Description:

For sale is a 1998 Mercedes S320 in excellent condition with about 245,600 highway miles. It's a daily driver so the mileage may change by a few hundred miles. I'm the second owner, I bought this car in Southern California in 2013. It's always been garaged or under a carport. I'm a former Mercedes technician and have replaced various parts over the years. Everything works on the car as it should with the exception of the power antenna, which is in the up position, and the headlight wipers, with the right one being slow to return to its resting position.

The car runs and drives great, no issues at all. As I've done mostly highway miles, I've changed the oil every 7-8k miles with Mobil 1 European car formula and a German filter, most recently 1k miles ago. The transmission fluid has been fully changed every 25k miles with the proper fluid and MB filter, and the conductor plate and harness plug as well as fluid were replaced 10k miles ago. The car shifts smoothly and properly. I always changed the differential fluid when servicing the transmission.

The following items were replaced since I've had it, many in the last year or two. I always use either original Mercedes parts or quality made in Germany aftermarket:

- Just replaced the front rotors and pads.

- Just replaced the driveshaft center bearing and carrier.

- All 4 tires - Michelin Premier A/S about 15k ago, 75% tread remaining.

- Power steering box replaced with quality rebuilt unit.

- Power steering pump resealed.

- Water pump, thermostat and related hoses, all original Mercedes parts.

- Serpentine belt and all pulleys.

- Ignition coils, wires, and spark plugs, valve cover gasket.

- All intake side rubber seals, gaskets, and hoses.

- Front lower control arm bushings, sway bar links, ball joints and upper control arms.

- Rear lower control arm bushings and sway bar links.

- All 4 rubber brake lines.

- A/C compressor replaced - A/C blows cold.

- Cabin air filters.

- New ignition tumbler and ignition switch.

- New blower motor and fan speed regulator.

- Engine air filter.

- Engine and transmission mounts.

- Front and rear flex discs.

- Drivers side windshield wiper assembly gear, whole wiper system cleaned and lubricated.

- Drivers front window regulator replaced when I bought the car.

- Passenger front window regulator replaced last year.

- Third brake light housing.

- High end Pioneer CD/HD radio head unit with Bluetooth, hands free phone.

Unlike the majority of these cars, this one has been exceptionally maintained and driven mainly on the highway. It drives straight with no strange noises or creaks. My gas mileage is 19mpg if I'm driving around town and about 23mpg on the highway mainly driving about 75mph. The engine is smooth and has plenty of power. Mechanically the car is a 10/10, I wouldn't hesitate to jump in it and drive anywhere in the country.


The car has always been waxed and cared for. I would say both the exterior and interior are a solid 8/10. It's a great daily driver and cleans up well, but upon close inspection does have some exterior chips, a few minor dents and scratches, and minor interior wear, mainly on the front seats and steering wheel. Most people won't notice the minor cosmetic issues. The front bumper and left mirror housing were repainted due to stone chips. The right rear quarter panel was repainted due to a dent. They are acceptable looking for a daily driver but do have minor issues. The rear glass has a small crack on the far drivers side starting at the bottom edge, about a foot long. Near as I can tell an acorn hit it just right. It hasn't become worse or changed in the past year and is barely visible unless at the right angle so I haven't felt the need to replace it. The car is rust free and has never been in an accident, having lived in either California or Florida and finally southern Tennessee as of last year.

All 4 soft close doors work as they should, as does the soft close trunk and related retractable handle. All door locks open and close, as do the windows. The sunroof works fine in both modes, tilting and sliding. No sagging of the headliner or sunroof panel. The remote locks and unlocks the doors, as well as popping the trunk.

The only thing needing attention in the near future will be the rear brake pads and rotors. They are still fine and have probably 10-15k if not more left on them so not an immediate concern. This being a 1998, there are no wiring harness or other issues that plagued the earlier W140's as well as various upgrades Mercedes did over the course of production. Truly the best of the W140's!

Any questions please ask. If you'd like a pre purchase inspection I can drive the car to the local Mercedes dealer (Long Mercedes) or independent of your choice and you can arrange the inspection. The reason I'm selling is due to my needs changing and needing a different type of vehicle. It's a great car with lots of life left and still turns heads wherever it goes. Most of the W140's out there have been used and abused or were garage queens with minor maintenance and will require extensive parts and labor to bring them up to the condition of this one. Try adding up just some of the part prices above that have been replaced. Enjoy the true W140 Mercedes S-Class experience with this fine example!