My partner James had his 2001 Bullitt Mustang (COAL) and I had my 2001 Mustang GT convertible (COAL). Having “His & His” Mustangs would not last for very long however, the overlap was only about 6 months. Something shiny caught James’ eye at work one day. That something shiny was a set of 20” chrome rims reflecting the sun, and the car they were mounted to. It didn’t take too long before we were the new owners of a W140 1995 Mercedes Benz S420.
A coworker of James really loved his flashy cars. His pride and joy was a Ferrari 360 Modena, in Ferrari Red of course. He drove the Ferrari to work a few times, but Korean culture (he worked for a Korean-based company) dictated that he primarily drive his Mercedes to work. You weren’t allowed to drive a car to work that upstaged the boss’ car. He wasn’t content to just drive a regular Benz, so he had some modifications done to the car to make it really stand out. James heard he was going to be selling the Mercedes to buy another flashy car, and James decided he wanted the Mercedes.
James picked me up for lunch in it, and we took it on a test drive. It was a very good looking car, it had presence. The primitive cell phone pics that I had seen prior did not do the car justice. It was in spectacular condition, it looked phenomenal. It rode very well and drove very luxuriously, the exact opposite of our Mustangs. I myself wasn’t really enamored with the car, it wasn’t my style. The biggest concern about buying the car was the mileage. The car had 120K miles on it. Were we crazy in thinking about purchasing a technologically advanced (for 1995) used German sedan with 120K miles and no warranty? James and I are both mechanically savvy, and figured we could fix anything that went wrong with it. So what the hell, we decided to roll the dice and take a gamble. We exchanged the $13K asking price and the car was ours.
Holy moly, what a big car! For the W140 generation S-class (1992-1997), all cars except the base 320 six-cylinder had the long wheelbase. This barge was over 17 feet long and weighed over 4700 lbs. It seemed like it was only marginally smaller than our Excursion (COAL) The 4.2L V8 was rated at 275 HP, and 295 lb-ft of torque. (Compared to the Bullitt Mustang: 275 HP, 305 lb-ft, 3300 lbs). After driving two Mustangs, the expectation was it would be a leisurely driving car. It lived up to those expectations, for the most part.
Initially, the car drove like I thought it would. After a couple of weeks of ownership, that’s when we discovered the “fun button”. It was during a merge onto the freeway when I really punched it, it felt like the gas pedal went through the floorboard. The Benz squatted on its haunches and it came to life. The key to the power had been unlocked. Below the gas pedal was a button, a kickdown button. When you hit the pedal with enough pressure to also push the button, the transmission was forced down another gear. Additionally, from a standstill this would force the transmission to start in 1st gear. Forum members call this the “fun button”.
Our Mustangs were muscle car quick, but this was German fast. There was slight delay in getting all that weight moving, but once it did hang on. It was very easy to get this thing to triple digits and not even realize it. It was so smooth on the freeway, it just hunkered down and pulled like a freight train. For as big as it was, it also surprised me in the way it handled going around corners. I think I expected something wallowy like a big Caddy, but I was definitely mistaken. It handled corners very well. I now understood the phrase “it drives smaller than it is”, because that was definitely the case with the Benz.
Visually this car was stunning, the best looking W140 S-class in San Diego. The car was painted Black Pearl Metallic. Originally it was a two-tone car, but the previous owner had the lower body color matched to the top. For a car of this age and mileage, the paint was damn near perfect. The amber front turn signals were replaced with clear units from the Euro S-class. At the rear, a subtle rear spoiler was mounted on the trunk. Taillight lenses were replaced with ones from a later model. Most of these changes were subtle and just made it look newer than it actually was. The not so subtle modification were the deep mirror tint on all windows and the flashy 20” chrome Lorinser rims. The one modification that I didn’t like was the rear badging. It was badged as an S500, even though it was an S420. The badging should have just been removed.
The interior was my introduction into “Teutonic” german interiors. Black everywhere. It was a cave, albeit a very large and very luxurious cave. The leather seats still looked new, not like they had 120K miles on them. The original steering wheel was replaced with a wood/leather wheel, and framed a set of classic Mercedes dials. Dual-zone climate control. Becker AM/FM cassette deck. Heated seats. Power everything. It was so quiet, like a tomb (more on that later). The rear seats had so much room, a benefit of the longer wheelbase S-class models. I’ve never ridden in anything with more leg room, except for an actual stretch limo.
