Hey iamxb70.. I see that your from Australia, good to see you making most of our crap speed limits.. HAHA. Anyway, how has your 560 been reliability wise? People try to talk me out of the 420 to get a 300SE but I just feel the V8 suits the S class more.. How has it been for you?
@MrFacin8: I had a 560 for 5 years and I serviced them professionally for 3. If you get one that has been well cared for, they are nearly bulletproof; any issues they develop are due to age and wear, not any inherent design flaws because there just aren't any. I'd actually say that they're more reliable than the 300 because that I6 LOVES to eat head gaskets. Get a low-mileage (100k-150k-ish) example, have a good independent shop do a pre-purchase inspection, take care of it and it'll be fine.
The self leveling suspension can be expensive to fix but other than that they have the same problem areas as any other 124/126. Most cars are on their original shocks and steering dampers (all blown to hell by now). Plan to do a major service (diff fluid, trans fluid & filter, engine oil & filter, coolant, p/s fluid & filter, brake fluid, suspension fluid & filter, cap, rotor, plugs and wires, air & fuel filters). Get a '90+ if you can, they upgraded the stereo and the interior in later cars.
oh GOD !!! that's what im talkin about..i must get one of these..i have a 300 SE 1991..but i surely like the 560 SEC amg much better .. oh God it sounds, looks and tastes good !!! i can feel it from down here..
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
My car is more rare and a true classic and its faster because it only weighs 1300 KG
Wanna see a car sounding 1000x nicer and going 10x better than these benz cars, please go to the youtube channel of
fiat130abarth
Thats a Fiat 130 3200 Super Sports Coupé V6 with
Ferrari engine!!! Fiat luxury racer 130 3200 V6 Pininfarina rules 4ever!!! Fiat 130 V6 2+2 has nicest design too! Especially the 130 is so rare and exclusive...you will never see one. :) :)
Thes W126 mercedes can do more than 272 kph. i was cruising the 250 and the rpm meter wasn't even close to 5000 rpm. So it's more that 300 kph what they can do. AMG just uses the differential of the 500 SE/C/L.
i suspect australian 560 sec's are a bit faster than my 560 sel.
you may be thinking of US sec's which would still be slower than aus sel's.
maybe the sel has shorter 1st & 2nd gears to compensate for the weight. maybe it is compensated too well.
i know sel's final gear (4th) is longer than the sec's, and sel's are designed to cruise at higher straight line speeds than sec's, which are short burst sport saloons designed for more curvy challenging roads.
Car & Driver did a road test on a 560SEL (US Spec, 238hp) in 1986 and that car ran 0-60mph in 7 seconds flat and did a standing start 1/4 mile (400 meters) in 15.5 seconds @ 90mph. My own personal US Spec 560 ran a 15.6 @ 89 with 200lbs of crap in the trunk, and I've seen them run low 15s. A properly running 300hp Euro car will pull off 0-60mph in the high-mid 6 second range.
@iamxb70 whoa, now thats quite new to me... I had big problems getting my us Ford Taurus on the licence numbers. If there was no contact.. Id not be driving it in Europe. The emissions are higher. and also the 98 octane is here also....
I know this is very bad for the car, But drive the car like a manual and youll see a big improvment in your accleration, Put the car into 2B and shift into 2 at redline and then into 3rd then into D for 4th
Gear "B" (1st gear) will not hurt the car in any way. Your car naturally starts in 2nd gear, if you step on it while rolling about 10mph you will notice it kickdown to a lower gear, that is gear "B," what I would suggest is: stop the car, shift into gear B, then shift back into drive, then step on it, you will notice a huge improvement. I do it in my 1995 Sl 500 all the time, (125,000 miles and no problem). The vacuum transmission is very strange in these cars.
According to your owners manual, gear B is to be used for engine braking (hence the B) when descending steep hills. It will not hurt it to start in first gear or to shift it yourself (your rev limiter will cut out engine power if you are going to hurt the car).
If he pushes the accelerator to the floor on the start, 1st gear should be engaged. In theory (in my car it takes a while to shift down to 1st when doing this.)
You are completely correct. But there is a delay, there is no delay if you stop, take it to B and then put it right back in drive then start. If you are going full throttle, the car really wants to get out of 1st fast.
I own a 300SE W126. I´m really satisfied with this superb car, but there´s a funny and annoying detail about this W126 model . I have to park on a tree-lined boulevard, and I always have to remove bunches of dead leaves that accumulate in the bonnet gap just beneath the windshield..yeah, annoying
Hi mate nice car. Didn't know they were this quick. What year is ur benz, is it aust. complied or a grey import? I think you can give the 6.0 VZ/VE Commodores a good run.
definitly a euro version. is it a ece or a ruf version? the ece has 300hp (din) and a top speed rated by MB at 245km/h hour.(underrated) my 420se reached once 230km/h and still not redlining. Nice car, take good care with it. it will serve you well!
