Here's Why the Mercedes S500 W140 Is the Best S-Class Ever
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- Опубликовано: 17 авг 2020
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The "W140" Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the best S-Class ever. Today I'm going to show you why the 1990s S-Class is the best one by reviewing this S500, and I'm going to show you the quirks and features of the W140 S-Class -- an impressive car that pioneered a lot of technology. I'm also going to get the W140 S-Class out on the road and see how it drives.
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Авто/Мото
The owner was like “Hmm, Doug’s multi million sub channel is going to be reviewing my car. Maybe I should get the interior and exterior detailed? Nah, some tire shine will do.”
Look at the trunk paint...
these cars are so cheap anyways, most people probably wouldn't bother. Not saying I would not appreciate a basic clean etc, but not everyone are living on a healthy budget to just get stuff like that done for a one-time occasion.
@@Real_MisterSir I actually clean and polish my own car...it costs nothing and I get a workout at the same time.
@A real bisexual petrol-head If my car was going to be seen by millions of people and reviewed by Doug, I'd spend all the time that's required to make it look the best it could possibly be...just sayin'.
@@mikevale3620 Good on you! I do (did) the same with my motorcycle. But I can understand that not everyone has the time or dedication to it. Just means that clean examples are so much more appreciated :)
You can almost hear paint screams to be polished professionally :P
Hahahah I know.. the black paint needs it
Is this what you get for $299 at Mako? This paint looks awful!
FFS Did the use house paint on the poor Merc?
It looks that someone used a brush to paint that car. My 9 yo daughter could make better job
ruclips.net/video/nDwbAkB9r58/видео.html
I love these cars!💖 I've owned a 1995 S420, 1997 S420 and a 1999 S500 over the years. Each car came with 4 keys. 2 remote controls with folding master keys, 1 valet key (allows valet to unlock drivers door and drive) and 1 flat key (a master to open all locks and drive). Did you know, if you have all the windows and moon roof open after you park you can hold down the lock button on your remote and the car will roll up all windows and close the moon roof as you're walking away? You can even roll up all windows and close the moon roof by putting the key into the door and turning and holding the key into the lock position until all windows and moon roof are closed. Mercedes Benz was WAY ahead of it's time!
AND THIS HAD NOT SHOWED ANY OF THOSE OPTIONS... AND THEN SAID CHEAP CAR SAME LEVEL AS W140...
COMPLETELY CRAZY...
this was available on bmw e39 5 series in the 90ies too so I imagine 7 series had it. Could be that mb invented it tho
My 2001 W210 has this feature where I can controlled the windows opening when parked using the remote. I believe it is also a standard features on conti cars now as I have 2014 VW Polo which also has same feature using the remote.
Of course a woman would own them 🙄 must be nice having money
@@elmagnifico1 the rich lady in my neighborhood drove one ,the next time I saw her a young man was driving her in a rolls 😂
Got to agree. This is the S-Class to beat. Such a timeless design. It's like how a luxury car should look like.
Jesus, that car was repainted in the middle of a sandstorm.
It was detailed with a grill brush.
Talha Mirza 😆
My grill brush after having a massive barbecue grilling steaks on it
Also it was painted with a paint roller before
Jesus doug did you get this one at a junkyard?
1995 nobody's phone was fitting in anything smaller than a backpack
Doug, I don't know what to say but " Thank You"! I lived in Germany from 1991-1995 & I had a German friend (Jorst) that owned several Pharmacy Franchises in Germany (like our CVS). Every year he'd go to California USA for a 6-week Conference and would ask me to watch over his (15) cars. THIS was one of them. He told me about the dropping/raising rear head-rests & the electric rear-mirror. I'd take this car on the Autobahn and be in Frankfurt from K-Town in under 30 minutes. You did a correct & respectful review of this car, and I appreciate it.
Doug, I really think you shoud rate cars in additional category like "these times rating", because many older cars are getting low rate because you compare it's features with today standards and I think that is unfair in many cases :(
Agreed. He can adjust all scores to the state of the art of the time.
He should have separate ratings for the time it was made, and the time of the video's making. He should also rate them depending on what the car IS. Such as rating an economy hatchback as "slow" isn't fair, because it isn't meant to be fast. He should compare it to other economy hatchbacks to see which one is the fastest/most comfortable etc etc. He should have a personal rating and a "class" rating for each car. Rating a 120 hp economy hatchback as "slow" isn't fair because it isn't made to be a race car. Same thing with an S-class. If the quality is on par with an economy car it shouldn't get the same quality score as the economy car, because it's advertised as a "luxury car".
@@nicklasveva that's the point. What is the point of rating and giving any kind of score to so different cars? Dunno. Maybe we should just ignore Doug Score and consider it as just some unnecesary quirk/feature.
I don’t really see it as an issue because after giving it the Doug score he shows where it ranks next to similar cars from similar eras so you can gauge how good it was for what kind of car from whichever time period
So i think
"THIS IS A..." car that needs a paint correction!
More like sandblasted down to bare metal and repainted again..
Paint swirls are underrated.
I noticed that, the car's had a Stevie Wonder respray
@@mattridgley9095 That trunk is also 90% body filler.
Nope, "the best example of the best S-Class ever"!
Me: 1 Million dollars Mclaren Hypercar: Meh
Me: Old Mercedes: Oh yeah, here we go.
Seriously!
Old cars=gold cars
Old but gold
S70 AMG ... pagani v12
im glad im not the only one😂 too many supercars on social media already but not these gems
16:17 Mercedes of this era with this feature actually have 2 cabin air filters. One is the particulate filter, which is what you find in virtually any modern car. The second is a separate carbon filter. This filter is much thicker than the all-in-one carbon layers you find today, so it actually works longer than a week. Bypassing it also helps it last longer.
Hey Doug, the 'Battery in Trunk' sign is actually for emergencies.
