Click And Clack's Review Of A 1997 S 500.
06-12-2002, 03:30 PM
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Click And Clack's Review Of A 1997 S 500.
There are three reasons for buying an S class Mercedes
instead of an E class. 1) You travel long distances and
need room for tall people with long legs in the back
seat. 2) You've got another 40 grand that you still don't
don't know what to do with. 3) You're a head of state.
The bulk of the Mercedes line is divided into three
classes (okay, four if you count the new sport-utility M
class). The smallest Mercedes is the C class, the
midsize/large-size Mercedes is the E class, and the
Humongous Mercedes is the S class. Or should we say
U.S.S. class?
The S500 is magnificent, but, boy, is it big! It's nearly 17.1 feet long and 6.2 feet wide, and it
weighs 4,700 pounds. It is absolutely magnificent to drive. But, at the same time, you can't help
but feeling that it's overkill. It's SO big, SO heavy and SO, well, noticeable. We could have sworn
our test car played 'Hail to the Chief' every time we started it.
It's rock solid on the highway. It has a five-liter V8 engine, which gives it power to burn, and it
has lots of room to stretch out, especially for the back-seat passengers. It's got all of the comfort
and convenience features you'd expect on an $87,500 car. And the road-holding abilities of the
S500 were surprisingly good for such a large car. This was not a Cadillac that sent you leaning
into the door on hard right turns. You probably could outrun some terrorists through the streets
of Monaco in this thing if you had to.
We just kept wishing that it were a little smaller and a little lighter. It felt more like a car that
belongs in a motorcade than one you'd drive every day. But if you drive long distances on the
highway and you've got $90K to spend on a car, this is pretty much the pinnacle of sedan
engineering. On the other hand, if you like the Mercedes ride, handling and security, we suspect
you'd be just as happy (and we know we'd be more happy) with E420 or E320 for half the price.
And, besides, you wouldn't have to order the little American flags that go on the corners of the
hood.
instead of an E class. 1) You travel long distances and
need room for tall people with long legs in the back
seat. 2) You've got another 40 grand that you still don't
don't know what to do with. 3) You're a head of state.
The bulk of the Mercedes line is divided into three
classes (okay, four if you count the new sport-utility M
class). The smallest Mercedes is the C class, the
midsize/large-size Mercedes is the E class, and the
Humongous Mercedes is the S class. Or should we say
U.S.S. class?
The S500 is magnificent, but, boy, is it big! It's nearly 17.1 feet long and 6.2 feet wide, and it
weighs 4,700 pounds. It is absolutely magnificent to drive. But, at the same time, you can't help
but feeling that it's overkill. It's SO big, SO heavy and SO, well, noticeable. We could have sworn
our test car played 'Hail to the Chief' every time we started it.
It's rock solid on the highway. It has a five-liter V8 engine, which gives it power to burn, and it
has lots of room to stretch out, especially for the back-seat passengers. It's got all of the comfort
and convenience features you'd expect on an $87,500 car. And the road-holding abilities of the
S500 were surprisingly good for such a large car. This was not a Cadillac that sent you leaning
into the door on hard right turns. You probably could outrun some terrorists through the streets
of Monaco in this thing if you had to.
We just kept wishing that it were a little smaller and a little lighter. It felt more like a car that
belongs in a motorcade than one you'd drive every day. But if you drive long distances on the
highway and you've got $90K to spend on a car, this is pretty much the pinnacle of sedan
engineering. On the other hand, if you like the Mercedes ride, handling and security, we suspect
you'd be just as happy (and we know we'd be more happy) with E420 or E320 for half the price.
And, besides, you wouldn't have to order the little American flags that go on the corners of the
hood.
06-16-2002, 08:16 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2001
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2002 CLK 55 AMG Coupe ;)
Click &n Clack = my favorite car experts. They are just great.
My favorite quote:
"We just kept wishing that it were a little smaller and a little lighter. It felt more like a car that belongs in a motorcade than one you'd drive every day."
...that's why I like my clk, -- love the spaciousness of the s!
My favorite quote:
"We just kept wishing that it were a little smaller and a little lighter. It felt more like a car that belongs in a motorcade than one you'd drive every day."
...that's why I like my clk, -- love the spaciousness of the s!
