1986 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 560 SEL review from North America
"Solid engineering, impressive performance, built to last"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Just the usual 1986 Mercedes problems:
Cracked dash board
Worn cracked seat leather
Finicky seat adjust switches
Stereo not working
Sunroof not working.
Gas line under gas tank drips gas.
A/C not very cold.
General comments?
Other than the above minor problems, the mechanical heart and soul of the 560 SEL is solid as a rock.
The 5.6 V8 is smooth as silk. The acceleration is impressive for a 2 ton, 20 year old car with 200,000+ thousand miles, especially the acceleration from the range of 70 mph to 85+ mph. Passing slow traffic going uphill is a dream.
The cornering is not that bad for a big heavy car.
The styling is timeless. The classy look of this car will always be pleasing.
I'm a little worried about the maintenance cost, but prevention is the key to long life out of these cars.
I can't wait to put another 200,000 miles on this car.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1986 |
| Year of manufacture | 1986 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 5.6 liter V8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 205900 miles |
| Most recent distance | 207500 miles |
| Date of Entry | 15th September, 2005 |