W126 crash video
 

Don't know if this has been posted here before, but those who have a 300SD will be glad to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw6VUwG9nOo

Wow, that's incredible. You know, I've flirted with the idea of buying my wife a Honda Fit in the last year or two, especially when the 240D (her daily) was giving us some trouble, but could not get over the nagging feeling that it would be a little death-can in an accident. Thanks for posting this - it validates exactly what I was thinking!

The best car to be in, in an accident is an S class. Combind the weight with the spare no expense safety features and you are about as safe as you can get.


Notice the front crumple zone worked perfectly, not bad for a late 70's design!

I'd like to see what a W221 would do.

Small cars are good on fuel but they are death traps.

The big S class cars can allow the occupants to WALK AWAY from (as opposed to just survive) a really, really bad accident that would maim or kill occupants of lesser vehicles.

That was the compelling argument that turned me away from a new Lincoln Towncar and a Volvo 960 , when shopping for a car, in favor of a few years old S class instead. They are so safe and tank like, and those doors really thunk when you shut them. Oh do they thunk. Bank vault like solidity.

I think there's part of a Yugo in my grill. Didn't know anything happened at the time.

:)

Ken300D

how safe is an 85 300d in comparison??

It would be worse (in looks) but better (in absorbing the impact).

I ment by how the passangers would fair. With the more modern crumple zones the damage would be worse but the passangers would probably be much better off. Who cares about the car, cars are easly replaced. Not so if you get hurt...

Bingo. That's precisely what I meant.;)

The IIHS has a video of the W210 in an offset frontal crash that doesn't do at all well by previous Mercedes standards. That's the spring perch failure car I think. So I'd be weary of the S-class that replaced the W140. Just dont think their engineering was what it used to be. Of course I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

- Peter.

Best thing to drive in an accident: Semi
Second best: Mercedes

I've been backed into so many times at school, cars fine, except for needing a new front bumper, but I'll leave that for after graduation. Should have seen the car that hit it, back ends destroyed! It was a hit and run too, but its obvious when you drive a car where the metal on the back is the same shape as my bumper to school the next day... I didn't even bother confronting the guy, my bumper was already messed up anyway, and his cars needs a new rear end..

THAT is one of the top reasons I drive a Benz friends....

That little gray car was un-recognizable! :eek:

Awesome. It's like having the B-52 of automobiles, even with the older design. And for the price...wow!

Princess Di was in a W140 I believe, and they all would have survived had they been wearing seat belts. For the high rate of speed, and hitting a bridge support, the car did pretty well.....

notice how none of the 20 year old glass broke....
tank!!!!!!!!