Mercedes has always been known for making high status, long lasting vehicles, and the S-Class is no exception. In fact, the S-Class has been the world-renowned vehicle that many CEO's, Presidents, and government officials around the world travel in. It is an exclusive car and though it doesn't have the curves of a roadster, it's fast, luxurious and has a presence no matter where it is.

Pricing of the 1992-1999 generation S-Class begins at $3500 and tops off around $15k for the top-of-the-line S600. A 1999, S600 with a V-12 engine and 402 horsepower is a steal at that price, and offers a quick 0-60 time of only 6.3 seconds. If that's too much power or if OK fuel economy is necessary, then you can save even more by going for the S320 with an inline-6 and 228 horsepower. A 300SD model was also available with a 3.5-liter turbodiesel, but was dropped in 1996 to leave only petrol burners for the S-Class. A mix of four and five-speed automatics were available throughout the generation, until the five-speed became standard for all in 1997.

Luxury is what the S-Class has always been about, and none of these trim levels disappoint. The S-Class was available in sedan and rare coupe forms with leather, heated front seats, and double-pane auto up/down windows standard. Traction control, an activated-charcoal ventilation system, and a power rear seat were also standard. "An automatic-adjusting suspension went into the 600SEL, along with separate rear air conditioning, an electric rear-window sunshade, CD changer," and a now use-less built-in mobile phone. In 1997, xenon headlamps were standard on the S500 and S600, and a new parking-assistance system was standard on coupes and optional on sedans.

Following performance and luxury is safety. Traction control was standard and in 1996, Electronic Stability Control became standard on the S600 and S500, and was optional elsewhere. A year later, Mercedes added door-mounted side airbags and an occupant detection system for the front passenger seat in all S-Class trim levels. Then in 1998, they added Brake Assist, which automatically applies full braking pressure in panic stops. Crash testing was not as important in the early 1990's as it is today, but the S-Class was "the first vehicle specifically designed to withstand offset crashes."

With the high degree of engineering that goes into every Mercedes, especially their flagship S-Class models, expect high maintenance costs. Mercedes simplified service intervals by giving them letters, so that all you have to do is walk in and tell them what service letter you are in for. If you are on a tight budget though, any knowledgeable garage can change fluids, filters, and look over major components for wear and tear.

Source: Consumerguide.com