2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review

Name: 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review
Brand: Mercedes-Benz
Price: 1577 USD
Rating: 4.7 (79 reviews)

2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S500 4MATIC AWD 4dr Sedan

2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S55 AMG 4dr Sedan

2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S600 4dr Sedan

+63

Used S-Class for sale

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Mercedes-Benz S-Class model years

Mercedes-Benz S-Class for Sale

Mercedes-Benz S-Class types

Sedan
S55 AMG

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Edmunds' Expert Review

by the Edmunds Experts

Pros

World-class performance, state-of-the-art safety features, spacious and comfortable cabin.

Cons

Complicated COMAND system, standard V8 models not as much fun to drive as BMW 7 Series.

What’s new

For 2003, there is more power for the S55 and S600 models, both of which now put out nearly 500 horsepower. Also Pre-Safe, a system that detects an imminent impact and quickly adjusts seating positions as well as seatbelt tension to better safeguard the occupants, debuts. Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel-drive system becomes available on the S430 and S500 and a minor freshening inside and out are meant to keep these big Benzes near the top of luxury car buyer's shopping lists.

Edmunds says

With sizable increases in performance, safety and refinement, Mercedes-Benz has shown that it's not about to take a backseat to anyone else in the premium luxury sedan market.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S430 4dr Sedan (4.3L 8cyl 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.58 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$315/mo

$224/mo

Avg. Large Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

5 (77%)

4 (20%)

3 (3%)

2 (0%)

1 (0%)

4.7

79 reviews

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Most helpful consumer reviews

2003 S500

FRANK, 12/01/2008

2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S500 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 5A)

Excellent vehicle. has power style and ride. I get 24 miles/gal highway. Not good in snow. Other than regular oil change very little maintenance cost. Excellent sound and heating system. Handles well.

2003 S430 purchased 2006; good overall value

Chris Hudson, 03/21/2016

2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S430 4dr Sedan (4.3L 8cyl 5A)

Driving this car a routine number of miles (in my case about 130,000 mi over 10 years), the residual value of around $2000 in casual-sale value is very thin for what the value actually represents. No news flash here: at that valuation, the car is of far more use and value to me than a sale could bring and I will maintain and hold it so long as that is true. Oct. 2018 update: no …

S600 SuperCar

San Jose MBZ, 11/30/2004

2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S600 4dr Sedan (5.5L 12cyl Turbo 5A)

If you're looking for a large Sedan that is fun to drive, this is it! The torque is nothing less than incredible! This is not a sports car, it's a big sedan that goes 0-60 about as fast as a Ferrari. Seats are extremely comfortable. Much more so than my wife's CL500 upgraded seats. The "Keyless Go" has failed 4 times in 1.5 years. Everything else is superb. If …

Supercar performance, with heated leather seats

Yagotta B. Kidding, 10/30/2017

2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S600 4dr Sedan (5.5L 12cyl Turbo 5A)

The S600 twin turbo is heck of a value, albeit a surprising and even strange one. On one hand, you have a $150,000 car with every top-shelf feature of 2003. On the other hand, the car now costs less than $10,000 if you shop well. I bought mine, a fixer-upper in some ways, for considerably less than that. As you'd expect of a car in this category, it's sumptuously comfortable, both in … front and in back. Its power is almost scary; drop the hammer and you launch. Turbo lag is minimal because M-B used the right size turbos for this engine. Even off the line, the car can throw you back in your seat. Floor it at 30 mph, and it will definitely do so. That's what a performance car is supposed to do. This is one of the very few V-12 cars that I would consider as a daily driver. In good repair, an S600 twin turbo is reliable enough to trust going coast to coast. This is in contrast to its immediate predecessor, the 5.8L naturally-aspirated engine, which anyone should stay FAR AWAY from. That problematic engine is why Mercedes came out with this new 5.5L turbocharged engine. Unlike the older one, *this* one is quite reliable. Mine has done several long road trips with no problem. It also comes with the excellent and reliable 5-speed transmission. This is one of the few car transmissions that was ever designed to handle that much torque and more, all day, every day. However, certain parts for an S600 are not cheap. Remember, this car originally cost $150,000, and the maintenance can reflect that. Getting an S600 to a state of good repair, if it has not been treated properly, can be several thousand dollars. Here are the potential trouble areas. 1.) The ABC (Active Body Control) hydraulic suspension feels great when it works. But when (not if) it breaks, you're looking at a very expensive repair, up to $12,000. The S55 AMG also has this issue, so be aware of it. Mine did fail on me. So, I replaced it totally with a very good coil-spring conversion and added an anti-sway bar, for a *lot* less money. The car continues to handle very well, without the high maintenance problems of the stock suspension. 2.) Igition coil packs are $1,400 for each side if they go bad. There are some out there who can repair them for (at present) $750/side, but that's still some money. The ignition transformer, if it goes bad, isn't cheap either, at $700. 3.) Valve cover gaskets are somewhat labor-intensive. Also, the vacuum hoses do eventually need replacing due to the heat the engine generates. Likewise, engine mounts are best done at a shop with a lift. Fortunately, all this only needs doing every 12-15 years or so. 4.) Fuel economy is what you'd expect from a 4,500 lb supercar with 500 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. It *is* a supercar, and any car like this will be a bit thirsty. For what it is, though, the fuel mileage is not bad. It's like Rolls Royce buyers: "if you have to ask about gas mileage, you can't afford the car." This car is best owned by someone willing to do at least some of his or her own car maintenance. I consider having access to a STAR Diagnostics System pretty much mandatory for owning one of these cars. I do all of my own maintenance. Therefore, I saved a lot of money getting my car to a state of good repair. Now that it's there, though...this car needs...basically nothing. Seriously, the only thing I have to do now is the same regular fluid/filter and brake pad maintenance that any other car needs. A well-maintained S600 is not only great to drive, it's also surprisingly inexpensive to maintain. But you *MUST* do the proper maintenance! This is not a car to cheap-out on the maintenance with; don't do that. After I got through with everything, I spent about $14,500. For that price, I have a car that outruns Porsches, Ferraris, and even certain Lamborghinis, for thousands less than a new Honda Accord. And it does so with heated *or* cooled leather seats...both front and back. The power delivery is deliciously smooth at *any* RPM, thanks to those 12 cylinders. The engine is so naturally torquey at low RPM that sometimes you forget that it's turbocharged. At this point, I just get in the car and drive it. And believe me, this car is *fun* to drive. Is it what I'd call, "Honda reliable"? No, not quite that level; that'd be the V-8 versions of this car, the S430 and S500. But it's not far from it; I'd say it's close enough. It's better than most American cars, that's for sure.

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2003 S-Class Highlights

Type:

Sedan

Trim:

S430

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$72,600
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	18 MPG
Cost to Drive	$315/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	15.4 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Key safety features on the S-Class include:

Alarm
Stability Control

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Not Tested
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S430 4dr Sedan (4.3L 8cyl 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.58 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Trending topics in reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

2003 S500

2003 S430 purchased 2006; good overall value

S600 SuperCar

Supercar performance, with heated leather seats

2003 S-Class Highlights

Safety

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2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S430 4dr Sedan (4.3L 8cyl 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.58 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.

Most helpful consumer reviews

2003 S500

2003 S430 purchased 2006; good overall value

S600 SuperCar

Supercar performance, with heated leather seats

2003 S-Class Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Mercedes Benz

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S430 4dr Sedan (4.3L 8cyl 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.58 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}