1976 Mercedes-Benz W116 450sel 4.5 liter V8 from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
A beautiful,well engineered car that can give much pleasure and reliable service
Faults:
Rear suspension needed replacing.
Sun roof seal failed and leaked water.
General Comments:
My W116 is very nimble for a big car and is very manoeuverable, with a small turning circle.
Handles very well and is safe and easy to drive.
Is very comfortable, quiet and they always look very classy. Shop around and be prepared to pay extra for one that is in top condition, it will save you money in the long run as parts and dealer service can be quite expensive. If maintained well they represent good safe motoring value. If you are going to buy one, my advice is to spend the money to get a dealer to check it out before you purchase as they know what to look for and how much a fault will cost to fix. Get a good one with no rust, manual windows with low kms, they are around.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st November, 2004
1st Dec 2005, 18:37
My Dad owns a 1978 Mercedes 450SE sedan. It runs on LPG, so it is cheap to run. He has had it for the past two years and loves it. It has been reliable and safe. I am 14 and I want to buy the car from him when I can drive. It is powerful, attractive and it was a good price. It has traveled almost 500,000 kilometres and is still going well, it has been serviced regularly, but the engine is slowly getting worse and it might need to be rebuilt ($10000) so Dad might be getting rid of the car... Unfortunately.
21st Jan 2005, 20:53
Excellent survey as an owner of a 1977 450SE that is in absolutely mint condition and has been kept that way from day one. I am the 3rd owner (for the past 12 years), the vehicle is an absolute delight and is kept in show room condition. The engineering was superb in those days. Mercedes built a car and then put a price on it. Unfortunately today it's the opposite. I will stick with my 450SE as I don't want to know about this new stuff which is designed to attract ultra egos.