Analog Rear Parking Assist
For a car built in 1995, it had a lot of luxury features on it that you can find on a mid-level Chrylser 300 these days. Parking such a big car was probably a chore for a lot of owners. Our car came equipped with a rear parking assist feature. Instead of the radar sensors (and beeps) that you find in cars today, these small little chrome rods extended up from the corners of the trunk to show you where the rear of the car was. Another feature were the “soft-close” doors and trunk. When closing the doors or the trunk, you just had to make the initial contact with the latch. Then a vacuum system would pull the doors or trunk fully closed against the triple seals. Never did you have to slam the door closed to ensure that it was fully closed.
[Really thick double pane windows.]
So you’re probably wondering, what sort of problems did we encounter owning an over-engineered Benz with that many miles on it. Surprisingly, only two. One day, someone sitting in the back was raising the right rear power window when there was a loud pop from inside the door panel. The window refused to move at that point. That tomb-like silence I mentioned earlier was a result of new dual pane windows Mercedes introduced on the W140. Compared to the previous generation S-class, the weight of the windows doubled. However, Mercedes didn’t upgrade the plastic window regulators to compensate for the added weight. This is a common failure of the W140, and the repair estimate was well north of $600. The regulator was purchased online for just over $100, and an a few hours to remove the door panel and the regulator was replaced.
The second was regarding the dual zone climate control. The air flow from the system was abysmal from the day we purchased it. On the highest setting, the airflow was the equivalent of a mouse fart. Researching online forums pointed to a resistor bank as a possible culprit to this problem. The resistor bank was located under the hood up against the firewall. Underhood temperatures would sometimes cause the internal components to breakdown. This was a $50 part, and about an hour worth of work to replace. When starting the car for the first time, instead of a mouse fart we were greeted with at least F3 tornado winds!!!
The Benz was with us for about 18 months. The co-worker who sold us the Benz was now selling the car he purchased after selling the Benz. It was just as decked out as the Benz, and James ended up buying it. The Benz was sold to yet another co-worker at the same company for the same price we paid for it. That’s when being an old Benz reared it’s ugly head. 4 months after we sold it, the transmission went out. While the timing was bad, replacing a transmission after 145K miles isn’t unheard of. Driving a German luxury car past the warranty always seems to be like living on borrowed time.
When we first purchased the Benz, I was just kinda meh about it. It had no initial appeal to me. It was big, lumbering, and just not quite my style. In our short amount of time owning the car, it really grew on me. When I look back over all the cars we have had, this one is at the top of the list of cars I wish we had held on to, even with hindsight of the transmission going out.
I have always wondered how these things drive and specially how those double pane windows look like. You have owned some interesting cars, I liked what you did to your convertible in the previous installment.
I had a Matchbox version of this car, in gray, and it actually had painted headlights and taillights so it looked a lot more realistic than other Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. I like that Mercedes didn’t release a C-Class directly afterwards that looked exactly the same, but the design of this generation is one I don’t think has aged very well. Still, it is cool and it has presence – moreso than the contemporary 7-Series.
I would be paranoid too driving a high-mileage German luxury car. It would feel like you would have a countdown clock until something breaks.
I spotted a coupe of this generation that I keep meaning to write up. Even when big Mercedes sedans leave me cold, the coupes are always alluring. The current S-Class Coupe? Droooooooolllll. I want one badly.
Mr. Stopford, your 2000 W210 wagon with 890,000 km on the clock has arrived. Just € 1,850. What can possibly go wrong here.
And it’s a round headlight one as well, what could go wrong?
Hmmmm , funny you should ask lets see (1) sway bar links (L/R) (2) Blower motor (3) Battery drain (4) Alarm goes off on its own (5) Interior lights come on at night (6) car locks itself after a few seconds , DO NOT LEAVE FOB in the ignition not matter what your doing $100 locksmith (7) Window regulators and I can go on & on . . .
these years of mercedes, although put together well… have one huge Achilles heal. wiring harness. it was designed to disintegrate when the car is scrapped…. unfortunately they tend to disintegrate before the car gets scrapped. these years of mercedes… the the buy price for them is ridiculously low,,,, but you will be paying the piper sooner or later. .imo the collectables are the coupe in the 140 chassis and the convertible in the 124 chassis. but damn that wiring harness!
