Mercedes-Benz S-Class W221 Review (2006-2013)
Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
Exceptionally luxurious and comfortable to travel in
Very well equipped
An awful lot of car for the money
Cons
High running costs
Potential for a very big bill if something goes wrong
V6 petrols can suffer from worn timing chain sprockets
The CarGurus verdict
Few cars feel as imperious or as plutocratic as an S-Class, and of them all, the W221 looks like the best value at the moment. Old enough to be affordable, yet still new enough to feel slick and luxurious, it’s also about as comfortable a car as you can get for the cash, and – if you pick the right model – it’s also surprisingly economical.
But don’t let that low purchase price fool you into thinking an S-Class will also be cheap to run. Maintenance costs will still be high, and unless you buy the later diesel model, you’ll also pay a fair bit for fuel too. What’s more, when things go wrong – and given there are a few big issues to keep in mind, that’s not impossible – you’ll have to stump up even more big bills.
As long as you keep all this in mind, though, the S-Class will offer you an ownership experience with which few other cars can compare. After all, luxury comes at a price – and given how much luxury the S-Class offers, it still feels like pretty reasonable value.
Are you the type of bargain hunter who wants a lot of used car for very little cash? If so, step this way, because we reckon we might have something here that’ll excite you.
It’s a Mercedes-Benz S-Class; the fifth-generation model, to be precise, also known as the W221 S-Class to aficionados. When new, it was often touted as the best car in the world. And quite frankly, it’s looking like a bit of a bargain at the moment, because while it’s still without doubt one of the most accomplished luxury cars out there, depreciation has driven values down so much that you can now buy an early example for the same sort of price as you’d pay for a used Volkswagen Golf.
Upfront in the W221 you’ll find a spacious interior with good storage, lots of gadgets and an extremely high level of fit and finish. It’s a pleasure just to sit in this car, let alone drive it.
That said, the Mercedes S-Class W221 is built for being driven in, rather than being driven. As such it’s no surprise to find that space in the rear seats is generous, and that the seats themselves are extremely comfortable.
If you’re a chauffeur who is planning to carry rear seat passengers regularly, you might want to consider the long-wheelbase, or LWB, version. Denoted by an ‘L’ after the name, these S-Class models are stretched between the wheels, and offer an additional 13cm of leg room in the back.
The 560-litre boot is plenty big enough for carrying large suitcases. Do note though that, as with its rivals, this is a saloon rather than a hatchback, so you won’t be taking that old washing machine to the tip in your S-Class.
Air suspension is fitted as standard, and together with vast quantities of sound deadening, this results in serene, unruffled progress even over the roughest of road surfaces. On the motorway especially, the S-Class excels, whisking you along at the legal limit in blissful isolation.
You might think such a big, heavy car with soft suspension would be hopeless in corners, but you’d be wrong. That air suspension can firm up automatically, which means the body doesn’t lean over too much, and combined with plenty of grip and responsive steering, that means the S-Class handles like a smaller car.
And if you choose one of the blisteringly fast AMG models, you get Active Body Control as standard; a system which seemingly defies the laws of physics, and uses hydraulics to keep the car even more level in fast corners.
It’s the diesel versions that are most widely available, though, and these are much sought-after for their blend of gutsy performance and quite remarkable efficiency. And of course, if you’re feeling flush, there are petrol versions that sit below the S63 and S65 AMG in the range, though these are rare. There's no manual gearbox option, because all models have an automatic transmission.
As with all S-Classes, this version was at the cutting edge of automotive technology when it was released in 2006; widely marketed were the optional infra-red night-vision system, and a pre-collision safety system the like of which is now standard in many cars on sale today.
The standard equipment list may have been extensive, but the options list was even more so. S-Class buyers could specify self-closing doors, a powered boot lid, ambient lighting, adaptive cruise control, a digital TV tuner, and even seats whose bolsters pumped up with air to support you while cornering. With all this in mind, if there are particular options you want, it pays to check over the equipment list of any prospective purchase carefully.
Whatever model you choose, if you buy carefully and can stomach the running costs, you’ll see why the W221 S-Class leapfrogged its biggest rivals – the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series – both on paper and in the metal.