To free someone from a car, the battery cables much be cut first. Imagine firefighters or other rescue specialists trying to find the battery with little time at hand.
Love your videos!
i can see how having it in the trunk could be a good idea but i've yet to hear it from a actual firefighter
Also it is accessible from the rear seats by lifting the bench so it’s easy to access
Cool car owner: hey doug would you like to review my Mercedes?
Doug: only if the power rear view mirror is still working
Assassin Force this was the most Doug thing ever 😅
The most Mercedes looking Mercedes ever!
Probably so! Certainly one of the best. Now they mostly look like every other Amero-Euro-Asian car.
f308gtb1977 to be fair to Mercedes, that’s because other manufacturers - particularly the Asian companies - have imitated MB’s designs pretty successfully for the past decade or so. It’s not MB’s fault.
VideoAmericanStyle , you’re not wrong.
You’d say that to your DAUGHTER!!!???
A real bisexual petrol-head , uh... no.
What a time back then. I had two friends. And one friend's parents had exactly this S-Class. And the other friend's parents had this BMW 7 Series, Doug had mentioned in this video this car. And so I drove with both of them more often in the 90s because these parents often picked me up. And the rides were always really cool.
Well, and I definitely remember the S-Class. Back then it was extremely spacious, felt like a sofa, like a living room. Just awesome. In my opinion, it was a bit smaller in the BMW 7 Series. But there was already a TV set for that, and on the way to the club on Saturday evening we saw RTL or a German private channel, for me just totally mind-blowing in the mid-90s
this car was ahead of its time
In 90s Russia, people were afraid to even make eye contact with the person being chauffeured in the back of a w140
I also never got into a police trap, they always wave me through when I am in the W140 :-)
Ну, Кирюха, загнул. "Чёфферед" - сколько ж я этого слова не слышал...
I love Russia and fast W140s.
@@Kerogas_ читай больше книжек английских)
@@websnail This is true indeed, I was never even once stopped by police whenever I drive mine they just wave me through. I've also noticed that people get a little bit uneasy/scared whenever I arrive with this car and especially when I get out of it. LOL
”Thiiiiis is one of the best luxury sedans ever built: 46/ 100“ 🤠
Nobody passes Doug's Car Class.
I honestly don’t get his rating but it’s his opinion
All the cars he reviews he grades them according to modern standards.so it isn't as good as it was back in the 1990s
It still kicks all asses.
Yeah. He will give a two seater car a low rating for practicality, meanwhile a two seater does exactly what is intended, so it should be rated high for practicality. I like Doug's reviews, but when he starts with the doug score, I pause and move to the next one
Good job doug, we love your passion for options information and years offered .Keep the good videos coming your content is phenomenal we watch you here in Brooklyn
I've driven these cars for years. Once you're used to it, it is surprisingly responsiveness nimble. For a giant land yacht, it handles amazingly well.
Dude, was this car painted with a paint roller ?
sandpaper
I've painted several cars with paint rollers to more success than this
Palm.
“Thissssss is another car you will think about for days but never buy!”
That is insanely true.
this is another car you will never buy, but be interested in, and quickly check out on carsales.
@@bradford_shaun_murray Here in germany you can get these for 1000 Euro in bad condition xD
@@boonamai8926 yeah exactly, i had the coupe two years ago. Coupes are slightly more expensive and i bought mine for about 5k EUR and it was running fine as a daily. However by running i mean just engine and gearbox - all of those quirks and features worked like on schedule which will break this week. Repairs of those features were a lot more expensive than for instance in BMW E39, took a lot of time and nobody wanted to work on it, because everything was made slightly different than in other cars. Even the Mercedes dealerships didn't wanted to deal with some of the issues. Only good thing about it is that parts are still produced by Mercedes. They are expensive but at least if you can't find used you can just order it.
After some time i've sold it and i bought brand new Mustang GT. After two years running cost (including monthly payment for Mustang, taxis and rental cars during Mercedes period) of both cars is pretty much similar, and while Mustang is slightly more expensive to run... it actually runs without spending weeks in service.
And yes, i could keep Mercedes under the blanket and buy some Skoda for everyday use, but i wanted to drive a fun car, not to own it.
experts. experts everywhere. 2 weeks with w140 dont make you expert. i will tell you secret. after 8 years with w140 i can say that 90% malfuncions can be fixed by spending few h on mb forum then finding cleaning and viola its working again. urban legenda from people who copy legends from other people...
Thanks for the video Doug. I own an 06 "cut rate nightmare" W220, which is perfect and original in every way. I learned some things about my '06 by watching your '94 vid.
Nice review! The 140 was the best MB ever made! I had a ‘95 S320 LWB which had a lot of power for a 6 that you wouldn’t know it because it did not sound like one and behaved like an 8. It was also very economical. The car had a 28 gallon fuel tank and would go over 600 miles on a tank of gas. I know you couldn’t mention every possible feature but for the readers, I don’t think you mentioned the tilt down outside mirrors when you shifted car in reverse so that you can see the curb to help prevent wheel rash. The double-pane windows also made the car more aerodynamic, thus quieter, because the outside pane was made flush with the trim and door frame. The car also had drop-down illuminated vanity mirrors for the rear seat passengers; perfect for those wanting to touch up their hair or makeup before hitting the red carpet. Also, the car had the ahead-of-its-time sound system. The other unique engineering design feature you could not see was the dual a/c compressors which made the car’s separate heat and a/c controls much more effective than other cars. I had absolutely no issues with my 140 and the MB service for maintenance was impeccable. My BMWs on the other hand were a different story.
