1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S500L review from UK and Ireland
"The Ultimate Fat-Cat Automobile"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Brake pads wear quite quickly. This is understandable for a car approaching 2 tons in weight.
Passenger electric seat motor failed. This was fixed relatively easily by the dealers.
Nothing else really.
General comments?
I purchased this car after selling my Mazda Xedos 9, which was a good car, however, wasn't capacious enough for me or quick enough.
I purchased this Mercedes S-Class for 13000 pounds Sterling, which was a bargain in my opinion for a car which cost upwards for £75000 pounds in it's day.
The W140 is one of the best built Mercedes-Benz cars of recent days; due to it being the last "over-engineered" Mercedes car and hence it is extremely reliable. In the cold UK winter mornings it never failed to start.
It is one of the best looking cars to adorn the famous silver star. Even though it is too slab sided for some peoples liking it is still a very good looking car. Mine is black and so looks quite intimidating when parked in the street or on my driveway.
The interior is quite simply superb. It didn't go the way of the W220 S-Class for having about 1000 buttons festooned everywhere about the interior. It is simple, yet extravagent. The grey nappa leather seats are extremely comfortable; how I wish I had one in my living-room. Interior space is vast, the back having acres of leg-room. Air-conditioning is half-decent, even in the back blowers. The walnut trim looks elegant, even on the steering wheel. One of the few compaints about the interior is the hi-fi, as it is not the most powerful and it doesn't have incredible sound quality, unlike the Mark-Levinson system deployed in the Lexus LS400.
Performance is good for a car of it's size and weight. The 320bhp of the 5 liter engine gives a 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds and this is respectable. The fuel consumption is quite high, 21.2mpg is average for a trip.
The dealers are quite helpful, even though they do charge extortionate prices.
All in all, this the pinnacle of luxury motoring. Unfortunately, the quality is fully replicated in the new S-Class.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 5 litre petrol engine Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 82000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 95500 miles |
| Previous car | Mazda Xedos 9 |
| Date of Entry | 7th December, 2003 |