Having a W140 at 23
 

For awhile now, since I was 17 or so, ive been lusting over the W140 chassis. I dont know why, Ive had a W126 and it never loved it equally to a W140. The ride, the gadgets, the "modern w126" look. Last year came the time where I needed a newer car and better gas mileage so I opted for a W202...great little car but still love those big body benzes. People call me crazy for wanting one of those big things but "in one ear, out the other" to that.

Im fully aware of the issues with the 140 chassis but would I be really crazy to buy one as a daily driver in the next 2 yrs?

Sounds like you have been around MB's for a while and are probably very competent to take on any challenges the 140 may throw at you. Think about someone who has no prior experience with MB's getting a 12 yr old W140 or even a 20 yr old 123. Definitely a learning curve to overcome.

Here's my Oakville perspective (I'm not far away from you)...

Had an 86 300SDL (W126). Best car I've ever owned. But not a gorgeous W140...

Sold it and bought a 92 500SEL (W140). Now the best car I've ever owned. Would NEVER go back!

The SDL was great and everything.. but this is a CAR!

Let me know if you are ever in Oakville and I'll take you for a spin in mine. Please make sure you're ready to buy one first, though, as you probably will. First time I drove one of these I was "thinking of buying". I then proceeded to look at every one I could that was for sale, and bought mine 2 weeks later........

Neal

To Neal's point I had an 87 SDL and a 95 S420 in the driveway at the same time. The 140 is so much more modern than the 126 that it's hard to believe they're one generation apart. Reliability aside, MB alienated a lot of the faithful by going the path of Lexus. To me it was a good move. Getting warm air out of the center vents and controlling the fan speed independently of air temperature matter to me. There are other features that just make sense... and some that don't like $20 halogen bulbs for the c-pillar reading lights. Of course you can't cast reliability aside for too long. Fortunately there's a growing amount of 140 info in the archives and websites like JimF's (thanks, Jim!) that you can keep a 140 running on a DIY basis. Now that they're about fully depreciated the handful willing and able to keep them going are going to have one heck of a ride.

Get as late a model year as you can afford. Particularly with the V8s. The coil-over-plug arrangement in the 96-up cars is much easier to deal and less arc prone than the dual distributor arrangement in the 92-95 cars. Not having the parking guide rods and power memory rearview mirror after 95 or 96 is disheartening but you'll get over it. The counterpoint is that the 722.4 4-speed AT is more robust than the early 722.6 5-speed AT. Whoever came up with second gear start should be deprived of his/her retirement pension but a tranny that works is better than a tranny that doesn't :/ AFAIK all S320s have some form of 5-speed AT.

Go for a LWB car. Even if you never sit in the back :) The S320 was available in LWB from 95. The 300SD/S350 was not available in the US in LWB.

I hear the fuel mileage of the S320 is respectable. My S420 got 15 city/20 highway.

Sixto

If you can afford it, and afford the maintenance and are aware of the issues, then go ahead. The acquisition costs are not high, considering what they cost new, but I agree with whoever said that the 1996 cars are the best ones to buy, at that point most of the early years' headaches on them had been solved.

I think 23 is good age.My nephew got his first W140 1995 S320 at 23.He has had one other MB (190D and had a 1996 Maxima).He has been a big car fanatic for a long time and always loved these cars.He has been around W140s for a very long time and he loves them.I would suggest getting the S320 (we were going to get a 1997 S600 with 54,000 miles for him),but he didnt want it.The S320 is perfect because it can last very long and is very reliable and fuel efficient.

And what about my current W202 vs the W140...yes I know 2 different animals! But when looking at the 2, I love them both (w140 a bit more) and the 202 has very very similar looks.

I have to keep my 202 longer...regardless.

I think those old C-Classes are some of the most solid cars ever built.We had a 1998 C230 (Black Opal over Grey)that my niece drove.She was going to work one day and got into an accident.The car was totalled,there was no saving it at all.Everything was smashed,the car was a box.The cd's in the trunk were broken,everything was gone.Guess what...The car still ran and brought her from the highway about 2 miles away to an exit.The car still ran and had plenty of life left in it.Even the condition the car was in,my niece had NO scratches and was barely even hurt.She just had some seat belt burns,but that happens in most accidents.This car had 130,000 miles and ran like a dream.Aside from that,the W202 is a magnificent car,but in my opinion cannot be compared to the W140.They are just two different animals.If I had to choose,it would be a W140.I sold my 2000 S500,that I bought new.I sold it in 2002 and got my W140 1998 S500.I love it!

If you have the money go for it. If your able to come up with between 2 to 3k for sudden repairs at any given moment you should be fine. If it would be a stretch for you to do that you might want to consider another car.

Not sure that a 140 is really an appropriate car for a 23 year old though. I remember how I drove when I was 23. You might be happier with the smaller car. Even though its bigger its no slouch performance wise. I had to follow a guy at the office with a brand new 300z who wanted to show off and was weaving through traffic at high speed trying to loose me. He was quite annoyed that no matter what he did he could not loose the big black 140 sedan following him.

The 140 is a great long distance cruiser. My 140 used to be an every day driver but has been spending more time in the garage due to the really small parking deck I park in downtown. The 140 fits fine in the deck but with 3 other cars and the prospect of door dings its not the car I like to leave in a small parking deck at the mercy of people trying to park SUV's in close proximity.

Personally if I were 23 again I would get something cheap and fun. An older BMW 3 series or a late model Porsche 944 or Porsche 968. I recently have rediscovered driving all over again with a cheap little car with perfect 50/50 weight balance and a rather surprisingly powerful 4cyl engine.

I'll add my voice to the "if you can afford it, go for it" chorus. Just make sure you investigate how much these cars cost to maintain, because they are in a different league from the W202. Make sure you include the cost of insurance and gas into your calculations.

It goes without saying that you want to have it inspected by a qualified MB specialist who knows what to look for. I've got a guy I trust in the Keele & Finch area, if you are looking for a good referral.

Yes. W140 = expen$ive to keep running properly. The S320 would be the least expensive, but thats like choosing a "lower grade" of caviar....its still expensive! :D

I'd never touch one unless I had oodles of cash towards keeping it alive.

still a 10 yo car and plus so it doesnt matter what age you have the car at, its if you can afford to maintain and keep the car road worthy.

Actually my 300SD is costing me a small fortune lately in comparison to my S320. I have about $4100 of work in on my 300SD within the last 6 months. More than I paid for the car itself. Many of these repairs were to keep the car running.

In the same 6 month period the S320 got a new set of brakes and rotors and wheel bearings for $1000 and a set of Continental Tires for $500. Both of which were optional except for the worn out brake pads. The rotors were "close" and I decided to have one less thing to worry about.

just do it.....you've been around them long enough to know how they are.

If your going to do it do it now!
 

Right now prices on used cars are rock bottom. It would be a great time to take advantage of some of the bargains on the market.