Knock on wood that nobody here had to find out how these cars react during an accident but I was curious to know how these cars handle themselves....

do they get beat up badly like the cheap cars that are made now or do they withstand a tractor-trailor ?

Thanks

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Audi TT

They are stiff as a semi. At least in the passenger safety cage. The bumpers on the W126 and W123 can take quite a belt too.

The W116/W126 and W123 are the models that helped define Mercedes as being "tanks".

They hold up well, but technology has come a long way. Most modern cars probably have stiffer passenger cabins and improved crumple zones, though our beloved diesels were far ahead of their time.

Do a search in here using "accident" maybe. There has been LOT of threads in here started by folk who's MB took had a snooker mishap. Pleny of pics too

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"If anyone knows other lessons I need to learn, please tell me. I'm tired of learning them the hard way".
by JerryBro

The Glow Plug Wait: This waiting period is a moment of silence to pay honor to Rudolph Diesel. The longer you own your diesel the more honor you will give him". by SD Blue

My normal daily life; either SNAFUed- Situation Normal... All Fouled Up, or FUBARed- Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

62 UNIMOG Camper w/617 Turbo, 85 300SD daily driver- both powered by blended UCO fuels

I happened to be in my dad's 79 300SD (w116) when we were rear ended by a Mazda MPV driver who wasn't paying attention. He totally wiped out his front end, and got mad at us cause we didn't get any damage. Too bad that my W124 can't do that

i know my 300SD is a tank...ive hit a full grown buck deer at about 50mph and all it did was take out my corner light and crack the headlight housing

also this past winter, i hit a guy who pulled out in front of me in a 2000 Chevy Silverado...i hit him doing probably 30 with my brakes locked up...i hit his truck right on his back tire and bent his frame, took out his rear quarter panel, and spun his truck over 90 degrees...the only damage to my car was a crack in my front bumper from his rear wheel and it twisted my hood a little bit, no dents or scraped off paint at all...yeah, 126's forever mannnn

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1985 300SD 192,000miles...Astral silver/ Grey MbTex

1983 300D 194,000miles...White/Tan MbTex...my newest addiction

Considering that the deer was more robust than the Chebby...

*flame suit on*

If the accident were to damage the hood so it wouldn't open and damage the engine shut off so you couldn't shut the engine off

Head-on 40MPH collision!!!

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1985 300D Turbo ~225k
2000 F350 (Powerstroke) 4X4, SWB, CC, SRW, 6spd ~148k
1999 International 4900, DT466e (250hp/660 ft/lbs), Allison MD3060 ~73k

Actually, I read that the brand new cars are designed to absorb the damage for both the hitter and the victim. In other words, the new car takes the damage, while the old car remains intact.

Plus most newer cars have flimsy bumpers, so low speed impacts could cost big $$$.

Any old Benz is a tank. The stiffest Mercs were designed before 1980. Although, since they WERE stiff, there was more potential for injury.

I agree that the newer Mercedes-Benzes are probably safer. The old ones are nice to have in the city though where people just kinda bump you when parallel parking or just out of misfortune in traffic.

I got rear ended by a new C-Class (W203). He was probably only going 10-20mph max. The diesel sustained zero damage other than an imprint of the C's license plate frame in the rubber strip.

The W203 wasn't as lucky though... broke the grille and bent the hood a little.

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2008 BMW 335i Coupe

I gotta disagree ( a little) with DslBnz----
The statement that only the newer cars are designed to pregressively crush in an accident, is a little misleading. I have been reading that claim for 30 years at least. I'm not a M-B historian, but I'm sure the W123s were advertised with this feature--a rigid safety cell protecting the passengers and the ends designed to collapse and absorb the energy of impact so the passengers are protected. I have the sales brochures from the 504 model Peugeot which debuted in 1968 (?) which discusses the technology. Mercedes was the pioneer in this area, I believe they advertised that they did not enforce their patents as they felt the contribution to public safety was more important than keeping the ideas exclisive to M-B.
Now, does the technology keep advancing? Are todays designs, most likely better? The answer to these questions is most likely "yes". but it ain't a "new" idea.

The Fintail W110/111/112 models were designed with crush zones, since the 60's!

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

Fintails were first with crumple zone technology in '60 I think. I'm sure Volvo wasn't far behind to institute this idea.
Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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Hey, I'm just a kid. I was only born in 1983. I haven't been around for 30 years. From real-world accidents, it is obvious that newer cars crush more than older cars. For example; 6 - 8 months ago, I witnessed a 40 mph T-bone collision between a Ford Tempo, and a Lincoln Town Car. The lady driving the Town Car failed to yield to traffic and slammed into the Tempo at full force. The glass from the Tempo shattered and flew opposite the Lincoln. I watched that model 2003 Lincoln, right before my very eyes, crumple up like a piece of tinfoil. Sure, everyone was fine, and as I observed the damage and to see if everyone was OK, I was shocked.

Tempo appeared to be a late '80's to early 90's model. Front fender was flattened. Frame looked like it was pushed in a couple of inches. Wheel was slightly twisted everything else was fine. I didn't even get NEAR the Lincoln because the foolish moron who was driving it was ranting and raving about how stupid this was(even though she caused it) and that the Lincoln was her father's recently acquired BRAND NEW CAR!

Lincoln looked like it just went through the IIHS offset crash at 40 mph! Wow....