[androdev]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

This is probably one of the most engaging and aspirational threads to follow.

Thank you, this is probably the nicest thing I have heard anyone say about this thread.

Do you see yourself upgrading to the newer generation of the S-Class or would you be trying something different the next time?

I might be an exception as most S Class owners can afford to buy the latest and greatest on a regular basis. Mine is a case of "one-hit wonder".

If I ever can afford another car in this segment, I would 100% stick to S Class but I might wait for the right design from the house of S Class. Not every iteration is a winner. At this point, I am pretty broke (relatively) and all this is wishful thinking :-)

[androdev]

12th annual service checkin :-)

Rs 27K service bill - just oil+filter change, as the rest of the stuff doesn't need replacement.



Oil and filter changed:



Air and AC filter cleaned and replaced:


Brakes and suspension, etc. are good to go:


Rs 22K insurance bill - third party premium and taxes are more than OD.


IMHO, keeping the car in a good shape and owning it for long term is a good way to compensate for the indulgence in buying a car beyond your comfort zone. Provided, of course, that a good drive means a lot to you! Disclaimer: this is car banter, not a financial advice.

Don't let anyone tell you that our country is not the place to enjoy driving - that applies only to urban areas, which are beyond redemption.

[Chisels121]

Such a great thread. The closest I have come to experiencing this tier of cars was a ride in my uncle's Jaguar XF and Porsche Cayenne and to think that this car is smoother than the Jaguar just boggles my mind.
Although I see that your taillights have LED's in them, are they stock because I regularly see the only w221 in our city and that doesn't have it. (it is also a 2012 S350)

[BeMyWings]

Congratulations on another anniversary! Androdev, you should consider converting this thread to a mini-series/e-book. I'm sure it will delight and inspire people towards going for your dreams. I know in my case, your thread, Turbanator, Iliketurtles, GTO and many others definitely inspired and gave me the courage to make my dream a reality.

Thank you, and all the best!

[VikramAditya]

Should one consider buying a car like this at this period, when they are selling in the second-hand car market like hot cakes for under 10 Lakh rupees?

[freakmuzik]

@androdev - I must confess that I wait for every update of yours

Incredible journey and that to see such a well logged thread for a car like the S-Class, that too for 12 years! Folks like me feel we are part of your ownership journey and must say, pretty inspiring to see everything, right from how you landed on an S-Class!

Wishing you & your family infinitely more fond memories with this beautiful palace on wheels.

[M9000]

Brilliant thread and congratulations on yet another anniversary! Wishing you many more luxurious miles.
In a lighter vein, I am pretty sure you have many potential buyers waiting to take ownership of your car, the moment you decide to bid goodbye.

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by VikramAditya

Should one consider buying a car like this at this period, when they are selling in the second-hand car market like hot cakes for under 10 Lakh rupees?

A catchy title caught my eye on YouTube today. Lo and behold, he gave an example of none other than @androdev’s S class. You need to remember that its cost was ~1 Cr, and the maintenance would be at par with that and not the current used car price.

Watch from 8:15:

https://youtu.be/dGt47MJ40qQ?si=xx8Y-OL2B_FPe0Rz

[Ashar]

Originally Posted by VikramAditya

Should one consider buying a car like this at this period, when they are selling in the second-hand car market like hot cakes for under 10 Lakh rupees?

From my experience, don't go for used S Class unless you are an expert in evaluating "used S-Classes". This is because you rarely find a car sold directly by the owner. Almost all are sold by brokers or used car showrooms, and they strictly don't allow external evaluation companies like CarWale to inspect the car on your behalf. Most of the used S-Classes available for sale look fabulous on the outside but when checked thoroughly you would be looking at repairs which could even exceed the cost of buying the entire car used.

If you are really keen, the best bet would be to keep an eye on an S-Class that any of your family or close friends own, so as to make sure that the car is not abused.

[M9000]

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

You need to remember that its cost was ~1 Cr, and the maintenance would be at par with that and not the current used car price.

Your comment reminded me of the verdict of S-Class in the car buyer guide of one of the popular car magazines during the early 2000s which is "You need to win the Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) twice. Once to buy it and another time to maintain it!"

[androdev]

Originally Posted by Chisels121

Such a great thread. The closest I have come to experiencing this tier of cars was a ride in my uncle's Jaguar XF and Porsche Cayenne and to think that this car is smoother than the Jaguar just boggles my mind.
Although I see that your taillights have LED's in them, are they stock because I regularly see the only w221 in our city and that doesn't have it. (it is also a 2012 S350)

Thank you! My photo above is a bit misleading due to poor resolution/focus. It looks like a modern strip-style LED in the photo but it's the old style LED made up of "dots".