It’s the S350 Bluetec we recommend that’s the most efficient S-Class of all. You should see somewhere in the region of 40mpg on average in regular, day-to-day driving. If you’re planning to buy an S320 CDI, expect to see around 10mpg less.
Petrol models are thirstier, but 35mpg should be achievable from the post-facelift S350; on pre-facelift petrol models, however, don’t expect to see more than 25mpg on average – less if you choose an S500 or S600. Of course, if it’s an AMG model you’re considering, fuel consumption will probably drop down into the mid-to-late teens, if you’re lucky.
The S-Class was an expensive car when it was new, and commensurately, it was – and still is – an expensive one to maintain. It’s worth keeping in mind therefore that while the cost to buy it may have shrunk, the cost to keep it running hasn’t. Parts and servicing are both expensive, and with those big wheels, tyres and brake components will also not come cheap.
Thankfully, there’s a plethora of good independent Mercedes specialists out there with whom servicing is less expensive than at a main dealer – often they’re very experienced too, so we’d recommend finding one local to you and having your car maintained and repaired there.
There’s more good news when it comes to replacing timing belts: you don’t need to, because all of the S-Class’s engines are fitted instead with a timing chain that should last the life of the car, or at the very least, need replacing very infrequently.
The S-Class’s air suspension system is not unreliable, but it is known to cause problems from time to time, either with the air springs themselves or with the pump and complex system of compressed air lines and valves that feeds them. Turn the car on, and check the ride height is level front-to-back and side-to-side; if it helps, you can measure the distances from the centre of the wheel to the arch. This should be the same on each side of the car. Beware any car that looks like it’s ‘sunk’ before being started.
There’s a plethora of electrical systems on any S-Class, so you’ll want to make sure they all work. You’ll need to pay particular attention to the central information display, whose software can cause issues – so make sure it isn’t slow to respond, and that it doesn’t crash or freeze.
Cars with the petrol V6 engine – in other words, the S280, S320 and S350 – can suffer from worn timing chain sprockets, and this can result in an eye-wateringly expensive repair. Listen out for any odd noises, particularly rattling, when you start the engine up, and make sure any car you buy has a full and complete record of regular, timely servicing.
- A facelift for the S-Class was revealed in early 2009. You’d be hard pushed to tell the facelifted car from the earlier version, but you can spot the former thanks to its LED daytime running lights in the front bumper. Additional upgrades include an array of extra driver assistance features, including adaptive full beams and blind spot protection; a torque vectoring system that gently applies the brake to the inside rear wheel in bends to sharpen the car’s cornering; and the addition of pedestrian recognition to the night vision system.
- Not content with just the one, Mercedes introduced two AMG versions of the S-Class. The S63 AMG comes with a 518bhp version of Mercedes’s famed 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8, allowing it to sprint to 62mph in 4.6 seconds. The S65 AMG is even faster, courtesy of its 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 engine. It boasts a 4.4-second 0-62mph time and truly ballistic mid-range performance.
- For most buyers, the common-or-garden S350 Bluetec is the one to have. Its big V6 diesel engine is quiet and smooth, offers more than enough shove for everyday motoring, and yet should also offer respectable fuel economy figures.
- The S350 Bluetec only became available after the 2010 facelift, so if you’re buying on a budget it might be out of your reach. In that case, the S320 CDI turbodiesel is a pretty good substitute – it isn’t as economical, but it’s just as effortless in the way it delivers its power.
- If a petrol engine is a must-have, then the S350 BlueEfficiency is the one we’d recommend. Thanks to a raft of clever fuel-saving measures, it’s nowhere near as inefficient as you might think a big petrol engine in a heavy luxury car would be; according to the official figures, in fact, it’s more economical than the pre-facelift diesel.
- If it’s an AMG version you’re after, stick with the S63. As mighty as the S65 AMG looks on paper, its extra performance isn’t actually all that useable; what’s more, the S63 boasts a better soundtrack from its V8 engine as well as slightly more nimble handling thanks to its lighter engine.
