Y'all talk me out of it. I don't think there has been or will ever be a production car built better with a better ride IMO.

__________________
Jim

I remember test driving a new mid-Ninetie's S500. Ran it down an exit ramp and mashed the gas as I was coming out of the curve. So composed, and the engine sounded great. w140's age pretty well, right?

Im in the same boat - I drove an S500 which the owner has kept in perfect upkeep. It has its own unique driving experience.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

I have always liked the W140, but they are a bit long in the tooth at this point. I think they were a great buy 10-15 years ago.

A super mint 2006 S350 just went on BAT for like $7k or so, that is a good buy. I think W220's are at the sweet point age wise now where it hasn't caught up to them. I have also seen some original owners selling their W220's, most of the W140's I see are clapped out ghetto cruisers at this point.

I wouldn't own anything newer than a W220 without a very good warranty, or I'd lease it.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The w140 proportions are all wrong and it drives like a boat compared to modern cars. I'd rather have a w220. 03 is the ideal year. First year of the facelift with a much nicer interior and last year of the rwd 722.6.

__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words

W220? Meh. A friend of mine had a then-new 2006 S500 which was problematic, with multiple Airmatic issues and an instrument cluster that blacked out.

My friend has a 2005 CL55, great car but I thought it felt cramped inside compared to a W140 or a W126, maybe the coupe is different to the sedan. But I agree the W140 is aging pretty damn well and still looks the part.

__________________
1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Comparing old models to new models is ridiculous, it's like saying a new Civic is faster than a 1990 Testarossa, sure but you're still driving a Honda.

I drive a lot of new cars and they are all boring, I even thought the 2017 S550 I had for two weeks was boring after I had played with all the gadgets, was glad to be back in my own 1990 W126 in all its simplicity.

__________________
1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).