I’m no expert on this so I’ll leave this to you guys. Long gone are the days of 80’s and 90s MB tanks, we know this. But I’m curious about the fairly recent 8 cylinders produced. Let’s say model year 2000 and on…Which are the least likely to break? My first guess would be any of the naturally aspirated ones. Doesn’t have to necessarily be an AMG. What about say, the E500/E550? I know nothing about this so shoot your insight
I think it boils down to how much you’re willing to delude yourself that a repair isn’t due to a reliability issue, and is instead a normal maintenance item. Coupled with whether you’re doing the repair yourself or helping send your mechanic’s kids to Yale.
For example, MBWorld loves the M278 twin turbo V8 that was in various higher-end Mercedes (including the 2017 S 550). If you read the forum, it’s almost as if the M278 was “bulletproof.” But if you read between the lines, it’s because they think as long as the engine doesn’t become a grenade, it’s reliable.
Basically, if you read these guys’ posts and think “oh ok yeah seems reasonable to need to do this stuff and it’s NBD since it’s way better than an Audi or BMW V8” then go get a M278 equipped merc and join MBWorld. FYI, RTV is a room temperature gasket gunk stuff that is used instead of a traditional head gasket. I guess if you get a M278, you better know how to lay a bead of RTV heh.
I won’t link to the forum since I think it’s bad form to crosslink forums (LH rules seem odd to me in how they’re applied sometimes).
If you want a Toyota 4-pot level of reliability where you’re literally doing nothing but oil changes and new filters to 100k miles, you may want to stick with a Toyota 4-pot.
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The W211 and W212 are two of MB’s best modern platforms, but neither is intended to be a sport sedan. So there’s no real upside to getting an E500 W211 or E550 W212 over a V6 version, and neither one is actually quick.
You get a lot more downside with more failure points on both the motor as well as the air suspension if so equipped. And just more costly scheduled maintenance even when nothing breaks.
Were there any 8 cylinders produced that were NA and without air suspension?
W211 E500/E550 was all N/A and W212 E550 was N/A for first couple years.
Air suspension was an a la carte option AFAIK so you’ll be spending some time trying to sift through what’s available and filter that out.
You might be better off looking at W210 E55 AMGs with the N/A 5.5L V8 – there’s more of a character transformation in the car and there’s some chance of appreciation if you’re holding for a while.
You can do a conversion when they fail.
https://www.arnottindustries.com/coil-spring-conversion-kits/
That’s a big spend relative to the value of the car.
Well that depends on the model he is going to buy and how long he will keep it. Or he can look for one that already has a coilover conversion.
How about pre twin turbo C63? I forget which was the last year of the NA for the C
There alright minus the head bolt thing. Its a high performance german engine, you arent going to get by with ‘just oil changes’ like a Camry. By this point you need to look at prior ownership/maintenance.
Many german engines can be reliable with lots of work.
If you want a sport sedan with an N/A V8, look at E39 540i and E60 550i
They are not without their faults but at least you’ll have more fun driving them.
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In no scenario did I ever expect to get by with just oil changes on a german v8. Just trying to get as much info as I can for this category.
@max_g it seems like the benz’s are a little more abundant
A W204 C63 AMG is far more of a “sport sedan” than a million year old E39 540i or E60 550i ever will be. Get a low mile one with no head bolt issues, throw a few bucks into it and you are good to go.
Take it from people that have actually owned/driven these rides. DM me if you have questions.
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Look at the CLS550 2012-2015. One of my fave cars ever owned. Super fast with just a tune but I ended up getting a 63 after lol
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2011 W204’s don’t have headbolt issue. Some 2010s also free of that issue depending on the production dates (there was a guy on mbworld who would check for you for free)
It’s a great car except it eats rear tires in every 7-8k miles.
Lol that’s the M278!
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I get the stigma. I had a M278 W222 S-Class that was flawless but then again I do recall saying a brief prayer every time I started it. Its a great powerplant in terms of performance, with the 7 speed.
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IMO that 6.2 NA V8 was very special (even if badged as 6.3). I’d like to find a low mile late E63 wagon or a CL63/SL63 and just keep it forever. And they make a glorious noise. The head bolts are a relatively cheap issue to address.
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If you want to feel bad for another MB driver, know that someone out there got out of their E63s wagon and got an EQE SUV.
Oh no. Whyyyyyyyyyyyy.