Ranking the 10 Best Mercedes Sedans of All Time

Merc’s first post-war sedan was the so-called Ponton, a series of mid-sized cars internally referred to under many codenames. The base 180 model with either gasoline or diesel mills, for example, is known as the W120. At the other end of the spectrum, six-cylinder sedans include the W105, W180, as well as the W128.

Enthusiasts understand how daunting it is to grasp how many excellent sedans came out of Stuttgart in the past century, but every single one of them shaped Mercedes into the Stuttgart-based automotive colossus that prides itself on delivering “the best or nothing” despite a turn for the worse in terms of quality and reliability since the middle of the 1990s with the inception of the M-Class.

This ranking isn’t about the M-Class or any other sport utility vehicle produced at MBUSI, though. Only four-door sedans like the segment-defining Mercedes S-Class and iconic Grosser are eligible, which brings us to number 10 of our 10 best Mercedes sedans of all time.

10. Mercedes-Benz 260 D (W138)

The automaker’s media website presents the W138 as the world’s first series-production car, although different sources beg to differ. Revealed in 1936, the 260 D was preceded by the Citroen Rosalie 11UD three years earlier. Not long after, Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG launched a 1.9-liter oil burner in the mid-sized Rekord.

In any case, the 260 D is one of the first series-production cars to feature a diesel powerplant. The 260 prefix stands for 2.6 liters even though 2,545 cubic centimeters are rounded to 2.5 liters. The OM 138 engine is nothing like the diesels we have today, beginning with the overhead valves. Just over 5,700 units of this lump were built from 1935 through 1940, although more than 3,750 of the bunch were used in trucks rather than cars.

Just under 2,000 units of the 260 D were finished through 1939, the year the German Reich repeated the mistakes of the German Empire by starting a world-encompassing war out of petty reasons. Also offered as a landaulet and cabrio, the 260 D was indirectly succeeded in the 1970s by the W116 with the OM 617.

9. Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer (W186 and W189)

Five years after World War II came to a screeching halt with Japan’s capitulation, Daimler-Benz revealed the 300 series to positive reception at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1951. Initially codenamed W186, then W189 between 1957 and 1962, the full-size luxobarge was the closest thing to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud back then.

Rather than codenames, the Adenauer received this nickname due to a gentleman’s love for the W186 and W189 during his tenure as chancellor. Konrad Adenauer led the federal government of Germany from 1949 to 1963. In this period, he used a whopping six cars from the 300 series, cabrio and landaulet versions included.

His first 300 is currently exhibited in Bonn at the Haus der Geschichte. Another 300, namely a 300 d from 1959, is displayed in the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Succeeded by the 600 series in 1963, the 300 also paved the way for the incredibly pretty W198 300 SL gull-winged coupe.

8. Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II (W201)

AMG made a name for itself at the 24 Hours of Spa in 1971 with the Red Pig, a modified 300 SEL 6.8 that won its class and second place overall against purpose-built racecars. The first collaboratively developed vehicle from the Affalterbach-based company and Mercedes came out in 1993 in the guise of the C 36. Between them, the German automaker collaborated with Cosworth for the four-cylinder mill of the 190 E 2.3-16 from 1984.

Based on the W201 that eventually morphed into the C-Class, the 190 E 2.3-16 received a tremendous update with the introduction of the Evolution in 1989 at the Geneva Motor Show. One year later, the Evolution II launched with an aggressive body kit. Designed to increase downforce and reduce drag, said body kit allegedly prompted BMW to redesign its wind tunnel.

Only 502 examples of the Evolution II were produced, split between 500 units in blue and black and two units in astral silver. Essentially a touring car for the road, this variant of the W201 belts out 232 horsepower (235 ps).

7. Mercedes-Benz 500 E (W124)

Another high point in the history of high-performance Mercedes sedans is the 500 E from the W124 generation. One of the ultimate sleeper cars of its era, together with the LT1 small block V8-engined Buick Roadmaster Estate station wagon and Volvo 850 T-5R, this fellow isn’t a bonafide Merc. Believe it or not, Zuffenhausen’s very own Porsche was commissioned to redesign the W124 to fit the naturally-aspirated V8 of the SL 500.

Manufactured between 1991 and 1995, the 500 E originally numbered less than 10,500 units. The last 120 examples were last-request vehicles produced by Porsche alongside the Audi RS 2 Avant, a high-performance wagon with some Porsche DNA as well.

The M119 engine of the 500 E develops a stout 322 horsepower (326 ps) and 354 pound-feet (480 Nm). Electronically limited to 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour), the Porsche-infused Mercedes sedan held its own against the contemporary E34 M5.

6. Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG (W204)

Unleashed in 2007, the C 63 AMG from the W204 generation of the C-Class was designed from the ground up to be a corner-carving thriller. Very different from its understeery predecessors, the 63er boasted the quickest and most responsive steering of any road-going Merc.

