 miles a year
  • ejerodejerod Member Posts: 86
    Ok.. today I took the wife with me. Drove the 2001 S5 with the AMG sport package. The only comment that came from her lips was "boys and their toys"..lol. Anyway the dealer is going to do a locate for me. Silver with either Ash or Charcoal interior. Rear powered/heated seats, adding the wood steering wheel/shifter as well as the AMG package. Changing out the AMG wheels with the ones in the fold out in the brochure where it talks about keyless entry and start option. Should come in at about 90k. No lease.. going to pay for the thing in 90 days and be done with it. I hate debt... wonderful car.. I drive all my automobiles until the wheels fall off..lol..
  • ataieataie Member Posts: 84
    how much life is left on a 89 260E with 152k, which has checked out good mechanically today??

    no major repair has been done or needed by previous owner.

    thanks,
    ataie
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    I would say about another 25-35K before something major needs to be done. Did this mechanic checked the gasket condition on this engine, they were a problem in 1989?

    M
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Also how much are they asking for the 260E?

    M
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    I concur with Merc1's assessment of the motor's expectancy. I had a 2.6 which was in need of rebuilding at 170K. I've heard of them going longer but on average 175k is about it before you at least need the head pulled.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    It's so ironic that people are still wanting a W124 car. I have never really gotten over the 500E/E500 and the 300CE/E320 coupe versions of the W124 Chassis. They were true Mercedes-Benzes, classics.

    M
  • ataieataie Member Posts: 84
    as a matter of fact the only problem found was the valve cover gasket which was leaking and it wouls cost about $100 to fix. everything else checked out fine.

    he will take $5500
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Make it $4500 and go for it and expect about another 25-30K out of it before you have to spend some real money on it.

    M
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    Merc1,

    I agree. The 124's may be the best representation of what Mercedes is all about. I'm toying with the idea of a 500E once I sell my A4.

    F.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Dag, we are on the same page on this W124 thing. I just never got over them being replaced. These cars defined what Mercedes is and what it should be. Around here the W124's I see running around look nearly new and the "newest" one is 5 years old. It's hard to preserve a car in climate here, but the W124's seem to last forever. I too would love a 500E or E500, but I need something new for the everyday haul. I'll probably get a C320, but if I could a 500E/E500 would be in the garage too. Are you going to make the 500E your daily driver?

    M
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Mbnut,

    Also, that doesn't bother you about going "back"
    some model years from your Audi to get a 500E?

    M
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    FYI, the 500E was a superb and rare car that was built by Porsche in small quantities.

    Check out this crash test video between the S-class and the MC Smart. The Smart did incredibly well, considering that the S-class outweighed it 2:1!! The S-class performed well, as expected. The domestic manufacturers should really learn from this. In this directory, also find Quicktime 40mph offset crash test/full width crash test video clips of the new C-class.

    Go to: http://www.off-road.com/mbenz/videos

    Comments?
    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Actually, RWD is superior to FWD as far as acceleration goes. The reason is that when you step on the throttle pedal, some of the car's weight transfers to the back wheels. With RWD, this gives the rear wheels better traction. In contrast, the weight transfers away from the front wheels, and hence the drive wheels are easy to spin in a FWD car. This is even more obvious if you're trying to climb up a hill (from a dead stop) on a wet road.

    Of course, the ultimate is full-time AWD/4WD. Just punch the gas pedal and leave the FWD & RWD cars behind! I always get a kick out of this when it is raining or snowing! :-)

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    Watch out Drew! Someone is going to tell you off for stop light dragging.
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Nah, I accelerate about normal, something that other 2WD cars usually can't do when its wet. I often hear a lot of tire spin next to me (in the rain, that is). Even my AWD minivan will launch faster in the rain from the get-go than than most FWD or RWD cars. But, because it's only a full-time AWD setup (90% front/10% rear) and not a permanent AWD/4WD setup like the E or ML, I do feel just a little bit of wheel slippage initially.

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    Merc1,

    I'm in a similar position as I wouldn't consider the 500E as a daily driver. It would be more of an fun car. This however would relegate me to something with lower operating costs for the daily commute. This concept gets traded against a new C240. The practical side of me which acknowledges that you can really drive the 500E over here leans toward the C240. I got more than my share of tickets with my 190e 2.6 5 spd.
    The A4 is a great car. Super handling, well balanced car but I prefer the comfort / smoothness of the new C.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    I just trying to figure out how to get this fun car (500E) into my budget, doesn't look like I'm going to be able to do it and get a new C320 all in the same year. Oh well...

