I Bought The CHEAPEST Mercedes S-Class To Find Out If It's The BEST Car On The Road
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- Опубликовано: 19 июл 2021
- I've owned an insane number of cars, but never once a Mercedes-Benz. Sure I spend a lot of time driving them, but I'm a big BMW fan and wouldn't want to be disloyal to the Bavarians. Today that all changes, I saw a tweet about the S Class in good condition being a car with no equal. So I bought a 2004 S430, the cheapest and worst condition one I could find, and an absolute bargain at only $2,000. This car originally sold for $80,000! Let's see just how great a W220 S-Class really is.
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#CheapCar #W220 #MercedesBenz 
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My s430 has 246,000 on the clock
Wow! They do say this engine is bulletproof 😳
@@WatchJRGo they sure do and it’s proven it, as long as you maintain it it’ll run forever!
Just about any car will make it to 246k if you dump enough money into it.
I had a few S430's & all went over 280,000 miles
How much has it cost to get to 246,000?
W220 without Airmatic has been robbed of her soul.
For someone who can fix the S class himself, it can be the best car ever.
Metal plate goes in passenger floor board under carpet over electric connections
Yes correct. But why is it out?
beat me to it
@@spaceexplorer6636 they had to work on the electrical system after they pulled it out of the lake
Take the plate out if you want to jump the battery inside the car.
I always have at least one w220 in the driveway. I’ve owned an s350, s430, s500, s55, s600, s65 and a Brabus T 12
Wouldn’t be the first time someone was in a trunk of an s class by the railroad tracks.
😂😂😳
I have a 2004 S430 designo Silver Edition. Just rolled over 200k miles, still on fully functioning air suspension with no issues. I love mine, they’re great cars, and this coming from someone who wasn’t even that fond of the W220 prior to owning haha. Drive it everyday, cooled seats on and AC blasting. Easy to work on and “relatively” cheap to maintain.
I love my S class, but mostly because it’s a modified S55 AMG! Mo powah baby!
My s320 petrol has 387000 miles and it runs as smooth as new. You can get high quality parts for cheap and basically every single malfunction is documented somewhere on the internet. It costs me around 5-600$ a year to keep it running.
Exactly this. Just revived a S320 this year, great cars if you can do the work yourself and the running costs are very fair given what it once cost new.
"FELONY FOREST" TALKING ABOUT THE AIR FRESHENERS OMFG STOP LMAO THAT'S TOO GOOD
I don't get it
You don't watch Rich Rebuilds obviously. That's what he calls the Black Ice air freshners. Usually people stack them on top of each other creating a Forest amd the Black Ice scent was the best at hiding certain smells that eminate about 4:20, thus felony. A lot of stolen cars would be found packed with Black ice air freshners too.
@@clifbradley thank you very much for your helpful response. I've been confused for so long lol
yeah this got me too 💀💀💀
Cop talk, most persons wishing to mask the odor of the green leafy substance will stack a forest of those pine tree air fresheners in the car, usually from the rear view mirror making it easier to find the one to stop
JR's gonna have a serious wall of TVs in the lounge for gaming and such
I have a 2000 S430 with 190,000 miles! Got it with 48,000 miles in 2005. Still drives like a dream ❤
A few years ago my grandpa used to have a S500 of this era. Great car, especially the airmatic was exceptionally comfortable (it's somewhat the point of an S-Class, so it really would be worth fixing yours). It even had a fridge behind the middle rear seat, really fancy. But: reliability was mediocre, with prices for spare parts being quite high, even over here in Germany. As it got older he replaced it with a newer, well equipped E350 which seems to be a lot more reliable. He still misses that S-Class tho :D
I also have to say that you were quite brave to go into that trunk. On my grandpas S-Class there was one time where he wanted to open the trunk and it totally jammed. He had to bring it to a dealership to get the trunk opened and the lock replaced. Considering you can't even fold down the rear seats this could have been quite a problem if someone would have been inside the trunk at that time.
