At $8,400, Is This 2007 Mercedes S 550 A Range Topper That's Now In Your Price Range?

Mercedes' S-Class has long been extolled as one of the most brilliant and advanced cars on the planet. Today's Nice Price or No Dice S 550 exemplifies that descriptor, or at least the 2007 edition. Let's see if depreciation has taken away any of the car's cachet along with its cost.

We had a real head scratcher to contemplate with Thursday's 2003 Toyota Tacoma 4X4. Between the time the ad was grabbed and the post's go-live, the seller had chosen to revise their offer, claiming a paint job on the truck is incoming and jacking up the price to MORE than what that respray reportedly would cost. Look, I know we're living through an ice age of inflation, but that's just not very cricket. I mean, come on. Even with the existing janky paint, the truck was overall very nice, had lots of expensive new parts, and is a Toyota Tacoma, so you know the mutant cockroaches will be driving it after the apocalypse. 

That couldn't dissuade the majority of you from dissing the seller's choices, both the jacked-up price and the $12,500 original asking. When all was said and done, that fell out in a fairly narrow 58% 'No Dice' loss.

What does luxury mean to you? Is it a buttload of chrome, cosseting overstuffed velour upholstery, and a ride so numb it's ready for a root canal? Or is it the presence of fine materials, careful craftsmanship, taut driving dynamics, and advanced technologies? The former is what luxury used to be, at least according to the major American automakers. The latter is the most common definition today, following a re-education of American car buyers who, over time, gravitated toward crisper, more refined foreign makes to get their luxury fix.

One of the first foreign luxury cars to make a dent in the U.S. high-end market of the post-war era was the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. In the 1970s, the Daimler-Benz range-topper began to be noticed by doctors, C-suite execs, and other members of the elite jet set.

Today's 2007 Mercedes-Benz S 550 appears to be a fine example of the model's fifth iteration (there have been two more since) and has enough panache and power to make it feel almost new.

As Mercedes is very helpful in its naming convention, the numeric element of this S-Class's moniker describes the engine's displacement. That's a 5461cc or 5.5-liter DOHC 32-valve V8 designated M273. Befitting the S 550's luxury comportment, it's a naturally aspirated (turbo whine is so gauche), and makes a reasonable — if not stellar — 383 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. That power is routed through a five-speed automatic to the rear wheels. This car is absent Mercedes' 4Matic AWD, which simplifies it and lightens its load a good bit.

That's not to say that this S 550 doesn't have quite a few tricks up its sleeve. On the feature list are air suspension, radar cruise control, Bi-Xenon headlamps, auto-dipping power mirrors, power locks and windows, and zoned climate control. With just 108,000 miles on the clock, no apparent major malfunctions, and just one owner under its belt, this champagne-over-Savanna tan sedan still impresses in both its purpose and presence. It also rolls on Michelin meats, so you know it probably has a history of being given the good stuff.

Per the ad, this car is clean, clean, clean. That means a clean and tidy presentation, a clean title, and clean chrome-plated factory wheels. It's not 100% perfect, however. The chrome strip that defines the top of the rocker panel appears to be missing its front fender extension on both sides. Behind that, on the passenger side, there appears to be duct tape covering something on the rocker. Finally, there's a sizable dent on the driver's side rear wheel arch that looks like it would prove a challenge for any itinerant PDR craftsman or craftswoman.

Craigslist

On the plus side, things get much better in the cabin. There, occupants are swaddled in supple-appearing leather seating surfaces, reasonably good plastics, and warm swaths of handsome burlwood. There doesn't appear to be any of the sticky-button syndrome that afflicts many other luxury cars of this era, and aside from some noticeable wear on the steering wheel D-pads, it all looks to be holding up excellently. Four floor mats are included in the deal; however, the seller wisely displays them in the trunk, allowing prospective buyers to be mesmerized by the satisfying vacuum patterns in the cabin carpet.

When new, this S 550 had a starting price of over $85,000. And that was before the inevitable add-ons, and, as they say in dealer speak, ups and extras. You gotta get that undercoat!

Here we are now, just shy of two decades later, with this car's warranty a mere warm memory, being given the opportunity to experience its rarefied air for less than 10% of the original price. That's right, the asking price for this S 550 is $8,400, putting it within reach of the multitudes of the great unwashed. Let's not all climb over one another in the attempt to be first in line.

Okay, I know what you're thinking: there's a lot more cost involved in any twenty-year-old complicated car, and Mercedes mechanics aren't exactly giving away their time. Yes, there is that, and that's why we're now going to weigh in on whether or not this big Benz would prove to be a good deal at that $8,400 entry price. 

What do you say, is that a gamble worth taking? Or is that too much of an outlay for a car that may cost lots more down the road?

You decide!

Phoenix, Arizona, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Hat tip to Don R. for the hookup!

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