Well why not? It seems that if you have a large family or are in the business of transporting customers and friends then a 560 is definatly a good choice for the every day car. One must remember that as an everyday car maintanace must be first and formost. Oil, transmission fluid, brakes, tires/balance, alignment and the likes will really help to keep the beast afloat.
I have found that even with a 560 Mercedes Benz there is still not enough room for everyone. With car seats installed the third passenger gets to straddle the driveline hump. I must admit the driver is almost always in total comfort no matter what . The passenger isnt doing any worse. I have never had to sit on the hump but now that I have said that I am sure a story about how comfortable the hump really is, will follow.
One of the great things about a 560 is the hydrolic suspension that automaticly lifts the rear of the vehicle to compensate for additional passengers and pay load. I use the term payload becuase usually passengers indicates large suitcases, golf clubs and the likes of some serious weight in addition to themselves. The feel while driving a fully loaded Mercedes Benz is like no other that I have ever experenced. Most cars you WILL feel a sag or load on the back while driving, but with the 560's hydrolic load level system you can be bombing 85 down the express way hitting bumps and back end virtly makes you feel like you could add several more passengers. Its truly an experience and one that I am grateful to have had the pleasue of expencing. Its incredable that the more passengers you add the smoother it feels, almost like the Mercedes-Benz 560 begs for more passengers and rewards you for it.
Another thing that I have been most happy with is the tremendous amounts of power. While not set up to be a performance/sports car it does shine when applied at the propper angle. Most occupants of a Mercedes Benz would be appauled by a stop light squeeling of the tires but would feel comfort in the speed while overtaking that a drunken Volvo truck driver on the high way. In motion passing power is what the 560 was made for. It almost seems that with the rubber driveline flex disc that are in line from the transmission to the differential it almost acts like a sling shot when you torque them up. If you think about it and just how a sling shot works you would realize this is what makes the Mercedes-Benz W126 feel like no other car.
One of the down sides to a large V8 luxury car is the amount of fuel that it will consume. When driving the 560 you must also factor in that she will only drink but the finest of fuel. You can easily spend $50-$100 a week in gas to get anywhere between 200-400 miles. You just have to suck it up and realize that this aint no time to question your decision to buy a top of the line luxury barge. Fill it up and shut it up. No one cares because you drive a Mercedes and should have to pay. The sooner you come to accept it the sooner you can start enjoying your Mercedes to its potential. I used to pay $4.00 a gallon for turbo blue when I was racing my 1991 Ford Mustang 5.0 so I have been well conditioned for such a situation. And if you think the gas mileage is bad on a Mercedes then you must not be into motorsports.
Another wonderfull thing about driving a Mercedes is that it always seems to draw attention. While almost every lower class Mercedes driver will turn thier nose up at you its only because they could not afford to keep their S class. Most all W126 owners will greet you with a smile or some form of reconiginion. With the exeption of convertable 560's whom you know they see you but just wont aknoledge you, they too wear a smile.
All kidding aside, I do enjoy testing and reviewing the Mercedes-Benz 560 and I would like even more to hear what everyone else thinks about their Mercedes.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
I love my 91 560 Sel and even smile at the gas station. I own 5 other cars but since I recently bought my 560 I have not driven anything else. A great experience every time I drive it
I could not agree more Mo. Welcome to the forum, I am pleased that you took the time to register and share your thoughts with the forum.
The W126 is a fine automobile and with the market as it stands you can pick up a real fine example and ride in class for a fair price. The W126 in my eyes was designed for the people whom intended on keeping their cars forever. With that in mind the W126 has many redundant features to keep it running even if something did fail. For example-
(1) Dual fuel pumps to ensure your not stranded if one goes out (2) Mechanical/Electronic fuel injection will usually at least limp itself back home if there is a problem
This is just a drop in the bucket and from what I have seen it would be very hard to stop a Mercedes from running short of a major internal engine disater. Thats not to say they dont break down or require service, just that your chances of being stranded or broken down on the side of the road are much less. I have even run a Mercedes WITHOUT THE ECM and to my suprise the damn thing still ran with the computer completly removed. The mechanical side of the fuel system picks up where the electronics fall short and vise versa. With the exception of both pumps going out at once which is very or never seen, the systems at hand have been for the most part engeneered like no other car in the world.
Finding good people who know these cars will go a long way in keeping your Mercedes in good order. I would like to think I am making a diffrence, but only time will tell.
. The passenger isnt doing any worse. I have never had to sit on the hump but now that I have said that I am sure a story about how comfortable the hump really is, will follow.