That 560 is some piece of art, 6 sec! Makes sence about that kickdown. Another great example of what you said about versions is that a US-450SL is slower than a Euro-350SL, I´ve seen that happen. But in the 560 case it is extreme, 1.5 slower to 100 k...
it was a blessing in disguise for me. 560's never attained a reputation in the US and a lot of countries for being that fast, so now they are forgotten and therefore much cheaper. and the non emission powerful ones are also cheap as a result.
I agree. But how do you explain the fact that a 500SE (Danish car) was faster than a 560 SEL (both 1989 models)? I have driven both, and that 500SE had kick-down at 190, for the 560 at 170.. Weird huh? Top speed; 253 vs. 248 in favour of the 500SE. That 560 was a larger version, and a Swiss car, maybe that did it. Can anyone please explain this? I really liked the 500SE, what a car!
يا ويل امها ال ٥٦٠
MrMrazha 3 weeks ago
this is an american sel or german sel? the time is like 5,7-5,8 is very fast
parananna 1 month ago
Hey iamxb70.. I see that your from Australia, good to see you making most of our crap speed limits.. HAHA. Anyway, how has your 560 been reliability wise? People try to talk me out of the 420 to get a 300SE but I just feel the V8 suits the S class more.. How has it been for you?
MrFacin8 1 year ago
@MrFacin8: I had a 560 for 5 years and I serviced them professionally for 3. If you get one that has been well cared for, they are nearly bulletproof; any issues they develop are due to age and wear, not any inherent design flaws because there just aren't any. I'd actually say that they're more reliable than the 300 because that I6 LOVES to eat head gaskets. Get a low-mileage (100k-150k-ish) example, have a good independent shop do a pre-purchase inspection, take care of it and it'll be fine.
WhiteSTiLtd 11 months ago
The self leveling suspension can be expensive to fix but other than that they have the same problem areas as any other 124/126. Most cars are on their original shocks and steering dampers (all blown to hell by now). Plan to do a major service (diff fluid, trans fluid & filter, engine oil & filter, coolant, p/s fluid & filter, brake fluid, suspension fluid & filter, cap, rotor, plugs and wires, air & fuel filters). Get a '90+ if you can, they upgraded the stereo and the interior in later cars.
WhiteSTiLtd 11 months ago
I own a 560 SEL too.
What´s your rpm at 100km-h or 62 mph?
Mine is running app. 2200 rpm at that speed, which I find a little bit high...
However it´s still peanuts for this engine.
Thumbs up from Holland!
MaxTimaro 1 year ago
AWESOME!!! I love the sound of the 560. Great video!
palix507 1 year ago
best european coupe ever made.
franchi123 2 years ago 3
oh GOD !!! that's what im talkin about..i must get one of these..i have a 300 SE 1991..but i surely like the 560 SEC amg much better .. oh God it sounds, looks and tastes good !!! i can feel it from down here..
2abo3ala2 2 years ago
Damn that engine sounds like it's brand new. Not only that but all the sound deadening material seems to be new. I'm impressed.
maurinquina 2 years ago
Woah, that is extremely quick for a luxury barge from the late 80s. You must keep that engine in very good tune to pull a 0-100 like that.
acalthu 2 years ago
coming to merc mens to talk about fiat...feel sorry for you
68mercurycougarfan 3 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
My car is more rare and a true classic and its faster because it only weighs 1300 KG
Wanna see a car sounding 1000x nicer and going 10x better than these benz cars, please go to the youtube channel of
fiat130abarth
Thats a Fiat 130 3200 Super Sports Coupé V6 with
Ferrari engine!!! Fiat luxury racer 130 3200 V6 Pininfarina rules 4ever!!! Fiat 130 V6 2+2 has nicest design too! Especially the 130 is so rare and exclusive...you will never see one. :) :)
Klottelitsch 3 years ago
fiat is totally shit, so shut up pal and don't compare mercedes to fiat ever.
kamsysczewa 3 years ago 10
Wow, nice german girl, Keep her ride hard dude!
gergely007 3 years ago
Thes W126 mercedes can do more than 272 kph. i was cruising the 250 and the rpm meter wasn't even close to 5000 rpm. So it's more that 300 kph what they can do. AMG just uses the differential of the 500 SE/C/L.
