Concerning the design, I wonder how much of it comes from engineering rather that artistry? The smoothed lines and curved outter surfaces look like an aerodynamics design rather than art. I don't mean to be uh, ugly, but I'm thinking of the Ford Taurus or the Chrysler full-sized cars or the Infiniti J-30 or the older 939. They all look like they have the same basic plan of curving gently out from teh grill with rounded corners and a severely raked windshield and a gradual downward taper to the trunk.

Also, to save weight the cars all take advantage of curves through two dimensions to get 3-D rigidity probably lowering the need for structural framing.

Every decade brings a teardrop nearer in both engineering and poetically.

I love my 99' Grand Edition S500. She only comes out when the weather is nice.

I don't believe the W220 was a mistake in any way at all. It came at a time when luxury cars were getting slammed for being overweight and wasteful of resources. MB engineers produced an excellently engineered vehicle that was at least 500 pounds lighter than the 140 while being structurally better and handling much much better. Consumer Reports has stated many times that if you disregard reliabilty, the 220 is the very best car they've ever tested. That alone says a lot. May reviews have stated how much better than the 140 it handles. I've driven both cars and just have to agree. At times while driving a 220, you forget that you're actually piloting a huge, full size sedan. Of course the interior wasn't where it should have been, but if it was, no one would have paid the price that would be required. A lot of complex and expensive technologies debuted on the 220 and my guess is that those technologies consumed the money that could have been spent on the interior. That said, everyone sings praises about the 140 interior as if it is that great. Indeed, there are parts of it that are well furnished and finished, but panel gaps and overall construction quality (not material quality but fit and finish) lag the 220 by far. MB claims to have addressed the 220's major short coming which is the interior, as well as reliability of electronic systems.

Tell you what, when the 140 came out, I understand that many people were busy saying "only time will tell if it will live up to the legacy of the 126." Well guess what, de ja vu time! We're hearing the same crap about the 220. People just love to talk!

Absolutely. It's all about profit. So far, over 450,000 W220s have been sold in 6 years compared with 340,000 W140s sold over 8-9 years. And W220s are still selling strongly to date. With the 220, MB avoided the mistake made with the W140: an over engineered product that made no money because if it was priced to be profitable then very few people would have afforded it. Reading about the evaporators makes me just wonder how such an over engineered product could have a flaw that the cheapest Kia doesn't have! :rolleyes:

I hate to repeat myself, but I guess I must:

THE ORIGINAL W220 WAS A PIECE OF CRAP!!!*

*pre-facelift models.

If you call an advantage having the latest electronic gadgets mixed together with the quality of plastics and fittings worth of a Korean cab, its your call. I definitely rather have an interior worth the quality of a true S-Class than a piece of junk that would lay FLAT on all fours due to malfuntioning AirMatic suspensions.

At least when the evaps on the W140s go out you can still open the four side windows and DRIVE yourself wherever you want. Try that with a defunct AirMatic W220!

Even hydroneumatic suspension equipped W140s could be driven when the system failed. A little rough, I agree, but still you can still drive them...

Oh, and of course the W220 was a sales success, with a 40% price cut over the equivalent W140s they needed to be. And finally, when the W140 came out, NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE doubted about its technological superiority over the W126. The W140 over-engineered roots and blown out of all proportion budget proved that.

Design wise it just comes down to personal taste (to me the W140 is another one of Bruno Sacco's successes, not as well proportioned and gorgeous as the W124, but still a great design).

