In the past 3 weeks I have been dreaming about getting a MB w140.I have been hovering around the MB forums and wanted to know the most reliable among the S classes.I know I don't want the w220, but I would love the w140, paint it and shove 24s underneath it.I am pretty much done with my LS and all the MODS but I am thinking about getting an s320,420 or the 500.Tying to figure out which one is durable.I have been watching them on Utube and I am going crazy.I don't really like MB except the older S class.



Secondly, you guys think it would be too RICE to have a sticker on my backwindshield either saying CLUBLEXUS.COM or CELSIUS.I think I spelled celsius wrong.

 

you are in a lexus forum so we are all biased towards them! but i do like the older s-classes. i've heard to stay away from the s500 models and above due to wiring/electrical issues, but what do i know. i'm a happy LS400 owner!

and rice is relative to sticker size, color, and placement on top of content. i think it can be tastefully done. and it's celsior!

 

a CELSIUS sticker would be so cool!

 

A CL sticker on an MB would be a bit funny. Might draw the wrath of a MB owner though.

 

could be SO HOT too, depends on the degree

OP: if you get yourself to a sanctioned meet you could snag a real ClubLexus decal I was giving them out at the last few CL meets I went to. Big ClubLexus meets in your area may have moderators handing out decals.

A celsior decal would be tacky imho, since either you have lexus badging all over the car, or the oem celsior badges installed (and it becomes redundant) lol.

 

Where can I order a "clublexus" decal from?I have a paypal account.

 

you can't, they aren't sold.

distributed at meets only at this time.

 

Oh, Yes, Timmy.
I am the one who had a bad experience with wiring/electrical issues of S500 owned by my brother in law. Look at photos below. He and I had a hard time fixing this.

I am happy not to own a S500 but own a Celsior. My brother encounters serious problems every year but I almost don't. What I do most are just preventive measures to keep my Celsior long.

He and I have fixed the harness replacing all the wires using Toyota wires. His S500's engine main harness and the throttle body harness are as reliable as Toyota cars now.

The connector of the main engine harness. You can see how they are flaked and deteriorated.


All the wires replaced. He and I said,"What a mess when we saw these!"

 

Those wires look really-REALLY BAD
You guys put some work into that to fix.

 

The w123 chassis is generally reguarded as the most reliable mercdes chassis ever built. The diesels are obviously the most reliable of the bunch but they are utterly gutless. If I were you I would look for a turbo deisel s class.

 

I certainly wouldn't use the word reliable to describe the W123 that I drove from new to 210,000 miles. It was on it's third engine when I "donated" it to the Lexus dealer when I bought a new LS400 in early 1990 - that's a much younger me in the attached photo taken on the day I dumped it. The two replacement engines were full Mercedes factory rebuilt "caged" engines that were installed by two different Mercedes dealers. The first replacement engine lasted barely 15,000 miles.

My Mercedes had minor panel replacements and lots of paint work due to rusting - rusted through below the front bumper by 50,000 miles. The Mercedes organization apparently understood the rust problems since replacement body panels were essentially free. Couple the rust problems with collapsed front seat cushions, severely cracked dash top, transmission problems, interior parts warping from summer heat, repeated fuel injector replacement and incompetent dealer service .... I could go on and on.

As bad as my Mercedes experiences were, if I found an ultra low mileage 1998 W140 S600 with the super rare 4-place interior package and had an open garage space .... well, who knows. But I would leave it original and not ghetto it out with oversize wheels.

 

I am about to forget about the S class.It is scary what I read on benzworld.Ac problem that requires the whole dash to come out and costing a whole $1500 in labor.The airmatic problems to the ignition wiring and the pump that controls the auto doors and the side mirrors.Scary stuff on their site and on you tube.

 

I have removed any mention to clublexus decals, if you areinterested in them you should post in the site suggestions forum here. We do not sell CL decals, and usually the only way to get them is by attending local meets in your area with moderators who may be handing them out.

no further decal discussion in this thread please.

 

holy bad wiring on the mercs! i do see lots of similarities between lexus and MB in engineering. i can see that lexus as copied a few things but at the same time, perfected them in the process.

 

My moms 2006 SL500 MB with only 12,000 miles has had more issues and been more times at the shop than my 92 LS with 180,000 in the past 3 years. With that being said.... Lexus >MB