1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review
Fuel Economy
14 - 18 mpg
Consumer Ratings & Reviews
Riding deep for cheap
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 7 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 9 |
| Fuel Economy: | 6 | Exterior Design: | 7 | ||
Vehicle
1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 Dr S600 Sedan
Review
What a car and such a bargain! A one owner car purchased for $125,000 (no misprint) less than sticker. It runs great, fuel mileage is good for a 5,000lb. car, and so far it has been bullet-proof reliable. If you want a great car, this is the ultimate. Just beware that when it needs repair, make sure you use your AMEX card because you will exceed your credit limit with any other card (S600 parts are very expensive)
Favorite Features
12 cylinders, vault-like build quality, only other S-Class owners know what it really is.
Suggested Improvements
Who cares, it's 12 years old!
MB S600
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 Dr S600 Sedan
Review
A fabulous car from 13 years the date I bought and still feels and looks new. It is a great car with great power of 12 cylinders. I love this car. I bought a new 2008 Lexus and I had to do some repairs after 6 months, but the Mercedes I had nothing to do but the checkups every year
Favorite Features
Love interior, power, and everyhing
Suggested Improvements
No needed improvements
The last rock-solid S-Class
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 7 | Build Quality: | 9 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 7 |
| Fuel Economy: | 5 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 Dr S420 Sedan
Review
This car replaced my '84 300SD which I lost in an accident. But having saved my life, I wanted another Mercedes S-Class and decided to try a W140 chassis. It is built like a bank vault and still has all of the hallmarks of a true Mercedes Benz (before the Chrysler merger). It has not been without problems (oil tappet pipe replaced, central locking pump, lower oil pan seal, control arm bushings, steering damper to name a few). But this is a 12 year old car w/ 144K miles. Any automobile that old and with that kind of mileage is going to need attention. So overall, I recommend this car to any Mercedes lover. With proper care and feeding (and a nice "rainy day" fund), you will enjoy it!
Favorite Features
Remote trunk release, rear sun shade, rear head rests, lumbar supports, express windows on all 4 windows, Bose sound system w/ Alpine CD changer, multi-way adjustable front seats, the bank vault construction and feel of a Mercedes
Suggested Improvements
Use better/thicker leather. The leather has a tendency to dry out and crack very easily. Other than that, don't change a thing to the W140
Fun but Expensive to Maintain
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 4 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 4 |
| Fuel Economy: | 6 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 Dr S420 Sedan
Review
This is a beautiful car both interior and exterior and the perfect size for a family of 6-plus footers. It is powerful and drives wonderfully particularly on the highway. Be sure to get a warranty though because lots of things tend to go wrong and when they do they are expensive to fix. The engineering seems to be more complicated than necessary which makes any repairs expensive. Next car will probably be Japanese. Had an Acura before this and it went 9 years and besides regular maintenance it never went to the shop.
Favorite Features
Interior space and appointments.
Suggested Improvements
Reengineer for reliability. Dont make things so complicated to repair.
Marquis
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 9 |
| Fuel Economy: | 7 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 Dr S500 Sedan
Review
When I bought the vehicle used, the previous owner did not take care of all the maintenance that was supposed to be taken care of. Despite that, I put money into all the maintenance that was supposed to be done, and it drives like a dream. The drive before the maintenance was nice, however now, it really drives like I expected.
Favorite Features
I like the fact that I can hit my keyless remote on the car to roll up the windows.
Suggested Improvements
A remote that can be further away from the vehicle.
2 out 2 people found this review helpful
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