BTW I got a 500 SEC
straight2hell666 3 years ago
Strada 130 TC is quicker 0-60 and 30-50 in any gear. They were 9grand while these were 60grand
walshy2866 3 years ago
Forgive me, I meant to say 6.2! My apologies. :-)
zoltankissjnr 3 years ago
Very good acceleration 5.8 seconds 0-100km One i thing i dont understand is that this car accelerates faster than the 560sec, and its heavier
Atca09 3 years ago
i do not know why. i think it is 6.3 to 100 (not 5.8).
in the US, you have extreme emission controls.
we had none in aus when this car was imported.
your 560 specs are much less than euro 560 specs.
second possibility is i use 98 octane fuel we have available here.
what fuel do you have there. we have 91 (4 cyl jap petrol), 95 (family 6's and v8's) and 98 (high performance gasoline)
i use 98.
also i may have had a tail wind (dont know).
but it was not down hill, or (eerrkk) on a dyno roller.
iamxb70 3 years ago
but your question was about the sec's.
i suspect australian 560 sec's are a bit faster than my 560 sel.
you may be thinking of US sec's which would still be slower than aus sel's.
maybe the sel has shorter 1st & 2nd gears to compensate for the weight. maybe it is compensated too well.
i know sel's final gear (4th) is longer than the sec's, and sel's are designed to cruise at higher straight line speeds than sec's, which are short burst sport saloons designed for more curvy challenging roads.
iamxb70 3 years ago
The Euro-spec 300bhp version of the 560 SEL does the 0-100 in 7.2 seconds - FACT!
And that is the most powerful version, if you exclude AMG!
zoltankissjnr 3 years ago
Car & Driver did a road test on a 560SEL (US Spec, 238hp) in 1986 and that car ran 0-60mph in 7 seconds flat and did a standing start 1/4 mile (400 meters) in 15.5 seconds @ 90mph. My own personal US Spec 560 ran a 15.6 @ 89 with 200lbs of crap in the trunk, and I've seen them run low 15s. A properly running 300hp Euro car will pull off 0-60mph in the high-mid 6 second range.
WhiteSTiLtd 3 years ago
You're right, I remember 6.8 secs from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) for the 300hp 560SEL, in 1988 or 1989 on an Italian car magazine. Great cars...
VicElford 2 years ago
Was there ever an SE model made? If so that would be slightly quicker to 100 no?
acalthu 2 years ago
Yep there was a 560 SE. But it's not really faster, maybe 0.05 seconds. The weight difference is maybe 10 kg
MercedesBenzGKlasse 2 years ago
@iamxb70 whoa, now thats quite new to me... I had big problems getting my us Ford Taurus on the licence numbers. If there was no contact.. Id not be driving it in Europe. The emissions are higher. and also the 98 octane is here also....
dzava 6 months ago
how much does it spends mate
bessniak 3 years ago
i own a 560 Sel from 1986 its really good i havent had much problems with it
Yamato3088 3 years ago
be more specific.
do you like your car?
you comment is not very descriptive.
i have not had any problems with my car either, but that is not often thought of by me.
i like the surprise other people in racey cars have when they are outgunned by me at the lights.
a big 2,400kg car with a german 5.6 litre V8 that hauls it rapidly to cruising speed.
and cruising speed can be as high as 240 kph with no problems.
top speed is not governed, so about 272 kph is what it can achieve flat out.
iamxb70 3 years ago
if i Closed my eyes and Imagine a Mercedes its will be 560SEL 1981-1991
best ever
bosaleh74 4 years ago
Wow nice, its good to know how it compares to a 6 litre commodore, i drive a 500SEC 2nd Generation Euro rated at 265hp, its pretty quick.
StreekG 4 years ago
very nice car.Those old mercs were build to last.They don`t build cars like that anymore,new ones are way too complicated and fragile.Good video
reylandcossie 4 years ago
I have a 1990 300SEL, I treat it with extreme care. Sure i drive fast every now and again, but pot holes hurt it more then going fast.
