E38 VS W140! Who wins!

[tommyb2b]

I myself have the pleasure of owning both of these vehicles now and I just want to know what you guys think about the E38s competetor the w140 mercedes? Why did u guys choose a 7 series over an S Class?

[motoman540]

the E38 is simply superior...

[tommyb2b]

Why have you ever driven a late model W140? In my opinion the E38 is more of a drivers car. Better handling and a lot faster! But the W140 is more of a riders car. They are quiet because of the duel pane windows and a larger interior. I also believe that without the w140 the E38 would not come with many luxury amenities such as pneumatic trunk closer, xenon headlights and rear reclining seats. So they are both great cars but in a different way. If you get a chance take an s500 for a spin they are probably one of the best automobiles ever produced.

[Edwin NL]

Don't ask this question on an E38 forum ;-)

[bass528]

Don't ask this question on an E38 forum ;-)

Nice one Edwin.

I also owned both cars I have to say the w140 is an engineering marvel you can not compare the two. From the pneumatic doors to the suspension and handling. Contrary to the e38 owning the title for a better handling of a car. The w140 will handle just fine at 130mph, I didnt feel the same doing 120 in my e38 and I have no suspension issues. There might be a slight advantage with the e38 at 80mph and under as its a lighter car but the w140 is not that far behind, with an overall better handling. The bells and whistles are endless in the S class and they were way ahead of the e38 with all these gadgets, as all these things were introduced in 1991 to the European market and 1992 to the US.

Their ADS system which will hydraulically lock the front shocks upon hard breaking to prevent the front of the car from dipping is just amazing.

Reclining rear seats.

Pneumatic doors that will Automatically suck your doors shut as they were real heavy doors.

Pneumatic door locks to avoid the clunking noise created by an electrical system.

Cushions on the side of the seats act as barriers that prevent your items falling to the side of the seats, accompanied by a skirt in the back to collect any loose items that may have fallen out of your pockets. Lots of thought went into the making of this vehicle.

Wipers that extended out to the corner of the driver side windshield giving great visibility in foul weather.

A tranny that will pull this 5500lb beast 0-60 in a surprisingly fast speed especially if you have minor modifications.

A stock Bose system in a 92 w140 will take out any stock system thats offered in a 2000 and up e38. Crisp

Double panned windows, with sound proof lining through out the entire car, not some cheap sound proofing either this was 1.5 inches thick oil dipped material that hugs the entire car, from under the dash to the rear trunk. Paving the way for other Automotive companies seeking a quiter salon.


Brake Pads can be switched out in the same fashion as the 911's, No need to remove the Calipers, a 5 minute job once the tire is off.


Four piston Ultra high perfromance Calipers biting on each side of the rotor will bring this 2 ton car to a hault without much effort.




The list is long but this car was amazing to ride and own, the e38 by all means is not in the same league.



The downside of the w140 is its expensive and can be very frustrating trying to keep up and maintaining all these systems. That was the reason why I purcahsed the e38.


Heres clarcksons on Topgear.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbaDSgR7o3A&feature=PlayList&p=0F9116AA066 F3F28&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=18[/ame]

[dophineh]

the design of the w140 does nothing for me. i never even considered it

[awahl]

ive owned both also...had a 97 S500, and now a 99 750iL...They are 2 completely different cars, granted the Mercedes is quicker, and has honestly a more solid feel. But the e38 is more of a drivers car compared to the Mercedes. It feels more nimble in the corners. Both are excellent machines, but if i had to choose one over the other...Im choosing my 750iL. I know its a V12 over a V8, but price wise they are comparable right now.

[StoyanG]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LickkbsEng[/ame]

[cabezzzdb8]

Informative thread as I've been looking lately at purchasing a w140, always loved the styling of it, right now I'm the owner of a w124, but want something more updated and this car definatelly fits the bill, been really narrow it down to the s320 and the 300sd, but more feedback on these cars is welcome

[Rocket Man]

Ive owned both. They are both similar but VERY different. The S looks so slab-sided and dated but build quality is really second to none. I had an S320 and it wasn't a slouch. All round good car.