W140 Vs. W220
 

I saw the conversation about this and I had to put something down.I have three W140'S.One is a 1998 S500 which is mine, 1994 S500 which is my brothers and a 1995 S320 which is my nephews. My story is that I owned a 1993 500Sel (Custom MB paint job,Beautful), then I sold that car and bought a 2000 S500 and I drove it straight out of the showroom. Silver over Black with every option available.After one month of owning the car it had been serviced many times and had many problems. I dont abuse my cars and I take great care of them(There is not a scratch on any of our MB's including my 68 Fintail which is for sale, drop me an email at Snp8990@yahoo.com if your interested)then the battery died,these cars are all computerized.Then me and my brother went out to somewhere and he let me drive his 1994 S500. MAN WAS I FLYIN!!The car felt more solid then my 2000 S500.After driving my brothers,I went straight to my MB Dealership and purchased my baby a 1998 Mercedes-Benz S500 in Obsidian Black over Beige leather.These cars are built like tanks.The windows are nearly bullet-proof, the doors weight a ton, and one thing I noticed as I left a restauant. I saw a brand new E-320 and the rear taillight was cracked,I checked out the thickness of the glass and it was sooo thin that I felt it would break if I just gently tap it.I would just like to say that old Mercedes-Benz's are life savers.My neice had a 1997 Mercedes-Benz C230 with all the goodies.She was driving to work one day when she got into an accident.The car was completly totalled.The cd's in the car were even broken,the doors wouldnt open except for the two front doors.You will never believe this too,my neice(THANK GOODNESS) did not even have a scratch not even a scratch on her.Nothing.and if you take a look at the new C-Class there nothing compard to the old ones.My S500 is a beast.Smoothest ride and most comfortable and most fun to drive.When you drive it man people will stop and stare and be like "WHo is that" and the new MB's are just nothing.My car originally costed $115 thousand and I paid $90 for my 2000 S500, because I quality is terrible.New MBZ are terrible.The new MBZ dont even have the hood ornaments on most of them, and that the MB identity.I wish someone from Mercedes would read this and realize what they are doing.When you drive one of these you wont realize how fast your going you cant tell, the engine just purrs.The car is a beast. THE BLACK BEAUTY. SO far all I have done to it is added a wooden steering wheel,and 35% tint job, and a Navigation.Not tv's.This MB is beautiful!!!OLD MERCEDES ROCK!!i LOVE MY OLD FINTAIL

N.PATEL
1968 MERCEDES-BENZ 230S FINTAIL FOR SALE SEND EMAIL TO SNP8990@YAHOO.COM IF INTERESTED,AD POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE AS WELL
1998 MERCEDES-BENZ S500
1994 MERCEDES-BENZ S500
1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S320
1954 MERCEDES-BENZ PONTON IN RESTORATION

RECENTLY OWNED
1988 MB 560SEL
1993 MB 500SEL CUSTOM PAINT JOB FROM MB
1965 MB FINTAIL (FIRST CAR)
1965 MB FINTAIL (BROTHERS FIRST CAR, BOTH EURO EDITION)
2000 MB S500 (NOT A GOOD CAR)

I am not sure how realible the 220 is...as I have not known anyone who had owned theirs for several years

I do agree that right off the bat the 140 appears to be a more sturdy/well built car...however...BULLETPROOF?...by no stretch of imagination is that the case...my persona car that was sold after 5 years of ownership had over $20,000 worth of warranty work done during the time I owned it
If you want to hear some EXTREMLY frustrated owners...go to your local benz dealer and take a survey of the 140 owners,many of which have cars that are out of warranty, ...and see what they have to say about ..evap cores, window regulators,climate control shot off valves, closing assist pumps, suspension issues..etc..etc


Warren
2000 BMW 740i/w full sports package
1992 MB 300SD(sold)
Colombus Ohio

Errr... Mr... I won't even go into the main body of your post as this topic is something that no group of people here will ever see eye to eye on (check out how many pages it has accumulated so far), but I'll tell you this: it has always been Mercedes tradition that the hood stars are reserved for sedans only and the grill star for coupes. So get your facts straight please.

Hey have you ever seen a CLS??

Buddy you should get your facts straight

CLS is, of course, a coupe albeit one with 4 doors. That is what the C stands for: coupe; the L is for Luxus (maybe Lang); and the S is for Sports.

I think it is more accurate to state that the hood ornament is reserved for sedans (saloons) and limousines. All others have the grille badge (trucks, busses, off-roaders, sports cars and utility vehicles).

