Hello and good morning to all my s class owners, you can find me in the w202 forum. Im posting this thread because i've really been considering a s class as my daily driver for next winter here in New York. We get a good amount of snow here in Queens but have been lucky this year (so far). Upstate though is a different story . many of you might be asking why not use your w202 as a winter car??? mainly because i like my w202 lowww and plus i have low profile tires on my car. i am going to sell my daily w202 (c230k) because i have a 99 c43 amg to replace it with the c43 will be my strictly summer car and wont see the road in the winter as it shouldn't. so therefore i'm looking for a winter car!! i do a lot of commuting to school in long island about 3-4 days a week (21 miles there and 21 back ) i was thinking of a w210, w124, or w140. i've narrowed it down to a w140 and a w220 because of the comfort and safety !!! safety is a big factor for me . Anyway the w220 offers 4 matic which is a plus and also is a lot more common/modern then a w140. i would love a w140 don't get me wrong but at the same time maybe i shouldn't use such a classic and well built car as a winter beater. plus w140s have the wiring harness issue, evap leak problems=$$$$$$, and ignition problems. Many say the m119 is a better engine then the m113 in the w220, to get started with the w220 things like abc suspension failures=$$$, body rust (i see plenty rusty w220s here), electrical gremlins etc (headaches) ... which one is the ultimate winter daily????? i know someone who daily drives a a 97 s500 and he told me i can come take a look at it to see what its like to daily drive a w140 and what to expect from it. i can do a lot of the repairs myself or with a mechanic friend at my job which will save me tons of money ! so what do you guys think ?? go for a w140 (97-98) or a w220 (2004-2006) or just scratch that plan and buy like a e320/e430 4 matic or maybe even a diesel (300d, e320cdi) for the commuting. i will be posting this on the w220 forum as well

 

w140 if you want higher quality, more reliability,and like older Benzs like the w202. The w220 if you want more technology, something lighter and smaller and want a newer generation of Mercedes. Try to go with a face lift model of either and thoroughly check the w220 for rust. The 96 and up w140 don't have the wiring harness issue and 98 and up have esp. But if you don't need an s class than I would get a e320, w211 if you can ( w210s weren't the best built).

 

Love my 97 S500 in the winter. I have owned the car for 4 years and have only had basic maintenance. I did replace front suspension parts when I got it. This car with winter tires is amazing and not stuffed with tech that can fail.

 

I have a problem with the PSE vacuum pump in my Mercedes S320 1995, the one on the right side on the floor of the passenger seats.
When i put the car in reverse, the trunk lid pop out, but the reverse assistant antennas dont come out.
when i put the car in drive the trunk lid go inside again.
i never replace this pump, so the hoses are in the right places.
This start to happen after the battery died.