Looks like the trunk was painted with a black Kiwi Shoe Dye
That's exactly how it looks
It could be truth
Or a black permanent marker! Omg what crap job
🤣
I grew up with this car. My parents bought an S500 in 1994, and I felt like the coolest kid getting dropped off in school haha. It was incredibly massive, insanely quiet, and my dad still has it. He even built cupholders for it by milling aluminum retractable cupholders for that tiny center storage box where the cell-phone controls used to be in. I told him he could totally sell that on etsy or whatever but for whatever reason, he won't (he said it costed him lots of time to mill, and with materials cost; it would cost too much to sell). Anyways, the paint quality never held up well with the car. He always had it garage-kept; yet the paint just deteriorated after 20 years. I recall my buddy's dad also has one, and the paint on these were just utter crap.
And the windows, them being dual-pane, are insanely expensive too. The outer layer on the passenger-side rear window just decided to shatter one day. Sigh..
I remember growing up in Germany in the 80s and 90s and when McDonalds and drive through counters became a thing, you could get plastic cup holders with the McDonalds logo on them. They were plastic contraptions with a hook that you could stick in between your door panel and the window.
Just bringing this up to show how weird and novel the idea of a cup holder in a car was to Germans back in those days.
Whoa! I forgot all about those!
I remember that in the Netherlands. Thx for the memory. But driving is driving would be a good idea still!
this comment is at 69 likes and i dont wanna change it
Jepp, my Mum is still using hers.
Not McD, but it still is as practical as ever.
Honestly, I still think cup holders in cars are a weird idea.
Went to Brussels from West London via the Channel ferry in one of these around late 1992 with my ( then ) Chairman as a 31 year old MD of one of his companies. He’d had it about 6 weeks and it was like being in a spaceship such was the ‘tech’ in it. We spend 10minutes just playing with the soft close doors ! We had such a good series of trips in it and every time we went we found something else new on it to play with. Absolute tour de force then and ground breaking. His next one was like getting into something by British Leyland from the 70’s !
Hey Doug, you clearly have a very successful channel, so you can take this feedback with a grain of salt, but for whatever it's worth, I have a quick observation. Whenever you drive the car at the end of your videos, I think it'd be better to give the viewer an audibly and visibly immersive experience, rather than just talking through the whole thing. So you can wear a POV camera and let us hear the engine noise (something many car reviewers on RUclips don't let us hear because they talk over it all the time), show us the view from all sides while driving, hear the turn signals and warning chimes, see the headlights at night etc. The first 2/3rds of the video can be reserved for your narration, while the last 1/3rd can be an actual drive rather than more narration. Just my two cents.
Children: acting up in the back seat
Me: Ok I will just fold down your headrest
ruclips.net/video/nDwbAkB9r58/видео.html
Why not fold the whole back row squish the children in between them.
😩🤣
@Yule Calma but children are so squishy.
Looks like the car was painted with a cactus.
🤣🤣🤣
Its bondo bro things been crashed hard lmao
that's very funny! ha ha ha ha
@@pinytenis420 Iool I agree look at 7:38 that door section looks terrible and the trunk at 5:53 looks like it's been crooked, buffed out and painted by the intern kid
You spelled "Earl Scheib" wrong.
Nice walk through memory lane. I owned the final year of production model ‘98 and it was a dream to own and drive. Understated luxury personified the Big Body Benz and created the Mercedes aficionado that I am today. No knock on the other luxury brands but I’m a Benz Guy for life. Thanks Doug for your cool channel.
Saw this car In person last week here in Nigeria. The door weighed close to a ton. The glass is so thick you would think it was bullet proof. The bumpers had chrome and they looked so tough and tightly fixed in place. I wonder what the latest W223 would be like. The Engineers really did this.
W223 bad.. W222 is very good in today accounting standards.
You're delusional maybe you haven't seen an actual proper car before.
Very popular up north Nigeria during the ibb era
"Now this, this is TRUE german engineering. Unparalleled innovation, the likes of which has yet to be matched by any modern manufacturer almost 30 years later."
*Points at trunk handle*
The w126 was best
W140 is a pain to repair and service.
I love my w126, but almost everything is mechanical. Stuff has a habit of breaking. I want a w126 with some w140 elements
Doug *points at an obvious tire button Also Doug: “sugar doughnut button”
American things man they always hungry
ruclips.net/video/nDwbAkB9r58/видео.html
Obvious? When I first saw it I thought it was the mitochondria button
It’s kind of cool to see Doug’s entire attitude is pure gratitude for the cars he genuinely respects including this car, and it makes the video that much better IMO!
Regarding the wipers at the headlights, I also had this on my 1990 Mercedes-Benz W124 230E which I bought new. What is more interesting, however, is that the washer fluid for both the headlights and the front window was heated as part of a so-called Nordic package (I am from Norway). In front of the engine compartment there was a small heat exchanger where hot cooling water from the engine heated the tank for washer fluid. Quite smart and very effective on winter roads when the salt from the roads settles as a coating on the glass. Regarding the design of the W140, it is hardly as elegant as the W126. People here in Europe called the W140 a "stranded whale" when the model came on the market (large, round and visually less agile compared to the more dynamic, low and sporty W126).
American models had the same heated windshield washer setup.
The Yakuza company car. Nearly 30 years old, but easily one of my top 3 dream Mercs.
I just picked up a ‘92 500SL. Loving it
They sure loved those i-spy mirrors
I'm still looking for one myself
SlitWristMisfit I own one. It has routine oil changes and that’s it. Mechanically it’s completely sound for a ‘98. One owner. Always wintered. My e46 cost more in my first year than my Benz. And it’s a lot less comfortable.
@@Got_it I envy you dude! That's my all time favorite benz. Just timeless beauty.
When i first started watching the video, I thought everyone was being dramatic about the paint quality. Then I saw the trunk lid...
Me too man... me too
SAME.
Lol same
6:50 Same here. This is one of the worst paint jobs I've ever seen.
Yes I really enjoyed ur presentation of this w140 mercedes !! Good explanation of things and I see ur enjoying this 2 !! Thanks a lot Sir well done !!
