I think alot of it has to do with perspective. I took a ride in the back of a "commissioned" MB car in Holland one very early, and very hung over, morning for a 100 mile trip to catch a train to fly back to the US. I sat in the back of the black, manual-tanny equivalent of the 98 or 99 w210 e300 (I think it's an e200 in europe) driving at 150 km+ per hour- while the driver (a 7 foot tall athletic guy with black terminator sunglasses and shaven head- wearing black leather pants and jacket- kept asking me questions about "your president Bush" and after a while I thought "I want this car. I gotta get me one of these..."

The (w140) S class are nice, big, pretty cars- but the e300 (W210) brings back memories of Europe for me that the S class doesn't. And besides, I'd have a hard time justifying a 75- 100% higher cost of fuel consumption in my life right now. A gallon of 87 octane (can you even burn that in a 140 S-class?) is 3.99, while premium, or 92 octane is $4.29 a gallon, and D2 diesel is $3.89 at a couple of stations in my area.) Doing the math, and looking at insurance rates- I couldn't afford a 140, even if I really wanted one right now.

I guess my suggestion would be to tally the total costs and look at where your life is right now, and make the more reasonable decision for your situation. Good Luck.