I saw a pretty good 560sel for sale yesterday, but I'm a bit skeptical of the hydraulic rear suspension. almost all the w126's i've seen have a saggy rear and i hate that look.
if i were to buy a w126 with around 110k miles, both with the same condition and mileage, which car should one go for ? I'm not so familiar with the extra options besides the rear adjustable seat, bigger engine, hydraulic suspesion.
what other options does one get with the 560 and is there a reason why one should chose the 420 and not the 560 if theyre both the same price and condition ?

__________________
Whether you think you can or cannot, Either way you're right!. by Henry Ford.

You would want the 560 then. We own a 420 and it's underpowered for being a V8 luxury sedan. They both have the same timing issue where the upper chain rails have to be done every 100k miles or so. Other than that they run a long long time. Make sure you change the transmission fluid every 30k miles or so. The tranny in our 420 is starting to flare when going into 4th, a common problem of ones that haven't been taken care of properly.
Thanks
David

__________________
_____________________________________________

2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

_____________________________________________

Many 560s came with heated front seats and a power rear window shade. Some 420s came with reclining rear bench. My SDL has that option.

Same condition, same mileage and condition, same documented service history... get the car with the color combo you prefer

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

I bought an 86 560sel about two years ago, and thought that I would just keep it for a few weeks and then sell it (I was getting a good deal...). After owning it for a few days I realized it was one of the most fantastic cars I had ever experienced. The quality of power and overall feel of the car are always an affirmation.

As for the "saggy rear end" - if you are thinking about buying one of these and not doing regular, complete and thorough maintenance and repair, then your experience with any of them is going to be compromised. Yes, the 560 has the self leveling, which is prone to failure, but it can be fixed (usually for a few hundred), and can be eliminated for $600 (although it is questionable to go this route, as it removes some of the great ride quality that comes from the hydraulic suspension).

I now have a 92 500sel, and if both (the 140 500 and 126 560) were in the same condition (same year, etc., although I know that is impossible), I would pick the older 560 - better quality of acceleration, not "overly complex", very pretty, better reliability, etc.

-David

driving down the highway today, i saw a 560sel with the sagging rear. to the point where it felt like the trunk was going to hit the road if there was a big bump. it looked pretty ugly...

__________________
Whether you think you can or cannot, Either way you're right!. by Henry Ford.

BENZ 300E, 560 SEL Is an awesome car with a lot of raw power i test drove once around 4 years back and that car is just great i personally dont like 420 sel coz 4.2 is fun when u r driving an E class but with the bigger body like sel u need some more power my uncle owned even 380 i enjoyed that car a lot less on power but great on reliability ..........

Hi,

Unless there is something more significantly wrong I would suggest that the repair is very easy for the sagging rear. I fixed mine in about 20 minutes. Hope I use the right words but simply, there is a turnbuckle (on my 87 560sel) on the underside of the rear that you turn. There are easy to follow directions on other threads here on this site that will walk you right through it.

Good Luck!

What was causing it to sag though? What part did you have to replace?
Thanks
David

__________________
_____________________________________________

2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

_____________________________________________

Hi,

I did not have to replace anything. As I remember the turnbuckle can either be turned to become longer or shorter by turning it clockwise or counter-clockwise. This somehow makes the rear rise or fall (dont remember which direction has which effect). If I remember right it might take a few minutes for the desired effect to happen and you might have to have the car running after you make the adjustment. If you search here for, say, "turnbuckle hydraulic suspension" or something like that you will find more info from much better Benz guys on how to do it.

One of the mechanics I sometimes use told me the 420s are more prone to burning oil than the 560s (I suppose it's in the valve train, not in the block). It's anecdotal advice, so I can't verify it.

__________________
Henry Bofinger
1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)