In Germany these days it was common to go to a restaurant and take a seat to eat. Fast food restaurants with drive through lanes wasn't available. And the clientele who bought an S Class would not have eaten at an fast food restaurant back then.
This video is brought to you by Rustoleum spray cans
Gold-standard Rustoleum. I’m Sure the owner bought the premium cans of paint!
😂Lol
I lol'd
It looks like that thing was repainted with a roller
House paint maybe?
ruclips.net/video/nDwbAkB9r58/видео.html
More like painted with a potted plant
Repainted with the roller by Doug
Thats exactly what I thought
At 25:56
"I want a wagon version."
"We don't build one."
"You will!! For me."
"It will cost a lot extra, sir."
"I want 20 of them. My people will tell you what I want. You will tell them how much to write the check for....that is all!" *Walks out*
"Yes sir!"
My grandma bought one of these new in 1991. The wipers in the headlight are disabled because at least here in CA they were illegal. Another thing if you push up the headrest in the back you can push a button to make them fall back down for easier visibility in the rear view mirror. Great cars felt good driving in that thing.
“How many power operation things do you want?” Mercedes Benz “Yes”
Mercedes: how many Mcoys do you need?
Chuck Norris: yes
Mercedes factory: "We like to order 200 electric motors."
Electric motor producer: "Ah, you mean per day, right?"
Mercedes factory: "No. Per car..."
Compared to new S Classes... few. But my 1996 has over 30 motors in the I interior alone! Power everything!
W140 was the first Mercedes I ever rode in, and it's at that moment I became a fan of Mercedes.
There was a mid-cycle refresh...the upper band in the lower cladding, the bottom corners of the truck were rounded and that clear bar that went across the rear was raised up higher into the taillights...wheels the same as earlier. The '97 S, which I have, WAS AN ADDITIONAL REFRESH before the end. The amber/red in the taillights was changed to clear/red, and with that lower clear cross bar under the lights higher still, from the side the taillights look equal of clear/red/clear...'97 were ALL mono-color, no more grey lower panels...mine midnight blue...which sometimes looks black, then evening light a lot of green. Anyway, it's worth the xenons/reworked headlights in the '97...brilliant at night, below the low bean xenons are the driving lamps, then toward the grill were the additional high beams...at night you can all 3 sections lit at the same time by pull of the light switch for the driving lamps lower of the low beams and the inner high beams on same time...the front turn signals were also CLEAR, no longer amber...so front and rear light changes made a huge difference...my front fascia is deeper underneath the front, and rear too. Doug is correct on some later model de-content...the rear parking bars were deleted, inside the power rear mirror is manual, there's no flip up storage in the door armrests, and the top part of the console where the phone is was reworked, phone still there, but when opened are now 2 cup holders...greatly useful, but I wish mine didn't have a phone...more upper/center console storage, but mainly the center top of dash storage would be empty of the phone pad/dialer. ALSO, making a big difference in appearance along w/the clear front/rear lights reworked, '97 got the deep 6-hole sportier looking wheels...make a BIG difference from the flush earlier 7-hole "manhole cover" wheels. I'll give on the few deletes from earlier for the hottest/sportiest looking model, '97. It's gorgeous...esp outside w/the wheels and lights reworked even more than the mid-cycle refresh. Midnight blue (a more rare color) w/parchment int, and cold weather package I think it's called of headlight wipers and HEATED washer fluid...which is currently being a problem, lol. The car is and effortless cloud of a ride, yet authorative and all the Mercedes dymanics when you want to dial it up and move. I ALWAYS get comments fueling up, anywhere in general...classy and elegant...and I got the extended wheelbase...3" more in the rear. But the last of the over-engineered Benz, of what I consider a real Benz to be...as well as the last S-class built that way. 99k miles, I'll never part with it...I have a jeep for my daily/better, but it's hard to not want to get in the S-class every time.
My mother had a similar 1994 s500, but in white. I loved it, especially the switchblade key, and when I was home from college I’d ditch my 1993 Acura Legend coupe and drive her car like some baller before that was a term. She liked her 1990 560SEL much better and one of her little gripes was that the new Tristar hood ornament leaned too far back. Today I’m on my 3rd S-Class, a w222, such a sweet ride. Thanks for the memories Doug.
*Whoever painted this car, needs to quit*
seems like they painted it with a hand brush
Mexican body shops left the chat
They use paint roller
Saw that too. Looks like spray tin work.
at the time, the paint quality of mercedes wasn't the best
This is missing two things:
1. a V12
2. A $12000 exhaust.
I was looking for this comment
Ah, a fellow effspot subscriber
Cameron Wood same
that's a good one lol
I knew it sounded good with exhaust before effspot video! 😁
I can't go through 7400 comments just to see if someone happened to mention this but; If the car Doug reviewed was in fact a long-wheel-base, then this isn't a W140 but a V140 as the W140 had the shorter wheelbase. I just refer to this generation as the 140 series, which had a total 4 iterations: As mentioned-above, you had the W140 and V140, you then had the C140 (Coupe) and the VV140, that's the limo version.
My neighbor had a 1995 when I was a kid, and it was the nicest car I had been in at the time, and still one of the nicest cars I’ve ever been in. She would drive us to elementary school with her daughter, and I felt like a king getting out of it. It sparked my love of German automobiles. Now I’m driving a W212 E63, but it still doesn’t compare to the feeling of riding in that W140 with the soft, supple, quiet ride and features that seemed so futuristic in that era.
