The C140 is a 2 door version of the W140. This is my experience having owned the sedan and now the coupe.

 

Do you keep both of them or referring to "now the coupe" seems like you sold the W140, do you ever miss the W140 for any reason? ( except being a 4 door, more space etc etc )

 

My understanding is that it's just a big soft GT car like all the other SEC's and CL's out there.

The real upside is that the C140 might not have the same cooling issues of your 320.

 

Evaporator and Blower Regulators you mean I had heard of that or read about it dont remember.

I dont have space in the garage for 3 cars and I seem to be drooling for the C140 while on the other hand dont want to sell my W140 either. I am pretty lost

 

Taz:

The coupe is a sportier version of the sedan. It's shorter, but for two people, very roomy. Not as practical as the sedan of course, but if you don't have to travel with more than two, you're good.

In some ways, the coupe is even more appealing than the sedan. A surprising feature is the 'gift' of a seatbelt each time you start the car up. Since there's no 'B' pillar, there's an arm that extends out and hands you the seat belt each time you start it up, than dutifully returns to a rear console. Make sure you say 'thank you!' each time that happens.

There's also more wood, like along the side door rails, where the latch is. And the back seat is suited only for two-place seating, so there's a rear center console that's all wood.

All-in-all, the sedan is more of a practical car, while the coupe is a very stylish one that will be a fun car for two.

Enjoy!

 

In my opinion the coupe doesnt ride any different then the sedan. If you think its more of a sportier ride think again cuz its only a few inches shorter but weighs more and has 2 less doors....

 

Must be all that extra welding etc to make the car stiff without a B pillar.

 

Hi,

Havent been in the W140 for a few years but remember just as impressed with the performance and comfort as I am with the Coupe.

Unless you have frequent need of the extra seats then I would drive the C140 any day.

Best of luck!
Shane

 

Hi all,

Actually i love the Coupe Body, because i love big cars, so thats the best big Coupe cars, but i hate the HeadLights, they look so Ugly, i wish it had the Same Sedan HeadLight, they look Awesome,

Else than that, i love the sedan more, because i love big cars, Knowing that i am 29 years old not married and weight about 66 Kg, so i look like i stole my dadys car when i drive it

Even Cops think i am driving without License

 

Thanks for all of the replies:thumbsup:

 

If you would all be kind enough may I ask a few more questions regarding reliability:

1) M104 vs M119

2) Electric Components

3) Suspension ( Non Adjustable vs Adjustable )

4) Transmission ( 722.5 vs 722.6 )

Thank You Very Very Much.

 

Nice thread revival.

I'd like to know the answers to some of your questions as well.

I like the styling of the coupe better but there is no aftermarket for it like there is for the w140 sedan.

Harder to find parts for it ect.

Might as well get a SL class (R129) I say though if you'd go with a coupe. It all depends. I like all of them I'd be happy with any of these models.

 

If you want luxury get the saloon..In my opinion the coupe is too big although it has the luxury it's still a coupe which means it's suppose to be a sports car yet it lacks the sporty performance. Get a different benz coupe if you can. CLK 430 amg etc

 

for as identical as they are yes, the coupes are a little rougher on road feel.

the sls is really a once every 100k (if not more) item. i wouldnt trade it for the standard one because it is just cool thing to have in a car.

all the .5 .6 .3 will fail eventually. 5 and 3 lose reverse, 6 destroys itself completely for no reason.

as far as getting a custom one built up though, .6 has way more options and you can achieve that bulletproof zone with it

drivability wise, 5 speed, hill control etc make it a winner in my book

 

Here goes nothing; I had been drooling for a CL / S Coupe for a very very long time now and including this post I may have posted similar threads trying to understand the similarities and differences between the W140 and C140.

This week I acquired a 1997 CL 500 from a friend of mine as a test-car, he was planning to sell the car and I postponed his plans for a while and asked him if he would be kind enough to give me some time to consider it and he agreed.

Model year 1997, general condition pretty good, its midnight blue ( it actually reminded me of a BMW color called techno-violet, its close to purple than blue, changes color in the light ) in color with gray leather seats and has around 60.000 miles on the clock.

Reading about a car is one thing but having one at your own disposal is another, same case for pictures, I always imagined it would look more sporty but having it parked next to the W140 gives you the real deal, its not even close to a sporty look, its humongous. Walking around and admiring the tempting design is another story

As a maniac who cant even stand dust which is barely visible on my current silver car the midnight blue is a bit risky choice for me, I may have to wash and wax the car continuously but still the combination goes really well with the gray leather seats.

