The Used Luxury Car That Still Feels Worth Every Penny
A used luxury car should still give you the feeling of superiority when you drive. The upscale materials, increased comfort, perfectly tuned suspension, and ample power aren’t lost simply because the car has aged. That said, most luxury cars depreciate more heavily than mainstream cars. This has to do with predicted maintenance and repairs as the cars age, which means you could find an incredible deal on a used luxury car that brings more to your driving experience than expected for the price.
Ride Quality Still Sets The Benchmark For Comfort
Air Suspension Delivers A “Magic Carpet” Experience
Luxury and comfort go hand in hand, making ride quality one of the most important aspects of any car that claims to be a top choice in the used-car market. Many high-end brands add the smooth comfort and floating benefits of an air suspension to their vehicles, which provides a smooth ride regardless of the road surface. This “magic carpet” feeling allows the car to glide above the bumps, giving everyone in the cabin a supremely comfortable ride.
Cabin Quietness Is Another Big Factor That Defines Luxury
Another hallmark of a true luxury car is cabin quietness. Pushing road noise out of the cabin and insulating passengers from the outside world has been a defining quality of excellent luxury vehicles for decades. A hushed interior makes it easier to hold conversations, enjoy music, or simply drive in silence, basking in the serenity of a cabin that feels like a moving sanctuary. The last thing you want after a long day at work is a noisy cabin with the sounds of every vehicle around you slamming into your head because your car lacks sufficient insulation.
Why The W222 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Is Worth Every Penny As A Used Buy
Advanced Features That Trickle Down To Other Cars
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W222) is a true luxury flagship still admired and valued today. It arrived for the 2014 model year and continued production through 2021. This makes it a relatively modern used luxury car, and later versions feature technology you might not expect at their current asking prices. Throughout this generation, Mercedes-Benz continued loading the S-Class with advanced features that would eventually trickle down to other cars in its lineup, keeping the W222 ahead of rival flagships.
High-End Infotainment And Driver Aids Still Hold Up
Later W222 models packed an impressive array of features, including a 360-degree surround-view camera, adaptive LED headlights, and soft-close doors — but the real gem was the infotainment system. The COMAND infotainment and navigation system offered gesture control and advanced voice recognition, displayed on a 12.3-inch touchscreen that still feels generous by most standards. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay became part of the standard package from 2019 onward, making it one of the most capable systems available at the time.
The driver-assistance suite in the previous-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class was among the most comprehensive available on any car. The package includes lane-keeping assist, forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with brake assist, a self-parking feature, the surround-view camera, and rear cross-traffic alert, to name just a few.
Rear Seat Comfort Elevates It To Executive-Class Status
Passengers are treated to generous space to stretch out and sink into the premium Nappa leather upholstery. The rear outboard seats offer heat, ventilation, and a massaging function to round out the ultra-luxurious experience. These features aren’t universal across all trims, but they are available within the lineup.
A 450+ HP Twin-Turbo V-8 For Effortless Performance
You get to choose from a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing 463 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, and a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 sending 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. The V8 pairs with a nine-speed automatic transmission, while the larger V12 uses a seven-speed automatic that remains impressively smooth despite having fewer ratios.
The S 450, the entry-level S-Class for this generation, uses a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 producing 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. A plug-in hybrid variant pairs an electric motor with that V6, boosting electric-only range to 18 miles and combined output to 463 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque — impressive figures for a hybrid from that era. Both V6-based powertrains share the same nine-speed automatic transmission used in the V8 models.
Surprisingly Quick For A Full-Size Luxury Sedan
The W222 was the largest S-Class ever produced at the time, measuring 206.6 inches long and 74.8 inches wide. It’s also a substantial car in terms of weight, tipping the scales at 5,025 pounds in S550 4Matic trim. You might expect a full-size luxury sedan of this size and mass to feel slow and lumbering, but a 0-to-60 mph time of 4.8 seconds will quickly change that assumption. That figure rivals some sports cars, which seems remarkable for a flagship luxury car designed primarily around comfort.
Depreciation Makes It One Of The Best Luxury Values
At ~$30,000, You Get More Luxury Per Dollar Than New Cars
The original MSRP of a 2019 Mercedes-Benz S-Class ranged from $97,245 for the S 450 to $138,795 for the S 560 convertible — and that’s before factoring in the AMG or Maybach variants, which cost considerably more. Today, used examples can be found for a fraction of those figures, representing dramatic depreciation in just a few years. If you look further back into the W222 generation, the gap between original MSRP and current asking price grows even wider.
Expect Flagship Maintenance Nonetheless
Most automotive research agencies do not track the reliability of high-end or flagship models due to a lack of sufficient data. However, J.D. Power ratings for select model years suggest that the W222 S-Class is a generally reliable car, particularly the post-facelift models, which earned a “Great” rating of 84 out of 100 for 2018 and 2019. The pre-facelift 2015 model also earned a “Great” rating of 81 out of 100, which is a solid benchmark for a car of this complexity.
Even owners report that the W222 is generally a dependable car, but they caution that maintenance costs remain firmly in flagship territory. The S-Class comes loaded with sophisticated systems, and keeping it reliable requires meticulous upkeep. If something goes wrong or the car has been neglected, repair bills outside the warranty period can be substantial.
According to owners, common reliability concerns include electrical gremlins, air suspension failures, and oil leaks — particularly in V8 models. All of these issues can be expensive to address. If you’re planning to purchase a W222 S-Class, the post-facelift models are the safer bet; prioritize a well-maintained example with a clean service record, and set aside a contingency fund for unexpected repairs.
Sources: Mercedes-Benz, Autotrader, Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book
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