Once you get through the perceptions that seem to follow the W140s around, most of this thread is good news for the average guy. They are not possessed by the devil, they aren't unreliable (in my experience), but they aren't a simple car either.
Lets talk facts.
My W140 Coupe, in 1996, cost the original owner a bit over $105,000. That was a pretty significant chunk of change ten years ago. To me, its still a pretty good chunk of change.
Frankly there isn't much of a used market for luxury cars. Check any newspaper, its not unique to Mercedes.
I bought my Coupe when it was a little less than seven years old for just over $20,000 with 75K miles.
I bought it from a wholesaler, so the original owner got less than that. On my calculator, that's over $85,000 to enjoy this car for the first 6 or so years. The way I look at it, the heavy depreciation is over.
I drove it home, some 350 miles, without incident, on its first trip.
I'll estimate that its cost me somewhere around 750 dollars (not counting a bent wheel and new tires) in repairs over the last couple years of driving this car.
I now have 118,000 miles on it. Everyhing works as it should.
Just returned from a 410 mile round trip run with it... averaged 23 mpg.
I own 7 cars. Over the time I've owned it, the W140 Coupe has been the most reliable of the bunch, and its been the cheapest to keep.
Most folks that have ridden in it think its a new car.
Of all the cars I've owned, this is certainly the most enjoyable. Everytime I drive it, it repays me with a smile that lasts for a long time.
Because of this, I'm going to drive this thing forever. I've bought a number of spares and the electronic net scanner I need to work on it. (not included in the 750 bucks mentioned.
I think the bottom line is that they are a real buy if one understands what they are buying and has the ability to do their own troubleshooting and repairs.
As for me, I hope the prices continue to fall. I'm not selling mine, and when they get to a grand a piece, I'll buy a dozen for spares.