As with every other V8-powered AMG, the 63 from the W204 generation is a tire-smoking machine. 63 stands for 6.3 liters only if you take advertising and press materials at face value. The free-breathing V8 actually displaces 6,208 cubic centimeters, yet Mercedes preferred to use 63 as a nod to the 6.3-liter variant of the M100 engine introduced by the Grosser in the 1960s.

More powerful and torquier compared to its Audi and BMW rivals, the C 63 came exclusively with a two-pedal transmission based on the 7G-Tronic. The AMG Speedshift MCT doesn’t use a torque converter, but a wet start-off clutch for better launches off the line and double clutching. The W205 switched to a force-fed V8, whereas the W206 adopted a plug-in hybrid powertrain based around a hand-built AMG 2.0-liter turbo lump.

5. Mercedes-AMG C 43 (W206)

The W204 C 63 AMG launched with 451 horsepower (457 ps) and 442 pound-feet (600 Nm) of torque to its name. Fast forward to the W206 generation, and the C 43 promises 402 horsepower (408 ps) and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) from merely a third of the displacement.

Pretty much the Mercedes-AMG equivalent to the M340i xDrive from BMW M, the C 43 is a true AMG. The M139l is assembled in Affalterbach under the “one man, one engine” principle. Formula 1 technology is present in the guise of an electric turbocharger assisted by a 48-volt electric system. Two-stage fuel injection, a belt-driven starter generator, and the Nanoslide cylinder coating technology are highlights in their own right.

The elephant in the room is pretty obvious, though. With four cylinders arranged in a line, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 43 sadly doesn’t have the aural qualities of the M340i xDrive and the equivalent sedan from Audi.

4. Mercedes-Benz EQS (V297)

Mercedes has a long history of EVs. The EQS stands out for three reasons, beginning with being the first all-electric luxury sedan from the EQ sub-brand. It’s also the first electric vehicle designed from the ground up by the German automaker. Last but certainly not least, the S-Class of EVs has a considerable bit of cachet to it.

Many sensors and clever software enable Level 3 autonomy in the EQS, which can take over the driver’s duties at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour (37 miles per hour). Drive Pilot was launched in Germany in May 2022, and it's coming to the U.S. market for MY2024.

Gifted with five doors rather than four, the EQS also happens to be the first all-electric performance vehicle from the go-faster division in Affalterbach. Imposing outside and technologically intense on the inside, this liftback-styled model is one of the most aerodynamic series-production vehicles out there. As opposed to the 0.197 Cd of the Lucid Air, the EQS flaunts a 0.2 Cd.

3. Mercedes-Maybach S-Class (Z223)

No top 10 of the best Mercedes sedans is complete without a representative of the S-Class. The one picked by autoevolution’s editorial team is – of course – the plushest of the bunch. Codenamed Z223 as opposed to W223 for the S-Class with Benz branding, the Maybach is 18 centimeters (7 inches) longer than its forerunner.

Most of that extra length converts to extra legroom for the rear occupants, which are presented with the highest quality of leather upholstery and a plethora of more or less useful goodies. The Maybach was also chosen for being the only 223 series offered with a V12 motor, namely the M279 introduced by the R231-gen SL 65.

The M279 isn’t 11 years old at the time of writing, though. It’s actually much older because it’s derived from the M275, itself derived from the M137. All three rock three valves per cylinder and SOHC valvetrains, which is a bit amiss by modern standards. On the other hand, remember that the M275 from which the M279 was born also birthed the M158 of the Pagani Huayra.

2. Mercedes-Benz W123 with a diesel engine

Following the fall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, one of the most popular foreign cars imported to my home country was the 123 series. Diesel-engined models were especially popular, with the 123 series being nicknamed Cobra in this part of the world.

As I grew up and my interest in cars kicked into overdrive, I also learned that the Cobra is one of the toughest series-production cars out there. There are lots of examples with more than a million kilometers on the clock, which is a testament to the engineering excellence and sheer reliability of Mercedes diesels from that era, as well as the 123 series. Nearly 2.4 million W123 sedans were manufactured between 1976 and 1986.

Still popular in many African countries, the 123 isn’t impossible to kill. But when something inevitably goes south, as it does with every combustion-engined vehicle, the repair is often reassuringly simple and affordable.

1. Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100)

The Grosser still takes the cake after so many decades since the last example of the breed rolled off the assembly line. A little under 2,700 were built in the period between 1963 and 1981. Compared to every other Merc – and every other car in existence for that matter – the W100 was extremely popular with nefarious peeps.

Wikipedia contains a tremendous list of authoritarian politicians and full-on dictators who fielded the Grosser in their personal fleets, including the infamous Idi Amin. Also popular with royalty, musicians, tycoons, and fashion designers, the 600 paved the way for the failed Maybach reboot from the late 1990s and the far more commercially successful Maybach reboot from 2015.

The replacement for the Adenauer mentioned a few paragraphs earlier also premiered the first series-production V8 from Mercedes. Codenamed M100, this engine was built by hand and tested on a bench for 265 minutes to ensure that everything works as intended. As the saying goes, they don’t make them as they used to.