From the December 1983 issue of Car and driver.
The new Mercedes-Benz 500SEL and 500SEC replace the 380SEL (long wheelbase sedan) and 380SEC (coupé). Adding to the line of S-class cars is a 380SE: shorter than the SEL and slightly less expansive in its range of comforts, this sedan could, ironically, be considered something of a German loss leader. (We can assume that the dealer’s profit margin on the shorter wheelbase, smaller engine model is unlikely to be more than the price of a new Renault Encore.) Anyway, in these two new three-pronged 500 series spaceships we have full-size Mercedes that are once again as fast as the 450SELs of a few years ago, yet offer all the state-of-the-art aerodynamic and interior features that were introduced with the 380 S-class cars three years ago.
The Mercedes-Benz is a controversial car. In these troubled times, a large S-class Mercedes seems like both a social and ideological statement and a means of luxurious high-speed transportation, but not so much for the person driving it. It is usually the spectator who attributes all these other meanings to the shiny silver Mercedes that he sees gliding through the streets of New York or Los Angeles. In the same way, it is the honest citizen in his three-year-old Opel who reads a meaning other than just the automotive sector in the big Mercedes that races past at a speed of 200 km/h on the Autobahn. I once marveled at the apparent distaste for Mercedes-Benz products among large numbers of well-informed car enthusiasts in a conversation with Mr. PJ O’Rourke, who mused, “It’s not that they don’t like Mercedes-Benz cars per se; they don’t like the people they see Mercedes-Benz cars driving.” Since I often see driving one of the cars from the Mercedes-Benz range, it is only natural that I may have missed the point he was making earlier.
The 380SEL, as nice as it was, never quite lit our fire the way the 450SEL did, most likely because it simply didn’t go as fast. We had heard all about how it was lighter and smoother, but when it turned out to be slower too, we felt a bit like the victims of unrequited love. But “slower” is no longer a problem. The 500SEL we drove in New Jersey last month was fast enough for all but bad guys trying to escape the good guys in Porsche Turbos.
We drove a wide loop from Mercedes-Benz headquarters in New Jersey, northwest to the Catskills, then east to New York’s Westchester County. Lots of winding roads, lots of rolling hills, lots of opportunities to let the big Merc take a deep breath and devour the road in front of it. Not only does the 500 have the power needed to hustle, it also has throttle response that adds an extra dimension to handling on winding roads. Judicious use of the loud pedal can reduce the radius of a turn, take out the tail and provide the driver with sensations that are simply not available to drivers of underpowered econoboxes.
The goodness isn’t just about horsepower. The all-aluminium five-liter engine is complemented by a new four-speed automatic transmission, which normally starts second, but starts first if you seriously accelerate. Furthermore, there’s a Watts-link torque compensating device in the rear suspension (last seen on the Boomer 6.9) that virtually eliminates excessive squat under acceleration and dive under braking. All this contributes to a car that is smooth and flat in tight corners, and controllable down to the last detail. A horrible old cliché, but it’s true do drive like a sports car. And we can’t leave the topic of the 500’s dynamics without expressing our delight at a machine that can screech its tires if the driver’s right foot accidentally pushes a little too hard into first or second gear. I’m sure there are people reading this who didn’t realize modern cars can do that.
All 500s have heated front seats with Mercedes’ excellent electric adjustment function, as well as a two-position memory function. They also have an anti-theft alarm and an outside temperature indicator. The sedans have heated and adjustable rear seats and rear headrests. Otherwise, the specifications are almost identical to those of the 380 series. Now you know what we like. What do we hate? Well, the stock V-tires are kind of rough around town, and uh, uh…Hmmm.
Specifications
Mercedes-Benz 500SEL from 1984
Vehicle type: front engine, rear wheel drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base: $52,000 (estimated)
ENGINE
SOHC V-8 with 16 valves, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 4973 cm3
Power (SAE net): 184 hp at 4500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 247 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 120.9 inches
Length: 208.1 inches
Empty weight (CD estimate): £3850
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
City: 15 mpg
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