Not so sure that it's possible to have a coupe with 4 doors but I get what they are trying to achieve here. By definition a coupe is a car with a fixed roof and two doors. You are right that the L stands for Luxus, the S though in Mercedes speak, usually means Spitzenklasse, or the pinnacle. The hood ornament may also remember though be found on a W124 cabriolet so it's hard to pin down what they are doing here.
Tell you what though whatever Mercedes are doing they are doing it wrong, damned shame too. Remember the days when trim level badges used to things that were only found on cheaper cars, now we have avantgarde etc. etc.
As for the Stuttgart boys cheapening things up, I've just upgraded from an '89 420SEC to a '96 CL500. The W126 was good but the W140 is just plain brilliant. On the other hand my father has upgraded too but he went for a '98 W210 after owning an '84 230E. Although the later model was faster, and handled better and was also more refined, I was astounded by the feeling of how much more solid the earlier car felt.

People always rant about how cars "feel" but they forget that the human being's feelings are very limited. Just about 100% of those who have driven both a W140 and a W220 will say the W140 feels more solid, when Mercedes engineers released specs showing the W220 to be more rigid in all ways and crash tests have shown that it out performs the W140 in all crash tests. I think people confuse "weight" for a "solidity." A heavier car isn't always more solid / rigid than a lighter one as we all know.

From Mercedes-Benz's own description of their car:

The CLS-Class Coupe
Unrivalled and Outstanding
A completely unique vehicle concept generated by a powerful new vision. The CLS-Class – the first four-door coupé from Mercedes – combines the dynamism of a coupé with the luxury and practicality of a saloon. Now you can get your pulse racing, and still have space for four adults and their luggage.

Of course, the four-door coupe is not unique: think Rover P5B coupe. The term "coupe" is derived from the word "cut"; a coupe traditionally was a cut down carriage. I think it can be applied to any fixed head sporting car with a low roof line. As for "S", in "S-Klasse" it is indeed for Spitzen, but then in "SL-Klasse" it is now for Sports and once upon a time was for Super. It is unlikely to be for "Spitzen" in the CLS because that car sits beneath the CL which is, of course, the coupe S-Class.

Merecdes' nomenklature, like its build quality, has gone to pot!

This is all off-topic, though.

I guess I don't understand why most on this post are bashing the 220...I think for the price its a great car...actually a less expensive car(factored for inflation) than the 140 was.
And having owned a 140 for several years at one point in my life..I can tell you they were no gems int erms of reliability and costs associated with repair.
I have test driven a couple of 220's and they drive great..great ride..great handling..does it have the "heavy" feel of 140..no...however I took curves in the 220 that would have run from.
And I saw something in a publication about the amount of lease business that both MB and BMW do on that type of car...and the figure is 60-75%.
So basically you have a car that most people want to drive for 36 months ,with no maintenance then turn it back in. Then the car is certified and sold again. After the car is sold to the second owner and gets more than 6-7 years old I think the manufacturer cares a lot less about the car.
I think the person that bought the S Class 20 years ago and kept it for 10-12 years is a rare specimen anymore

my .002

Warren
2000 BMW 740/with full sport package
1992 300SD(sold)
Columbus Ohio

In Latin America and most countries were taxes are stupidly high (80% and above -this means that a US$95,000 W140 costed new over US$170,000!-) most S-class owners had this tendency: they would buy a car into the first two years of production and then wait until the new body would come out to change it.

Hence, most W116, W126 and W140 owners kept their cars for periods of about ten years. In many cases I know of, the owners have kept their original S-class as a second car and have additionally bought the new series.

The W220 (with a shorter life cycle) and the new leasing contracts have changed somewhat this trend.

By the way, the CLS is completely based on the current E-class and not the CL coupe. Just the sheetmetal, interior fittings and some minor tweaks to the suspension and electronics were done. A CLS 500 is basically an E 500, and a CLS 350 is an E 350.

The CLS does not have the standing star on the hood due to the publicity stunt pulled by Mercedes-Benz for letting fools believe is a four-door coupe, which basically is a contradictory term.

"ONLY TIME WILL TELL!"

I guess same as with politics, wars and love.

The all new W221 S-class is out and most, if not all car magazines, M.B. owners and fans do agree on one simple fact:

"The new W221 recaptures the former W140's size, quality and feel."

Please notice that the quote does NOT mention the W220!