Yup. The bio-degradable wiring harnesses are definitely the Achilles heel for the late 90s/early 00s Benzes. A lot of chatter on the forums about them, and that was always in the back of our mind when we owned it.
These get more love now than 25 years ago. At its introduction it was just too much, at the wrong time, given the economic situation. Its nicknames were The Cathedral and The Fat One.
The W140 was also the first top-segment car in Europe with a diesel engine, the 1992 300 SD Turbo with a 150 hp OM603 D35A engine. It did 0-62 mph in 12.9 seconds and had a top speed of 115 mph. Adequate and appropriate enough for a flagship automobile, before that it was just not done to use a diesel engine in this segment.
Below a picture of Helmut Kohl, the 1982-1998 Chancellor of Germany, with his 500 SE. Herr Kohl was a giant of a man, always sitting in the passenger seat. Using a lengthened seat belt.
That sort of performance belongs to a random European econobox, independent of the era, not a flagship
If you notice, the product cadence has the S class first, followed by C and E class.
A W140 diesel wasn’t bought for its performance. It was bought to roll down the highway, say 30,000 to 50,000 km a year, in exceptional comfort and with superb fuel efficiency. The legal speed limit on said highway is 80 mph anyway, so the car’s top speed of 115 mph is certainly adequate and appropriate.
The sensation that I’m driving “The Cathedral” would be just fine by me. 🙂 Large cars should have presence anyway.
Had the opportunity to speak with mr Kohl’s driver once, now working for mrs Merkel. The chancellor was so huge that he almost entirely blocked the side window. The car itself was so heavily armoured that the driver needed a special permission to drive it without a truck license as it exceeded the 3,5 ton limit by almost one t. Not unusual for such cars I guess.
“The W140 was also the first top-segment car in Europe with a diesel engine” .
?? The W126 had both five and six cylinder Diesels before the W140 was released……
-Nate
But were they offered in Europe? IIRC they weren’t sold in the UK.
Nate, before the W140 the MB S-Class never had a diesel engine in Europe.
The sound and “laufkultur” were not refined enough for an S-Class. Until the 1992 W140 SD 300 Turbo, that is.
Wow ~ who knew ? .
So many W123 Taxis and even the hard to find 240CD (I’ve only ever seen one) but no S Klasse Diesels .
Thanx Johannes ! .
The W140’s are littering the Self-Service Junk Yards across American now as no one wants to $pend anything to maintain them .
-Nate
CM, great anecdote !
The man himself was so utterly normal. Went to work in his VW and then went to pick up his boss in this or, later on, an even heavier bomb-proof A8. One can only imagine what he must have heard (and intentionally forgotten) during those countless hours driving around Kohl, Schröder or Merkel.
In politics it helps to be tall; Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon Johnson, & Bill Clinton are American examples.
Golda Meir, Fiorello LaGuardia and Francois Mitterrand are good counter-examples. And the current German Chancellor isn’t that tall either.
Have a look here. The W140 driver on the right, obviously. And what a perfect car it was for the man…. (Photo courtesy of Martin Cleaver/AP)
Agree on the long term acceptance factor.
#IIRC my automotive “Reference Standard”, the late, the great David E. Davis, a Benz lover from wayyyyy back, was kinda-sorta luke warm about this model when it first appeared in America.
It is interesting how you warmed to the car. I think a lot of people would view purchasing an old, complicated, luxury car as dangerous to your wallet and pretending to be something you are not. Being “ghetto fabulous”. Owning one allows the luxury coddling and real effortlessness that was built in to give an experience unlike an everyday car. People should try it more often.
+1.
I’ve always loved the look of these cars – in fact, I’d classify them as among the last real Mercedes – but those rims would have been a No-Go to me. Aside from the way too flashy looks, low profile tires aren’t (to my mind, anyway) appropriate to a car like that. That’s a cruiser and some sidewall is desirable to smooth out the ride.
Notwithstanding the ride comfort effects, I really like the look of these big body sedans on chrome Lorinsers (or other rims with a lot of visible surface area). It’s an emblematic look of the time that’s often forgotten (compared to something like modified Japanese compacts).
