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The S350 is the entry six-cylinder badge on Mercedes' flagship saloon, offered across both the W221 generation (2006-2013) and the W222 that followed it, always with the smallest engine in the S-Class range at the time. It buys the full-size Mercedes flagship shape and cabin for less than the V8-badged cars on the same platform.
A W222-generation car, from 2014 onward, if budget allows — it brought a fully redesigned cabin, air suspension across the range and a more efficient six-cylinder than the outgoing W221. An older W221 S350 is still a comfortable flagship, but it is the previous generation underneath.
The BMW 530 is the closest rival in size and price and shows prior body or panel repair on 52% of cars against the 64% we would expect for saloons of this age and mileage here. The Mercedes C300 is a smaller, cheaper alternative for a buyer who wants the badge without the flagship size, and retains 50% after five years.
The S350s we inspect here run to a high median of around 179,000 km, and cars still trading at that distance point to a drivetrain that holds up well under sustained highway use, which is what this car was built for.
Read the CarSwitch inspection report before you commit, since it confirms which generation's issues you would actually be buying.