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S600/CL600 reliability?

6K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  jcmbz 
#1 ·
I'm somewhat-seriously in the market for a car to replace my 560SEL... The 560 is an outstanding automobile, even more so now since it just had $15k worth of work done on it last summer...

...But (there's always a butt, isn't there? [;)]) it's just not as fast as I'd like. I'd also like something that gets better gas mileage, but that's not really *that* important (or I wouldn't be considering a 600...)

Basically what I want to know is how reliable the W140 600s are. I'm 19, this is going to be my only car, and I need something that isn't going to leave me stranded in the school parking lot once a month or whatever. Minor electrical bugs like power seats that won't move aren't a big deal... I have to deal with those now. I just need to be sure that, like I said, the cars aren't prone to having major problems (read: anything that would make it undriveable) on a regular basis.

Also, how much more expensive to maintain are they than the W126s? I don't think they'd be all that much more, but...

Oh, and if you're curious, the other cars I'm thinking about are:
-an E36 BMW M3
-an older Audi S4 (one of the ones with the biturbo 2.7L V6)
-a C43
-an E500/500E (one of the old ones that Porsche had a hand in, not the new one)
-a W210 E55 (not likely)
-an E39 BMW M5 (not likely)
-a Porsche 944 Turbo, older 911 Turbo, or 928 (not likely)
-a Ferrari 400i (though I need to check prices on those... I know the 328s/308s are fairly cheap and I think the 400is are as well, but I'm not sure about that)
-an Acura NSX

And I'm open to other suggestions as well.. (yes, I realize this portion would be better off in the OT forum, but since I'm posting here anyhow...) basically what I'm looking for is something that's:
-relatively fast; mid 14s 1/4s or faster, preferably mid 13s

-rear wheel drive (the S4 gets an exception because of its tuning potential). I'll consider awd if the car has other compelling features, but fwd is completely out of the question

-fairly inexpensive... <$30k at most, <$20k would be better

-reliable

-not significantly more expensive to maintain than the 560

-not an American car; there are a few exceptions to that, but none of them are made by Ford (ANY division), Chevy, or Cadillac. Mopar, Olds, Pontiac, and Buick I'm open to suggestions on...

//EDIT
Forgot, I'm most interested in the 1996+ 600s because I'd rather have a 5 speed auto...
 
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#2 ·
anybody? My grandparents had a '94 S500 and that was in many ways a better car than either of their W220s (a 500 and a 600) but I want to make sure that I can expect the same kind of reliability from a 140 600...
 
#3 ·
Well, if you're looking for cars that are inexpensive to maintain, stay away from the W140 V-12's! The 560SEL is easy and cheap to maintain compared to the 600s. There are so many more moving parts, more things that could potentially go wrong and every part is a minimum of a $1000 (At least that what it seems like for my 93 500SEL) Don't get me wrong, the V12 600 Mercedes are amazing cars, and you can buy them pretty cheap, but once you have one, make sure you have another 100% of the purchase price to cover the maintenance, repairs, gas, and of course the increase in insurance!
Ferrari's are the same way, except even more expensive! The 308s and 328s are great looking, extremly fast cars, but they too are way too expensive to maintain! Tires on a Ferrari only last about 10,000 miles, and the oil needs to be changed every 2,500 miles at $400+ a pop!! In my opinion, if you're looking to get some increased speed and a reliable car for a reasonable price, check out the 1985 Porsche 944 Turbo, the 1986 Porsche 911 930 Turbo, a ZR-1 Corvette (although American, cheap to fix, reliable, and FAST), or even an older BMW M3. I would suggest the 1997 - 1999 Jaguar XJR but Jags are probably the most unreliable cars on the planet!
Anyway, the W140 V-12s are great, but a lot of people have had some problems with them, and others have had none. The decision is yours, just offering my opinion...I hope it helps! [:D]
 
#4 ·
"inexpensive to maintain" is a relative term [:p]

Parts for the 560 range from "not too expensive" to "ridiculous" (e.g. almost $1k per camshaft) and i'd expect the same from the 600s... and being DOHC 48 valve V12s, there's certainly a lot more to go wrong...

the question is simply how often things go wrong, and whether the parts are significantly more expensive than the 560...

The interesting thing about Ferraris is that my dad knew someone who had an older ('70s/early '80s) Ferrari and he claimed that it was the most reliable car he'd ever owned... Stuff like oil changes I'll do myself if I have to. It's things like the valve job i had done on the 560 that i won't do myself.

The M3 is a possibility... I mentioned a 944 Turbo to my mechanic and he said that they're great cars but if they haven't been meticulously maintained they can be even more of a money pit than the 560s can be... All of the C4 corvettes are out of the question because of their utterly retarded digital/semi-digital dashboard. An early C3 (1969-1971) might work if I can find one in decent condition... dunno how expensive those are either tho (haven't looked).
 
#5 ·
The 140s are great cars but they are money pits, the 560s were built so long most of the issues were ironed out. I would suggest a very late one, but dont try and make a rocket out of it, the asr will kick in as soon as the tires spin. If you abuse it you will pay! Its an executive cruiser!
 
#6 ·
560SEL is slow when you compare with the V12, the US model only have 238HP and you know how heavy the W126 are....(i really love the sound when you closing the door)

the V12 is amazing, i never abuse it and i always keep the rpm under 2500....
gas isnt that bad too..about 10-15% more than a S500
 
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