Used 1997 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Consumer Reviews
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ultimate motoring
Vehicle was purchased Starmarked from dealer -- in excellent shape with 27k miles. Has been an excellent driving experience, especially on the highway. Very easy to exceed speed limits because car is totally quiet, smooth and has unprecedented power reserve for accelerating, even at high speeds. Car has suffered very high depcreciation since purchase.
Riding deep for cheap
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)
- S500 SedanMSRP: $18,995565 mi away
- S320 SWB SedanMSRP: $14,900630 mi away
- S320 LWB SedanMSRP: $7,9951,175 mi away
Style and Class-The S class
Finest S class I have owned, and it's been a great car, EXCEPT for the transmission problem. Had it rebuilt once, and acting up again, so now I'll trade it in. Too bad, otherwise I'd be driving it another 5 years. Had my other s class Mercedes 10 years for one and 11 years for another. Great car otherwise.
1996 S500 Coupe
- Smoke Silver with a Creme Beige interior, showroom condition - Starmarked and in perfect condition - New MXV4s and new Artic Alpines - Integrated Nokia phone system
My Last Mercedes
This was the car that turned a certified car nut like myself into someone who just wants cheap transportation. I bought this car new and in the first year had over $10K of warranty work . . . I finally sold it after 12 months and bought a Volkswagen! A partial list: engine torn down to replace timing chains due to constant whine, transmission slip shifting, rattles, radio not connected at the factory, temperature sensor intermittent, damaged paint, and finally, the total arrogance of the factory zone reps!
Ageless
Well this is my third w140 s class, this one is a 1997 s420 with only 235k pampered miles and it still gives me a great feeling to get in and drive. My wife's car is an 05 s500 4matic, and I would much rather be in the 97! We've owned several other Mercedes styles,but the w140 is the best of the best! Half way do the maintenance and they'll run forever. Once you spend time in one you will not want anything else! ENJOY!
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Road King!
W140 chassis or 1992 to 1999 S class is the most over engineered Benz to date with over a $1 Billion investment on design and safety and most comfortable ride, head turner road owner and especially S500 being the most trusted V8 5.0 engine in Benz history. The only car to rival this king is the short lived brother 1995 S350 turbo diesel inline 6( i know with the rod bender and all but by 1995 model that issue was fixed) and personally i own both models 1992 300sd (300.000 miles currently) and 1997 S500 ( 65.000 miles and a gift from my Brother ) and both are awesome on their way. Mr Benz, Mr Maybach and Mr Diesel should go down in history as Car Gods for inventing and giving us such a wonderful creations.
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Marquis
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.
The last rock-solid S-Class
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!
Don't buy this car!
My 1997 S420 is the worst car I have ever owned! I bought it with 80,000 miles on it and now have 160,000 on it. I have a lot of problems with it. The engine is good and everything but the trim on the doors was coming off, the rear passenger side window doesn't work, the soft-close door/trunk feature doesn't work anymore, the A/C isn't as cold as it use to be, and the brakes squeak very loudy although they were replaced. The black paint is starting to show its age and rust. The front springs are squeaking and need to be replaced too. Everyone else that owns this car doesn't have these problems so maybe I got the bad apple of the bunch. I do like how solid and fast this car is at high speeds.