2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

I miss my bmw 750il

by motts71 on Dec 21, 2011
Vehicle: 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S430 4MATIC AWD 4dr Sedan (4.3L 8cyl 5A)

I miss the quick warm ups, the handling, and the performance of my BMW. The Mercedes rear window defroster works very slowly, the car takes a long time to warm up. It is strictly a luxury car. I do like the fact that it has had fewer trips to the dealer than the BMW, but it is not as enjoyable to drive. Oh yes, the windshield washer tank keeps leaking so I always have a malfunction showing on the dash, and when that shows, you cannot access the other features of the car's computer.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Dream car (almost)

by EZ MIKE 420 on Sep 16, 2010
Vehicle: 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S55 AMG 4dr Sedan (5.5L 8cyl S/C 5A)

I have loved my S55 for 5 years! Perfect combo of ultra-luxury and high-end performance. I was lucky to get the car with a Starmark warranty, which covers the car for 7 yrs/100K miles - The car has had close to $10K in warranty work since the standard warranty expired. This is a VERY expensive car to maintain - the AMG parts are much more expensive than the S500 parts and many dealership service departments don't have the know-how to fix these cars properly. I found a dealership that kept mine running quite well. I will probably sell mine before the warranty expires to avoid the high cost of maintenance. It will be a sad day when I hand off the keys. It's been a GREAT car!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Farewell to all that

by Jersey guy on Apr 2, 2010
Vehicle: 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S430 4dr Sedan (4.3L 8cyl 5A)

Owned the car for 3 yrs, bought used at 38,500 mi. Beautifully styled exterior and luxurious, comfy interior -- wonderful to look at and to ride in. However, I have never owned a more problematic Benz (this is my fifth). Most of the issues were electronic defects, most notably gear shift that jammed in "P" because of defective sensor, which took dealer months to figure out; A/C sensor needed replacement after a few yrs; the V-belt broke apart on the highway, causing loss of power; front-end vibration required new engine mount; air suspens. struts replaced; CD remote multi-changer stopped working -- and more. I bid farewell to the car today, more in sorrow than in anger.