Should be fun to find out if you can fully revive this car....it wants to be revived!! You can tell...mostly cause you got in the trunk. Full trust in it!!
Pick up a tire for the spare, clear a few codes, maybe change the oil and presto, you got a S Class for a DD!!
I just got one of these. S500 2 months ago for 2k. 278k miles and it's still strong. No leaks no interior issues. Just front end issues. 4 matic. It's actually in mint shape. One owner to 270k. Air suspension works etc. No codes no lights other than something about the phone.
the rare one owner car. Meant the owner took care of it to get to 278k.
Yes, these are the daily drivers! Super comfortable, handles great for its size, engine is awesome, they even can come with radar cruise and AWD. I will get one within the near future! These are my dream cars!
The W220 is one of my favorite S Classes because they're much lighter than the previous generations. They're still very hefty and solid feeling but have a lightness when you fling them around a corner. Better yet AMG models with the ABC system means no body roll which is very impressive for a 2 ton vehicle.
I have an 04 Lexus LS430, and its very similar to the this...the amount of technology in a almost 2 decade old car is remarkable. Its a great daily driver, good luck getting it sorted
that saab lookin fresh in the background!!
Yeah I have been dailying an E350 for a few years and it’s got high miles, when I’m done with it in a few more years I’m getting a 15-18 S class next. Great daily’s
Awesome episode JR! I was hoping you would do an S Class, brilliant car with lots that can go wrong, but drives beautifully when working! The M113 engine in your car is arguably the best V8 Mercedes ever made, bullet proof!
So true! :)
I bought an 04 S430 just like yours 6 months ago for $1,000. The original owner had passed away and his son was selling it. It needed tires and like yours the interior was a little torn up. 135k miles and a stack of dealer service records in the trunk! I put 4 new tires on it and have now put around 4,000 miles on it. I have never driven a car thats so quiet and smooth. I get 27 MPG on highway trips!
That just looks like a good comfy car with decent power for the time it was built. Hope it turns out to be solid with some minor work. The head units lcd screen is trashed so you probably need to either source a good screen or a unit that works properly with the car.
Looking forward to how this works out and I'll never be able to afford one unless they are dirt cheap now.
Hi. Lovely video. I bought a 2000 s500 with 180oookms. I replaced the front air shocks and air pump. And 3 years later the car is still driving well. Now sitting at 225oookms. A beauty on the road. Very silent and lots of power. A lovely car
That engine is a nearly undestroyable beauty! :)
You should put a compressor on it as soon as you fixed it up.
Also rust prevention is suuuuper important an these! :)
I love S-Classes, especially this W220 generation. My uncle had a 2005 S430 4Matic that I drove many times. One of my favorite cars. That being said…I think a Lexus LS at least equals it. I rented an LS for a road trip once and it was whisper quiet at 80+ and got 27 mpg.
I think the Lexus is a better car overall. Unless you are driving autobahn speeds.
There are multiple people I work with who drive an old S Class. Their husbands buy them cheap and they do their own wrenching and detailing. They sure do look nice rolling into the parking lot.
Eric's cracking up while you're locked in the trunk was everything hahaha
I’ve seen you on VinWiki great content as always!
Thank you!! 💯
@@WatchJRGo Always ! 💯
In 1997 I bought a slightly used 1996 S320. I was impressed with the dual pane windows and it cruised very well on the highway, no V8 needed.
My Volvo has rear headrests that fold forward instead of backwards when not in use, same idea as in the Benz to improve rear visibility, but with the added benefit of getting the kids attention by the press of a button. "Hey kids, we are there", click, thud, "DAAAAAD!!" - it's hilarious!
I hope you will complete a full mechanical restoration of the S430. These are great cruisers and you would encourage all of your viewers to buy and drive these panzer wagens without fear.
