As fate would have it – and she was kind in these instances - every one of the (three) W140 S-Classes (1992-1998) that I have driven were S320s; jet black on crème (lwb; 123 inches), white on gray (swb; 119 inches), and white on crème (swb; 116 inches).
The first of the 90s generation S-Class that I experienced was riding in the (pre-’96 update) S350 Turbodiesel; lackluster beige on parchment. For a young gear head and avid Mercedes enthusiast, it was an exciting moment even if the car did not have enough power to get out of its own way.
To put some perspective here, the previous generation (W126) 300SD and later 350SDL both weighed in at roughly 3,700 – 3,800 lbs. The portly W140 diesel broke the scales at an ungainly 4,400+ lbs with not much in terms of increased power output.
Similarly, the S320 sported a woefully under-ponied, but tried n’ true Mercedes straight-six (that was really meant for the manageable E320) whose output varied through the 90s between 215 – 228 bhp.
Again, the power to weight ratio did not favor the big Benz. Even under gentle throttle acceleration, the high strung, Five-Speed ZF-Automatic would let the revs shoot past 4,000 rpm before up-shifting. If the roadway started to undulate into hills, gear hunting became this transmission’s constant pursuit.
Throw a hill with a decent gradient before the S320 and the cruiser would lose steam fast. Still, the straight-six powerplant was a real trooper; seeming like a hardened mule that pulled hard under the frantic whipping of the transmission (and the driver’s right foot).
As a highway cruiser, the S320 did what all S-Class Mercedes-Benzes do best; it ate up miles of roadway comfortably and seemed serene at velocity.
And on the subject of cruising, the cruise control was the best in the pre-radar guided business. Perceptive and smooth, the electronic throttle control would adjust appropriately to match the gradient – no on/off throttling that is typical of most cruise controls today.
The S320 was a Benz full of great detail. That delicious 90s Benz leather smell – it’s quite different today.
Those soft closing doors (many have broken from ignorant door slammers) and trunks with disappearing chrome lip handles.
Pre-parktronic W140s had guiding wands that would rise like radio antennae from the either end of the trunk upon reversing and then slide silently home went shifting to D.
As for the shifter – classic gated Benz shifter that clicked into each gear solidly. It was a similarly comforting sensation that was akin to 1980s automatics that snapped into gear upon shifting from 2 to L.
Today’s Benz shifters are as buttery and incoherent as any Toyota's.
Those seats! The best in the business.
To this date I have yet to sit in more comfortable and supportive seats. They were voluminous, wide, tall, well padded, adjusted for lumbar, adjusted for lateral thigh support, and had little cloth catches between the console and the seat that ensured that you wouldn’t loose your spare change again.
The S320 was chastised by the automotive press and for the obvious reasons. Most remarked that it was “too much of a good thing,” and that it was as though someone took a W126 S-Class, let the pleats out, and permitted an average 600+ lbs weight increase over the corresponding model of the previous generation.
As an example, the flagship S600 weighed some 800 lbs heavier than the predecessor 560SEL.
Still, the S320 ranks as one of my favorites luxury cars. Despite the lack of power, the car cosseted and cruised as one would expect from an S-Class.
I shall remark more on this in The Drive.
The first of the 90s generation S-Class that I experienced was riding in the (pre-’96 update) S350 Turbodiesel; lackluster beige on parchment. For a young gear head and avid Mercedes enthusiast, it was an exciting moment even if the car did not have enough power to get out of its own way.
To put some perspective here, the previous generation (W126) 300SD and later 350SDL both weighed in at roughly 3,700 – 3,800 lbs. The portly W140 diesel broke the scales at an ungainly 4,400+ lbs with not much in terms of increased power output.
Similarly, the S320 sported a woefully under-ponied, but tried n’ true Mercedes straight-six (that was really meant for the manageable E320) whose output varied through the 90s between 215 – 228 bhp.
Again, the power to weight ratio did not favor the big Benz. Even under gentle throttle acceleration, the high strung, Five-Speed ZF-Automatic would let the revs shoot past 4,000 rpm before up-shifting. If the roadway started to undulate into hills, gear hunting became this transmission’s constant pursuit.
Throw a hill with a decent gradient before the S320 and the cruiser would lose steam fast. Still, the straight-six powerplant was a real trooper; seeming like a hardened mule that pulled hard under the frantic whipping of the transmission (and the driver’s right foot).
As a highway cruiser, the S320 did what all S-Class Mercedes-Benzes do best; it ate up miles of roadway comfortably and seemed serene at velocity.
And on the subject of cruising, the cruise control was the best in the pre-radar guided business. Perceptive and smooth, the electronic throttle control would adjust appropriately to match the gradient – no on/off throttling that is typical of most cruise controls today.
The S320 was a Benz full of great detail. That delicious 90s Benz leather smell – it’s quite different today.
Those soft closing doors (many have broken from ignorant door slammers) and trunks with disappearing chrome lip handles.
Pre-parktronic W140s had guiding wands that would rise like radio antennae from the either end of the trunk upon reversing and then slide silently home went shifting to D.
As for the shifter – classic gated Benz shifter that clicked into each gear solidly. It was a similarly comforting sensation that was akin to 1980s automatics that snapped into gear upon shifting from 2 to L.
Today’s Benz shifters are as buttery and incoherent as any Toyota's.
Those seats! The best in the business.
To this date I have yet to sit in more comfortable and supportive seats. They were voluminous, wide, tall, well padded, adjusted for lumbar, adjusted for lateral thigh support, and had little cloth catches between the console and the seat that ensured that you wouldn’t loose your spare change again.
The S320 was chastised by the automotive press and for the obvious reasons. Most remarked that it was “too much of a good thing,” and that it was as though someone took a W126 S-Class, let the pleats out, and permitted an average 600+ lbs weight increase over the corresponding model of the previous generation.
As an example, the flagship S600 weighed some 800 lbs heavier than the predecessor 560SEL.
Still, the S320 ranks as one of my favorites luxury cars. Despite the lack of power, the car cosseted and cruised as one would expect from an S-Class.
I shall remark more on this in The Drive.
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