S-Class [Poll] Which S-Class impressed you the least when it first appeared?

[ccdan]

Talking about the past 20 years, which S-Class impressed you the least(or perhaps disappointed you) when it first appeared?

For me, the W223 is the biggest disappointment, though not a totally unexpected disappointment, as the W222 was(and still is) an extraordinary accomplishment - a hard to beat one! What I did not expect was the underwhelming exterior and the totally uninspired interior that looks unfinished. The technological advances look minor so far, the W222 was pretty high tech already.

The W220 - was a major step ahead in terms of technology(airmatic, distronic, abc on coupe, pre-safe for facelift etc), a departure from the "old school". It suffered from many issues, it had pretty low reliability, but it felt "revolutionary" back then.

The W221 - an improvement in design, interior quality, technology, and reliability. The car looked very dynamic, though not everyone was a fan of those wheel arches.

The W222 - game changer in many ways - spectacular interior quality and design for the luxury class, getting "dangerously" close to the likes of Bentley and Rolls Royce, elegant and imposing exterior design(esp. the rear and the side, but the front was ok too), various cool tech improvements, and seemingly improved reliability.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Loved the W220s' exterior design upon presentation. Interior less so. Pre-MOPF models were not very good cars in several aspects.

Liked the W221s' exterior despite the "Focus Fenders". Loved the interior and instrument panel/dash.

As for the W222: Exterior struck me as being "handsome". Didn't care for the "boudoir" character of the interior and "odd" screen binnacle.

W223: Very handsome exterior. As for the interior: Liking it more...and more...and more.

 

[martinbo]

Which S-Class impressed you the least when it first appeared?



The one my lawyer rocked up in.

 

[hannaz]

Emotionally I had a soft corner towards W220 as it was first S-Class I have driven & thoroughly experienced in my life, but the love for the car have lost the moment W221 broke cover. From 221 to 223 I have loved each new models from first glance. and I still do admire both 221 & 222, but 220 have lost its position in mind. So it’s the least impressed car even though not at the time of launch.

 

[PanterroR]

Current one (W223), no emotions at all...

 

[Sonder]

w116, w126, w221

i like the w220 the most and then the w222

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Surprised to see the W220 leading the poll, but I suspect a lot of peoples views of this model are skewed by the abysmal quality. I remember this was my dad's first S after an almost 15 year hiatus, having moved continents to live down under, and we quickly sold it in 2003 when the warranty expired. He didn't buy an S again until 2016!

But in terms of ride, refinement, looks and technology I remember being completely blown away by this model. It was such a radical departure from The W140 and truly represented the future of automotive advancement.

The W221 always felt safe in terms of it's level of technological advancement, and I remember Mercedes distinctly noting the focus was on quality, but even in terms of design it didn't take my breath away as the W220 did, nor did it embody the same gravitas as the W140 or W222. The headlights were quite generic and the rear arch appeared contrived. Several years on it has cemented itself as my least favourite S.

I'm loving the W223 so far. Whereas the W222 has a clear lineage to the W140, they have gone even further back with the W223 to bring back the DNA of the W126, the car that ignited my love affair with Mercedes when I was a boy back in Africa.

 

[Rolf]

The design of the W220 wowed me when it first launched in 1998 but the interior was a let down. I think the W221 out of this bunch had the least successful exterior styling, the Ford Focus style bulging wheelarches weren't my taste or the body colour strips in the rear lights, but the interior was gorgous. The W222 is a boss of an S-class one of THE best of all time and I am warming up to the W223 very quickly.

 

[klier]

The W223 without a shadow of a doubt. Don't get me wrong it's an amazing car most likely, but I see absolutely nothing new tech wise. It's like a mild visual facelift of the old car with updated interior and new gadgets.

W220 voters are wearing some rose tinted glasses I want to have! That thing was ahead of it's time in a lot of areas.

Current one (W223), no emotions at all...

Yeah, I don't even feel like going to the W223 thread to troll. People think I've grown up, but I just find the topic too boring to spend energy on.