    M
  • ejerodejerod Member Posts: 86
    Ok guys and gals.. I went to view the new LS430 last night ( Lexus) and now I'm confused. I love the new S500 body styling, and I don't care for the LS430 body style ( 99 S class copy), but the interior and the luxury features on the new Lexus are absolutley drop dead gorgeous. TO get the same features in the new S500 will be 99750, I can get the LS430 loaded with everything including the kitchen sink for under 70k. Now guys I can afford both.. but 30 grand is 30 grand!!!.. I'll have to sleep on this one..like I said, the aggresive look of the S500 is what I love, but the interior is stark unless I step up to and I'm open for suggestions that can help me justify the additional 30k.. hell I may buy one now.. and in a year buy the other and have them both... Help..I've been bitten by the car bug!!!
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    I guess it's going to come down what you really want. I would go for the S because of the looks and if you get it with ABC or Sports package, better handling. Truthfully the S500 isn't worth 30K more, but it is a better driving car. I don't know what else would brighten up the S interior, I don't see getting a 5K designo package. Take both cars out for an extended drive, like overnight if the dealer will let you.

    M
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Why not get the S430 and then dress it up with the options that you want on the S500? The LS430 has the same engine displacement as the S430, so you could compare both of them, not necessarily with the more expensive (larger engine) S-class.

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • scargo160quickscargo160quick Member Posts: 63
    LS 430 vs. S500

    I can tell you I've thought it through and I know deep down I won't be happy with the Lexi. I agree the lux is extra special with the Lexus. But after you've made a few trips and acclimated to it, you still have to walk up to that drab, uninspired style of car every damn day. I see where you're coming from but think it through. A car is an extension of your personality and if you don't like the style, well, what can I say?

    Good luck!
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    It's now one month since I bought my 2001 S500, and I am still making unnecessary trips to my garage whenever I can. Like driving 10 miles to the mall for baby formulae and diapers.

    I lust for the creamy ride, the powerful thrust, the instant 40-80mph acceleration (much like my past sports cars days...), the 'excuse-me, I don't think you're passing me.....quick maneuvers, the sound system, the 'is that your car remarks, the massaging and drying seats, and everything else that are impossible to discribed but yet combine to make this Benz the best car in the world.

    As for the LS430; it's a fabulous car. Quiet, smooth, almost as creamy ride as the S, with a killer sound system. BUT, as a package, it's more like it's ES and GS siblings than the class of S.

    I spend nearly a year testing everything before buying my S, with the ABC (it's great, and can be driven like a Porsche or AMG-E55), the radar, the parktronics, the seats, the gadgets in the back, totalling over 93,500. At this price, it's over 27,000 more than the equally loaded LS430. But the LS lacks style, and the spirit of a racing champion that is the house of Mercedes-Benz.

    So, after 880 miles, I am still as crazy about my S as ever. NO let-down after the 'first time'!!!!

    Why, I even use Meguiers' quick detailer wax spray everytime before drive, so the Joe in the BMWs and Lexus can salivate some more,...

    Imagine what's in their minds. 'hmmmm why didn't I spend that extra 25K..... it's just a couple of up-ticks in my JDSU stock.
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Did you have a chance to look at the crash test video clips that I posted? There's one of the S-class: www.off-road.com/mbenz/videos

    Enjoy!
    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
    P.S. Great to hear that you're having so much fun with your car. I think you made the right choice going for the S rather than the E55. :-)
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    Why are some posts missing here:

    ex: post #48 ???????
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Oh, I made a typo and scribbled it. :-)

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    Yes Drew,

    I saw that scary crash...
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    The Smart is even smaller than the A-class. MB owns the company that makes the Smart though.

    The Smart did amazingly well for such a small car. Even more incredible was that the S-class was more than 2 times heavier that the Smart. But, we have to remember that the S-class is not simply any car either. It was designed to draw away some of the impact forces from the other car so that the other cars' occupants don't get injured either. The M-class was designed with this in mind as well.

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    3 years ago, when I was losing some hair over what to buy in an SUV. It did come down to the point you raised, DREW.

    I wanted really big SUV, like the Navigator. But I did not have the conscience to literally, drive the rig over smaller cars. So, I went with the car-friendly M-Class.
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Do you still have the ML? I've never seen you posting in the M-class topic (not recently anyway). One day I hope to be able to park an S430 4-matic next to my ML320 :-)
This discussion has been closed.

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