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Mercedes-Benz S-Class
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Comments
Any positive or negative experiences with the 2003 430 or 500 series?
any advice will be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Phil in North Carolina
i service the car at Mercedes Benz of laguna niguel. they are genuinely concerned, and wanted me to send in the car. so now, I am driving a 2002 C320.
hmm....
It will be standard on most 4.3 and 5.0L V8 cars this fall.
M
I am looking at buying ’64 Mercedes 220S FinTail;
Ivory/Red, one-owner, garaged, good condition,
4-speed on the column, 6 cylinders, mechanically sound, 181K miles, original Becker radio, Kuhlmeister after market A/C, $4500.00 OBO. Is this a good deal? Would I be able to turn around and sell it for more than that? It seems to be in great shape. I wanted to test drive it today but it is raining and the owner said no way, not in the rain. This car has never seen rain. So is this a good/bad/okay deal?
If it doesn't have rust I think that it is a fair deal.
Would I be able to turn around and sell it for more than that?
I wouldn't buy it with that motivation buy it because you want it for yourself
They are cool cars.
On the surface it looks like a decent deal. However, this car has been to the dealer about 16 times over the last 32 months for various issues. A couple of take aways from the service - this car eats brakes about once a year; there are random electrical problems that appear to arise (they are fixed as identified), and he has complained, and I have noticed a rather odd odor in the interior. Does not quite smell like gas, but something else that is noticable. In any event the dealer has never been able to fix that.
With the high miles, maybe a fair value would be about $32 to $35K, I'm not sure.
I've never owned a MB, always have been a Lexus guy. But maybe this one way to experience a MB.
Any instant thoughts would be appreciated.
We currently own a 2001 C240 (9100 miles, C2 and C3 package) which we intend to trade in for the S class. We have an extended warranty on the C class and subscribe to the Tele Aid.
Now my questions are:
1. Can we transfer our extended warranty and or the tele aid subscription to the S class?
2. Would it be possible to purchase an extended warranty from MB after we buy the S class?
Thanks for your thoughtful suggestions in advance.
Regards,
Wabends
I'm pretty sure No
2. Would it be possible to purchase an extended warranty from MB after we buy the S class?
Ditto above
Any suggestions about a good source of extended warranty for a 2000 S 430 with 22.8 K miles on it?
Thanks,
Shrey
Thanks in advance for your response.
i had previously noticed a hissing noise after braking (like a "humph"). then, one day- the whole front end collapsed.
also, my moon-roof wouldn't tilt back down, because it was blocked by some piece of metal. alas, it was raining in SD that day, so the interior roof color (which was grey) turned slighlty yellowish-brown (from the water maybe?) so they have to replace it.
finally, I have decided to tell them to replace my AM radio antenna. the reception was horrible, filled with static. i am not surprised by this, as my friend's S500 had the same problem.
does anybody know whether the new airmatic DC rides differently than the original Airmatic? i am curious to find out, as I am supposed to pick it up today.
;-)
I just went to autopsies.com to view the 2006 S-Class. Personally, it doesn’t look that impressive, nor does it feature the “shock-and-awe” looks like the new 745i. maybe I’ll have to take a seat inside or look at it in person to appreciate it. But I know that at the end, Mercedes will do a fine job like it has done with the CL, SL, and S class. I just hope it doesn’t have that E-class tail; its so round.
I have to go now and pick up my S-Class; I hope I can even get the car started...
I also think the seats are hard as rocks, moreso in the newer one. Maybe I'm getting older, but I sure do think the Caddy's seats are more comfy.
However, service-wise, I couldn't be happier. I get my cars picked up from my home and (free) loaners dropped off in their place any time I have an issue. That alone is worth a lot of money to me.
well, i am back at home now. i am now driving a ML loaner car, servicing my car. while in SF, the power door closers also failed, so that is being fixed. I am so concerned about my car that I am thinking about notifying Mercedes-Benz of North America regarding the reliability issues of my vehicle, and asking for some kind of "reimbursement"...
M
i call them, and they say that they are busy and will call me back soon- they never have
looking for some new rims any suggestions or prices
I have not sent a formal letter yet to Mercedes-Benz, USA. I plan on doing so within a week. However, today, while calling MB of Laguna Niguel, I talked to my saleswoman, where she was offering me roughly $1000 off invoice on a new 2003 S430, and that she’d give me deep discounts on several options. However, she had to go early, so she would call me back today. I have not yet decided, as I am seriously considering the 2003 BMW 745Li. But then, the 745Li is due for a refresh in several months, and I am afraid that during that time waiting, my S430 will kill me either in an accident or emotionally ;-)
(also, I am sort of sick and tired of driving behind the wheel of another S430, so I am seriously stuck)
After she calls today, and I will tell you what she said.
Halleluiah! Today, I get to pick up my S430 that has been in for serious repairs at least a dozen times.
I have to agree that I5 is one of the few places that one can truly appreciate the reasons for having an "S". My wife was making the trip from the Bay Area to L.A. 2-3 times a month in her 02 S430 and, until we started having so many problems with it, the knowledge that she was in this car gave me a great feeling of security. I don't know if you have it but Distronic makes the drive even better. It is one of the few things that work well and it truly makes long trips more pleasant.
I am getting the feeling though that we are one of the lucky ones with only 14 visits to the shop (typically 2 or 3 day stay) in 20 months of ownership. It's there right now as the shift lever refuses to move. My Service Manager's repeated comment when we are "discussing" the problems that we have had with the car of "At least it has never left her stranded" are no longer valid. My wife is now reluctant to stray too far from home with the car.
I am also preparing a letter to MB about options for getting rid of the vehicle. Unfortunately, with 51K miles the depreciation (>$40K on a trade in) is really hard to swallow. Our dealer has offered more (unspecified amount) if we trade it in on another "S" but we are apprehensive about owning another and encountering more of the same problems. The problem is after driving an "S" it will be very hard to find something comparable. Looking at a GX470 though.
Keep us posted.
We have to drive 20 miles to the dealer and if we don't scream loudly when the car is in for repair they rent us a Ford Escort from the Enterprise office next door.
by the way, i got back my S430. it seems to be driving fine. the dealer is insisting that it was the wheel-balance was off. however, one of the technicians secretely told me that perhaps, the car auto-shutted off, when it thought I was hatting the red-line on RPM (i wasn't ever near it, though). or that the emergency brake activated (i have heard of similar reports of this while driving at high speeds at www.mercedesprobelms.com)
MB of Laguna niguel is offering $69,120 for a base- 2003 new S430. as for the trade in value of my car, it's $51,000. (well, it has about 31,000 miles and is a year old, but its really in excellent condition...)
have any of you guys purchased a new mercedes at Fletcher Jones Mercedes in newport beach, california? i drove there today, and decided to investigate the prices of a new S430 there, and the salesman refused to disclose the price after discounts, nor are they willing to discuss any discounts. they said that they will inform me of their price when the actual vehicle comes in to the dealership from port or whatever. i stormed out. has this ever happened to you?
Thanks
cr
Should I wait or is there no big difference year to year?
Thanks,
Shrey