You open the door and just like the W140 a very unique environment awaits you but the windows distracted me a bit, the doors are so huge without the frame which you get used to with other cars it wobbles like mad, I was like "oh oh, here is the first sign that I may need more window motor work", if you ask me how I came to this assumption I had a lot of problems with my E 36 M3, especially the adjustment of up downs every time you open and close the door.

I have nothing to add than saying interior is magical as the W140 but the missing hood ornament felt a bit weird.

As for driving impressions; to be honest I thought it would be a lot better but I think it feels exactly like a BMW E31 8 Series, huge engine but not really sporty in character, if I lived in Germany and had the autobahn s at my disposal I am sure it would be a lot fun indeed but it didnt really excite me at all, off course the engine is nothing like the M104 but I doubt anything else would be able to get that car moving anyways.

I dont know if the car comes with 18" wheels but this one had 18, it felt a little rough but to keep the car on its track I think its mandatory to have at least 18 inches.

Cabin was a bit more noisy, maybe due to window seals, maybe door locks, I am not sure.

My own conclusion; it was not what I had expected, I dont even really know what I was expecting but I guess I like the 4 Door better, I wish I had a bigger engine but as for the rest W140 is enough for me

Oh by the way, dear fellow CL / S Coupe owners please dont get this posting the wrong way, its a great car, I may even purchase it but now I am not drooling for it, I posted this reply as an experience to share thats all.

Cheers.

 

Hey Taz:

The coupe is a different animal from what you've driven in the past, simply put.

There is more in comparison with the Bentley Coupe than the BMW, so your point of reference is off. Probably because you've not driven a Bentley Coupe. Remember, the W140 has more in common with a 1990's era Bentley or RR than it does with a BMW, which is better compared with the E-Class.

I was out with the coupe the other night and had it up to 140 mph on a deserted stretch of otherwise wide open highway and it was like riding a magic carpet. I took it up a stretch of gently curving back road, hitting 83 mph within a quarter mile between stop lights. The thing is an absolute gas to drive, it handles the stresses of the paces I put it through with ease and, get this: dead quiet. No squeeks, no hiccups, no inconvenient belching. It just glides.

Maybe because I just had it waxed, no doubt.

If you want a classy backdrop to drive by, try putting Wagner's classical 'Ride of Valkyries' on the CD or tape and you'll have the proper frame of reference to properly enjoy the drive.

But think of the W140 as a closer relative to the RR or Bentley than a pedestrian BMW or Audi.

 

I havent driven a Bentley but I did drive a 2001 RR Seraph Park Ward 5.4, it was an interesting experience. As for the animal, the only animal I had was the E39 M5 but that was a nervous animal, CL feels much better and steady, I mean you feel more confident when driving it.

The cabin noise I had mentioned is mostly likely due to dry window seals, at least thats how it sounded like, a quick lube with Berner or Wurth silicone could solve the problem.

As I had said, I might purchase the car, I am still thinking over it, I was mostly thrilled with the engine, I think if my car was an S500 I could have been much more fulfilled.

If I end up buying the CL, I have to consider which to keep cause I dont have space left in the garage and I might grow an ulcer trying to clean and wax 3 cars to showroom condition all year long LOL Its either the 911 and W140 or 911 and C140.

Maybe I should seek a newer S Class ( 1996-1999 ) preferably a 500 or a 600, it could be another option.

Dont Know

 

600 case closed LOL

 

LOL Good Point but that would be something like buying a GSXR-1100 as your first motorcycle, maybe I should slowly move on starting out with the 500, oh that doesnt mean if I find a better 600 I would not consider it, I might but not my priority

 

Let me try to help you out with this simple fact:

MB keeps parts for all its cars forever. Period.

I had the first BMW 733i, the original shark-nosed 7-series, and I loved that car, it was beautiful and had a stick shift. Black exterior, candy-apple red leather interior, the classic Teutonic color combo. Buying it new in 1978, I kept that car for as long as I could get replacement parts for it. But after only 15-or so years, they discontinued parts for it and I got really pissed off, and jumped to MB/other brands.

Those rubber seals on the S500?? You can order them today and have them for the car by next Tuesday. No kidding.

And that's key for me.

 

MB keeps parts for all its cars forever. Period.

That could be true but whats important to me is the "general availability" of the parts in the market as whole, not available only through dealers.

