I have been getting a car itch...and went to see a 1997 s500 with 123k on it today...

car was basically in good condition, but just did not seem to have a pure luxury feel to it.... seemed a bit unwieldy...

i don't know what i was expecting, but i like the nimbleness of a 124...

this car probably needed some tie rod ends and i think it may have had some air in the brake lines......

other than that, not too bad....

just not my style.

the 140 guys really seem to like them

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1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


[/SIGPIC]

Try a couple more, if its your first time in an S class they'll feel enormous (because they are)

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

ironically, this one was in Southampton, just outside of Philadelphia

__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


[/SIGPIC]

I picked up my first W140 (1993 400SEL) two weekends ago. I have only driven it about 4 times, but I love it. I have owned several Mercedes in the past, a 74 240D, 84 190D, 85 380SE and a 88 300SEL (which we still own) and this one by far is the best riding/driving one I have owned yet, though I know the most complex. lol. It rides and drives so smooth and the seats are incredible. I need to replace my motor mounts, which I am sure will get the car as smooth as butter again.

I agree with Tbo... try a few more and like he said, they will feel enormous. I am used to it though, as I have a 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood and a 1995 Lincoln Town Car.... AND a 72 Caprice station wagon and a 73 Pontiac Grand Ville... all tanks. lol.

Lee,

I'm the other way around I do not care for W124's, I just love the W140's, and love them with 722.6's transmissions. They are very complex cars, and full of double or triple the electronics than most other cars, but the best experience is the drive-nothing compares to it; The penalty is the car requires higher interval of service intervals at all levels, but I have a degree in electronics, and so far all the electronics parts I've rebuilt my self down to resistor, capacitor and transistor level. While it is my gain to pick-up these cars for less than $1000, someone else loss for the lack of knowledge with these cars.

I want a third W140..

Martin

Yeah and you will need to make sure that the steering/suspension is not worn... thankfully, most of this on my '93 has recently been replaced by the PO, as well as all of the other costly things on these cars, such as the A/C evaporator (which is a very $$$$ repair on these cars). On mine, they also replaced the dryer, heater core and receiver, but that may be the norm when doing the evaporator since the dash is already out.

Good luck!

When my friend sold me his 90 560SEL, he replaced it with a 97 S500.

He and his wife were quite fond of the 560 and initially he wondered if he had made a mistake replacing it with the S500.

Now, 170K miles later, he says that the W140 is a fine, though different, automobile. While the 560 had some endearing features, the newer car excells in places the 560 could only dream of. Like fuel economy.

He is just as happy with his W140, now has 200K on it, and sees no reason to replace it at this time. It's a different car, but just as satisfying in it's own way.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

I've always wanted to get an S500.

I think what's preventing me is I don't think I could fit it in my garage....my E430 barely fits as it is, and I won't park a Mercedes outside year long.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

I drove a friend's '95 S600 (long wheel base model) a while ago, and it felt nimble to me. In fact the steering response was so good I thought it was a smaller car.

The interior is like a cockpit!

My coupe barely fits in mine....I have about a foot in front of the bumper and the rear bumper has about 6" of clearance. I align the edge of the LH rearview mirror with a mark on the wall when I park.

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1983 380SL
1995 C280
1995 S500 coupe
1990 Mazda Miata
2004 Suzuki Hayabusa

Funny. I traded my W124 for W140. W140 is a completely different level of pleasure.
I've had about 4 W140 in my life and this time i got the coupe (about 2 weeks ago). My wife insisted i should get a smaller engine and that the w124 would be perfect, but it didn't work for too long

I think i spent more time fixing the cl500 then actually driving. But the days i take her out are special. When i was a kid, my boss had a 600SEL and it was magical driving in it.

The steering in the W140 is just different. It feels as if you are on a boat, but it actually responds pretty good to the input. The W140 just takes care of everything.
They will never make a car like that. Mercedes invested 1 billion dollars in developing the car and ended loosing money on each one of them. (even when you count the $$ evaporator and engine harness sales). A lot of people developing the car got fired due to bad judgement on financial parts. There was only one goal when creating the car and it was to make the best car in the world.
The car is over engineered. It's very easy to work on. And apart from the electrical glitches (that are present in ANY german car of the 90s) it's very reliable car. I have to note that Mercedes didn't manufacture the electrical components. It was Bosch and Phillips. And everytime you throw an electrical module to the trash bin, look at the Manufacturer - It's Bosch. I don't know if the poor quality is due to regulations regarding ecology or just slacking, but any car of the 90s bearing Bosch electronics just failed. And i used to be a Bosch electrician .

There's one thing you need to be good at when it comes to these cars. Knowledge in wiring. Fortunately, the prices for the control modules are so low now that it's the easiest way to do troubleshooting just swapping modules (That's what i've been doing for the last 2 weeks, aside from the transmission problems i'm having)

I've had early 90s W140 and post face-lift. I've had them with about 60k miles , 120k miles , 90k miles and now i have one with 200k miles. And they all feel exactly the same.


Another thing to note, I have a 1962 coupe and the 1998 cl500. And closing the doors is identical sound and feeling. That's one thing they kept the same, door closing feel . The new CL has the same exact feel as my 62 and 98. That's amazing.

Your car's close-assist doesn't work

Seriously though, you're right about the craftsmanship, and unfortunately, also about the electronics. When my friend asked me to park his car at my place for a few months there were times I had to move it, so I took the time to appreciate it for what it was.

Attention to detail is at an exquisite level.



There's a reason my friend's wife calls it "furniture"