Here's Why The WORST Mercedes S Class is Still Brilliant - 1999 Mercedes Benz W220 S500L Review
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- Опубликовано: 25 мар 2020
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Doug: I'm RUclips's worst-dressed car journalist.
Jay: Hold my beer.
Doug Demuro is so passe
Due to lockdown he cannot claim he filmed the video after coming back from the gym :)
Is this an ice hockey top? I really dont know. He has a good collection of caps though lining the wall on the rant videos in what Im guessing is the office. What car loved this when it was launched. The generation of makers trying to make the new model appear slimmer/smaller than their predecessors. See e39 5 that looked shorter than the e34. Same for the a6 that came in 98/99 much more elegant than the barge before. How times have changed.
@@bensmithkent22 Yep. Ice hockey. Complete with shoulder pads. :D
It may be the least loved S Class. It may be the most troublesome S Class. It may even be the worst S Class. But it's still one of the best cars I've ever driven.
275k miles on my S500, second owner with paperwork, no major repairs ever done on the engine.
I beat the piss out of it too, videos on my channel.
Well said. What gives me the shits is that most that diss on the W220 have never driven a Mercedes let alone the W220. My '01 S430 is literally the best car I've ever driven or owned. I've owned brand new VW's etc.
@@harlottafarginah5638 Well there is a reason why there is a Star on the bonnet!
I have a s320 cdi, they are bulletproof
I've an 2001 S500 with 200,000 and 2002 S430 with 120,000 miles. They've excellent service records and seemed undervalued. Amazing cars! I invested in the Airmatic suspension on the S500. Expensive, but worth it. Front driver door actuators leak on soft close on both, but somewhat reasonably fixed. No other problems. Love the styling, power and luxury. Perfect for long trips. I'm attempting to upgrade navigation with touchscreen while preserving factory look.
People don’t realise that Mercedes first V6 and modular V8 counterpart the M112/M113 are near indestructible if serviced. Same goes with 722.6 5 speed auto.
I have a 2001 S500l and it’s the best car I’ve ever owned. At the time, the comfort level and ride quality on this car was unrivalled and even nearly 20 years later, it still puts most cars on the road to shame. I’ve had a couple of small issues in my 2 years of ownership, one being rust, which I had sorted shortly after I got the car , a track rod end and a cam shaft position sensor which were all relatively cheap. I had a bit of a worry when my suspension refused to lift after dropping low, took it to my local garage who found it to be the connectors on the compressor! If I had listened to the people who know nothing about the suspension system and constantly spout on about it costing thousands of pounds every time it goes wrong then I’d have had it scrapped! The cost of my airmatic suspension repair? £97!
A glorious motor that’s wafts me around in total silence and serenity (unless I use the kick down, which unleashes the V8 symphony) this car has made me enjoy driving again. All this for £1500! Bargain!
I agree, 1.5k is small money for a lot of car. ABC suspension would worry me. Coil over conversion would be my ticket. Otherwise, the rest is standard Merc.
how can you afford the gas on those cars when they have such abysmal consumption? not hating genuinely asking since i really would like to buy a w220 but terrified of the gas consumption
Underrated cars, when a large majority of these are still going at 30 years old people will suddenly realise they aren't and weren't low quality.
This video could have been called ‘Jays selling his Mercedes’ 😂
Do you think I could get him to do a vlog on my Peugeot 106 diesel? A bargain at just £500
@@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne go ahead and ask Jay?
Wasn't it already sold? There was an ebay auction a week ago
Good luck selling anything in the current "lockdown", one 21 Year old Merc money pit, thought to be Corona free.
@@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne 500? are you insane?
Strong shirt game. A definite return to form!
Owned one of these from 100k miles to 270k in six years (hate staying in hotels for work!). There is still no car I'd rather do a 200 mile trip in 5 years after it going. When I got rid of it it still looked like it was almost new.
Try a ls430
@@joeschmo4170souless Toyota
@@nickgeorgiou123 cashless mercedes
My grandad used to have one of these, only it was a 320cdi. Still a really nice, comfy motor!
Thanks for the great review Jay! I have the 2000 S430, I bought it new, it has 218,442 miles and still runs like a champ!👍
They are very reliable.
@@MrCarGuy Yes, they are. Believe it or not, I didn't have to start replacing certain parts until I got to 210 thousand miles!😊
Sasha Bu that’s a long time well worth it
Sasha Bu I have a 2006 Lexus LS 430 with over a 100,000 miles and it drives brand new and smooth as butter 😉
@@LanceVance305 I know right?! I will never part with this car!💖
Nice video. The W220 still looks modern. Even though maintenance costs can be high if you get a bad one it is still one of the best used luxury cars that you can by considering how cheap they are.