Lorinsers were also repped hard in 90s rap songs.
Those rims are definitely a love-it or hate-it proposition. They definitely made the car stand out. As we started more long term planning for the car, when it was going to be time to replace tires I wanted to try and coax James into a set of 18″ Monoblocs. IMHO, they would have had just as much presence on the car and given a little bit more sidewall to cushion the ride even more. However, with those low profile tires I would not say that the ride was punishing at all. But, that never came to be because we sold it too quickly.
Here’s the wheels I wanted to put on it.
The vehicle you guys are driving sure makes for an interesting Car Of A Lifetime series.
I don’t get to drive or ride in a Benz often theses days. But the ones I recall were a revelation in regards to the ride experience. This feel of being in a safe and comfortable place, this feel of purpose rather than exhilaration is a unique feature to all of them. Driving or riding in them can attract looks of envy. It can also give a boost to one’s self esteem even if no one is around to give you that look of envy. You have arrived and you stand a little taller when you close that door behind you. A car can do that to you? Really?
A car can do that. I’ve experienced it with this car, like no other car before or since. Even though it was ~10 years old at the time, people still looked at it. With the deep mirror tint, they really couldn’t see inside to see us “commoners” driving around in it. But we got so many looks with it. The few times it was valeted, it was always parked right up front.
Yes, a car can do that do you.
My Dad had a 97 W140 in the same color. I drove it a few times. You are correct about the acceleration and the “fun button” as you said, it pulled like a freight train and planted my head back into the seat a few times…like when Michael Knight hit the Turbo Boost on KITT.
The thick double paned windows also left an impression on me…they looked to me like bulletproof glass!
One funny thing that happened was that I did not realize was that there is no release latch for the fuel filler door; it locks and unlocks with the rest of the car doors using the power door lock button. One time, my Dad asked me to take it to a gas station to fill it up. In New Jersey, you are not allowed to pump your own gas. So I rolled my window down and told the attendant to fill it up. He couldn’t get the fuel filler door open! I searched in vain for a release button. It wasn’t until I unlocked the door to get out and help him did I realize how it worked.
Unfortunately, my Dad kept the car a little too long. The car began to experience electrical failures with the climate control, the radio, the rear view mirror, etc. The engine then began to leak oil and coolant profusely…finally, the transmission failed. It probably had about 160k when he got rid of it. His two previous W126 sedans lasted much longer.
The fun button made its debut with the original MB automatic, an update on the Hydramatic concept: 4 speeds, but, alas, no torque converter, just a fluid coupling. 109s, et.al., all started in 2nd with no multiplication from the turbine. That would not have been as much fun.
To get the fun button to activate, one had to select 2nd, floor it, then hold on gamely to the steering wheel. Would have been interesting in a 6.3! Of course, after this, MB reluctantly pulled a GM and went belatedly with the usual planetary setup. 3 plus torque converter.
Arguably it debuted on the 1930’s supercharged Mercedes (500K, 540K etc) which had a switch under the throttle pedal that activated the supercharger and gave 50% extra horsepower!
You were not looking for an old “S” class; it just happened. But if you had been looking, the 126 would be by far the preferred choice over the 140.
Yes, these were very heavy cars. Can you imagine the lack guts with a six cylinder S320? No “fun button” on that iteration.
I’m really enjoying your COALs. Glad that you’ve been through some many different types of cars, and I enjoy your writing style.
As for this car – I have always been more of a BMW guy than a Mercedes guy, but still… I have also always thought that if I ever got into real money and could just buy any car I wanted, there would be an S-Class in my garage.
Agree on the multiple COAL postings by this enjoyable author.
Thanks for the compliments on the writing style, I’m glad that everyone is enjoying these. Still got several more coming, and they continue the variety of cars. But, you’ll start to see a few commonalities between the upcoming ones to ones that have already been posted.
I’d go for it, but only if the car had some maintanence records. Taking it to a specialist wouldn’t be a bad idea either
Fantastic car. Had I money or mechanical inclination I would love to have one of these in my driveway. Smooth, powerful, opulent… a truly enjoyable drive.
In my fantasy car world, I would have this very car with a 6 speed manual. Nice rig!
