Buying a 14 year old S-Class or S63 AMG: Is it worth the risk?

The description says its pushing 600 horses with a Decat UK remap.

BHPian holyshash recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Have been a frequent visitor to this post. I have been following the thread for a while now.

May I ask you about your views on the listing of the W221 S63 up on the classifieds? Is it worthy to be bought at the price point of 42L at 31k kilometres and being a 14 y/o car?

Though the description says its pushing 600 horses with a Decat UK remap.

Or should one opt for a S500 from the same generation and get it done up with a sweet exhaust and a few mods?

You seem to be a veteran in terms of the W221, as you've kept one running till now and have pampered it so much through all these years.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

You will hear from two types of owners. One who found the maintenance levels to be acceptable, the other who burned their fingers. Usually, the former are those who have owned the car for many years, maintained it well and built a great network of independent mechanics / spare part suppliers. See how Androdev keeps his car.

An S-Class is a money-no-object car. An AMG even more so. The price you pay for a 14-year old S63 AMG is just the "downpayment", and the monthly EMIs start soon.

It looks beautiful, stunning. But remember that a 14-year old car will have a lot of parts worn out. Buy it only if you can keep it as the 2nd or 3rd or 4th car of the house. Even a 14-year old Honda Civic requires work & part replacements due to age, this is but an S-Class.

What I would suggest is getting a newer W222 S-Class for 50-lakhs (or more) since you clearly have the budget. No such thing as a cheap S-Class. Buy the newest one you can find, with the lowest odometer reading in your intended spend. A regular S-Class will average out at 2-3 lakhs per year in maintenance. An AMG, a lot more, especially if you drive it.

Most likely, it will be the best car you ever bought. Although, a lot of people who buy very old German cars say that the two best days with their old luxury car was the day they bought it....and the day they sold it.

Dropping a link to the ad so that others can also check it out

Here's what BHPian nmn.070 had to say on the matter:

We have a W221 S500 2012 in the family. I feel the power is already way over what one may use given the size and weight class of the vehicle in our busy conditions. The muted growl and low frequency vibes under the seats coming from the glorious smooth v8 are charming enough. As GTO mentioned, maintenance is expensive so getting the newest and least run car within that budget will be the best case. The V8 in the S500 is worth every penny paid above the S350. I presume the S63 is overkill for this application. And I say this with experience in a friend's CL63 2010 (same generation). You cannot put that power to use and bear the brunt of higher maintenance and purchase cost.

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

Our roads, including most highways, are narrow with high traffic density. IMHO, one needs a nimble car to have some fun. Driving an S Class on our roads is akin to driving a Volvo bus - I only enjoy it because of the amazing comfort it offers to my family on long distance touring. I think of S Class as a Vellfire that can carry much higher speeds safely while looking very classy. A bigger engine is always welcome, but I don't know what benefit I could derive if my S class had a more powerful engine.

You would probably be better served by Mustang, RS5, C63 type of cars? I don't find S63 to be an insanely desirable car to acquire given the cost and effort involved to maintain it.

Also, this is a 2008 MH reg car in Chandigarh with a "single" ownership on record - not very confidence inspiring.

Here's what BHPian Flyingdutchman had to say on the matter:

I have seen this car on Rare Gear India back in December 2023. Funny or rather odd thing.

This car was been listed on OLX in August 2023 for 50 Lakh. Odo then was 31,800km. Then it was relisted again (by a different dealer -again something to notice) for 40 lakh in December 2023. Odo then was 31,800km. And now the car has been listed again in June 2024 ,almost an year after initial listing and odo is still 31,000km?? So what to make out of this?? Is there something "wrong" with Odo or Car's been stationary for an entire year? Both sounds not so ideal.

And car was registered in MH and now listed in Chandigarh but still registered to first owner??

Also ,I am not so fond of old V8's,V12's. Yes, they are great for nostalgia but they are impractical, inefficient, expensive to maintain, unreliable in this age. New age turbo 6 cylinders B57, B58, Audi 3.0 TFSI ,Merc 3.0 Inline 6 are every bit competent.

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