Also worth noting a few additional interesting points:
- There was an alternative armrest with split top to provide storage in one half and two of the most over engineered cup holders I’ve ever seen in the other half (so many moving parts as the fold out on a spring loaded mechanism)
- Some were factory fitted with fridges and/or fax machines between the rear seats
- An upgraded napa leather seat option was also available which made the seats far more comfortable and hugging (standard on S600 models but also on some others)
- The car was shipped with a valet key that was restricted to prevent opening the trunk or glove boxes (top where the phone is on this one and main)
- Some had an optional business package that provided a power folding rear tray table and controls to allow the rear passenger to adjust the front seat position from their seat control panel (also had multidirectional pivoting spot lights fitted in the roof above the B pillar)
- There was an option to have the rear seats as two separate fully adjustable seats (not bench seat)
- The rear armrest has two little cut out slots (you can see in the video) to allow a Walkman headset cable to run out of with the lid closed
- The seat controls also alow adjustment of the headrest height in the front and the rear ones will put down or up the folding rear headrests
- European spec cars are fitted with a triangle mounted to the boot lid rather than in the wheel well
- These cars were sometimes fitted with both a speed limiter and cruise control stalk
- The gearbox has a W (wet) and S (dry) mode selector (in W it will try to start using second gear and changes less aggressively)
- Rear seats get folding lit mirrors in the roof along with a light in the C pillar (front mirrors are lit too)
Seems like he missed a few things.
If Doug didn’t say it, I don’t believe it
He also forgot to talk about the wipers.
You have right bro
Very interesting, thank you
It’s second name in Russia is “Kaban” which means boar. It was mainly driven by Russian Mafia bosses or by Oligarchs in ‘90s . This car is a legend .
In Mongolia nick name is the bull.
@@ironknight2824 oh wow
In Saudi Arabia they call it "shabah" till this day, and it means "ghost".
я искал этот комментарий! я думал, что никто не напишет!
@@MrMrmody1996 Same in Bahrain, they call it the "ghost" for whatever reason but then again, peoplrd called the 90s chevy caprice a "soap bar" lol.
Wow. I recently wondered when they would invent powered rear view mirrors and I had absolutely no idea that Mercedes already invented that almost 30 years ago
Explanation of an excellent topic from the heart, thank you very much
The paint screams! Help me! This looks more like a Tyler Hoovie car
never seen so many swirls in my life
Looks like it was never cleaned properly, such a shame :(
They should have his daughter pick out a color and take it to his Maaco.
Not after his last video
Doug: “This is the greatest car EVER in history!!”. Doug score: “Mehh..”
Doug Score favors modern cars. There isnt a seperate scale for classic cars.
This was until Lexus launched the LS400...
Marcel Patel The Lexus LS400 came out in 1989, this generation S class came out in 1991...
This is a really good read about the W140. As a W140 owner it is highly recommended! auto-didakt.com/cars_blog_leser/mercedes-benz_w140_design_review_history_bruno_sacco.html
Really wish Doug had reviewed an example that was in better cosmetic condition (that paint looks terrible, cracked wood trim) but seems like all the mechanical things are in order except the rear powered headrests. I have a final year (1999) W140 and my headrests drop but do not have automatic raising - guess it's one of the things Mercedes did away with to control costs later in the model run.
Marcel Patel sorry this car wouldn’t even wipe its ass with a Lexus. The ls400 is respected in its own right but comes nowhere near the w140’s quality and refinement and luxury amenities.
I had 1999 and It was my first Mercedes. Bought it used of course, but very clean.. It was one of the smoothest riding cars I've ever been in until this day. The problem was the high maintenance cost. Every time I opened the hood it was like I was buying a new flat-screen TV. Sold it and bought an Acura RL. The Mercedes basically spoiled me with its comfort and quietness. However, the Acura never broke down and all I ever needed to do was normal maintenance. Sadly, my Acura was hit and totaled. Rest in peace Acura TL. One day I'll get another Benz but as a weekend cruiser.
Doug DeMuro, you and the car both are amazing... great historical work..
That steering wheel cover - straight out of a 1990 Chevy S10 🤣 Must have shelled out at least $7.99 for that at Pep Boys!
The wheel itself is probably wrecked
Looks comfy as hell
better than damaging the steering wheel itself, sun exposure ruin steering wheels and dashboards on many cars
@@erikh1041 this isn't there to preserve the steering wheel, the leather is probably cracked and worn shiny from years of sweat and greasy hands. the paint looks so atrocious, whoever accepts this isn't the kind of person to protect a 30 year old steering wheel.
All you guys sound stupid right now. These types of covers were on every car and truck in the 90s. Very common. Looked good back then.
The rest of the world: "tyre with snow chains"
Americans: "Sugar Donut"
I wish my car had a sugar donut button!
@@JDsHouseofHobbies Maybe a former police car, oh, excuse me, BLM requires me to refer to them as 'peace cars' now, would be the ticket.
Perry Champ bro just really had to make it political
@@ethanl440 I was, and on purpose, and in a snarky way. (Didn't you catch 'the ticket' part?) The sooner BLM and their 'peaceful protests' go away, the better. I have all colors of friends, 'it's the content of their character'. Stop watching CNN.
@@Colorado_Native who gives a shit about blm here anyways. It has its purpose, but the only one I see bringing it into light here is you mate. If you wanna see it go away, then first step is to stop giving it attention.
1992 Mercedes S-Class: I'm the best S Class ever, overbuilt and engineered to perfection
2020 Mercedes S-Class: *creaks*
They still are overengineered. If you discard the nostalgia and look at it objectively, it still is unreliable like any other modern s class
@@mverick5444 the w140 is very reliable, i daily one
One of the favorite "quirks" on my vehicle is the area between the seats and floor is spacious so if something gets dropped its rather easy to fish out. More so than any small car I've been in, after watching this I'm wondering if that was intentional. We're talking about a Subaru Legacy so rather curious for such a small car.
lol also no exaggeration on how awesome that is
As a kid my neighbors had the one with the “reversing poles” next to the trunklid.
