I'll agreee that the '96 and up are the way to go if you really want a W140. Wiring harness quality was improved and as the years went on, the evaporators were updated from the factory so the chance of needing replacement is far less. I had a '95 S420 that I purchased from a customer of mine which, while had been excellently maintained, still required fairly hefty infusions of cash at times. I do like them, however and have tossed the idea around of getting an S600 (because if you're going to pay W140 maintenance costs, you might as well go for it all and get the V12!). And believe it or not, the V12s are extremely stout engines. I've never seen one with major mechanical issues, they're just never stressed. However, with the 600, your best bet is to find a mint '92 which has seen the proper updates (evap, wiring harness, etc..). They have the highest horsepower ratings (408hp) versus 402 for '93 and 389 for subsequent years.
But generally speaking, getting into W140 ownership is akin to
