Comparing a 1998 S600 with a 2001 S600.

(I am aware that these r expensive beasts to maintain)

Strictly comparing the 2 cars above, which car would u consider the better and why. What r the differences?

Thanks for ur input.

Diesel-related?

I'd think the 140 would be more expensive, they always seem to be breaking, but then again parts for the 220 could cost more.

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99 E300 TD -- sold
01 540i 6 spd

This would be better in the Tech Help forum.

in the long run the W140 will hold up over the W220. From what ive read, the W220's airmatic suspension and all bushings start giving problems around 150K miles.

The W140 is simpler to troubleshoot, and over on the W140 section of the benzworld forum there are plenty memebers with over 200K on their W140's with no major problems.

in the 8K miles ive put in so far ive only faced a bad spark plug. Other then that its been trouble free compared to the 20+ year old benzes we have (they need more attention pretty often).

I dont know about that "W140's always having problems" from observation i see more problems come up with the older MB's then i do with the newer ones that have similar mileage.

As for the V12 please read up on this site for more answers.
http://www.v12uberalles.com/index.html

__________________
Current:
05 E320 CDI
07 GL320 CDI
08 Sprinter
05 Dodge Cummins
01 Dodge Cummins

Previous
2004 E55 AMG
2002 C32 AMG (#2)
1995 E300
1978 300D
1987 300D
2002 C32 AMG(blown motor :[
1981 300SD
1983 300SD
1987 300SDL
2002 Jetta TDI
1996 S420
1995 S500
1993 190E 2.6
1992 190E 2.3
1985 190E 2.3 5-Speed

220's are far more complex and more expensive to maintain. Although 140's are much better put together and don't seem as "cheap" feeling as the 220. Ask the owner of a 220 who has dealt with a failure in their hydropneumatic suspension how expensive they are to maintain. I have heard of bills in the $12,000 range.

Ah! You speak blasphemy in Diesel Discussion!

The 140 is the better car. Higher build quality. Nicer fit and finish. Better ride and feels like a bank vault on 4 wheels. More headroom and interior room (although the 220 has more volume it seems cramped on the inside). A car that commands attention and is instantly recognized for being high quality and expensive. 220's are smaller and have the curves of a Lexus.

The 220 is cheaper feeling with cheaper plastics and interior fittings. They axed a lot of the really cool features such as the double paned argon filled glass that the 140 has that really helped with road noise. The only good thing about the 220 is it has a nav system but the older first gen systems were not very good and were CD based. The later generation Nav systems were better and you get ipod interfaces and bluetooth connectivity for your phone. The 220 has more airbags than the 140 with curtain airbags. There are many more "features" on the 220 but in my opinion they seem gimicky and will eventually cause the longvity of the car to suffer.

I was looking at 220's and 140's when I was buying my car. For slightly more I could have bought a 2000 S430 for what I paid for my 1999 S320. Other than the Nav system and the new bodystyle the 220 did not offer much more to me other than additional expenses when many of the features stopped working. The 140 rides better and the "little" 6cyl that I have seems just as powerful as the S430's V8.

Neither. I'd opt for the 2003 S600 with the bi turbo V12. Ted over on the open forum has had one for awhile and doesn't really have any trouble with it. My friends dad has owned a W140 S600 for years and its pretty trouble free. If you buy a really good one they are no worse then any other MB. Just some V12 specific parts get expensive.

Its all personal preference, I like a W220 a bit more because its more modern looking. But I prefer the W140's interior, I was never a fan of the W220's dash. But the W220 does come with nice things like air suspension, and a built in GPS.

Drive both and buy whichever one you like. I'd opt for the 2003 S600 if you can, its a lot faster...even more so after some Renntech upgrades.

If you are worried about getting nailed by a big repair you shouldn't buy such cars. So what if the air suspension goes out? Its a $130k car if you are worried about the potential of a few thousand dollar repair you shouldn't own such a car. Or buy a newer one with a warranty, MB will CPO them up to 100k miles.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

__________________
Current:
05 E320 CDI
07 GL320 CDI
08 Sprinter
05 Dodge Cummins
01 Dodge Cummins

Previous
2004 E55 AMG
2002 C32 AMG (#2)
1995 E300
1978 300D
1987 300D
2002 C32 AMG(blown motor :[
1981 300SD
1983 300SD
1987 300SDL
2002 Jetta TDI
1996 S420
1995 S500
1993 190E 2.6
1992 190E 2.3
1985 190E 2.3 5-Speed

This thread needs to be over in tech, and probably open. You would get better responses.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The Maybach sedans are built on a stretched version of the W140 chassis, not the W220 chassis.

Anymore questions?

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Ah! Thats an interesting bit of trivia actually. Makes sense though because the Maybach's are so much taller and larger than the 220.

I liked 220's and considered one until I actually drove one. It just seems that the accounting department had too much decision making power when it came down to the final form of the car. The new E class is nicer than the 220 on the interior.

The new 221 Chassis car is certainly worlds better than the 220. The double paned glass has returned (although not gas filled). And the level of fit and style has returned to the level of the 140. Even the new key has a sense of style with the chrome plated smartkey that won't wear out as much in your pocket and has a heavy quality feel to it. I drove an S550 the other day and was quite impressed with the car even though the shifter and some of the technological bits took a minute to get used to. When I returned to the cockpit of my 140 and started off I realized that I could have a fleet of 140's for the price of a single 221 car and have a much better ride quality as well.

Mercedes is going back in the right direction though which should be commended. I notice even the SL's are looking a bit better on the inside as well. Its a shame that Mercedes sent the 220 on its way into retirement without a better facelift. The improved Nav system is a nice touch (it works like the rest of the nav systems on the market finally) but there were a lot of other things wrong with the 220 design.

I was never a W220 fan either. I think the dash is a little cheap looking, and not Mercedes enough. I like the exterior a lot though, very sharp. The W140 looks akward at a few angles, where as the W220 does not. But every design has an angle or two that just doesn't look right.


The W221 is a nice car, a really nice car. One day I'll buy one, no rush. Let them get sorted, and let the values drop. I'll probably pick up an 07 or 08 when its 4 or 5 years old. Let the first owner take the big hit!

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I know this topic should be on the tech forum.

But let me unequivocally say that the tech savvy people at the diesel forum know more indepth about cars than the other forums.

The fact we drive diesels speaks for itself!

Diesel owners know the difference between a gas and a diesel, the advantages and disadvantages, and, well built cars.

Thanks for the input!

Funny point Beagle.

I've found also that some more general questions about my car, when asked on the tech or open forum, garner little useful response. The same question on the Diesel Forum will usually get faster and more useful replies.

The tech forum is more like calling Microsoft tech support: you can get an answer that is technically correct, but has little to do with the question.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff