Back when the Mercedes S-Class didn’t feature any V12 units, let alone AMG power, the 560 SEL was the top dog in the range.
Underneath its long bonnet was a 5.5-liter V8 producing 300 PS (295 HP) and 456 Nm (336 lb-ft) of torque. It may not sound like much by today’s standards, but at that time it was quite sufficient.
During his time with this 1991 560 SEL, Doug DeMuro noticed quite a few quirks and interesting features, such as the dual notes for the horn or the power headrests.
Speaking of these sorts of things, it’s curious to see that this car also featured an electronically-adjustable passenger side mirror, while the one on the driver’s side was manually-adjustable. Also, the mirrors themselves don’t fold, however they do bend and then snap back into place in the event of an incident.
Inside the car, there is plenty of room both front and rear. Regardless of where you sit, you get heated seats, which was pretty rare for the early 90’s.
On the road, DeMuro enjoyed driving the 560 SEL, saying that acceleration was OK and that he liked how “far removed from the road” he felt, just like in a modern day luxury car. As for downsides, he pointed out the very heavy steering and slow 4-speed automatic transmission – but you can watch the whole review for yourselves in the following video.
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