Diesel Benz

On the other hand, the standard equipment on a LWB included options that are not standard on the SWB. The "L" itself adds surprisingly little to the cost. Where I leve, we have a few more standard accessories on the "L" over those in Germany. If I calculated the cost of the extras on the SWB as optional accessories, the cost was exactly the same. But of course if one does not need the extras, the SWB is a very good choice. Space in old European cities is often too short for a LWB S, probably difficult for US members to even imagine, if one has not seen it.

whoover

It's too early to drink (well -- not in Europe, I suppose) but I'll offer a toast to the good old model designations that recognized long wheelbase was more than just another option. 500SE and 500SEL told you the difference right away, but that seems to have been too much useful information according to the marketing department. To the old days!

obaidan

There is a trade off since the extra space you gain in rear cabin in LWB you end up loosing in hight space.

The numbers tell all:

Rear room (distance is measured between the back of the front chair to the front of the rear chair):
LWB (878mm), SWB (748mm) so the advantage is to LWB (DUHHH).

Height room (distance is measured between the surface of the rear chair to the roof):
LWB (977mm), SWB (986mm) the advantage here is to SWB (AHHAA).

These are only few milli meters but it is the fact.

Diesel Benz

But remember that these are for a standard car. The SWB model does not have a sunroof standard, it would take the same space on a SWB model as on a LWB one and the referred dimensions would appear the same. Don't know how pano roof would appear but the LWB dimensions are not for that option.

Diesel Benz

This is what I've been wondering a bit. I have never seen a badged LWB car. But since all in the US are LWB, I interpret there is no "L". Then again, it could not be "SL", but it should be S550L I guess?

obaidan

Those are the dimensions with illustrations which are usually available at the end of a catalog. I picked them up from the S-Class one and therefore they apply to both normal and panoramic. As it clearly shows from the diagram there is minimal rear height advantage for SWB model over LWB. Anyways LWB or SWB you gotta love an S-class no matter what. I drive the LWB and had the chance to drive the SWB and the difference in rear space is not a big deal, actually you might not even notice if someone did not tell you already. BEAUTIFUL CARS!

whoover

No. When they moved to class-first designations, they dropped the external indication of LWB cars. It's easy to tell when you learn to distinguish by eyeballing the rear door but the model is the same.

Diesel Benz

Hey, either I was not clear enough or I did not understand you. Let's forget the pano roof (I just mentioned I don't know how pano roof compares to the normal roof, I have nowhere seen the comparison!). Pano roof anyway is not available for the SWB, cannot compare the models with that option.

I guess I dare to upload the technical data document from mb.de, this is in German but should have the same figures you referred. And I always prefer to use German documents, those contain most reliable data (of course one has to be careful with market dependent data). You can see the note that these dimensions are for a car with standard equipment. This means that the SWB model dimensions are without a sunroof, the LWB are with a normal sunroof (not pano roof)!

Now look at the roof clearance for the front seat. It is quite different for the SWB model, larger than for the LWB model. Don't we agree that there is nothing in the front that would make this difference except the sunroof? Now if the SWB was equipped with sunroof, this front seat dimension would appear the same as the LWB ones.

The conclusion should be that "yes, there is an option for higher roof clearance on the SWB, IF you select it without the sunroof. IF you select the sunroof option, they both have the same interior dimensions.

Obviously the rear space is affected by the sunroof when the space where the roof slides in is needed (this is where the pano roof I guess behaves differently, but I was supposed to forget the pano option). The difference in the rear is marginal, it only comes from smoothened roof lines when the roof at the end of the sunroof space starts lower in the first place (when going backwards).

whoover

BTW, you can clearly see in the engineering drawings in that file that the LWB version has a sunroof while the SWB doesn't.

hawk20

Ah but the 220 series (you know the truly beautiful S class designed by the great Bruno Sacco) has a sunroof, and very nice it is too. IMO they made it an optional extra on the new S class to disguise part of the price increase. The sunroof is available for the SWB on the 221 series, but you pay extra for it-about $2000 I think.