Video test drive review: 1995 Mercedes Benz S500.

[ted tcb]

Keep the reviews coming, they're highly entertaining.

One question ... after you've spent time driving these vehicles, I wouldn't mind hearing what the salesperson experience
was like. Do they pressure you, hype the car, offer further discounts, etc? Do they try and peg a trade in value on your Deville?

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Originally Posted by ted tcb

Keep the reviews coming, they're highly entertaining.

One question ... after you've spent time driving these vehicles, I wouldn't mind hearing what the salesperson experience
was like. Do they pressure you, hype the car, offer further discounts, etc? Do they try and peg a trade in value on your Deville?

Thanks. I've only gotten hounded once, and that was at a B/P/GMC dealer when I was looking at a Regal GS. When I went in there, I told that sales person that I was just looking and wasn't ready to purchase or trade my old one in, but even then, after I returned from the test drive, he took my keys to appraise my car, and then made me sit around the dealership for another 45 minutes before I could talk to someone in finance about numbers and stuff. When I got into Finance, I explained what happened and my situation and he let me go and apologized for the salesperson's wrong doing. I literally ran out of that dealer and sped out of the lot, lol.

No, but at this place, I returned from the test drive, gave the salesman back the key and told him I'd think about it and give him a call back, thanked him and left. Couldn't have gone down any smoother.

A few more videos:

Ben, this is for you:


Exterior Walkaround.

Originally Posted by Night Wolf

I was never into the cheap-looking interior... I dunno, maybe it's different in person, but it all looks like alot of bland hard plastic.... and the buttons to control everything, and the climate control... all the same squares, it just kinda runs into each other.

I dunno, in comparison you look at a 1995 STS and it just looks a whole lot more welcoming and user-friendly inside.... and cooler Even my '96 Town Car has a more welcoming interior.... I dunno... what it would be considered..... looks kinda industrial tho.

Oh trust me, that interior isn't cheap at all, the materials are all top notch and the build quality is fabulous.

German cars don't exactly have the most welcoming interiors, they're always kinda cold and clinical (businesslike?) in comparison to the interiors from American luxury cars, but the new Audi interiors are much more warm and inviting than the ones in the older BMW's and Benzes, this one included.

[Night Wolf]

Originally Posted by I~LUV~Caddys8792

Oh trust me, that interior isn't cheap at all, the materials are all top notch and the build quality is fabulous.

German cars don't exactly have the most welcoming interiors, they're always kinda cold and clinical (businesslike?) in comparison to the interiors from American luxury cars, but the new Audi interiors are much more warm and inviting than the ones in the older BMW's and Benzes, this one included.

Yeah, thats what I just don't get... same with BMW... I'm sure the interior quality IS nice...

but looking at them from pictures and the video... it honestly dosn't look much better then pictures of the '90's GM "rubbermaid" interiors, and all the blocky square buttons for the climate control and stuff.... I know the European drivers love that, and all the mags, which favor all imports love them too.... I just don't get it, it dosn't appeal to me.

Because the interior of a car is really important to me, I dunno if I could ever own one of them... I'd have to spend some good time in one driving it around to see if it fits me.

Same with the W126 Benz, I really like those cars, outside styling is great... but the interior, IMO is just really lacking, I think thats why I don't have one now.... compared to an 80's Fleetwood Brougham, its just so different, the Caddy is very inviting and warm, yet the Benz kinda pushes you away... I dunno how to say it.... and the Caddy was already running a somewhat out-dated interior. I wasn't a fan of the gauge style either.... it looks like there wasn't much thought that went into the gauges, and the yellow needles, not my style either... tho its something I could get over if needed... its still there. But even the door panels and everything... guess I am just used to the American luxury car style.

Don't get me wrong, the W126 and the W140 (126 still being my favorite tho) are really good cars.... they just have a really iffy interior IMO, I'm sure alot of people really like them, and feel the exact oppisite as me tho.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

And that's understandable Rick, a lot of people don't like the german's colder, more sterile interiors. I didn't for a long while too, and the W140/126 is really one of the only ones from an "older" German car that I do really like.

[Cadillacboy]

Thanks for the reviews as well as the videos

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Thanks everyone, I'm glad to hear you like my reviews. The positive feedback makes it all worth while.

[Cadillacboy]

Reading your reviews is like reading Winding Road reviews I also like your marking

[Playdrv4me]

its not the number of cylinders per se.. but i just know the 3.2 to be one of the most reliable engines mb ever produced. i know countless people who swear by that v6. the 5.0 is good too, but the 3.2 is my choice. only other major concern is a/c, evap can only be accessed via dash removal $$$. sorry for the shorthand... on the train again

[Krashed989]

I too really like the S500 though there are a couple areas that need improvement with it. The electronically adjustable headrests fail pretty quickly. And after a while the fan clutch on the waterpump pulley will not hold very good, but it's easily fixable by taking the fan off and bending the springs for the clutch a bit so the clutch plate is out more.

Did you check out the windshield wipers? That oscillating wiper is pretty cool.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Yeah, I used the wipers. I thought it was wierd because they sweep left to right, not right to left like in the american cars.

[77CDV]

I think a big problem with the German interiors is that they're usually black or dark grey. They're much better when they're beige, makes the cabin feel more airy, too. I'll never understand, though, why foreign cars feel they need a beltline high enough to tickle your nostrils.

[Jesda]

"BUY IT AND FORGET IT!" is the way most American cars are maintained. German cars need attention to adhere to factory specifications. They're like an algebraic formula -- if you change one variable the rest are all out of whack and the whole thing is ruined. But when its right, its SO right.

[Night Wolf]

Originally Posted by Playdrv4me

its not the number of cylinders per se.. but i just know the 3.2 to be one of the most reliable engines mb ever produced. i know countless people who swear by that v6. the 5.0 is good too, but the 3.2 is my choice. only other major concern is a/c, evap can only be accessed via dash removal $$$. sorry for the shorthand... on the train again

Hmmm, so its kinda like replacing a heater core or blend door actuator on a Town Car then?

[Night Wolf]

Originally Posted by 77CDV

I think a big problem with the German interiors is that they're usually black or dark grey. They're much better when they're beige, makes the cabin feel more airy, too. I'll never understand, though, why foreign cars feel they need a beltline high enough to tickle your nostrils.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, the black does kinda kill it...

but then in the same note, a black interior on an Ameircan luxury car is really awesome... 90's Fleetwood Brougham or Seville STS/Eldorado ETC/DeVille etc... the black with wood just looks sooo nice.

Its almost like extreme oppisites when comparing such cars.

[Night Wolf]

Originally Posted by Jesda

"BUY IT AND FORGET IT!" is the way most American cars are maintained. German cars need attention to adhere to factory specifications. They're like an algebraic formula -- if you change one variable the rest are all out of whack and the whole thing is ruined. But when its right, its SO right.

Heh, sadly that is entirely true.... previous owner of my Town Car (2nd owner) musta lived by that statement...