"Best" is too vague a term. Everyone has their own priorities when it comes to the automobile. Complexity, simplicity, styling design, build quality, curb appeal, cost of ownership, dependability, practicality, performance, rarity, ergonomics, safety, popularity and original cost are just some of the factors to be considered.

Some years back, Mercedes Engineers voted the 280SE 4.5 sedan as one of their post-war favorites. It impressed them as being very drivable by todays standards, had impressive classic styling, excellent build quality, great comfort, good performance and was economically attainable and maintainable by most buyers. All this with less complexity and less cost of ownership than the 6.3's.

In addition, unless you have actually owned and lived with each of these cars, you are just speculating on their real merits and value. Fuel is cheap these days, so power is king. Fuel consumption becomes a factor to some when pump prices go up. Even your family size may weigh in on your decision.

A very tough decision, if not impossible, to find the "Best". Might be best to take the consumer report approach, with different categories and scoring system?

__________________
Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio
1964 220SE Rally (La Carrera Panamericana someday)
1966 Unimog 404s (Swedish Army)
1969 300SEL 6.3 (sold)
1969 280SL Pagoda
1973 280SEL 4.5
1974 450SLC FIA Rally car (standard trans)
1982 300D turbo (winter driver)
1986 560SEC
1989 Unimog FLU419 (US Army)
1991 300TE (wife)
2002 SLK 32 AMG (350 hp)