I love your channel! Stay encouraged and keep up the good work my friend.
Thanks Ron!
Had a 430 and a 500 of this series when they were current and loved them both - also had V12 600l of previous shape which was magnificent.👍
Great review as normal keep them coming during this rough time.
Even though these are not my type of cars I really enjoyed the overview. Something new and away from performance cars.
I newer really liked the W220 I always thought it's a bad car but today I have seen a W220 Facelift S500 Blue very nice condition and cream white interior and I kinda fell in love
I’m still amazed just how bad these cars depreciate over time. Just got a new Audi A4 35 TDI as a Company car two months ago, that thing probably lost 5000€ as soon as I drove away from the dealership 🙂 Anyway, love your channel!
Beautiful car, great review! As always! Fan from Michigan. Try and find a S55 AMG from the same era to review!
I also knew all the hate towards this S class, bought one for pocket money and I just love it! It rides absolutely great and I only had minor trouble with it so far! Definetly the best car for its money I've ever experienced
I have owed v220 s600 for more than 2 years, god i love my car, so i decide bought another v12 v221 s600 last year, and i love that too.
Did you have issues with your w220?
Great video!! Probably should have said that on the last video as well... How long have you owned said Merc barge?
I bought a passat b5 1.8t manual 2000 model (stage 1 180hp) 185k miles in first lock down for peanuts. Still have it and it pulls amazingly well and drives superb on highway. Done 20k miles around EU without major problems in one year. Love it! 22 year old this year and almost no rust. 43mpg 0-60 7.5 sec
As much as I miss having an auto, I'm somewhat glad that my diesel Saab 9-3 convertible is equipped with the 6 speed manual. I just think as you say the engine isnt really ever sure what its doing but that is more easily controlled with the manual. There is unbelievable turbo lag but when up to speed I think cruising is a sweet spot for it. In other words, I hate driving it in traffic, but at 30+ its a joy for what it is. I can see why you made the switch for an all round wofter. I think the styling of this particular model has not aged as well as its rivals but in the right spec any barge can still look the part. But having been for a spin in the 760Li I can confirm that they are indeed leagues apart. Plenty of these on the market for sub £2k, but that air suspension is going to let everyone down at some point. Great video as ever, thoroughly enjoying the barge series.
Yes, ABC is going to be a problem. Coil over conversion trades a little ride for permanent peace of mind.
Just seen this i bought an W220 S 350 three yrs ago and its been superb of course I was driving a 13 Yr old Micra before that BUT I've no intention of changing the S class its simply too good and very few problems so far. I changed the suspension pump and bracket 500 euros no big deal. I highly recommend one,tho here in Ireland the tax us 1800 euros per Yr.Great video.
i like this series. anticipating what you think of the trunk on the next car.
One model I’m really looking at. Thanks for your constructive analysis.
Thankyou for the video, i am very interested in one of getting one of these, i have found it very helpful, thanks 🙂🙂👍👍
Good luck with the sale 👍
Id rather keep people terrified of the W220, thats what keeps them cheap.
However, the service history is a must. Specially in cars with the ABC suspension, as people see it low on fluid, and in an act of stupidity, cheapness and ignorance, decide to fill it up with the wrong fluid, and ruin absolutely all the seals.
Keep on churning them out... it's a nice distraction from the world at the moment 👍
Doing my best!
@@JayEmmOnCars There was a S63 AMG of the W220 generation.
Look it up, it's an impressive and very rare car with a around 450hp N/A 6,3 litre V12
I think it's a lovely car mate. Thanks for showing it.
So RUclips unsubscribed me but this popped up in my recommendations 3 minutes after uplaod. Some funny business going on again.
They like doing that. No idea why.
Enjoyed the review.. I have a 2003 S500, which personally i think is the best year for this car for a couple of reasons.. Mines just hit 237,000 miles the other day.. the engine is still running strong and smooth.. I decided I'll just keep mines as long as I possibly can because the car is super reliable (especially with this engine) and not only that, for a luxury car I cant complain. I have 20' inch rims on mines (came with the car when i bought it) and it rides so nice.. as for the suspension, the parts for the suspension are pretty cheap now adays so I'll keep it. I know some people opted to convert to steel springs. I'm sorry but I'm not taking that air ride out of my S-class.. trust me on long trips you'll appreciate the ride quality with air...
I am very familiar with the W220. Sadly, 2003 is the worst model year in terms of issues and recalls. It was the first year for the facelift accessories which had more problems and the one-year-only COMAND that had more issues than COMAND 2.5.