Originally Posted by BeMyWings

Congratulations on another anniversary! Androdev, you should consider converting this thread to a mini-series/e-book. I'm sure it will delight and inspire people towards going for your dreams. I know in my case, your thread, Turbanator, Iliketurtles, GTO and many others definitely inspired and gave me the courage to make my dream a reality.

Thank you, and all the best!

Thank you. I couldn't have found a better place to share my experience than this thread on team-bhp. It's very nice to see mixed experiences of so many people - someone swearing never to go anywhere near a German luxury car and others singing love songs. Really helps the reader to look into themselves and discover what's really important to them at a personal level. I'm a bit worried that my ownership thread will slowly drift into philosophical musings but I will try to keep it detail oriented and objective.

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

@androdev - I must confess that I wait for every update of yours

Incredible journey and that to see such a well logged thread for a car like the S-Class, that too for 12 years! Folks like me feel we are part of your ownership journey and must say, pretty inspiring to see everything, right from how you landed on an S-Class!

Wishing you & your family infinitely more fond memories with this beautiful palace on wheels.

Thank you! I have immensely benefited from this forum and I often find myself searching on Google with "<xyz> team-bhp". I truly enjoy posting updates on this thread even if it goes under the radar at the moment.

Originally Posted by M9000

Brilliant thread and congratulations on yet another anniversary! Wishing you many more luxurious miles.
In a lighter vein, I am pretty sure you have many potential buyers waiting to take ownership of your car, the moment you decide to bid goodbye.

Thank you. Ha ha, I doubt it. A 12 year old S Class would be a hard sell no matter how well it's been maintained. Thankfully, it's a feeling of relief that I don't have to worry about the residual value anymore and just enjoy it till it lasts.

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

A catchy title caught my eye on YouTube today. Lo and behold, he gave an example of none other than @androdev’s S class. You need to remember that its cost was ~1 Cr, and the maintenance would be at par with that and not the current used car price.

Watch from 8:15:
https://Youtu.be/dGt47MJ40qQ?si=xx8Y-OL2B_FPe0Rz

Very interesting, thanks for sharing - not a flattering photo of my car, a rare bad picture of this delightful workhorse :-)

Originally Posted by VikramAditya

Should one consider buying a car like this at this period, when they are selling in the second-hand car market like hot cakes for under 10 Lakh rupees?

A question I would love to answer :-) Just my personal perspective so some bias is to be expected.

First and foremost, this is not a driver's car. It's purchased as a family car (as in my case) or as sethji's car. A car of this vintage doesn't fit the use case of a sethji. Most family members would also object to such a purchase because it will send a negative image among the social circle. Had it acquired a "classic car" status, it would make sense as the buyer would be seen as someone collecting classic/vintage car. So to start with, there is a big image problem to deal with, as S-Class is a very "status" projecting car. You will be better off buying a GLS, Q7 type of old cars which do not have the image of an S Class and are seen as just big cars.

Now let's assume that you don't care about the image and just want to enjoy a good luxury sedan at a bargain. You have to be a person with healthy cash flow. You may not end up spending it but you have to be able to afford if the situation warrants. For me this is easy to justify because I already own the car, it's running without issues and replacing this even with a VW Virtus will cost me 25L minus abysmal resale, so it's a no brainer to pay the occasional bills and continue to own the car.

Assuming you crossed both the above hurdles (your family supports it and you have decent cash flow situation), you need to find a clean car. It's nearly impossible to find a first owner who is still maintaining the car with TLC. Most cars have changed hands and trust me you don't want to go near a premium car that has changed hands and are being sold through used car dealers. You will be buying a very expensive headache. The really clean cars don't come to the open market - they will be grabbed by friends and relatives. The service advisors of Mercedes/BMW, etc. dealerships will know of cars owned by people like me. They know these cars like a family doctor. They won't entertain strangers but an existing customer with a long term relationship can request them to provide leads for very well maintained trouble free low mileage old cars that are still maintained at the A.S.S. by first owner. This may sound overwhelming but all the sweat during peace will save blood during the war.

My personal advice would be not to buy a 10-15L S Class but go for E class or 5 Series from that vintage. No image issues and they are great to drive as well. If buying a used S Class, go for a model that still has some "prestige" thing going for it such as W222 (esp facelift). Totally different price point but that's how the S Class brand works.