I've owned several of these in various spec love them , air suspension is sometimes the worst but manageable, and watch the windshield vent for blockage your all good
The 03+ S430 was a "facelift" in the series. These were much improved mechanically compared to the 2000-2002 even though they look the same. The 03+ had a larger radio/informant display.
Something to look at on the remote is if the buttons have come loose. I bought a used car with a partially functioning remote, re-soldered the buttons down, and now it's a fully functioning remote. Easy fix. Hopefully (aside of just buying a new one), this could also be easily fixed.
W220 are truly great cars for everyday driving, I’ve had a few and they run the same at 300k as they do at 100k, only issue you’ll have is air struts but there cheap now about $100 a corner and takes 15 minutes to replace… better than a civic or Corolla.
No, you cannot buy airmatic struts for $100. Arnott sells them for around $500-$600 each. Mercedes is probably triple.
$100 for the replacement struts on a S-Class. Apologies but I'm extremely skeptical of this claim. The suspension on these are not cheap to repair.
@@SKYCLIPPER 39k isn't exactly "budget " 🤷🏻♀️
Ebay search W220 air struts you’ll find lots of new and remanufactured units for around $100 each with full warranty! Or replace the complete system with springs from “strut masters” for under a grand. These cars and suspension is easy to fix and not expensive, some mechanics likes to overcharge that’s the problem, front struts took me 15 minutes each to replace in my driveway with a jack and few basic tools.
@@Roderickdl Maybe $100 for crappy Chinese aftermarket air struts.
I'd probably take an equivalent model year Audi D3 A8 with the belt drive 4.2L since it's a big aluminum body and bulletproof engine and equal depreciation curve. That S430 is legit though, probably needs a timing chain tensioner or low on oil from that nasty off throttle noise... And it's probably pulling air in via those trashed valve cover gaskets given how it sounded hood up hot idle?
That car had an MSRP of around $75,000 brand new. You bought it for $2,000 lol.
The retracting handle on the boot / trunk is to close it and then the handle should go in so it doesn’t get dirty - that way the handle is always clean even if the back of the car isn’t.
Every time I listen to 'tupac - picture me rollin' when I'm driving my Benz... it just hits different lol.
Best of luck! Had one in 2013 from a trade, put 1500 into it for few small repairs, my dad ended up crashing it and totaled it, few years later he got me a 140 to replace it, since then never looked back from any Mercedes before the 2000s, that’s not my cup of tea but I hope you get her sorted out and she treats you well, I have the 116, 126 and the 140, staying away from 220s.
JR’s haul from his fast and furious 1 like escapades at the end of the video!
Lol I got an 04 s500 4matic with 270k highway miles for about 1.2k. Had some minor issues but still going strong.
Do jaja
Endless content for this car. Start making your to-do list.
Those years Mercedes were special. I drove a Daimler Chrysler Jeep from 2002 until the late 2014's and Loved it. A Lot of Mercedes parts on that Jeep. Very Capable, Confrontable, Enjoyable.....A Great time in these Class of Vehicles.
So glad to finally see a Benz on the channel. I have the exact color combo in a 2005 S600. I love that car and the front door panels do the same rattle sometimes which is annoying.
The trunk lever that pops in and out is part of the convenience pkg.
My daily is a 2002 S430. 176,000 miles. Everything works. Had to replace airmatic compressor and 2 of the struts last year but EVERYTHING WORKS!! First thing you should do is change the suspension back to stock. Nothing equals the ride.
Really the best content creator on RUclips
A tip for you until you replace the hood struts. If you push the hood all the way vertical it will snap in and stay there. The struts have little catches on them to keep the hood in a "maintenance position". Well unless they forced it closed and snapped them off I suppose.
I loved the intro ….like all those individuals recommendation mean it has to be good😂😂. Could be worse, they could have recommended the Vauxhall Vectra😱😉
This will be fun! Thanks! Dave J
Lol I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t get that pop out handle on the trunk. It pops out all after I’m done with the trunk. 2 and a half years in with an 03 S430 I think it’s a pretty great comfy car.