What motor is in yours
I bought s500l few weeks ago. almost same as yours , silver paint, same interior color, same year, also long version. only difference no seat tables and standard 7 spike wheels. drives like on clouds and very manoeuvrable which is a great thing after my previous car volvo s60 as volvo was terrible at it.
just buy one, drive it, and if anything major happens along the way buy another 😂
The MPG is quite alright actually. My 3.2l V8 XJ8 returns the same - 27mpg motorway and 18ish in town considering it's got less hp and cc on the same 1.8t weight.
Hi Jay, I recall reading one of your recent RUclips posts wherein you were requesting ideas for future series so here are my suggestions:
1. Best fun used dailies- perhaps this can be segmented by budget I.e Under £5k, £5-£10k, and over £15
2. Depreciation free motoring;the most enjoyable used cars that are likely to hold their value for at least 12 months.
3. Future classics, amid the doom and gloom, it's a great time to negotiate great deals. Where would you tip your smart money.
4. Best hot hatches under £3k, I understand you're not the biggest fan, however, the number of people learning to drive is decreasing so let's give them an incentive to get a license. And I love the concept of hot hatches just like millions of others, useable performance with every day practicality is match made in motoring heaven.
Of course, the above should be all done by actually reviewing the cars and not just a discussion.
Thanks, looking forward to see which idea will make the grade.
In addition I would recommend the following for your series line up:
What's the fastest stock car that can be easily used on uk roads for every day use. So the best all rounder in performance and fun on b roads, city driving and motorway
The attainable super car for sub £50k. Would be even more awesome if you can document your journey of getting therr there by flipping cars with only an initial budget of £1k. May take some years but i'll watch every installment.
I've got a series on affordable dream cars starting in a week you're gonna love
Best Tv channel arround🔥🤝✌🏻
I assume the cut to the bonnet cam at 4:42 to show the Discovery with the bonnet up was entirely intentional while talking about reliability?😁😁
lmao
One glaring omission of all MErcedes models from 1998 to the early 2000s is that, AMAZINGLY, they STILL DID NOT OFFER FACTORY NAVIGATION, while my Magnificent 1998 740iL E38, which I bought in 2005 for PEANUTS ($9,000 as is, but I asked the owner to fix it 'as new' and gave him $10,500 US) and enjoyed all its virtues until 2017, DID have it.
Is the s430L model any different?(features and specs wise)...im looking at one in immaculate condition thru a local Dealer BUT I'm feeling the reason why the price is so low is because of the K's on the Engine
Man ... those British semi detached houses...what a gutter. Spent 7 years in the UK , never understood how people pay 300+k for that cereal box
Cd changers fail on these but are easy to replace. Took me 5 mins to take out the old one and put in a used replacement
I really like this car , but I can’t find them in swb as a 500 , seen one in 350 . I think I’ll still will get one . Thank you !!
Swb is gorgeous and tiny by todays standards. Looks 5 series sized now.
What tire cut ... can I ride on a Mercedes w220? Forward 245/35 / R19 .. is that ok? Back 275/40 R19 is that ok? It will not touch the rear wing 275/40 / R19?
How has it faired? I'm thinking about buying a W220 320 CDI
Brilliant. Misha Calvin the rock star and your big fan
Tax in Ireland for these type of old barges is well over €1000 per year!
The one I just bought has the loriner body style and it has the dual exhaust and it sounds amazing
All have dual exhaust. Loriner exposes dual tips on each side.
Any chance once this covid pandemic is over a review of the W140, perhaps the S500L to make it apples to apples?
I reviewed a beautiful 600 SEL W140 already
Oh crud, let me look up for that
2006 w220 & 2015 w222 owner here....I have to say its one of the nicest cars you can get for the money, provided you didn't buy it from some shithead who ran it hard & couldn't afford to maintain it. The whole "the w220 is a bad car" is total nonsense, especially the later models that were much improved. The engine on this cars is simple, free of major engine flaws like its successor w221 (which I think is kinda ugly), no turbos or other nonsense that will inevitably lead to premature engine wear & problems down the line (already had a major turbo problem on my w222 w/58k miles, big $$$ if out of warranty ). I did had to replace the suspension valve block on the w220, and one strut for a total of $900 in parts alone. I performed all the labor myself. Relatively simple repairs provided you have a proper jack & basic torx tools.
Sold! The shirt I mean.
What chassis code is the gorgeous black Mercedes class with the curvy lights that was on the cover of the Meguiars boxes in black for ages ?
C219 CLS?
