Video test drive review: 1995 Mercedes Benz S500.

[Playdrv4me]

I believe that, Ive seen some weird stuff with all the cars ive insured.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Well that '01 Black/Beige ETC sold. So now there are no other Eldorados in my price/mileage/year range, so it's all about the germans now! LOL! There are a few '02s at a Cadillac dealer, one is a crimson ESC and the other is a White ECS, both are 22-23k...too much money!

[Playdrv4me]

S320 it is.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

I called up to the local M-B dealer to get prices for maintenance items on a 98 S320. They were surprisingly cheap!

Four Wheel Brake Job (pads for all 4 wheels, 4 rotors, 4 sensors): $488.12
Water Pump: $209.66
Alternator: $339.42

Granted, this is at dealer cost + 20%, but still, these are very cheap for M-B factory parts!

I called my dad to let him know about this, and he was amazed at how cheap they were for a Mercedes. He said the S320 sounds like a good car! Wants to see pictures of them when I get home tonight. But it was funny, he said he remembered sitting in them at the auto show when they were new and they didn't seem as luxurious as a Cadillac, then I explained to him how it was a different sort of luxury and how the 3.2 I-6 is to M-B what the 3.8L V6 is to GM...solid, bulletproof, reliable, not too fast but decent.

I think I'm game for a S Class!

[Jesda]

Wow, thats better than Infiniti. Ask around to find out who the best local eurocar mechanic is.

[Playdrv4me]

For petes sake thats better than alot of CADILLAC dealers for that matter!

[ejguillot]

Very true. BTW Ian, I wonder who will get worse gas mileage... your Range Rover, or Sal's Escalade.

[96Fleetwood]

The S320 gives you the maintenance of a w124 E class with the luxury of a w140 S-class.

The leather and interior might be simple, but MB did that on purpose. In the pre-daimler-chrysler years, MB was all about functionality and not razzle dazzle.

This ended with the 1999.5/2000 models. IMO the w140 will outlast Cadillacs of the same era mechanically and cosmetically. Look at some high mileage w140 cars and the leather is still nearly flawless. Then take a look at some high mileage Cadillacs... eh, not so much.

Keep us posted on your decision.

Have you even drive a S320 yet Chad? If not, go and drive a STS/ETC first and then drive the S320, making sure you stretch it out on the autobah..errr.. I mean highway. You will see a big difference. Just ask Nick.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

I've yet to drive an S320, but I've driven that S500, so aside from the difference in acceleration and power, I know what to expect. In the W140 brochures I have, they quote the 0-60 time for all S320s as 8.8 seconds, versus 8.1 for the S420, 7.2 for the S500 and 6.3 for the S600. Now seeing as how the 0-60 time for the S320 is very close to that of my buddy's '93 Maxima SE, I have an idea of what the performance should be like. But I have a feeling that M-B might have given conservative quotes regarding those times, so it might be a bit quicker... Either way, 8.8 seconds isn't horrible and it's not great..it's just mediocre. Oh well, can't have it all. FWIW, my deVille is like 8 seconds flat to 60, so the performance (atleast around town) won't be as good as what I've got now. I think the S320 will be quicker on the highway though.

And I know it's nowhere near the Northstar in terms of performance, and I don't expect it to be.

[Playdrv4me]

Man, trust me. Once that car reaches its stride and you get the mass MOVING, it is PLENTY quick. I thought the Range Rover was going to feel slow on the highway too but it DOESNT, even being a full second or more behind the 345hp previous gen Escalade. It just takes a little more to get these cars moving from a standstill. You have never seemed like the type to me that is overtly concerned with stoplight racing anyway.

[Playdrv4me]

Heres a neat page on the intricacies of W124 and W140 A/C repair. You were indeed correct, Chad. The W140 requires 22 labor hours of book time, but I also found out that just like with our Caddy's, you can use the electronic temperature control module in the dash to run many useful diagnostics on the climate control system.

http://www.continentalimports.com/ser_ic40142.html

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by Playdrv4me

Man, trust me. Once that car reaches its stride and you get the mass MOVING, it is PLENTY quick.

Thats what I've been saying, on the highway the car is NOT slow. Nail it at 60 or 70 and it will push you into your seat. I'm not calling it fast but I am saying it aint bad.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by 96Fleetwood

The S320 gives you the maintenance of a w124 E class with the luxury of a w140 S-class.

The leather and interior might be simple, but MB did that on purpose. In the pre-daimler-chrysler years, MB was all about functionality and not razzle dazzle.

This ended with the 1999.5/2000 models. IMO the w140 will outlast Cadillacs of the same era mechanically and cosmetically. Look at some high mileage w140 cars and the leather is still nearly flawless. Then take a look at some high mileage Cadillacs... eh, not so much.

Keep us posted on your decision.

Have you even drive a S320 yet Chad? If not, go and drive a STS/ETC first and then drive the S320, making sure you stretch it out on the autobah..errr.. I mean highway. You will see a big difference. Just ask Nick.

Shut the door on a Benz, any Benz (99 and older) and listen to that vault like "thunk". Now try that on a newer Caddy and it feels, well, like a Cavalier does. My wife's Deville was definately faster but the S320 is so much better driving and feels so much more substantial that you will never even notice or care.

[96Fleetwood]

Not to mention, since the S320 does not have the leveling suspension, you can put a nice set of H&R springs with Bilsteins and make it handle

There is quite a bit of aftermarket for these cars, just check out that S32 link I gave you earlier in this thread.

Oh! And you can get a S600 grill cheap on eBay.

[Playdrv4me]

In Cadillac's defense, any newer Mercedes feels like a tin can when you close it. The post 2000 cars are such a nightmare, even though they are drop dead gorgeous vehicles.