It is impressive of how everyone openly blames the W220 for its lack of presence, quality and soul. The W220 could have been a sales success history, but it definitely lost its North in relation to what an S-class should be.

The only thing we need to do now is sit down, let time pass and see if the W221 really is up to W140 and former S-class standards.

Car magazines... general opinion... rubbish! Especially when the people dishing out their opinions will never afford the cars they are rumbling about, even after the cars are 10 years old!!

Funny how many listers on here have said MANY negative things about the 140.....so in that regard maybe the standard ( for the 220)was not that much to live up to.
As a former owner of a 140 for many years...I can say the car was an absolute marvel of machinery,,,,,however WAY too many petty breakdown issues and WAY too expensive to repair.About $20,000 worth of warranty work when I owned mine
If you have looked at any for sale lately I think the resale value reflects the questionable budget it takes to keep one at 100%



Warren
1992 300SD(sold)
2000 BMW 740I
Columbus Ohio

I've been shocked several times by outrageous warranty claims made by people who bought W140 cars new. Yours was $20,000 on a 350SD (1992), another guy had $15,000 on a 300SE (1992) and another guy said he had $32,000 worth of claims on his 400SEL(1993).

Can you list some of the items that were included in your huge warranty claims? I'm just very curious.

I didn't buy the car new...it was 6 years old when I bought it and one owner car that had serviced at the NJ dealership for the most part where it was bought originally.
I bought a 2 year 30,000 warranty with the car.

Warranty claims included

Evaporator core and replcement of climate control push button unit $5100.00
( I was told this was a common repair)
Closing assist pump $800.00
(I was told this was a common repair)
Alternator $850.00
Complete engine long block replacement $13,800.00
( I was told this was a common repair on 3.5 liter diesel)
Various front end parts $1,100.00
( I was told this was a common repair)
tranmission gasket and rear window regulator $650.00
( I was told this was a common repair)

All work done at my local Mercedes dealer

there was also some other stuff that I paid myself...such as repair of the 10 disc Becker CD changer and replecement of the Bose amplifier


Warren
1992 300SD(sold)
2000 BMW 740I
Columbus Ohio

For a car that many have referred to as "overengineered,' "engineered with a cost is no factor mindset," "last great MB," "made by engineers and not accountants," it is absolutely appauling. You'd think those engineers could get those things correct, especially simple things like gaskets and evaporator cores. For comparison, I have yet to read of a W126, which are now very old cars with the newest W126 model available in the US and most countries being a 14 year old car today, having an evaporator core replaced so early. Even lesser engineered GM and Ford products don't carry so many flaws around with them.

Oops... I guess I have to clarify WHICH car magazines I was referring my comments from: CAR (England), Auto Motor und Sport (Germany), and Automobile (France).

If I were basing my thoughts from sources like Motor Trend, Road & Track and/or Consumer Reports, I would have totally agree with you. But, most writers from the European magazines I suscribe to do either own or drive daily such vehicles as S-classes and Porches.

I also agree that the W140 errors on design such as the evaporator or the engine long block on the 3.5 diesel are just plain horrible on a car with such a price tag and pedigree. But, everything else is so well executed and unique (at the time) that it really made the car special.

Besides, nothing is perfect. I bought a brand new Lincoln Mark VII LSC in 1986 which in less than eight months and under 6,000 miles had the entire electrical system failed. The warranty repair runned up to US$4,500.00 at the time and of course I sold the car before the warranty expired.

Yes indeed, I was speaking about US car magazines such as those listed. But even the crazy Euro magazines aren't so accurate. The W220 may have faced criticisms but that's because MB actually got realistic, reduced prices, made the car on a budget and delivered a product far more efficient, sporty and friendly than any W140. The sales are a great indicator of the success of the model. It was the kind of product people wanted. The oversize, "overengineered" S-Class had become a sign of excess and even the S-Class buyers wanted something different. Additionally, to attract a new generation of now ageing people who are hitting their wealth highs in the USA, it was time to present something they'd like. Even in Europe, the W140's size meant it wasn't as popular as the W126. With the W220, MB aimed to get that popularity back.

