Yep - 500CE is a possible option.

"I don't think the W220 is even designed to run without all them electronics"

A stepper motor is a stepper motor. Sure you can kick out the CAN bus controller boards in windows, seats, sun-roof etc. The main problem is that they want to turn a simple task such as operating a window up-down into a complex central-computer controlled CAN BUS local PCB nightmare.

Inside the door of any car it will on regular basis get wed or very humid when you operate the windows in rainy whether or simply in rainy whether, or on temperature changes - thus not a place for a sensitive CAN equipped PCB board. Secondly microcontroller electronics has very short MTBF compared to discrete electronics.

Could be interesting to see the overview chart of the electrical modules system, this will tell you which parts of the car can be disconnected and which cant. Bottom line is that its all mechanical, which can be operated by a computer or by discrete electronics.

 

In reference into the stepper motor.

Oh I get what you are saying now. Okay, maybe you can solve the MBZs electrical problems. And when you do, send a letter to em telling em how you did it so they can learn from it.

 

hahaha which I could ( had the time ).

Anyway there are no problems to solve for MB, they just have to look at how they did it in the old series like the W124

 

yeah.

 

Anyway

Quite keen on the W220 S500, no wait - have been in love with the W220 since it was introduced, I will give it a second try.

Making a full desk research and statistics on the problems posted on the web on this car. Perhaps vast amount of posts with minor problems and repetition of same the problems makes it look worse than it realy is ?

Main problem is clearly the Airmatic, but if you replace the compressor relay each year, and inspect the system on regular basis + if you know the symptoms before it gets real expensive - this could be a good walk around.

Second, dash board PCB tends to enter the second place on the list, however this can be solved by a soldering ion and a removel tool for the dash-board, replacing the power transistors.

So lets see - perhaps things isnt as bad as they look ?

I will for sure keep you posted.

 

The 124 is the best you can get for reliability. I had mine stolen to order from E. Europe or Thailand as have many other folk in W. Europe. They are from the era before real mass market mass production when MB cared and the crooks know this well. Get the standard 6cyl 300 petrol or possibly the diesel if diesel is cheap fuel where you are. The smaller engines are underpowered, less reliable and were made as a compromise; the larger (e.g. 320) they made far fewer of, are not as provenly reliable and parts will be harder to get.
MB made millions of 124 300s over many years, so you should never have any problems getting parts and many shops know how to fix them, if you should ever need this.
The Germans themselves swear by them. Taxi drivers all over the world use them. Some Turkish taxi driver was quoted on a European MB advert after he did 1m miles in his.
They are powerful enough for most needs and luxurious enough to be no disgrace.
The S class has way too much electronics to be truly reliable. Something (albeit usually minor) will often be going wrong and just be a nuisance to fix. I am sure the 140 was a better engineered and built series than the 220 or recent versions, but if you go for a 124 from the early 90s, you should be fine.
Regards

 

Yep - the W124 ( and the W126 ) are build like a tank, my present MB is a W201, I could use the more trunk space in a W124 - but not that important that I will seperate me from the loyal 190E 2.6 which have served me for 11 years.

 

i loved my 124 diesel. best car i ever owned. i really enjoy my 126 500sel too, but the 124 had fewer problems and a lot more miles. trunk space is about the same between the two because of the 126 fuel tank placement, and i think the 124 actually had taller quarter panels in the rear, giving it even more trunk space.

id buy both of these cars again. i also am partial to the 115/116 diesels. just got one that doesnt run, but its exceedingly easy to work on, ive got an engine swap done on it in under a week with no shop and a severe lack of tools. you really cant kill the diesels, this one doesnt run because the last owner drove cross country with no antifreez. im really impressed with it so far though, i rode in it while my buddy pulled me with a truck, and it rides just about as well as my 126, and slightly better than the 124, in my opinion.

as someone said before though, no matter what mercedes you decide on, you will love it, and will probably tire of it before it needs major service. good luck in your search.