Talk me out of a 2002 S55

[bsharp8256]

I've kind of had my eyes out for a W220 lately, and I spied one at a local dealer as I was driving by today...turns out it was an S55

I stopped to talk to the sales manager and it's got 150k miles and he's asking $7800. He said it used to be his personal car and everything on it works perfectly. I've done a little googling on the W220s and especially with the AMG models, people say go 2003+. Could I get some input on what exactly changed in MY2003? I know the ABC/Airmatic suspension is always something to watch out for...anything else I should know to look for? For the mileage, how is the price, and what should I try to negotiate down to?

I really want to go for a test drive, but I'm afraid if I do there'll be no turning back so I want to make sure I know what I may be getting into before making any rash decisions.

Thanks!

[jcyuhn]

In 2003 the S55 gained the supercharged 5.4 liter engine with 493HP and 516-ish ft-lb torque. The 2002 model has the naturally aspirated V8 with only 350HP. It's not exactly slow, but don't go around racing a brand new Honda Accord V6 either...

[Skid Row Joe]

Sounds like a great opportunity to me. I'd try to get it IIWY.

[ILUVMILS]

I wouldn't touch an ABC equipped MB at any price.

[engatwork]

What is ABC?

[MTI]

Active Body Control

If you check the resale values of nearly every MB with the system, you'll find phenomenal low prices on S Class, SL and AMG cars because of the horrific costs of replacement and repairs on that system alone.

Consider the original post a 2002 AMG car selling for less than the price of a 2002 minivan. What do you suppose is wrong with that picture?

[POS]

"His personal car" means that he bought it at auction a few months ago, it needed some things, he fixed them cheaply, and now you can have it. $7500 sounds good. Another $3000 by the end of the year in repairs as long as nothing expensive happens. Then when you're bored with it next year, you'll sell it for $6000 to the first anyone who brings you a money order. Go for it.

Call my Mercedes mechanic for the past 30 years. Ask him about them. Hans @ Auto Haus Stuttgart at 713-956-0656. Tell him Brian told you to call for advice.

[gatorblue92]

5 Things No One Tells You About Owning A Used Luxury Car

[floridawriter]

Originally Posted by bsharp8256

I've kind of had my eyes out for a W220 lately, and I spied one at a local dealer as I was driving by today...turns out it was an S55

I stopped to talk to the sales manager and it's got 150k miles and he's asking $7800. He said it used to be his personal car and everything on it works perfectly. I've done a little googling on the W220s and especially with the AMG models, people say go 2003+. Could I get some input on what exactly changed in MY2003? I know the ABC/Airmatic suspension is always something to watch out for...anything else I should know to look for? For the mileage, how is the price, and what should I try to negotiate down to?

I really want to go for a test drive, but I'm afraid if I do there'll be no turning back so I want to make sure I know what I may be getting into before making any rash decisions.

Thanks!

ABC. Also plan on valve cover gaskets, motor and transmission mounts, plugs and wires, probably brakes, plus electrical work, vacuum leaks to be fixed, possibly flex disks, center support bearing, the list goes on and on. Enjoy!

[jcyuhn]

Always check the price of brake components before buying an AMG car - you can do so right here on the website. Some AMG cars have front rotors which cost in excess of $1K each, so a 4 wheel DIY brake job is a $2K proposition, and perhaps $3500 at a dealer.

Don't know if the S55 falls into this category or not, but it's the kind of thing you want to know before buying one.

[DieselPaul]

For my E55 they are two piece directional rotors and only AMG (rather whomever makes them for Mercedes) makes them, all the aftermarket suppliers are reboxing them. Which means they are the cheapest from the dealer. Not quite $1000 each for my car, but still something like $180-$250each depending on your discount at the dealer or online supplier.

A $500 DIY brake job certainly took me a bit by surprise, but I knew that would be the case with an AMG.

I've seen 03+ S55s for like $12,000 that had similar miles to the car in question. Personally, I think 493HP is worth the extra $4,000. If you're going to take on the high parts costs, air suspension, etc you may as well get the most power.

However the 355HP variant of the AMG M113 is no slouch, my E55 has held its own with plenty of much newer cars. But if you're into performance, the N/A M113 leaves you craving the S/C. I'll be in the E55K or E63 market in the near future.

[bsharp8256]

Thanks for all the input. I've found a 2004 S55 with 116k locally that I'm going to take a look at...as someone else pointed out, to me it's worth a few thousand more (asking $10,900) for the jump in power.

I've definitely read about the horror stories with ABC, some people swear that preventative maintenance is the key with a system flush every 30k miles or so...who knows. I found a link to a rebuild kit (here) for the pump itself, as well as warrantied rebuilt OEM struts (here). $90 is a lot to pay for a baggie of o-rings, and the rebuilt struts are by no means cheap either, but at the very least I know that I have an option other than the dealership. I feel like I could replace these parts on my own, although I'd have to get someone else to run STAR diagnostics/recalibration after doing so. Has anyone here done any ABC work themselves? If (or when?) something goes wrong, how realistic is fixing this system on my own?

Pelican has rotors at $210/ea for the fronts and ~$100/ea for the rears. I'll definitely look at how much life they have left in them.

All my cars are slow (I DD a 72 220D ), and lately I've been craving the modern creature comforts that newer cars have. I'd never considered one of these in the past because I had assumed they would be out of reach, but this would give me something quick and comfortable in one fell swoop.

Gatorblue, a friend linking me that exact article is exactly what started me down this path Sadly, the AMG cars seem a little more involved than the standard S500 and below.