HELLO!!! I want to spend time with celebrities. Just kidding. GAGAGAGAGA! I only want to spend time with my two girlfriends and record videos for my channel with the 3 of us. OH YEAH. Don't hate me for living the best life, dear doug
this car is one of the main attributes of 90's russian gangsters and
oligarchs
kaban🔥
600й Мерин 💪💪
I'm pretty sure 90s yakuza also had this car, because foreign brands in japan were seen as classy and powerful
For example, the most famous oligarch was Boris Beresowsky. He was almost murdered in armored W140. Also, the most famous russian gangster (the head of Orekhovskaya gang) drove this one in a coupe version. He was killed in that Mercedes.
Hello from Switzerland! I have to say the following, I have some minty low mile fetish 140s in my collection and the cars still look massive next to a new W222. You can look down very well on the pleabian minions when you ride along in the 140. The 140 conveys a certain respectful dictator / plutocrat aura similar to the W100 600, which (unfortunately) no longer embodies the current luxury class vehicles. This is probably why the 140 was one of the favorite vehicles of people like Muammar al-Gadaffi, Putin, the Yakuza and Co. even when there were successor series to choose from. The space, security [extremly rugged in a serious crash, a kind of unique "chopped" ladder frame like a truck, plus (!) a unibody is a construction they have not done on any other mercedes except the W240 maybach which build on the 140 chassis, makes this car a "tigertank" that will crush the other car in a serious accident, newer big cars are build weaker for socialist partner protection in a crash to help the smaller car, so you can say 140/240 was the pinnacle of crash saftey in some way, to only protect the occupants of the 140/240 and crush the enemy car with no mercy] a long-distance suitability and comfort of the 140s are in no way inferior to those of the new luxury vehicles, unlike, for example, the very old-school 126 model.
Good examples of the 140 series are expensive, some are above comparable 126s, which was not the case a few years ago here in Europe (minty 140 500/600 under 60kmiles, go for about 50k/CHF, and I guess will be encreasing further in future) I cannot understand the fear of some "control units", the electronics in the 140 are rock solid and really not rocket science, similar to the W124 E500 E420 E320 or all R129 up to ´98, sometimes even redundant and can still be repaired in the distant future, in contrast to today's cheap and over-complex electronics. In terms of mechanical durability and engine design, the M104, M119 and M120 engines are unsurpassed as far as the petrol engines from Daimler are concerned, provided they are properly cared for, that is the golden era of Daimler, something better was not built before and after. I think some are only now beginning to understand what epochal masterpieces have been created. Elsewhere in the world it was already considered a masterpiece that competed with Rolls Royce and Bentley and even degraded them, similar to the W100. It is not for nothing that the W240 Maybach builds on the chassis of the 140 series. An E32 / E38 or Audi V8 / A8, Lexus LS on the other hand, looks like a poorly manufactured mid-range car, the same with the unworthy supposed successor, the W220, which initiated the qualitative degeneration of Mercedes under J. Schrempp. The W220 actually was not the true successor of the 140, even if some may think so, actually the W240 Maybach was the successor/reincarnation of the W140. The development costs of the 140 were the highest in mercedes history with the engineers running the show and going truly megalomaniac, it was the last engineers car from mercedes and not a car, where accountants and shareholders made the development decisions.
The ride, build quality and "aura" is unlike any other mercedes before and after, I have to say, these cars do have a soul. I might add that the 140 offered two good cupholders in the front middle armrest but that was an extra option. I find it shameful that you reviewed the best car ever made with this, beat down, roll painted POS. I always was waiting for you to make a Video of the 140 since I remembered you mentioned it was your favourite Mercedes Big Body in an article on autotrader you wrote some years ago. And by no means are the 500 and 600 140s slow, the M120 V12 was put in the Pagani Zonda, the M119 V8 as bi-turbo with KKK-superchargers was put in the Sauber C9 in 1989, 720ps. I guess the car you are reviewing has beyond 500k miles and a shitty maintance history with 7 diffrent owners where the last 5 turned the clock, so it will have lost some horsepowers and have a worn out suspension and steering feeling. I sometimes cruise during the night time on the German Autobahn with 250km/h, the suspension and parameter steering feel (you also forgot to mention parameter steering) is very firm and tight on well maintained 140s, they go like on rails, like a freight train. I own almost all S-Class models five of which are 140 chassis, 240 Maybach including the newest 222 (POS). I know how the 140 compares, it is out of this world, I even dare to say that the build quality on the 140 is even higher than the 240 Maybach. It was and most likley will forever be the best car humanity produced, period.
For sure it isn't one of the first car to have headlight wipers... Saab, Volvo, Lada or even Renault offered this feature since the early 70's
Mercedes had S shaped wipers on the W108/109’s stacked headlights back in 1969 or 70. My German uncle had one.
One of the first cars doesn’t really mean it was first ones to do it.
A headlight cleaning system has been required equipment in Sweden since 1972.
This was a classy piece.... My boss had one and I Wud drive it around when he wasn't in town...... The best car ever...... The steering wheel was super smooth
Doug is the type of guy to wear a mask during an online video conference.
You’re the type of person to say this to everyone
😂😂😂
😂😂😂👍
I’ve loved how those comments have been under his videos forever, and they usually reflect on the time they were written.
And still you look the videos
Looks like someone took his time to repaint it with a nail polish.
It's truly terrible. He should've picked one in better condition for this review. The swirl marks make it look even worse.
Looks good to me
@@tradinwarstoriez5641 so, which polish brand was that?
LOL. I had a friend who tried that with red nail polish. When she got home, there was a charge on her credit card; she'd totaled the car with dings and bits.
and covered the steering wheel in a sporty glove- somebody has tried a bit too hard
The vent controls in the center totally makes sense. Passenger changes the vent...then gets out and now you want it closed to get all the air on you and you can easily change it back.
What an awesome car. Looks incredible, love the lack of screens as well.
this car literally checks off all the marks that you’d want in a modern luxury car.
why does it feel like we’ve been regressing in ingenuity?
