Quote:
Originally Posted by tmonkey
I'm new to this board and Mercedes but after test driving an '03 S55 AMG the other day I know what my next car will be! I went from a '99 911 to assorted family cars a couple of years ago when the first baby came. I've been making do with a '06 Odyssey and a Smart in the meantime. I'm not sure how an S55 AMG will compare to the Smart's stock 70HP, but I think it will suffice. Baby no 2 is a couple of months away and I need something that can handle the four of us if needed...
I've done a bit of research, and it looks like a black on black '03 around 60K miles is what I'm looking for. I'm pleasantly surprised that they seem to be in the $26-$29K range. I have time to wait for the right one and in the meantime I'd value any opinions and recommendations as to what to look for.
I see a few recommendations for a warranty - is this worth it/possible on an 03?
If (when) I have it checked is there anything special a mechanic should look for?
A friend read somewhere (an anonymous internet forum - who would listen to someone there  ) to avoid early build dates - is that true and which months are early?
I've also heard horror stories about the electrical system in these things - is that true? Any clues as to it about to be a problem?
Are there any options I should be looking for or avoiding?
I'm curious as to why there are so few '04s out there. I see from this thread they only half as many '04s - anyone know why?
I've been chatting to one of the other posters on this board about his car for sale - I'd like to check it out if it's still around next week, in which case I may need a recommendation for a shop to check over it. Sorry for so many questions - I can't get that bug out of my head! |
I've had my black on black 03 S55 for 2 months and am fully satisfied. I paid $28,500 plus tax and tag for it with about 53,000 miles. It was a local SoCal 1 owner car in original mint condition. The brakes were getting low, so I went ahead and replaced the rotors and pads front and rear - $1,300 from an indy using OEM parts.
I'm told that the ABC suspension can be a problem and is an expensive fix ($2,500 to $3,000) and the supercharger chirp bothers some owners. My car chirps and I feel the jerk when the SC is engaged. My extensive research on this and other forums has shown that this is "normal" so I don't let it bother me. I've read that some who have eliminated the chirp have also, inadvertently, eliminated some of the power that goes along with it, but I can't verify this first hand.
As they say, they there's no used car factory, so it's likely you will have to make some compromises as far as options, color and build date, but don't compromise on condition! My car appears to have no options, except for a gorgeous wood AMG steering wheel that feels to have been molded exactly for my hands. No keyless go, no power closing trunk and no parktronic, which my other MB has.
I really wanted parktronic, as I've become perhaps overly-reliant upon it on my GL450, and have had to develop my own instinctive radar when parallel parking. The 203 inch car takes a while to get used to.
The benefit to a car with few options is that there's less to go wrong with it, although parktronic would've been nice. Apparently keyless go can be tricky and lead to battery drains, but again, I have no first had experience with that option. This is just what I've read on forums.
I'm told a warranty is possible for the S55, whereas the V12 is another story. I'm still covered by my dealer's limited warranty and may just wing it when it expires. I have confidence in this car.
The 03 has the CD based Nav, which works better than I expected. An ipod hook up is expensive because the electronics are not the updated MOST kind found in 04 and up. The good news is that you can plug an ipod into the aux jack in the glove compartment, hit the service button on the COMAND, cycle through some options and you're all set. You just can't control it from the steering wheel or COMAND.
BTW, the other day I had to buy a specially fitted S55 plastic front license plate bracket (CA law) and could only find one from the dealer. It's a $5.00 piece of plastic so I was thinking it would be $25 to $40. I know Mercedes mark-ups due to my GL450 ownership. The price? $182. When I asked why, the parts guys explained "because it's AMG."
Anyway, good luck in your search, but remember, you may be buying a $30,000 car, but you'll be maintaining a $118,000 exotic.
Best,
qcar