320 cdi twenty years old still running great,and only 8 liters diesel on 100 km...
i drive a w221 2009 (facelift model) diesel and find it to be a huge upgrade in interior quality compared to the w220 which I owned previously. Neither of them are as fun or as satisfying to drive as my old w140 s500!
Question: how do I eliminate the understeer in the w221 when turning into corners?
Staggered wheels
The styling aged well
Agree sleek looking and inoffensive it looks exec car sized by todays standards. On launch it lacked the statement making blocky presence of the w140 but I like the way this generation looks.
Please tell us, in what dimension does "Saab" sound cool? I'd like to visit it sometimes.
Im buying a 2004 s600 brabus and if the 500 is that good i can imagine how good that'll be.
517hp, v12, top speed 202 miles/325kmh.
First car too at 17.
I wouldn't have been able to resist getting the V12. Need a lot of money hidden away for repairs though.
I rented a W222 S500 for a week and it was very nice but lacked character. It was a bit boring almost.
how much for a week?
I may not want to own one, but I would like the opportunity to take one for a spin.
I have a 2000 s430 same body style as the 500..
Do you think you should start a "shirt" channel.
Shiteshirts is already on Facebook :)
lol
jay and curiousdroid would be unstoppable together
robert woodliff Please, no!
I wouldn't say it's the worst, the one that came after it tends to always have loads of stuff to be fixed on them, and they're much more ugly than the w211 e class and the w212, and even uglier than the w204 c class. The s550 had early engine issues, and the v12 biturbo comes with a lot of more unreliable bits regardless of the car it comes in, and that's the only other option barring the amg versions
hey there is this s500 2003 i’m going to get and the air pump is the only thing that needs to be fixed for 2k only, but i’ve had my doubts on the car being reliable and willing to stand me 100k+ miles and it alr has 124k anyone can help me if they are reliable ?
These rusted like all Mercedes of the period,shocking really considering the cost.
I always considered the previous W140 to be the worst S-class,maybe not in reliability terms but certainly in looks.
2003-06 shouldn’t have those problems
After it was revised
I agree on the looks I thought this generation was sleek and they saw the competition was smaller sleek looking like the A8, jag xj8 and to a lesser extent the 7 series. The one before was somewhat vulgar. Not ugly but just so big. I think that was the statement they were going for at the time - the ultimate car, to counter the lexus LS that shook up the division. The w140 was far better engineered than this one though.
Sep 2014 I payed €35000 for my 2005 W220 S65 with just 29000 miles on it. Since then I've spend €3000 on 2 services, €4000 on winter tires on 19" AMG original wheels (never used tho), €2500 on both front brakes and discs (rust), €1000 on change of oil in the ABC unit and gearbox, and last but not least €500 on undercoating. All in all €11000 in about 6 years. Car belonged to a collector here in Sweden, he had 80 cars in his collection, he sold of half of it, the S65 was one of them, the car was just sitting around doing nothing hence why both front discs had rusted. Now it's got 38500 miles on it and collecting dust in the garage til' spring arrives.
Knock on wood I've had no malfunctions to write about, not even the air struts. Crossing my fingers for another healthy 6 years of ownership!
Hey, as long as the expensive ABC system and that V12 are maintained then it's fine. People just don't want to maintain them. I do kind of feel sorry for whoever must change the 24 spark plugs, though, but they do go through them.
A fantastic and timeless car! Keep it and pass it down in the family. I think they'll be hugely collectible in the future.
@@MrCarGuy Will sure keep it!. Yeah, when the mechanic told me that he was going to change 24 plugs I was just stunned!!!! "24 I said?!?!?, why???, it's a V12, not a V24"... :) :) :) He laughed and explained the deal, I just paid and looked happy :) :) :)
Yes, it's all about maintenance AND pre-maintenance!!! I always think: Take care of the car and the car will take care of you!
2 services? You should change the oil once a year.
@@h2oaddict28 it all depends on what oil he's using and how much he drives the car. 2 months ago I did my last service before winter storage and the mechanic at my AMG center laughed when he drained the oil... I only had driven the car for about 500 miles in 2 years and the oil was still good as new... even all the 24 spark plugs were brand new...
@@mikealanzo Practically every manufacturer, including Mercedes says you need to change it every year, it's either distance or age.
Comes out like it was new if i do 5k or 15k, and the car isn't a garage queen.
It's very weird to me that someone who has the money to insure a car like that would skimp on something so critical and so relatively cheap.