People keep saying that this new S-Class is returning to aspects of the W140. May be true, but look at how it is being done. The new design looks more Italian than German from the sides, it is still an electronic house one wheels, is much sportier and handles way better than it would be expected of a vehicle of its size, etc. All attributes carried over from the W220. Aspects such as increased dimensions and weight may seem more like going back towards the W140 but then again, every new car today grows in those aspects.

Your problems with your Lincoln aren't shocking... it is a Lincoln! Not a benchmark for anything so, well, it is more acceptable than in a Benz. Hell, any form of flawed work is unacceptable in a Benz.

Let me speak to you frankly here. I know you're a big time lover of the W140, especially the S500 you own. Yes, this thread is over 18 pages long and you've mostly kept it alive by posting once in a while bashing the W220 and singing the praises for the W140. Many people have come and gone on it but you're still here thanks to your love for the car/chassis. The W220 was also very unique when it came out. It brought several new features along with it. Some cost cutting is visible in the interior but that's ok for a company that for over 90 years was building cars without strict budgets and all of a sudden had to quit doing that and start doing the opposite. Not to mention that several of the new features more than made up for it. Overall, I say the W220 is a better car actually when everything is put together. I wish we could create a table and assign points for each aspect of the cars and see which one ends up with the most points. Hey, maybe we should try that!

Your post above is one of the main reasons I love this forum: open, sincere and respectful opinions expressed by members on interesting subjects on which they might disagree.

I sincerely respect and acknowledge your opinions favoring the W220, in the same way you do my opinions on the W140.

It is obvious by my replies on this thread and others my admiration and love for the W140. My S 500 L has been really one of many joys in my life.

I should note that yesterday, for the first time, I saw in real life a W221. The car is at the local dealership. The model will be officially introduceb tomorrow at a big party.

The first impression I got when I saw such a beatiful beast was its size (it really recaptures the imposing presence of the W140). When I got inside I was impressed by its interior space (i.e. W140) and the quality of all materials (i.e. W140). Basically agreeing with all comments on the press.

Just for fun, with a cousin I went with, we jumped into the W221, then into a W220, then into my W140 and then back again into the W221. We both agree there is no contest: the W140 and the W221 both win hands down on all items considered. Funny thing: all of the sales staff and some of the mechanics around agreed with us.

I really hate to sound that I am repeating myself, but to me is a clear fact: the W220 deviated from the original S-class soul and motto. The W221 is a the clearest proof of that.

"The first impression I got when I saw such a beatiful beast was its size (it really recaptures the imposing presence of the W140). When I got inside I was impressed by its interior space (i.e. W140) and the quality of all materials (i.e. W140). Basically agreeing with all comments on the press"

I wonder if it will bring back the reliability of the 126?

Don't get me wrong...I loved my 140.....it did so many things well...however had the $20K worth or repairs come out of my pocket I think I would feel very differently.

I think the 220 was a nice car..I have not spent much time driving them..just some short test drives....however it handled well and the price semed to be inline with the market...and since it set sales records over the 140 I think that means the public liked it.....but I think the 126 outsold the 140 also(someone correct me if this is not true)

I don't think the market is going to stand unreliable luxury cars...those that are will have the resale value of a sinking stone...look at the values of even the latter 140's...there are some incredible deals on 98-99 S500's out there
..The Lexus Brand has raised the bar on short and long term reliablilty...I think people trust a 10 year old Lexus more than they do a 10 year old 140..or even a 210 for that matter


Warren
1992 300SD(sold)
2000 BMW 740I
Columbus Ohio

Warren,

I'm glad you brought the issue of reliability/durability here. It has been widely stated in the press that the W221 will be MB's last chance to show that it is truly the king of the auto industry after it started it over 100 years ago. Lexus and several Infinit cars actually have better resale values than MBs. Part of the reason for that is because the MBs were ultra expensive when new, and like someone else stated somewhere on this forum, no one wants to buy a mass produced 4 year old car for $90,000. The price has to be lower for such a car to be sold, so the MBs will inevitably suffer in resale value. The problem then is, why are even cheaper MBs, the E, CLK, SLK, C, etc classes having worse resale values than Lexus, Infiniti and even some Acura cars? Well, reliability my friends, reliability. When cars develop reputations for costing a whole lot to own, their resale values plunge. Heck, I'm surprised that the MBs even have the resale values they have today. They should be much lower, but they aren't thanks to that three pointed star.

