Although we've called out the Mercedes S65 AMG for being one of the biggest wastes of money on the market, we never said that it wasn't a great car. Quite the opposite in fact. We simply pointed out that if you waited a year or so to buy it, you could get one that is certified pre-owned for a huge discount. Now, we would like to take that idea a little further. How cheap could you get what used to be Mercedes' most expensive sedan if you would be willing to wait around eight years or so?
Rather than just ask this hypothetical question, we went out and found an S65 AMG that happens to be exactly eight years old. The car in question is a 2008 S65 AMG with 45,366 miles. It is currently being offered for sale by Specialty Sales Classics in Fairfield, California, for $47,990.
When it was new, this car would have had a base price of around $190,000, so being able to buy it for a quarter of its original MSRP is pretty spectacular. The S65 is powered by a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine which produces 604 hp and a bonkers 738 lb-ft of torque. That is more than a Lamborghini Huracan and only 17 hp less than a brand new S65. Even though the S-Class is a big, heavy machine, it can still rocket to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and complete the quarter mile in 12.4 seconds. This particular car comes in Capri Blue Metallic with a cream leather interior. The exterior and interior appear to be in mint condition, and the car isn't exactly light on cool features.
If you're looking to buy a car for less than $50,000 you will have plenty of options. However, we doubt that any of them will be able to match the power and refinement of this S-Class. If you wanted a nice, new Mercedes for around the same price you couldn't even afford the mid-level C43 AMG, which starts at $52,000. Your money would get you a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with only 362 horses. To stay under the $50,000 budget you could get a CLA45 AMG, which starts at $49,950, but add any of the various must-have options and the $50,000 budget will be breached. Plus, the tiny back seats of the CLA are no match for the quilted leather thrones that sit inside the S-Class.
The S-Class will transport four passengers in sumptuous luxury. You could take a fifth passenger, but the ride will be much more pleasant with just four. Both of the front seats come with full heating and ventilation, as do the two rear seats (excluding the middle one). You can even recline the rear seats to make the ride as comfortable as possible. Only a car like the new Kia K900 can match this level of luxury at this price, but even the bargain-value Kia can't match the insane V12 engine that comes in the S65. Unfortunately, the S65 is not without its faults. Maintenance bills will be massive and you will struggle to top 13 mpg on the highway. It may be a cheap date but it will be a high-maintenance life partner.
Check out the price of Mercedes Sedan.