[VikramAditya]

Greetings,

Thank you for such an open and intrusive reply that makes complete logic in the mind if one wants to purchase a used S-class. Interestingly this has always been a topic of buying a used luxury car and cherishing your dreams at a bargain. Still, even if you see lower series cars like the Audi a6, BMW 5 series, and Mercedes Benz C class, they are all expensive to maintain if maintained second hand as German cars after 80k km on the odo are a clear disaster if you don't know or have not been part of car life itself.

example: My friend bought a used Audi a6 from Delhi and got it passed in Chandigarh for 5 years and after spending all of that fees he had to replace his airbags which cost him almost 1.5 Lakhs for 4 plus the labour and the timing belt and Quattro mechatronics itself are very complex repairs and issues to deal with when the car is being driven daily even if to fulfil your reams at a bargain!

we need a thread on Average Indian income and dreams of buying cars like these vs the real situations with second-hand car loans and working would be better to put out a clear picture of whether the decision or the strategy to make decisions like these a success for every hard earner to balance out his expense and spending with fulfilling Automobile dreams.

[Uppili_N55]

Originally Posted by androdev

12th annual service checkin :-)

Rs 27K service bill - just oil+filter change, as the rest of the stuff doesn't need replacement.

Attachment 2635449

Oil and filter changed:
Attachment 2635456
Attachment 2635455

Air and AC filter cleaned and replaced:
Attachment 2635451

Brakes and suspension, etc. are good to go:
Attachment 2635457

Rs 22K insurance bill - third party premium and taxes are more than OD.
Attachment 2635454

IMHO, keeping the car in a good shape and owning it for long term is a good way to compensate for the indulgence in buying a car beyond your comfort zone. Provided, of course, that a good drive means a lot to you! Disclaimer: this is car banter, not a financial advice.

Don't let anyone tell you that our country is not the place to enjoy driving - that applies only to urban areas, which are beyond redemption.

Attachment 2635448

Good to see the S class getting it's pampering. But I am surprised how much the labor charges are in India for German cars. Oil and filter change is one of the easiest things to do to a vehicle, 13,000 rupees is approximately 165 dollars. For my 6 cylinder BMW in the US, the labor rate for an oil change would maximum be 20 or 30 dollars at an independent specialist if I bring my own oil, and about 120 dollars at the dealer for complete 5W-30 full synthetic oil change. How are we okay with such high prices when we have cheaper labor rates compared to western countries.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by Uppili_N55

Good to see the S class getting it's pampering. But I am surprised how much the labor charges are in India for German cars. Oil and filter change is one of the easiest things to do to a vehicle, 13,000 rupees is approximately 165 dollars. For my 6 cylinder BMW in the US, the labor rate for an oil change would maximum be 20 or 30 dollars at an independent specialist if I bring my own oil, and about 120 dollars at the dealer for complete 5W-30 full synthetic oil change. How are we okay with such high prices when we have cheaper labor rates compared to western countries.

Labour is cheap but MB has these "blackbox" items called "Service A" and "Service B" which are expensive. BMW doesn't have such practice. I posted about this on my BMW thread - you can also see the much cheaper labour charges in my BMW bills on the same page.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post4993411 (BMW 520d Initial Ownership Report | EDIT: Transmission Breakdown)

In the case of MB and Porsche etc, as it is an annual service visit, they will have a magical item that says something like "Service B" Rs 20,000 labour while also listing all individual labour items. Lot of service jobs are with the criteria like 40K km or 4 years whichever is earlier - this generally trends to be very premature for cars with low usage. I think because BMW business model tends to be around BSI, their service schedules are more conservative and their dealerships are used to carrying out bare minimum service jobs. An MB service advisor might lose his job if he returns the car with just oil change. At least that is how I see it.

[BeMyWings]

Originally Posted by androdev

Thank you. I couldn't have found a better place to share my experience than this thread on team-bhp. It's very nice to see mixed experiences of so many people - someone swearing never to go anywhere near a German luxury car and others singing love songs. Really helps the reader to look into themselves and discover what's really important to them at a personal level. I'm a bit worried that my ownership thread will slowly drift into philosophical musings but I will try to keep it detail oriented and objective.

On another note, and from your experience, I can safely state that every dream needs to be nourished and maintained. If you aren't in it for the long run, then it ends up becoming a very expensive proposition.

For example, BMW is planning to go all electric sometime soon. That is exactly what prompted and pushed me to get the 340i. I knew that there won't be another like this in the future and this is exactly what I wanted.

There have been many trade-offs, but none that I am regretting. If given the option, I'd do the same thing all over again.