I test drove a 97 S500 recently. First time I'd ever been in a W140 and I've never driven an S class younger than a 79 W116 before. Do any W140 owners like the steering wheel? I found it way to small. I hate small steering wheels. I'm used to the tradtional large Benz wheel used up untill the end of the W126. I like being able to rest my elbow on the door while holding the wheel and my other arm on the central arm rest and I found that to be impossible in this car. To me that's just way to uncomfortable for a luxury car.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

you're supposed to sit in the rear and let the hired driver worry about driving ergonomics!

That is precisely what they were designed for: driving comfort on long trips. I never knew that until recently.

The downside, of course, is that they are cumbersome and ungainly for for city maneuvering and sporty driving.

The AMG steering wheels fitted to the W116/W123/W126 cars had smaller steering wheels that were judged better for high performance and involved driving. The AMG steering wheels for those cars did not have airbags, either.

I wonder if it would be possible to retrofit a large gen. II W126 airbag equipped steering wheel to a W140 car if its owner wanted that.....

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

As a proud (and much poorer that originally) w140 owner, I can't say that the steering wheel is small; I'd say it's rather large... Is it possible that it had a steering wheel switched over from other model ? It's definitely bigger than the 92 Camaro, or 89 Volvo 740 GL steering wheel, and it's massive -- another reason why I like it so much, it looks great from the side view...
The door hand rest, I agree, but I have my left on the steering wheel, and right resting on the center console -- I drive with my left hand, while the right rest on the shifter. And I haven't been in more comfortable car yet. IMO it's far better than w210, but then again, I have a '92 S-class, that's before they cheapened the model in 1995.

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2004 CL 500
1992 400 SE