I have a 2003 S350 as a daily, same colour combination as this one, it was so cheap and it’s been an absolute delight to own. Nearly 300,000km and it runs and drives great - drivers seat is torn up like this one but the rest of it is in good shape. That little trunk handle is really cool when it works properly, which this one does not 😂
How are those s350s we only got one year of those in the states
@@porsche928s4 it was a great car, I’ve since sold it but I liked it a lot. The V6 was available here in Aus the whole way through the W220 (S320 in the pre-facelift, then S350), it had decent enough performance and was surprisingly economical. I’d love another one with a V8, maybe the V12 if I’m feeling brave 😂
JR, I have had a 2004 S350 (V6 3.7 litre) for 14 years and 230,000km. For the last few years I have been expecting a catastrophic component failure of some sort, and would have said "thank you faithful servant" and been quite happy to junk it... nope, and apart from front struts 9 years ago and motor/transmission mounts last month ($1k), it has only had tyres/batteries/scheduled servicing. Everything still works, and it eats hundreds of Australian km's on the highway with remarkably-good fuel economy (city mpg: not so good!) and superb comfort in scorching temperatures.
Love my S350! I’ve only had it since last year but it’s a gem - 297,000km and it’s kicking along just fine. Only recent repair was a crank angle sensor at a whopping $38.
The video portrays the buying price at around $2k ~ they seem to be much more expensive here in Australia
Let me at those headlights! 😜🔥😂
Coilovers to fix the Airmatic, you can get a new plastic car key housing from eBay for cheap and that will fix 90% of your problems. On my E-class (which has the same key) debris got in there blocking the IR sensor which prevented the car from starting, so it's good insurance. Also look at a cheap aftermarket head unit to replace the stock one which will give you newer GPS, Car Play, etc; 100% Jake knows what's up with those, and there are plenty out there which will keep the OEM fit and work with the steering wheel buttons. Good luck to the detailers!
It needs a lot of work.
But thats fine, its gonna be fun to watch you get it back in full working condition!
Locking yourself in the trunk with the key in your pocket. Epic 😅
I still think the W220 was the last decent S-class.
I think most say it was the previous model (W124). The W220 was the first one where everything is run by computers and they will inevitably fail. (I'm the owner of a mint W220 and wish it weren't true :-))
@@jayhkjay yeah but it's the last one that had fairly restrained styline, before they got avant-garde with lots of creases and nonsense. There *is* a ton of gadgetry, though. The V12 biturbo engine some of them have is an absolute monster.
@@jayhkjay is that the 2007 and up?
@@trentdawg2832 no the w220 was 1999-2005. W221 debuted in 2006 and W222 in 2014. We’re now onto the W223.
I realise I was wrong in my original post…. I meant to say that the W140 was the last reliable S series in many people’s minds. (The w124 was the E-class of the same era although it was only called that beginning around 1993)
Classic back to the future scenario!
Should have been a cinnamon roll though!!😂
Great score JR . Beautiful S class . Get it sorted easily for under 6 or 7 thousand
For sure you can get 7 or maybe 7500 but have a really nice car ready to fix air ride
Suspension .
I have driven lots of nice cars over my many years but when I got my first big Mercedes it was something very special that no other car I have owned has been able to match. Just a pity the engine caught fire three months later and it got written off by the insurance.
Plenty of good content coming with this one 👌
Congrats on the VinWiki! Interview. That is some cool stuff.
JR trapped in Mercedes trunk, calls 911. Dispatch operator asks where he's located. Locomotive sounds in background. JR replies, "I think I am on the midnight train to Georgia!" LOL. Great find on the Mercedes! Can't wait to see this project.
Can’t wait to see a legit interior/exterior detail 😮😮🙌
How does this channel not have millions of subs. Much better content then most with millions of subs.
