Mercedes-Benz used cars like the S-class is the German automakers top sedan. It has been a leading choice for North American consumers who could afford and own one of the best large luxury sedan`s in the auto market place. The S-class model has been around for lots of years and has been a very profitable brand for the motor company. The Mercedes S-Class competes against the likes of the BMW 7 series, and the Audi A8 model. Will take a look at the S-class from 2000 and on and see if it’s a good used car to buy.
Mercedes-Benz S-class used cars from 2000 and on, got a whole new face lift. The body was made smaller but the interior was bigger than previous models, giving it more space to move around in. The Mercedes-Benz motor corporation spends a great deal of time and resources in designing the interior of the vehicle and you notice that when you open the door. This vehicle is outfitted with the best leather seats, which are so comfortable to sit in. It has beautiful wood trim throughout the vehicle and it`s speedometer and engine controls are easy to read. The center console is easy to use as well and these vehicles made from 2000 to 2005 are basically the same look and feel.
I have several fuel statistics for the different S models that Mercedes has to offer. The S430 had a rating of 13.7-litre, per 100km, for city driving and 8.9-litre, per 100km for highway driving. The S500 had a rating of 14.4-litre, per 100km, for city driving and 9.6-litre, per 100km, for highway driving. The S600 had a rating of 18.9-litre, per 100km, for city driving and 11.6, per 100km, for highway driving. The S55 AMG had a rating of 16.6-litre, per 100km for city driving and 10.3-litre, per 100km for highway driving. As you can see there not cheap at the gas pumps, so don`t be shocked to see what it costs to fill one these vehicles up in.
There are several engine sizes for the various models, the S430 and S500 both shared either a 4.3-litre, 275 horsepower engine or a 5.0-litre, 302 horsepower engine. The S55 AMG had two engines to choose from, a 5.5-litre, 349 horsepower engine or a 5.8-litre, 362 horsepower engine. The cream of the crop is the S65 AMG and this has a 6.0-litre, turbocharged, 604 horsepower engine.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of buying a Mercedes-Benz as a used vehicle.
1- There are leaking problems with their air suspension.
2- The control system which monitors instrument gages has been known to fail.
3- A leading online consumer watch dog gives the S-class an average or below average rating as a used car.
This is a vehicle I would stay away from, even thou its price as a used car is reasonable from the years 2000 to 2005, you may run into mechanical issues that won’t be cheap to fix.