The Mercedes W222 S-Class is the previous generation S-Class model which means that it is now almost 10 years old. The W222 is still an extremely popular model and many people don’t even feel the need to upgrade to the W223 yet. However, is Mercedes W222 a good car?
Yes, the Mercedes W222 is indeed a really good car because it balances costs, luxury, style, and practicality. The W222 comes with a variety of engines including 6-cylinder, 8-cylinder, and even 12-cylinder engines for top-spec models. It exclusively comes with an automatic transmission and most models are RWD.
Design-wise, the W222 comes in four different configurations including either a short wheelbase or a long-wheelbase a four-door sedan, a convertible, or a coupe. All of these look stunning in their own right, and so does the interior of all W222 models, especially the post-facelift models from 2018 and up.
Reliability-wise, the W222 can be better and we are going to mention the most common W222 issues in this article. Practicality-wise, the W222 is as good as a sedan can get with a huge trunk and huge amounts of room. When it comes to value, the W222 does not disappoint as you can get them for only a fraction of what they were 5-10 years ago.
Mercedes W222 – The powertrain
The W222 lineup starts with the S400 which offers a 3.0L 6-cylinder engine with 333hp. The S500 offers a 4.7L V8 with 455hp, the S600 offers 600hp from a 6.0L V12. The post-facelift W222 offers an S450 instead of the S400 with the same engine and 367hp. The S560 replaces the S500 and it now comes with a 4.0L V8 with 470hp.
The top-spec S600 is the same as in the pre-facelift model. The very top end of the W222 lineup are the S63 AMG and the S65 AMG high-performance sedans. The S63 comes with a 4.0L BiTurbo V8 with 612hp while the most amazing S65 AMG gets a 630hp 6.0L AMG-enhanced V12 rocket ship.
The S-Class also comes in a few diesel options including the S350d and the S400d. Both of these get the same 3.0L V6 with either 286hp or 340hp. 4MATIC is available as an option except for the AMG models which only get a 4MATIC. The 7G-Tronic is the go-to box for the pre-facelift W220 and the AMG models while the 9G is for post-facelift models.
Mercedes W222 – Design and chassis
Design-wise, the W222 looks great, especially in coupe form. The convertible is the least popular option of the bunch, but it does look amazing. The most popular model is the short wheelbase S-Class as it is long enough for most people. The W220 gets Swarowski crystal built into the headlights which makes the car look stunning.
The W220 was also the very first car that comes with LED lights throughout the entire car. The interior of the W220 is like a palace thanks to two large widescreen displays that control almost all of the car’s functions. The post-facelift W222 is the better-looking one inside and out, but the pre-facelift W222 looks far newer than it actually is.
The chassis and suspension tuning is focused on comfort above everything else. The ride is soft, the seats are plush and the sound isolation is second to none. Only the AMG models are on the stiffer side, but that is to be expected with high-performance sedans.
Mercedes W222 – Reliability and common issues
The post-facelift W222 is far more reliable than the pre-facelift model, but the W222 as a whole is not the most reliable S-Class out there. The most common issues are associated with the car’s electronics, the suspension, the engine, oil leaks, seatbelt tensioners, and the transmission.
Mercedes W222 – Value and practicality
The W222 Mercedes S-Class represents great value on the 2nd hand market because it undercuts the W223 S-Class by a huge margin. The post-facelift W220 is the one to get as it looks a lot better, is a lot more reliable, and comes with newer and more advanced engines. The W222 can still compete with cars that are a lot more expensive.
Practicality-wise, the W220 is the very top echelon of what you can expect from a sedan. The long-wheelbase model offers cavernous amounts of interior space and all models come with a huge trunk. Visibility may not be the best, and parking may not be the easiest, but that comes with the territory.
FAQ Section
Is the Mercedes W222 better than the Mercedes W223?
The W223 S-Class is a better car than the W222, but that’s to be expected because the W223 is almost 10 years newer. However, the differences between the two are not as far apart as one might think. The W222 post-facelift model is still a really competitive full-size luxury sedan and it may even beat some of the W223 competitors.
The W223 is simply on another level as it looks more like a spaceship than a car. I do think that both the pre-facelift and the post-facelift W222 look better than the W223, especially from the front.
Is the Mercedes W222 a good used car?
Driving a huge luxury Mercedes flagship as your daily driver is not something most people are doing. Sure, the W222 is cool, but its vast size only makes sense if you do chauffeur for a living. Value-wise, the W222 is great as it offers a lot of luxurious amenities for the price, but it still does not mean that the W222 is an everyday type of car.
The W222 also costs a lot of money to maintain, so don’t be tricked into thinking that maintenance costs depreciate. Quite the contrary, the older these get, the more expensive they become to run.
What is the best Mercedes W222 body type?
The short-wheelbase W222 is the best one to get because it is large enough, but not overly so to make your life extremely difficult. The coupe body style looks the best from every possible angle, but only two doors make it worthwhile if you are not often transporting rear passengers.
The convertible W222 is a niche product which means that there aren’t too many cars that can compete with the W222 convertible.