Indeed. I feel like if KIA or one of the smaller brands want to make something good, just get all the quirks and features from this car.
@@omarbabakarkhail no, I have driven modern lexus’s, modern toyota’s, modern honda’s, 2010’s vw’s, 2000’s lexus’s, 2000’s mercedes benz’s, 2000’s bmw’s and I am convinced that the Japanese car manufacturers will never have the same feel as the european car manufacturers, they will always feel like different cars, they just make them differently, it’s just up to what you prefer
@@haggard1378 I know. We have a Model S and used to drive a Leaf 2016 along with an X3 2016. Sure all these cars differ in price, but the leap from an Asian brand to the Europeans or even Tesla is huge. Yet I do wonder if the Asians incorporate some of these quirks and features, the lack of insulation and “quality” might be negated to an extent. We are going to test drive the Ioniq5 soon, so if that one is good, we might trade our S for it.
These days would be too much money to make this car that's why nowadays they simplified things. But new s classes are pretty on par with this benz it took 20 years though to go back to this awesomeness lol This was pretty spaceship for its time though. This car is the same to when volvo put a turbo in their wagons lol sorta revolutionary thing. Soon in our lifetime we will see some.crazyness coming our way with the electric cars
@@haggard1378 of course they feel like different cars, why would they feel the same?
That charcoal filter was unreal! If you had any smells in the air outside the vehicle (think manure), you could press that button and the smell was GONE.
And I owned this car, but I never realized that the armrests on the doors had storage!
I had one too, I loved the solid build and comfort. It handled like a boat and drove like a train on rails. Very stable and comfy. Those funny rods that came out when reversing were actually useful!
I loved the electric rear view mirror control. :D Too bad they don't do it anymore.
Mine had a light gray velour interior all around, it looked nice and cute, and it felt so soft and nice, although most people prefer leather. Both have pros and cons.
The windows were awesome, they didn't get foggy like other cars, and the car stayed warm longer than normal cars because of the gap between the two window panes. It is better than BMW E38 which is more on the sporty side and not as elegant.
oh god my dad purchased this car when i was a kid. Ohhhh the amount of times I messed with all these features to annoy my parents (like the headrest flipper thing.. blum blum blum blum.. blum blum blum blummmmm; and auto door shut thing as a party trick to show my school friends; messing with my dad's seat memory settings; making faces at cars behind us with the rear-passenger mirrors - ya this thing had rear passenger mirrors!). This video just zipped me down through nostalgia lane big time.
Fucking rich kid
Really cool
87500 in 99 no finance included most peoples house cost at the time
And the rear passenger mirrors got lights 😁 I know because I have one of those, I love this car. So much stuff inside... And makes you feel safe, because not many cars on the road are over 2 tons. It is just great, your baby can sleep even if you run all the potholes. 👌🏻
This guy is the same guy from cars and bids.
Yeah, I thought he seemed familiar!
He's a very industrious kind of a dude
Nahh
Doug Demuro created cars and bids.
Nah, it's the writer on autotrader.com/oversteer
The telescopic reversing aids were only fitted to early W140s , my 1999 registered model ( one of the last ) does not have them ; these rods are actually a throwback to the 1960's when the W110/111/112 'Fintail' models had tail fins which were designed so as to be visible in the rear window and serve exactly the same purpose .
Also the wing mounted radio aerial is not standard : the factory radio aerial is inside the back bumper .
The rear headrests are vacuum operated , vacuum provided by the same pump in the boot which operates the soft closing , on my car they ( intentionally ) only drop from the switch , and rear passengers have to lift them if they want them .
If you did not opt for the factory telephone ( few people did ) then the compartment where the phone controls are , is a storage place for sunglasses . The whole dash design , and many of the features , are shared with the R129 SL which was built at the same time as the W140 ; although the W140 was made on a production line , the SL was hand built by a small team of craftsmen .
My W140 does have a single cupholder within the lid of the glove compartment , and two inside the opening rear armrest . Glovebox cupholders go back at least to the W123 .
Headlamp wash/wipe was available on the W114/5 series - introduced in 1968 !
The W126 ( the preceding generation of S Class ) had sliders for controlling the air vents in exactly the same place : it means the driver has access to control all of the vents without stretching over . The car in the video has the early heating/ventilation controls ; later cars have a much better digital system with LCD display .
My W140 , in common with most Mercedes models ( excepting estate cars ) has the full size warning triangle mounted inside the bootlid , from which position it is readily visible just by opening the bootlid ; it can , of course be removed and placed on the road if required .
Re the engines , as well as the S800 V16 ( of which 85 prototypes were made and tested ; I wonder if Mercedes kept any or whether all were destroyed ) there was also a 12 litre V24 ( basically two M120 V12s joined together , which was mooted for the maybach , which was based on the W140 chassis , but never reached production ! )
Incidentally , only the W116 ( introduced 1972 ) and onwards were designated S Class ; the name did not apply to earlier models such as Adenauers , Fintails or W108s .
I don't think you mentioned the illuminated vanity mirrors for rear seat passengers which pop down out of the ceiling ?
Worth mentioning re the Princess Diana car crash that the car was driven into a concrete pillar at NINETY MILES PER HOUR and the front seat passenger ( the only occupant to be wearing his seat belt ) SURVIVED . What other car could you come out of such a crash in and live to tell the tale ?
I'm not sure when the video was shot , but certainly here in Scotland , five to ten grand would be away over the top for price : I've had my S320 ( which incidentally , based on my three W126s not only handles better with the lighter six cylinder engine , but has much better fuel economy than the V8s , giving me a range of 450-500 miles on one tank of fuel ) and it is still more than quick enough to keep up with other traffic and lose your licence if not careful !