My wife and I have had an old Benz for years, she drives very conservatively and was shocked at the acceleration when she hit “the fun button”.
Took her 5 years to realize it was there! I use it for passing all the time, it’s like you hit a fast-forward button and is fun indeed!
“Underhood temperatures would sometimes cause the internal components to breakdown.”
Serious engineering fail: there is no mystery about the temperature extremes cars, or their engine compartments, can attain. Some engineer, supplier, or parts buyer screwed up.
I should hope not only the military shops mil-spec parts, for it’s not as if their field conditions are any worse than those experienced by civilian car operators worldwide (well, except maybe in radiation exposure).
I’d have more confidence in gambling on a high mileage Lexus.
The LS430 was a serious crib on this design.
Great car and what an engine, I had that same M119 in my ’92 400E (W124 chassis), you aren’t kidding about the pulling power, it just keeps on delivering and makes a great noise to boot.
The W140 looks better to me now than it did when it was new but no matter what it marked a clear break with the W126 before it and helped portend the future. Those wheels may not be to everyone’s style but at least they are Lorinser’s, which along with AMG and perhaps Brabus are certainly worthy items in the Mercedes world.
People are often afraid of Mercedes, but this era is certainly very DIY-able, lots of info out there and lots of parts as well at generally relatively decent prices. S-classes are sold around the world, sell in fairly big numbers and many of the parts are shared with other models, what’s not to like?
my friend has one of these that he’s owned since new. he has replaced the transmission and the heater core and probably some other things, too. It’s still looks great and doesn’t have a rattle at 400,000 miles. incredible car.
This COAL series is one of my favorites. Well written and Wow! What a variety of different vehicles. These big Benz are very impressive and I’ll bet they are quite an experience to drive and own. Thanks to the Wonder (?) of massive depreciation used cars of this type soon slide down into the shallow end of the purchase price pool. Since these cars are generally built to a high standard, and their original and secondary owners usually took pretty good care of them, they can arrive looking almost new after ten or even twenty years. The problem of course, is that an expensive repair may be be just sitting there over the horizon. If you decide to make a commitment to the car and decide to “keep it forever” you can invest in the mechanical fixes and enjoy a fantastic vehicular experience.
However then another problem raises it’s ugly head. The value of the car drops to a level where even the most minor body damage will cause it to be”Totaled Out” in an insurance claim. I’ve seen fifteen to twenty year old high end luxury cars that were “salvaged out” due to minor fender damage, a broken window or two, or being extensively “keyed”.
The increasingly complex technology used in modern cars will probably cause them to be scrapped at an earlier age. Regular CC readers know that I’m a Jaguar fan and I’m active on their forums. Late model Jags, from about 2002 on, are of aluminum construction. Like the Audis and others, collision damage on new cars must be carefully repaired at authorized facilities. You can’t just hammer out the dents, weld in a new panel, or put it on frame straightening fixture. The car must be deconstructed to remove the damaged components, then replacements will be riveted, welded, or bonded into place. It’s an expensive and time consuming process. I can’t see a ten year old Jag getting repaired in this scenario.
On the Jaguar Forum there was an owner of a new F type convertible,sports car. These things go for between 80-100,000 bucks. It was less than a year old and it was rear ended on the freeway. At first the damage didn’t look too bad, left side tail lamp broken, bumper cover damaged, a little damage to the deck lid. The owner provided photos after the shop removed the damaged external parts. There was damage to the quarter panel, tail lamp/rear bumper panel, trunk floor and deck lid.
There ensued a heated discussion where it was debated if the car should be totaled out, whether the owner should accept the car back after repair, could the repairs return it to an “as new” state, would the repairs flag the car on Carfax. making a “diminished value” claim against the insurance company, and possible legal action against the dealer if the owner does not receive satisfaction in the process. After all this noise it still took over three months to get the repaired car back into the owner’s hands. Man. I’m glad I’m not rich enough to afford these cars!
Does any one remember the post about the ’96 Mercedes S600 V12 coupe by Steve E. on 12/06/13? I would have liked an update on his experience. Still it is better to have love and lost, then never to have loved at all. I’m not the one who said that first, but I still believe it.