I hav an 06’ S500 and My one key fob will start the car but won’t lock and unlock
My radio sound goes in and out and sometimes it’ll come up system unavailable...it also still runs when the car is off...i purchased 2 batteries ...the 2nd one only 14 months after...the battery was once again drained
And the push to start won’t work
If you don’t mind ur car always acting up
I’d steer clear of a w220...i love them but they are not reliable
My Jaguar XJ I was coming out of didn’t hav problems like this
I’d not get an s-class out of warranty
Anyone know how to fix the issues I’m having with the car
Have you try the 320 s-klass ? its not air springs but I gess its best If you look att cost.
The speed is most 80km/h on most roads and many 🎥 .
Is that a Vincent Trocheck jersey?
Recently picked up a CLK320 and honestly I don't get much better mileage out of it than you, no town driving.
ive got myself the same model but 2004 and its almost as new,but its scratched on the outside and im gonna paint it and its gonna be brand new.
Haha what a shirt. Bet not many people have worn anything close to that in an S class
My Sierra had a sunroof like that.
Love your channel you really should be on tv.
I really enjoy watching this channel. So much better than the typical "review someone's car. Over react to said car with RUclips friendly face pulling, plug their stupid social media and t-shirts"
I'm probably just a miserable swine but I don't care lol 🐷
Great vids, a nice distraction from the crazy world.
I do my best. Glad you like it!
I just can’t believe how cheap these are now if I didn’t need an estate I’d be buying one
None of the passengers could be relaxed whilst looking at that bloody top you are wearing Jay.
Worst S class really? It's still better than any top luxury car around .... driven, owned and still own one. Beautiful car to drive. Top luxury
I like this shape, I'm surprised it didn't sell tbh. The S55 AMG Kompressor would be the one for me though.
I saw this very car when I went to Jay's to have my car reviewed, it looked tidy then and seems just as tidy now, small London dent excepted.
They did sell
The # of sales is on wiki
Yesssssss Florida panthers!
Jesus that shirt.
It does make a statement
I bought a clk430 for £375 this month. I'm 18 with no license!
Did you price the insurance?
One of the best looking models thought.
I love the size of them
I love the S Class for what they are built for. Comfort and highway cruiser. It's a Boss car too. 😁👍
I don’t know if is good or bad but I’m going to buy one
👉🏻 Double glazing like the W140 ?? Are you sure (was it an option) ??
Hi JayEmm, loved your review about this car and wonder if you have tested and reviewed a Mercedes CLK 240 Elegance and what is your opinion on that car.
Your video title seems contridictory to your review. It appears you like the 220 a lot!
I didn't understand. What's bad about these beautiful cars?
Own the same car and love it. Put Lpg (gas) in it and now it’s cheap to drive and still performs great.
1:00 actually it lowers automatically 1.5 cm, at speed above 140 kmh
Love Mercs of this period. Had a 99 Merc C180 Espirit which I sold £375 6 years ago, and the f***** is still on the road.
I have a 96 Peugeot 106 diesel. Wind down windows, no central locking, no power steering. But I love it.
I've got a Peugeot 106 diesel. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?
Citroen Xantia 3.0L
An old Mercedes
1 and a half working legs.
@@BibtheBoulder Xantia Activa V6 ?
Hi, is the car still for sale?
Hi John, yes it is - talk@jayemm.com for details
@@JayEmmOnCars hi, thanks, but I'm getting security messages when I try to access your website for some reason
Great video but....that shirt man...🚓🚑🚒😷
My S55 has Airmatic. I will take it over ABC, any day of the week.
Funny because, I have so many more issue with bmw and Porsche of this generation but for some reason people still say these cars are the most expensive, videos like this depreciate these cars.
I think you need to get yourself an early Citroën XM V6.24. And before you laugh, i am a huge Merc fan and drives an almost mint W140. I just base my idea on what you say in the video. The XM may not be up there with the S-classes. But it's damn sure as close as you get. And it handles like a sportscar AND has way better suspension comfort than any S-class. And it's the best built car i have seen except for W140 and older Mercs. Way better quality than your S500. And the fancy suspension stuff is not going to steel all your money. No i am not crazy. I have worked on Citroën's for thirty years.
i just bought a 2000 s500 thats only done about 60k km i paid €15k
some body buy this car jayEmm desprate to sell it making videos to hint it VERY SMART
I can't seem to understand why many say that this is the worst s class. After owning one for 5 years this car is on another level. It's beautiful, comfortable and well designed. It's modern and the best part is it has depreciated so much that it make s it easier to buy. All the things that go wrong are not difficult to repair. The engine gearbox and diff is Buller proof. And all the electronic errors can be worked on becos many machinis already know of the faults you don't need to be a space ship technician. Keeping mine forever...