If you think about it these three cars set the standard in Luxury/Performance and style for almost a decade...

Everyone has been trying to play catch up with the balance, handling and power of the E39. Everyone has also tried to match the supreme general build quality and reliable performance of the 2nd gen GS.

Its pretty amazing to think that these saloon cars were putting down perfomance #'s that came pretty close to C4/C5 Vetts and 993/996/ Boxter Porsches of the day.

I would also point out that it was in this generation that the E class AMG and M5 versions of the Benz and BMW really took off and set the bar for the Super Sedan market. I would say this was the first time they really took off from a sales point, especially in the US. Thanks in large part to a high demand created by our killer economy at the time.

I lusted after a 6spd 540 or M5 but I smartly used my money to buy a GS. I always felt the E class was more for older guys....

I am still convinced the GS will probably be the best all around car I will ever own.
The looks/stereo/seats/space/driving dynamics/reliability/prestiege ect...

You were truly lucky if you owned or spent considerable time in any of these three cars.

Especially in V8 form....

 

I'm a big fan of the E39 and GS. E39 was a good combo of sport and luxury while the GS was good at keeping you isolated.

 

holy 5 year thread bump, batman...

great cars!

 

Considering how over built the W124 was, the W21 felt so cheaply built.

 

I definitely think these three cars were the best of their time. I still prefer the E39 and second generation GS over the newer versions.

 

I agree with this. Though I do not have any experience with these cars when they were new, I always thought of them as the beginning of the crappily built Mercedes, the one of the earlier steps away from their legendary over-engineered past.

 

I voted in this 5 year old thread

 

Love the GS and the 5er, but the E class of that generation was ugly, boring, vanilla, blah, downright nasty. I pretty much hate it.

 

Yes all three are luxury sedan classics

 

Yes, all solid lux cars back then. I have 3 friends that still owned 1 of each until 2010 (MB was sold then), and all have given years of pleasurable driving. But the BMW has been in nearly constant state of repair both while in warranty and after (of course). The other 2 cars have been much more reliable. The paint on the similar vintage Lex and MB has also held up much better.

Nice flashback thread.

 

GS: The car to have in the late 90s early 2000s. One of the most admirable Lexus in it's day. Thanks to it's design it's still relative today.

Bimmer: Great design but not as relative today as the GS. Superb handling with the available manual tranny. Not reliable as Lex but it's cheaper than a 2GS and can be made to a track car. Serious business design

E-class: Looks old even when new . Interior is inferior to the GS and Bimmer. And I'm sure reliability is just as bad as a BMW.

In this class generation I believe the GS was the most important car in this segment