Here is the link to Steve’s post. There is an update from Steve in the comments
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/my-curbside-classic/my-new-cc-1996-mercedes-s600-v12-coupe-w140-massive-depreciation-is-my-friend/
Jerseyfred, thanks for the link. Old Cars Rule!
Just read through this, and the blower motor/resistor issue mentioned is the same issue we had with ours.
I wouldnt call 120K high mileage my car also European has done at least double that and runs and drives well, some German cars seem to disintegrate early in their lives or sink to rock bottom values, I saw a 500 version of your car a few years ago being used as a toolbox by a builder the previous owner had given him it after failing to be able to sell the car, the building guy said hed had no problems but he was a confirmed Mercedes fanboi so anything short of transmission failure or engine detonation probably goes un-noticed. Pity about the Conestoga wagon wheels and painted on tyres other than that crap it looks like a nice car.
I like the parking assist–I don’t have a very good feel for the “footprint” of my Saturn L200. My previous Audi 4000 quattro was much better in this regard, especially with the rear spoiler.
I don’t sense that any of your other COALs has matched the sentimental attachment of the Party Wagon, and that’s understandable.
Nope, so far none has matched that level of attachment that the Party Wagon had. There’s been a few that have come close… but it’s a distant second to that car.
These old Mercedes run hot, too hot. Mine is not good at keeping cool at low speeds on a hot day. The engine has a million controls to keep things below 100C — no fan, fan low, fan high, locked up belt fan, A/C cut out, ignition timing retard all happening independently then in conjunction by which time the car is slow as a dog.
I thought the fun button went away before 1995. Nothing fun about it if you ask me. There is always a sharp jerk that feels like over time will loosen up the driveline. The 1 -> 2 shift in particular is downright abusive at WOT. My car has always had a small but noticeable rear end clunk. I’m convinced the Mercedes engineers did not know how to design an automatic transmission with smooth part throttle downshift like the domestics do so well. The V8 engined Benzes had plenty of torque to work well with that kind of set up.
I forgot about the vacuum assist door closing feature. I wonder what that is like to keep going 20 years down the road, anyone know?
I have never warmed up to the W140 design or its road manners. It felt too damn heavy compared to the W126. Must have been a fun car for the time you owned it. Thanks for the write up!
I used to belong to a classic car club in London, and had a W140 for a weekend once. It was a six-cylinder, so not fast at all – but it was hugely confidence-inspiring. I remember the windshield wipers giving the impression that they would push through the glass if necessary in order to get rid of the rain.
Did yours have the electrically-powered rear-window blind?
Nope. Ours did not have that feature. I’ve seen a few W140s around that did. While it would have been nice to have, that deep tint on ours served the same purpose.
I’ve never had a new S Class, but several used ones. Just completely love the feel of them. I have not had a lot of problems with them either, despite their reputation for being cantankerous. It does indeed pay to be a little handy to make simple repairs, like the window regulator. If you can do this and routine maintenance too, the price per mile is quite low. And as the old advice goes, buy the nicest one you can afford. It is a fool’s errand to make a rough old S Class with severe neglect into decent car. In order, over the past 20 years I have had:
1978 grey market 450SE, rough but scary fast
1988 300SEL, low miles but peeling paint
1986 420SEL, high miles but dealer maintained and looked great
1997 S320, bought as a CPO from an MB dealer at 40,000 miles, drove to 120,000
2001 S500, bought from a neighbor with 40,000 miles, drove to 115,000
2007 S550 (current daily driver), 176,000 miles currently
Thanks for this, which is as close as I will ever get to experiencing an S Class. 🙂
The official “German” word for it is “kick-down”.
My younger sister drove an white S500 that her first husband bought new. He sold it when it started to get beat up from Baltimore City traffic. The only noise I ever heard from outside was the engine on full acceleration! One Christmas Eve we had seven people in it to go and view the decorations in Hamden.
I just bought a 1992 500SEL here in Eugene. It now has 256,000 miles on it and it’s freaking glorious to drive. Yeah, there are some things that don’t work anymore but for the $750 I paid for it it’s basically a rental while my dad-van(Previa) is in the shop. The fun button is no lie.
Sounds like you bought this one at a good time, and sold it at just the right time! As several others have commented, I wasn’t a fan of the W140 when new, but the conservative design has held up well over time. far better than its successors (the generic, forgettable W220 and the overwrought W221).