If MB blows the reliability of the W221 then there may not be much else that even the old reputation can provide. So it better be as reliable as the W126 as you asked.

Regarding sales figures, I believe 700,000 W126s were sold over 15 years - 1979 to 1994 in some countries, though most countries only had new W126s for 12 years, 1979 to 1991. Only 350,000 W140s were sold in 8 years (1991 - 1999) and over 550,000 W220s have been sold to date over 6 years. More importantly, W220 warranty claims are lower than W140 claims so far and the W220 actually turned a profit on its investment in 2003 - better than the W140 which never actually made a profit. It was surprising to read that because the AIRMATIC on the W220 is very troublesome and expensive to repair and the W220 also has more pricey electronic gizmos than the W140. But that's that.

I share the same sentiments. We can agree to disagree on these issues (W140 vs. W220). It has been fun and rewarding to read all your comments as you seem to be a library of W140 information.

Can't believe that this thread has been going on so long! I just have to say that everytime I sit in new cars I'm appauled at the lack of quality of interior parts as well as cheap paint (major orange peel) vs my 92 400e.

Where are you shopping?
 

Look in the southern, CA market... W140 cars are CHEAP... I mean I found a NICE CLEAN 1993 300SE with around 120K on it... Own Owner car from the retirement area of nor cal... they were asking 6600.00 for the car. And I Was seeing pretty nice V8 cars (400's) for under 10K... If you want a nice MBZ with some higher freeway miles on it... Check out southern, CA. We have a great market for nice BMW's and Mercedes for reasonable prices cause the market here is SO flooded with them. Just a little bit of info to ad.

Good luck on the car search guys and happy debating...

Aaron

Thanks for the tip. :)

W140 Lover to the bone
 

Guys, I have been reading this thread for a couple of months now and I just have to weigh in. I have had a W140 for two years now and I love that car. Actually I have two of them. I bought my wife a 99 S420 about 2-1/2 years ago and liked it so much I found myself a similar vehicle in the 97 S320. I call my S320 my "Sport Tank with an Attitude". Super stable on the road and can run with just about anything out there. It does have a few reliability issues, but for a DIY-er like me, that is a small price to pay. I just wish I could get my hands on a good repair manual that covers the accessories as well as the primary systems.

As for the newer S class models, I am woefully uninformed. I usually wait at least 5 years before even shopping for MB so I can take advantage of the steep initial depreciation. See there is a silver lining to the low resale value issue.

So what about the new 2007 model? Looks like a Maybach, has features and technology up the wazoo, and is one of the largest S-Class models ever.


Will it restore the lustre and cache to the S-CLass badge? I want one, I just don't have a spare $160k right now. http://www.mbusa.com/microsite/s-class/index.jsp

-gil

opinions sought
 

There are 2 '94 S500 coupes for sale in my area, one silver/grey, one emerald/parchment
Silver 125K, $14.9
Green 100K, $15.9

Both are too high, I know, and I would have my mechanic check them out thoroughly.

My dilemma: I love my '89 300CE (black/grey, 97.5K, paid for...) but I couldn't own both.

140s seem to be coming into their own. I don't need a big sedan (have one), but am not interested in SLs either. Thought about an SEC when I bought the CE. But C140 intrigues me. I drove a '94 S600 a couple of months ago (78K for $18K, fairly good deal)--man, what a great car but I knew I couldn't deal with 12 cylinders. 8...not so bad.

Any opinion welcome. I know, for instance, that the seat belt retractors on the silver car don't work--I imagine it's a fortune to fix--that's what makes me nervous. C124 are definitely affordable to keep up.

Anyway, thanks,
JOHN

Take a good look at this member's home page:

http://pages.prodigy.net/jforgione/MB_S500.html

It should clarify everything and then some more you need to know about a C140.