The e38 however looks meaner and has much better styling. Doesn't look dates even today.

[cabezzzdb8]

Ive owned both. They are both similar but VERY different. The S looks so slab-sided and dated but build quality is really second to none. I had an S320 and it wasn't a slouch. All round good car.

The e38 however looks meaner and has much better styling. Doesn't look dates even today.

How was the s320 maintenance wise, any issues?

Also was it decent on gas?

[wilk187]

I test drove both before i bought mye38..the benz just felt like a luxury cruiser....the e38 is a sports car disguised as a luxury cruiser...it wasn't even comparable to me...I like the looks of the benz (with the right wheel package), but that's where it ends...the interior was boring and so was the drive..Felt like i was driving a lincoln towncar to the airport.

[motoman540]

I don't like the looks and styling of the mercedes exterior nor interior. But I must say that the w140's build quality is excellent and the interior is really robust.

[dafi740]

No comparison in looks..The E38 is elegant and sporty to look at...The w140 looks like a tank and is built like one..Also the interior of the E38 is much more modern looking..
And I'm not biased...ha..ha...

[bstar]

Own both brands, 2 completely different cars

[tommyb2b]

I would have to agree they are on different levels!
But, being 17 and having the pink slip for both of these cars took a lot of money and effort and well I have had to put many pay checks into fixing the S500! Not so with the BMW!

Just the smallest things cost a fortune on the car even when I do 90% of the work! The E38 although more expensive then your average Chevy, is a hell of a lot cheaper then the Mercedes to fix!

To be honest if I was loaded I would drive a 99 S600! Its quicker and well more innovative. But for the 17 year old kid that wants a brilliant German car the 7 series tramples over the S Class! But thats just me

[SEVEN40iL]

we had the 99 W140 S500 and it was a great car for what it was. My dad enjoyed the benz over the bimmer, but hey, we have the E38 now and no complaints!

[mcallister]

Great thread! I always wondered how the Mercedes compared to the BMW. Surprised it was allowed!!

[E36M34life]

Great thread! I always wondered how the Mercedes compared to the BMW. Surprised it was allowed!!

+1

It was a great thread.

[tommyb2b]

I just wantes to see the BMW side of the argument

[tavo80816]

In my opinion the E38 is more of a drivers car. Better handling and a lot faster! But the W140 is more of a riders car.

whats the difference between a driver's car and a rider's car????

[StoyanG]

driver's car - feeling the road underneath and have the exact feeling of the behavior of the car on the road
rider's car - cruising and have the maximum comfort from the car, without any noises, and no feeling of the bumps and cracks on the road.

[M740IL]

I currently own both. The BMW feels cramped in comparison to the W140, and lacks the self closing doors and stereo sound that the Bose pumps out.

Excepting that the BMW kills it. It is quicker more efficient, smoother transmission, more modern looking,and more reliable handles better and feels like driving a luxury car instead of a tank.

My 740IL brushes off a S500 without much of a problem.

I have had nothing go wrong except a MAF sensor.

[mark2280]

As a former owner of two different W126 cars ('84 380SE & '89 560SEC) I was told in a forum similar to this one that the W140 was a car to stay away from. Mostly electrical issues. IMHO Mb just got carried away with gadgets. My '89 SEC had 7 computers for various things and the early W140 had 11. Jusy more things to break. However I really liked the post '92 SECs.

However, I'd put my '89 560 SEC up against my '00 740i any day. Both were excellent cars. But my SEC was something else...

[BlackonBlackVIP]

I worked on S Class for a few years they are a NIGHTMARE. Between the front airbag suspension issues, the air suspension compressor issues and the Gas pedal issues, The cooling fans going out randomly. They also share the same suspension issue the E38 has. But as far as details and interior styling and amenities the S class has the E38 beat by far. But I would choose the E38 (which I did) only cause I got fed up with working on the S Benz.