If I could afford one, I'd daily an s class. But I love that era mercedes
Go with w124 & you can daily it next 30 years. those are build with insane budjet.
You can if you are smart about sourcing parts they are not what people make them out to be...
If you can twirl a wrench and accept 20-25 mpg then you should whilst you still can😉
@@alasdairhompstead7950 20 25? more like 14 to 17
@@sadokbarbouche9427 In 'Murica🇺🇲 maybe... Imperial gallons are bigger than US ones and go further🇬🇧
Looks like some good videos on this to come…work your magic on it
Cool car, I had a 2003 one. After 2003 they shouldnt rust as badly anymore on the wheearches. Mine needed welding when it was only 5 years old.. How are yours?
I always wanted a S Class MB since I was young. This would make a great restore series, then flip it. Give it the JR treatment 👍
I drove a s550 back from Miami to KY years ago. Flew down drove back. Never missed a beat. Lol.
Does yours have the little black IR on the door handle. If you do then point the tip of the key at it and hold down the unlock and the windows and sunroof will open. To close them press the lock button till the all closes. Also the car should have soft close doors.
You rummaging thru the trunk reminded me of an episode of Storage Wars.
This is some good content
I bought a used 2004 S430 and its a keeper ..A true Legendary Luxury must have in any garage. Everything still works It even came with the AMG chrome wheels When it drops to air suspension it looks dope ASF and it just rides like a dream.
My father had gotten one for free from a friend (but still unable to get the title sorted out). It's an 05 with about 80k on it. Unfortunately his friend had left a rear window open a little bit while it sat in his driveway and the passenger rear seat / floor flooded (which happens to be where some important electronic modules are located). We needed to replace various control modules and fuse/electrical panels to get it back to working. It had a serious case of electrical gremlins... it also needed a new alternator and idler pulley. The car does run good though... One of the passenger air-ride bags does leak and sags when it sits, but it's fine when the car is on. I did some of the work and paid a local shop to do some others because I didn't have enough time to do this in addition to the other cars I was working on. Next to his '03 Jaguar Vanden Plas, it's a tough call. The Jag is more fun to drive and very comfortable... the S430 has the 4matic system, but it's a little less fun... still a very nice car to drive though.
Get back to us with this Merc job a.s.a.p., cuz in a couple of days I'll be buying a CLK class and need all the info I can get from someone I really can trust. Cheers mate and good luck with the best car ever made!
I have two W220s currently and have had 2 others prior. Fantastic cars. Yours is really base and in my opinion, if you're gonna buy one of these get one with at least heated and cooled seats. Coilovers ruin them. If you buy an S-class and you want it to ride like one just buy a used set of Arnotts off eBay and you should be golden. Otherwise, you're just ruining the car. The airmatic warning is because of the coil-overs. They probably didn't install a bypass module when they did it so now the car constantly thinks the ADS is malfunctioning. The ADS is interlinked with the presafe function on the car. Your steering wheel is probably feeling heavy also. It should be a very light steering wheel.
That shiny metal thing in trunk is why car is rattling. It goes under passenger side. They were most likely changing out the computer or fuse under there. They all get ruined with water damage
I drive a s320 2002 since new. Still going strong. Just change oil, armatic struts and pump every 100,000 miles, change vale covers. Every now and then just change some sensors. Great car no complaints.
Best £460 car I have ever owned even if it is only an early S280. (pic sent to your insta). 75k miles, 21 years old and everything works😎
That silver plate in the trunk should be under the front passenger carpet and that ecu is probably part of the Airmatic delete🤦♂️Not sure that the ML/GL wheels do the look and favours. It's actually a pretty easier car to wrench on though (definitely not a VAG product 😂) Pelican Parts and FCP Euro for the bits. And see if you can get a complete S600 interior from J&J🤔 even the extra wood trim makes a nice upgrade. Parking brake handle is either broken or disconnected... Two phillips screws to remove it and the problem will be obvious... The cable tension should hold the handle in.
