When I was 11 years old (1991), my father got a 420SEL . . . the smaller engine (larger was 560SEL) of their flagship sedan. Even then, I knew that car was something to aspire to, it was incredible. The car was rock solid, felt boatish, and caught the eyes of everyone nearby. It was distinctive, symbolic, and an ride/quality unlike any other car on the road.

Fast forward 13 years later, and I remember that car (which we still had at the time) . . . and I had always seen the newer models of that car and pined after them . . . with the same expectations of what I remember from that original 1991.

I replaced my C240 Sedan (which exceeded my expectations, and I absolutely loved) with my S500 Sedan. The car is absolutely gorgeous, but over the last decade . . . Mercedes-Benz cars have become far less distinctive than they used to be . . . a lamen on the road can mistake an S500 for the Avalon immediately next to it. In 1990, that could not happen. Enough with perceptions, though . . . my thoughts on the car:

Room, Space, and Comfort: This car is incredibly roomy . . . you know when you invite a tall guy into your car, but he tries to scoot up 'cause he's worried about the people in the back? Now, I have to point to the back seat and inform them that they can scoot all the way back, and the back seat occupants can still throw a party back there. The size of this car is massive, the trunk is enormous. But, this is a given, almost not necessary to write about . . . you expect this car to be huge, and it delivers on that expectation.

With this size, comes first class luxury comfort, as well. The backseat has headrests where the pad pulls out at different angles, the center armrest has cupholders that can pull out so back seat passengers can safely store drinks. My friends who go places with me often prefer the back seats and joke that I am their chauffer. Front seat passengers have electronically adjustable seats that move in more ways than I can count . . . the seat pad can actually extend or retract without the rest of the seat moving. This car is exceptionally comfortable, as to be expected.

Fuel Consumption: I don't think many people buy this car because it's so fuel efficient . . . but, I am maniacal about my record keeping, and I actually record every gas visit and milage each time when I get gas into a spreadsheet. http://www.lilviv.com/motoring/cars/s500/s500miles.jpg is a detailed graph of the actual gas mileage that I have experienced on this car to date. All this data points to around 16.5 mpg on everyday driving (no rush hour traffic, really, but all pretty brisk city driving) and around 22 mpg on highway driving. I drive more aggressively than most, though. However, I hope that my detailed account of my fuel consumption will be of help to you!

Ride and Handling: Now, the ride is incredible. However, it is just "different" than I expected. In the early 90's Mercedes-Benz cars, the car had a very "heavy" feeling . . . which is associated with luxury. This car did not have that. This is not a sticking point, because other than my subjective preference for a "heavy" feeling, the car's ride and handling is incredible. My car is equipped with the Adaptive Suspension option. The car rides very smooth, at low speed and high speed . . . and it has some body roll on higher speed curves. However, this Adaptive Suspension apparently gives you the authority to no longer abide by the laws of Physics. It has two settings . . . on the first setting, the ride quality deteriorates a little, but your body roll on curves is reduced . . . on the second setting, you feel your car no longer rides smoothly, but you can turn anywhere at any speed. The electronic stability protection (ESP) is very active and prevents exceeding limits. The combination of these features are amazing.

Power and Acceleration: This surprised me the most, the car was rated at over 300 hp, but actually feels to outperform that number. I have drag raced and raced with Mustang GT's and similar cars, and I am even at low speeds . . . but pull away from those cars convincingly at high speed. You can disable Electronic Stability Protection (ESP) and make a burning jump from a dead stop that makes you look like the boy racer next door on crack. The power and acceleration of this car is what exceeded my expectations about this car.

Electronics and Controls: Obviously, with the car being a 2001 model . . . the Navigation system is a bit behind the curve. But, with that being said . . . I love this system. It allows you to make changes while you are still driving, is very intuitive and easy to use, and the cooperation with the stereo volume is very nice. The dash controls (controlled from the steering wheel) provide lots of information on everything from when your next service is required to how much gas is left in your car. I love everything about the ergonomics of this car, although many prefer a higher position for the GPS system so they don't have to have their eyes wander so far.

One thing that did surprise me about this car is that even though it has those fancy Xenon lights that move around . . . the car's headlights were nothing in comparison to the standard lights on my C240 sedan. This was strange to me.

Reliability, Maintenance, and Service: Having owned a reliability nightmare of a C240 Sedan, I went into this car expecting the worst. I spent almost $3,900 to extend the warranty for a while . . . since my mindset that owning a newer Mercedes-Benz without a warranty was just not an option. For the most part, in the first three years, I only had one problem with my front suspension needing resealing, and one Airmatic valve needing replacement. Cost of the repairs would have been a hair over $1,000 . . . so my decision to extend the warranty only provided me peace of mind, but was very costly. Toward the end of the extended warranty period . . . I had a sleu of warranty work performed from suspension work, motor mounts, oil leaks, etc. I have gotten E-Mails from other S500 owners who have had similar experiences with the reliability. Extended Warranty paid out $7,735.27 on this car during that warranty period. One other thing you do have to be ready for is routine maintenance being very expensive. The cross drilled rotors, brake pads, regular oil changes and maintenance services, and more are very, very expensive for this car. Expect to pay almost 2 times as much as you would on a normal lesser luxury vehicle.

The actual service experiences at the dealerships have always been incredible. I always get another Mercedes-Benz loaner when I dropped my car off for warranty work or service, and I was always treated like I was a king. I realize this is more dependent on the dealership than the company and the car, but I get the idea that Dallas, TX MB dealerships are very committed to their customers. They even offer Roadside Assistance for life, no matter how old your Mercedes is, that's committment!

http://www.lilviv.com/motoring/cars/s500/ is my site with pictures and more detail on this vehicle.
Amount Paid (US$): 43900
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: S500 (16" Std. Chrome Wheels)