Mug

Hey Guys,

My friend is in the market to purchase a 2003 S-Class. He's been to several dealers in Los Angeles and the best offer he's got is $1,000 over invoice on an S430 or sticker on an S500. Do you think the price premium on the S500 is worth it? What are the major differences between the two (besides engine)? Are there any known dealers in SoCal willing to sell S500's below sticker?

Your thoughts and opinions will be most appreciated.

Mr. Xristo

whatever you do please purchase the sports package!! It makes a world of difference...

Mug

Isn't the sport package mainly cosmetic, plus wheels and tires?? Springs and shocks remain unchanged?

AMG4life

dont buy the S 430 or you are gonna regret it. go the s 500
i have a s 430 its nice and all but its too slow...

vraa

the S430 is nice.. but its mainly a women's car.. kinda.. like i said.. even my aunt got the S500.

btw: Sport Package maybe just cosmetic, but it sets your car apart from every other S-Class out there. Seeing the same rims all over and over agian gets kinda annoying. It also adds a touch of class seeing that "Sport" symbol on the side of the car.

AMG4life

the sport package is a waste of money. i doubt half of mb owners can tell the difference. let alone those non mb people

jl88

I didn't want to post at first because I thought someone would give you decent advice, but I was WRONG. So here's my opinion.

The differences between the S500 and the S430 (besides the engine) are very little. S500 comes with more standard options, but both cars can be optioned out exactly the same. S500 has the "better" wood trim, that's about it.

I personally do not think the engine should matter that much, inregards to S500 or S430. You ARE in a sedan that weighs over 2 tons. The v8 is plenty enough power to haul people and cargo around without a noticeable difference.

Options? The sports package makes the S class stunning. It is an aesthetic package ONLY. The car is on an air suspension, therefore, does not have springs and shocks. I personally like the AMG styling, tho, the wheels are kind of bland. However, the sports package does make the S class look alot better.

Last thing to remember, S class is way overpriced compared to its competitors. I personally would go for the lowest price model and change the wheels for a personalized touch.

DeeGuy

Yeah, go for the 500, if you want to know the difference, test drive the 430 first and then test drive the 500, on the paper it might not seems that much difference:
275hp vs 302hp (horse power)
295lb vs 339lb (torque)
But, once you test drive them you can really feel the difference.
and yes, the sport package is the best. You can not go wrong with that.
Other differences are:
wood trim and leather.

Dizzy

And let's not forget the all important "OPTIONAL" HID lights on the S430.

If you go the S430 route, you HAVE to get the HID lights and heated seats.

Sports package? Depends on your taste. I personally love it. If I could do it all over again?

S500 plus sports package.

Why?

Let's just say that I still drive my S430 like my "slightly" modified 98 Accord Coupe. So any extra HP in moving 2 tons of nice German Steel is a godsend.

Is it worth the money? Depends how you drive your car. You can listen to all our opinions all you want, but just remember to figure out what YOU want and YOUR driving habits. A large majority of the S-class owners don't normally drive like its a sports car...but a few do. Funny...most of them are on the MB forums the most too, coincidence? So take all of our opinions with a grain of salt.

I mod my cars, so stock is NEVER enough for me...and those AMG wheels are beautiful. Are they worth the extra money? Probably not. But that Sports option sure does make your car look fast sitting still. Is that important to you? Or should I say is it worth the $5k+ for all the extra sporty options?

Good luck with your purchase. Just remember, whatever you choose...except for the engine, you can add everything else later.

Dizzy

AMG4life

the HID is standard on all 03' s-class since they got the clear lenses.

Dema

I think that S430 can be good. People still buy E320 although it has much more HP difference to E500.

braincuttermd

You must get the sport package. The body work is so gorgeous and the wheels are just perfect. My brother in law has the S430 with the sport package and my dad has the S500 without. The S430 has drill discs and monster brakes, the S500 has regular (still very good, but not as cool looking) brakes.

As far as 430 vs 500, I honestly can't tell the difference in power from seat of my pants. Many folks recommended test driving both, and I agree with them.

Oh yes, get the xenons. They are seriously cool.

Mug

Hey thanks for all the opinions guys. My friend is going to make an offer on a 2003 CL55 that he found while looking for the S-Class.

AMG4life

the s 430 without the sportpackage has drill discs too. no reason that the s 500 wont have them

99bmw740il

you are wrong- i saw 04 s430 with clear headlights (bi xenon look) and it had nice yellow non-xenon lights

IluvS500

Ok heres the deal I read all of this dont feel like makin each individual correction though most were right. From my understanding, the S500 is alot faster off the line. I can feel the difference as I went in a S430 not too long ago and a S500 everyday. Ok on the 430 Xenons w/washers ARE OPTIONAL. Heated front seats optional. Nappa also optional. All of those are standard on the 500. The rest of the options are the same. About the Sport package. In my eyes the sport package is worth it. It makes a already beautiful car turn into a very sexy car. I would definently consider it. Too good looking. My opinion is get the 500. You might regret getting the 430 though you might not. No matter what though, either one choosen will be a amazing car Im sure.

IluvS500

O btw I forgot this wasnt for you. Ooops

ajayz

If you can't live without the extra 27 HP and so torque, get the S500; but if you are really that much power-buff, go ahead and get the S55 or S600.

moa4r

excellent choice!!! the cl55 blows both the s430 and s500 out the water...good luck i hope he gets it!