My personal opinion: the C124 is one of the best designed and proportioned coupes on the road, ever. I love the C140 too, although to mee it just looks a little bit thick on the C-pillar region from certain angles. Besides that, it is the King of all Coupes! Power and ride wise is miles and years ahead of a C124.

The green/parchment option sounds like a dream made in heaven (I really like that color combination, very popular in certain countries, not the U.S. though). The seat belt retractor is a common fault on C140s, expensive to fix if just exchaning parts for new ones, not that expensive if creative and send the faulty plastic parts to be made in copper as some owners have done here.

Certain aspects of the W140 reliability are sensible ($), although I do agree with JimF about being one of the most reliable, if not THE most reliable Benz I have ever owned.

The 2007 W221 is certainly a beauty. Reliable? Well, the model have been already around for a while in Germany and most worldwide markets and it appears to be better assembled than the W220, although I have already heard some horror stories about early 7-speed auto transmissions. Definitely wait two years on the matter and get back to discussion...

Is the W221 one of the largest S-classes ever made? Well, it is within just fractions of an inch in all directions compared with the W140. Hence both models should be two of the largerst S-classes ever made. The W221 just looks smaller compared to the slab-sided W140 (optical trick).

What to look for in a used W220?
 

I'm considering buying one and am wondering what, besides the Airmatic suspension, are weak spots and things to watch? Do the cars generally get more realiable as the the model years progress?

w140
 

Did you or have you had any squeaking or creaking from the front end?

I just got the squeaking and mine has 90,000miles, I ;m not sure what it is:confused:

I think the W221 S300L is awesome.

Am trying to find out more facts and figures other than this provided for: http://www.motortrader.com.my/NUS/articles/article_963/page_m.asp

I like much better W140 than this new model W220.

Not so sure about the SL there, still stands for Super lightweight even if it actually isn't. But I'm at a loss as to what CLS actually means too.

W140 VS w220
 

the mb w140 is more & gain more points in this field but if anyone want to get the w140 it will be very used and tired:).the w220 has more technological advances which increase fixnig rates and viruses.but I prefer the w220

I have to say that the W140 feels the most solid of all the Mercedes that I have owned. In the U.K. with the price of petrol over £1.00 per litre the prices of these cars are on the floor. Mine was £2800 with a full service history. (S600L V12) With the credit crunch in the U.K. now is a great time to buy one.

Foe economy I use the E320 diesel, for special occations the W140....say's it all really.....

1995 S500
Black on black
129000 miles
options:adaptive damping system
multi-contour seatback
glass sunroof
Car runs great, have some overheating problems

I've been the happy owner of a '95 S500 W140 since 2003. Bought it with 164k and now has 249k miles. I've done a bunch of maintenance, but I tell ya, if I won a zillion dollars I'd buy them all up. I really, really like this car.

Two of my all time favorite Merc's are the W140 S600 (I actually got the chance to borrow one for a week!!) and the 300SEL 6.3 (which I havent had the chance to drive yet)

The W140 really is like cruising down the road in a massive cathedral, it's solid, safe, and I actually find it quite good looking.

After 13 years of starting this thread, I would like to offer a few opinions on the subject:

1/- The W/C140, in my opinion, still is one of the BEST Mercedes-Benz ever put into production. Yes, it was huge, not as timeless in design terms as the W126 was and definitely time has proved that if not well mantained, it cannot hold as strong as the W124 does.

2/- The W220 proved to be a cheap answer to the troubled late 90's and the W221 have in many ways tried to erase that mistake.

3/- I still have my S 500 L and my CL 500. I only use them mostly for recretional rides on weekends, but they both still are to me the epitome of automotive technology. Both cars are in pristine shape and they still impress me everytime I open the door and climb in for a ride.

4/- The W221 has, thankfully, rescued for what the S-class stands for and without a doubt is the King of the Road (A8s, 7-series, LS470s and the copy cat Equus are mere wanna bees).

Happy holidays everyone!

Thanks for following up with your insight. We'll expect you to make an additional follow-up report in 2023. Don't be late! ;-)

I SINCERELY DOUBT you'll be around to check it out, but in any case, I''l also post my updates on 2036 and 2049 just for fun :P