YusefDeeb69 4 years ago
I know this is very bad for the car, But drive the car like a manual and youll see a big improvment in your accleration, Put the car into 2B and shift into 2 at redline and then into 3rd then into D for 4th
TheSkylineShopVancou 4 years ago
i saw your cars on your page and it is amazing you even look at my old battler.
my car is not a sports car, but a luxury car and therefore the performance is surprisingly good.
but i do not want to injure my car trying to make it do more than it was designed for.
it is satisfactory for me.
if i wanted extreme performance i would buy a ferrari or porch or amg or something built for it.
i just posted this to show that a "grandpa's " old merc is a lot quicker than most would think.
iamxb70 4 years ago
Gear "B" (1st gear) will not hurt the car in any way. Your car naturally starts in 2nd gear, if you step on it while rolling about 10mph you will notice it kickdown to a lower gear, that is gear "B," what I would suggest is: stop the car, shift into gear B, then shift back into drive, then step on it, you will notice a huge improvement. I do it in my 1995 Sl 500 all the time, (125,000 miles and no problem). The vacuum transmission is very strange in these cars.
chrmik95 4 years ago
According to your owners manual, gear B is to be used for engine braking (hence the B) when descending steep hills. It will not hurt it to start in first gear or to shift it yourself (your rev limiter will cut out engine power if you are going to hurt the car).
chrmik95 4 years ago
If he pushes the accelerator to the floor on the start, 1st gear should be engaged. In theory (in my car it takes a while to shift down to 1st when doing this.)
longde 4 years ago
You are completely correct. But there is a delay, there is no delay if you stop, take it to B and then put it right back in drive then start. If you are going full throttle, the car really wants to get out of 1st fast.
chrmik95 4 years ago
Holy shit that accelarates fast my mercedes goes from 0-100kph @ 7.7secs
FinnishBerserker 4 years ago
this mercedes will do a lot better than 220kph (km/h as you say).
it will get to between 250 and 260 kph.
i have driven 240 kph but my tires are rated to 220 so i do not want to push them.
at 240 it was not relaxed but it was not struggling either.
the US versions are a slot slower (emission laws) (235? i think)
iamxb70 4 years ago
I own a 300SE W126. I´m really satisfied with this superb car, but there´s a funny and annoying detail about this W126 model . I have to park on a tree-lined boulevard, and I always have to remove bunches of dead leaves that accumulate in the bonnet gap just beneath the windshield..yeah, annoying
spanishrage 4 years ago
Hi mate nice car. Didn't know they were this quick. What year is ur benz, is it aust. complied or a grey import? I think you can give the 6.0 VZ/VE Commodores a good run.
assada 4 years ago
it is 1990 a model.
it is not quite as fast as a 6 litre commodore "off the mark".
the commodore however would not be able to shake the mercedes off for very long as the mercedes has a higher top speed.
the commodore is about .5 second faster to all speeds under approx. 200 kph, where the mercedes starts to close the gap.
i will post on my page, 2 clips of me and a friend test driving a monaro 6 litre now.
iamxb70 4 years ago
Go the merc performance and class what more could you want
Mightyokk 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
noob car
CSilva76 4 years ago
definitly a euro version. is it a ece or a ruf version? the ece has 300hp (din) and a top speed rated by MB at 245km/h hour.(underrated) my 420se reached once 230km/h and still not redlining. Nice car, take good care with it. it will serve you well!
Stasi84 4 years ago
That 560 is some piece of art, 6 sec! Makes sence about that kickdown. Another great example of what you said about versions is that a US-450SL is slower than a Euro-350SL, I´ve seen that happen. But in the 560 case it is extreme, 1.5 slower to 100 k...
AlexfromSantiago 5 years ago
it was a blessing in disguise for me. 560's never attained a reputation in the US and a lot of countries for being that fast, so now they are forgotten and therefore much cheaper. and the non emission powerful ones are also cheap as a result.
iamxb70 5 years ago
as well as this, official top speeds are merely the speed recorded at redline in top gear.
redline can be exceeded with incresed engine damage risk.
quoted top speeds are official top speeds that the car can sustain without damage , or else the speed of the governor.
iamxb70 5 years ago
I agree. But how do you explain the fact that a 500SE (Danish car) was faster than a 560 SEL (both 1989 models)? I have driven both, and that 500SE had kick-down at 190, for the 560 at 170.. Weird huh? Top speed; 253 vs. 248 in favour of the 500SE. That 560 was a larger version, and a Swiss car, maybe that did it. Can anyone please explain this? I really liked the 500SE, what a car!
AlexfromSantiago 5 years ago
560 has sufficient power in 4th for the transmission to not kick down. manual selection is possible (and exhilarating).
560 governed due to execc power for requirements in some countries.
axle ratio in 560 taller so longer legs and ungoverned eats a 500 antyhing (sel,sec,se)
no governor requirements in australia
iamxb70 5 years ago
european versions had no emmission controls and were more powerful than US versions.
mine is european.
the published specification 0-100 kph is 6.3 seconds for euro and about approx 7.5-8 for the US version.
iamxb70 5 years ago
0-100km in 6 seconds? the heck?
NoxNoctisUmbra 5 years ago