1998 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S280 review from Australia and New Zealand

In the 8 months that I have owned the car:

*Drivers suction (soft close) door failed.

*Heater valve failed.

*Interior fans ceased to work.

*Boot won't always open when using the button on the key or the switch inside the car.

*The reflector between the back lights has cracked from apparently over heating in the New Zealand sun and is now leaking water into the boot when it rains.

*A hose that has some sort of function when the car is at idol has broken off the engine.

*The transmission has now started to leak.

This has to be by far one of the best (if not THE BEST) cars ever produced.

It is big, heavy, safe and solid. The 98 year (the last of the w140) has just about every comfort and safety gismo known to man, the most useful of course being parktronic.

The car was 7 year old when I purchased it and the interior looked untouched and it still smelt like new. Evidence of high quality workmanship and materials is everywhere and there is more wood and leather then you can poke a sticks at. The seats are comfortable and the front ones can be adjusted in 11 different ways plus lumber support.

The car is an absolute pleasure to drive and while it can be a bit awkward to drive and park around town because of its sheer size the parktronic feature makes up for it however it is a dream to drive on the open road. The 2.8 V6 is at times a bit slow off the start at and can be sluggish going up hill, but when you put your foot down she will go like a bat out of hell and the engine is mated to a great 5 speed auto gearbox with a "ready, willing and able" attitude. The way the car responds to the driver it is as almost as you are at one with the car and it sticks to the road like glue even on the tightest corners.

Fuel consumption is on average 12l/100kms (or around 20mpg to our friends the the USA) which considering the car weighs in at over 2.5 tonnes isn't bad. The engine requires 8 liters of synthetic oil and of course she only drinks premium 98 octane fuel which at time of writing is $1.79 a liter so a full tank of fuel sets you back around the $170 mark. At times when the car is at idol and you listen closely you can almost hear the sound of dollar coins falling out of your exhaust.

Maintenance and running costs of this car are astronomical. There nothing about this car that is cheap or small and this reflects in the price and complexity of having it serviced. Tires are around $300 each, a set of windscreen wipers are $170 and an oil filer cost $60. The car so far cost $4000 on repair bills in the last 6 months of ownership and this figure is exclusive of service costs.

Currently my biggest concern is the gear box. They are a known common problem and a rebuild costs around $2500 to $3000. While these cars can be purchesed at a fraction of the new price you are still essentially buying a $200,000+ car and should budget for service, repair and maintenance accordingly.

The Mercedes-Benz dealers here in Auckland I personally find arrogant and as such I choose to take my money elsewhere and service my car at an independent Mercedes-benz mechanic who more often then not knows what hes doing.

All in all this car has been a dream come true and even with all its faults it has never left me stranded on the side of the road and always gets me home safely. Before I bought it I was warned that if I couldn't afford to buy it when it was new I couldn't afford to service it now and while saying that the running costs are above average is the understatement of the year, so far so good.

My biggest problem with this car??

Despite everything I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.