I bought my one owner car two years ago with only 73000 miles from an octogenarian retired doctor who was giving up driving after , sadly collecting some minor dings on the bodywork - both bumpers are scuffed , the passenger side mirror was smashed and there's a dent in the drivers door . I rebuilt the brakes , with all new pipes and put a new set of five Continental tyres on , and just now replaced the battery which was in the car when I got it , so of unknown age , as well as servicing the car myself , but I paid only five hundred pounds for mine - that is a normal price for a W140 here in Scotland , absolute top price for a mint condition one would be two to three thousand , and they are not a common sight here , I rarely see any others on the road ( maybe once or twice a year ) and my car often draws compliments and has people striking up conversations re it . absolutely everything works and mechanically the car is faultless .
Headlight wipers has been common in Europe since early 70's. Saab 99 got them in 1971, Volvo got them in 1974, European Ford Granada got them on all models from 1975, Mercedes had them on W123, W116 .. and many many more brands had them
Doug is the S-Class version of car reviewers.
Simp
So he's relevant for a very short amount of time, then gets quickly outdated and cheap? I don't think so :/
NOT S CLASS BUT THE MAYBACH
He depreciates like a stone and has rust before hes 10 years old?
BoardShorts Edition
“If you were driving, you were driving- not drinking stuff” ...but a phonecall on the road is fine.
"Off cous' a buzinezman needs se fone!"
It was legal to do basically anything in the car while driving back then.
In Europe, cupholders weren't a thing. We don't have drive throughs and certainly noon would drink a coffee in the car from the cafe. Starbucks wasn't even a thing back then.
Martin Jones I know ~why~ its just funny with our modern context of literally outlawing phone calls and texting but not caring about eating and drinking.
That had a hands free option, have one in the 95 SL320 I've got
Thanks for another great video, thumbs up! Reg. that car, what happened so bad paint job was done? So many scratches and matt places on laque (specially back parts and boot trunk). This car would definitely deserve a new full coat
I used to have one of these and you didn't mention one of my favorite features - the power rear window sun shade!
I’m more excited for the Langonda Taraf video now... I like this new style of sprinkling in a snippet of what’s to come next.
@Munshat Rahman He could do it without showcasing the cars he will review soon...
I'm digging the subtle sneak peaks that he's been sneaking into these cars and bids intros. I wasn't paying too much attention but just caught that lagonda before it went off screen. Very interested in seeing that.
My all time favorite benz. When i was a valet i loved when this body S class would roll in. Felt like i was important just parking it.
14:35 it’s not an ‘after thaught’ cup holder, Mercedes had these glovebox cupholders since the W123 (or even before!)
The soft close doors used to cause problems for me. My dad's car doors were heavy but they'd soft close so u could kind of throw the door. My mom's E class though I always ended up slamming the door way to hard. 😂🤣
I remember the transition from the SEL class to this S class, this was like the most baller shit ever in the mid 90s
it‘s still a 500SEL. the name changing to S500L came later
There wasn't a transition, a "SEL" Class never existed, the S-Class name has been around since 1972.
The SEL was only to designate the so seek laser name, fuels injection and long wheel base. All the big premium car from Mercedes since the 70’s were all considered S classes.
Sonder (special) Einspritz (fuel injection instead of carb) Long wheel base
That generation and the 90s I think are timeless and will always be beautiful, at least to me.
my dads earlier 91 model I think had extra bits on compared to the 97 model. I think it had fold down door storage where you would put your elbow, which for new passangers was annoying as they went to close the door thinking it was a handle and it flipped open. The roller cover under the arm rest was in a wood finish and in the later one switched to leather too. amazing cars, I was like Soo Yung being driven to school every morning in it. (that's a cool Rush Hour movie reference).
I always wanted one of these, may still find one later down the road, even 2001 or so when the last one of this body style was built
Finally a W140 S Class review. I’ve been waiting for it for years.
Doug there are thousands of these cars around how'd you manage to pick the worst painted one
the S on the trunk is upside down
This IS addressed in the review.
He wasnt looking for an S Class with perfect painted exterior. He was looking for a car with a fully functional powered interior rear view mirror. One of the features that made me fall in love with S class Mercedes when i first seen it
Go on 24 min and you will hear why
Because he’s Doug Demuro. 😆
This alongside the W124 500E are my dream cars. So beautiful
I had the 1996 S600 V12. What a wonderful car! Boy, did I love my warranty!!! I now drive the Genesis G90 and find this just fine, though 15 years newer...
Mercedes Benz ❤❤❤❤
That S500 looks like it was bought from a shady used car dealer in Glendale, CA, complete with the salvage title. Don't you know bro?
Back when Benzes were actually reliable and built like tanks!
Yes exactly!
The good ole days
Back then most cars were built like tanks, now everything is tin foil
Ruben Braekman my 96 cummins ram 3500 has 384k, the body was made of (shit) sheeeeetmetal, but seems to never have been rust prevented. But the engine and frame still are going strong. The cummins is indestructable.
There was a line like that in Sin City, something about a particular Mercedes being from the days when that meant something.
My 95 s500 power rearview mirror still works actually I have the same exact set up as this 94
I always wanted one of these S classes
I remember reading a consumer magazine back in the days which had this car on it when it just came out with the headline that roughly translated to "a glimp of what options your car will have in 10 years"... Some of these options my car still doesn't have today.
That’s sort of the rule of thumb: if you want to know what your “normal” car will have in 10 years, look at the S-Class today.
its cool and all but those gadgets are gonna be a headache in long term. To be fair these days lot of people dont own car long enough so they need to pay for anything that breaks and it makes sense.
@@thedeaddonkey8018 Yeah, that's why a 10 year old S class is so cheap. Everything that was state of the art back then, is fairly dated now and likely to break.
@@stephans1990 just requires extra care
@@haggard1378 Extra care as in, you need to be a professional mechanic to be able to drive a car like this often. And even then, some parts will likely be hard or impossible to find. Although 3D printing might fix that issue in the near future.