This was the sole reason I gave up trying to restore a R107 and moved on to Porsche, "we dont have it", "nope", "sorry" those were the general replies I got from retailers across the globe, as for dealers they said they just might be able to get the parts but couldnt give me a deadline time for their arrival. As for the pricing its beyond the mind can handle, I mean something like USD 600 for a tail light lens, give me a break.

Oh well, I dont want to get into another missunderstanding with you like the other posts, you may be correct when comparing MB to other rivals regarding part availability but MB is no saint either.

 

speaking of busas i have an r1 that was bored and stroked to 1306cc's at only 366 dry weight. i eat busas for breakfast lunch dinner and snacks! We clocked her at 204mph with more in her but we ran out of road!

 

I don't see how picking between the sedan vs the coupe is like going from a 500 to a 1k bike.
The throttle response between the two is nowhere close between the c600 vs sel600 and the risk of crashing is not thats hight- you're on 4 wheels, you can brake while turning and it won't tip over.
I think getting the coupe even if it's a v12 would be one of the safest choices. I don't think the car is as fast as most V8 coupes even are.. and most of 'em lack luxury big time.

Getting the cl600 vs sel600 is like getting the MV Agusta 1000R vs the R1 on the motorcycle world. Same motor, different look, one more rare than the other

 

Bump.

MY96 S600 with ADS vs MY97 CL600 with ADS.

C140 doors make the W140 doors fell like a toy and they are THICK and LONG making getting in and out when parked next to a car or object much more "different" vs a W140.

Being 8 inches shorter in wheelbase but 50kg heavier the C140 does rock noticeably more fore/aft over undulations, acceleration & braking. It's not obvious but it is apparent.

C140 no star on the hood means no hood length reference which takes some getting used to vs the W140.

Taking care not to break the seatbelt extenders & explaining it to every new passenger is a chore for daily driving a C140. New replacement arm is $504 AUD retail here, yes one of mine has already been broken.

C140 rear tail light globes are on hinged sub-panels vs W140 fixed panels & carpet covers.

MY97 CL600 has trunk carpets the same colour & type of carpet as the interior vs the MY96 S600 trunk carpets being a dark grey crappy plasticy carpet.

C140 is styled much more subtly & flies under the radar vs a W140 which is imposing no matter the ride height or wheel choice.

C140 shorter length is not trivial for parallel parking, or all parking for that matter which is quite a bit easier. W140 feels like a full length limo haha.

Edit: I've been daily driving a C140 for 5 weeks but am looking forward to going back to a W140 for daily duties, mostly due to the doors & seatbelt and most of the time parking is a non-issue for me.

 

I agree on most everything Joe. I warn any new passenger about the seat belt extenders so I have had no problems there. As for handling, my CL600 has ADS. There is a frontage road by our airport that has a 90 degree right hand change of direction. I can take that at 60 MPH with no qualms, pitches or panic. I suppose if I keep increasing the speed, I will eventually fly off the road onto the runway! My ride quality is not the greatest since the original owner fitted it out with 20 inch Lorinser wheels. Don't get me wrong, at speed there is absolutely quiet in the cabin. One can only hear the click click of the pavement seams. There is virtually no wind noise. My best (and last) car ever.
Anziani

 

I find the difference between the sedan and the coupe is:

The sedan is a high-quality drive for more than one person, ie: family car or for clients.

The coupe is a personal car, also very high quality, meant for the driver and an occasional passenger, but it is a high level personal car for a driver who appreciates a high quality build and the engineering that goes with it.

Either choice is a good one!

 

"The sedan is a high-quality drive for more than one person."
"The coupe is a personal car."

Very much so. Nailed it.

 

And the Coupe is the "Shark"
The Sedan is the "Whale"

 

.......or the sedan is the aircraft carrier while the coupe acts as a destroyer flicking around her flanks!
Anziani

 

I used to have a C140 600, loved it. Then I had kids and now I have a W140 600.

I still wanted a S600 but needed more practically. The biggest difference other than the aforementioned weight/length was that I went from a 94 to a 98. The 98 is also on 18” rims and is much more responsive to drive as well as having improved fuel economy which was a bonus.

Funny thing is I use the S124 more for running around town and going to the beach as I refuse to get the W140 to dirty!

 

Those of us who have had a 140 for any length of time quickly realize what a wonderful car this is.

I have a few other cars, including new ones, and I find myself reverting back to the 140, in either coupe or sedan format. I just had the interior wood refurb’d by Madera Concepts in one of my 1999’s and it is just a phenomenal car. Even with 135k miles on the clock, it still is a favorite of mine.