Used Mercedes 420

The Mercedes 420 models, specifically the Mercedes Benz 420SEL, were part of the pioneering W126 series. These models belonged to Mercedes Benz’s flagship S-Class series, and were quite simply meant to be the best of what the manufacturer had to offer. Featuring the distinctive Mercedes Benz look, unparalleled build quality, and a great amount of luxury and safety features, the Mercedes 420 SELs have gained classic status. The entire W126 series is, in fact, Mercedes Benz’s most successful S-Class models ever produced, reaching record sales of nearly nine hundred thousand units. The W126 series proved to be so successful because of the effort that Mercedes Benz put into designing and executing these models. Specifically designed to improve upon the fuel efficiency, handling, and ride comfort of its predecessor the W116 series, the W126 did not disappoint the automotive world in any way. Perhaps the only problem some users had with the W126 models were the changes that it made to the traditional used Mercedes Benz styling. When it came out, it departed significantly from how existing Mercedes Benz S-Class cars looked. The W126 cars featured sleeker curves and lower profiles, which were intended to lower drag and improve aerodynamics. These body changes were successful at doing so, reducing fuel consumption by 10%. The usual chrome bumper was also replaced for the first time in the W126 series by polyurethane deformable bumpers. Despite some initial negative reaction to these changes, they would eventually prove to be well accepted and would persist into Mercedes Benz’s later models. The Mercedes 420 came in three different wheelbases. SE was the standard wheelbase, SEL had an extra long base, while the SEC was a coupe. All of these shared the decently powerful M116.965 4.2 L V8 engine, giving the Mercedes 420 models good performance. The Mercedes 420 and the rest of the W126 series came with standard (or optional, in some models) self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension, first seen in the 6.9 W116 models. This special technology replaced conventional shock absorbers and springs with a hydraulic system, resulting in a much better ride and handling. The feature list of the Mercedes 420 is a long one, with some examples being power seats and windows, climate control, crumple zones, airbags, and TCS or traction control system. These features are like icing on the cake, when coupled with the Mercedes 420s build quality and high performance. The Mercedes 420 models in Mercedes Benz’s S-Class are, quite simply, among the classic great luxury sedans.