S Class on coils is pointless, get her back on Air!
Also that looks to be fairly odd spec car, LWB without the electric rear seats.
The airs notoriously go wonky. End up with one side jacked up or a low rider when you don't want one😂
I don't think the air suspension is especially comfortable or high performing.
I work in a mercedes shop and i see the lwb all the time without elctric rear seats. At least in the 220s
LWB without electric rear seats is super common..
It's an S430. It'd be more odd to see it with electric rear seats
Of course the S class is the best car on the road! I'm a completely unbiased observer... I own a 2003 S500L that looks a lot like yours with only 51,000km on the clock (ie 30k miles) that's in near mint condition. Bought a little over a year ago for around USD 4,500. But that's in Hong Kong, where there's not much of a market for cars like this once they're 15 years old. I look forward to seeing what you do with it... I've replaced a bunch of bits on mine - including the screen in the infotainment system which looked like yours when I got it (there are replacements from Aliexpress for about USD 150, and they're not too fiddly to swap out), headrest releases (mine had failed; it's a bit of work to get to); headlamp washers; etc.
p.s. one advantage of a Mercedes is that you can always source the replacement parts - although at a price. MB stand behind their products.
JR's been watching too much The Fast & The Furious just updated from DVD players to TVs lol
JR driving up S class prices right as I was about to grab one.
Sure you were
@Perry Elyod Unless you need a wagon, go with the S😉
I call BS on that. I've had an 01' S500 for sale for a better part of this year. Can't sell it for squat and it's in way better condition than JR's. For not much more money.
@@brokebuilt4827 Where you located?
You getting a Merc is making me so happy
Great video.
I can’t comment on an S class but we’ve had a few A classes in the family dating from about 1998 to 2008 and they’ve been fantastic cars and the only problem with them is as a design they’re really practical but a pig to work and noticed the switch gear is the same though.
I love the S430 so much this video reminded me of how much I love it
Do a full detail video, would be awesome to see the transformation. My S320 has 255,000 on the clock. Bulletproof engines.
Was expecting JR to pop out of the trunk bad scream “rev up your engines!”
It always surprises me that the replaced parts are still in the trunk...I could maybe understand new parts that were never installed after the owner lost interest...but why keep the old broken parts?
Had a 2001 S55 AMG… a NA V8 and it was an awesome ride…. The airride suspension is what did me in and I sold it… wifey still wants another one… still keeping an eye out for deals…
Top tip put vice grips on the hood struts and it will keep the hood up.
I like the 2pac reference in the episode tittle
That bit that sticks out above the licence plate when you pop the trunk is a handle for you to close the trunk with touching the bodywork and leaving fingerprints.
That’s a rough one for $2000. It has almost every problem that W220s have. It’s not the best generation for S class but it’s not bad either. Best ones are 04-06 S430 or S500. Least likely to be rusty, facelift with better headlights and taillights, newer nav radio, you want Airmatic not ABC. Black interior is the only color that doesn’t look like crap after years of wearing poorly. Avoid ventilated seats because they tear easily and don’t work well anyways. Heated only is best. Check headlight wiring for cracked insulation. The SRS light is passenger presence sensor mat. LCD failure on 03-06 nav like this one is very common. Fluorescent tube failure on cluster is common. Shifter failures are common. Air lock box failure is common as is vacuum leaks at door actuators. Avoid 4matic if you don’t need it because lots of suspension parts are more expensive. 5 speed trans is more reliable than 7G tronic which was new and optional for 2004.
This S Class is worth getting back up to it’s full potential…. Even with Dual Coilover shocks replacing air bags.
keep air bags
I'd keep the air suspension as well, they aren't that crazy expensive, especially compared to the ABC suspension
Fully agreed on that one!