After an accident with both the 1994 E320 wagon(head-on - $17K of damage) and the 1995 E320 (minor side impact - $2K of damage), I can avow to the safety of 124 body cars. I even thought damage would be minimal on the wagon based on my condition after the accident. These, however, motivated me to review the safety ratings of the 210 body cars. I too was surprised by an "A" rating, and I later found out that this was due to the driver door swinging open on a 1997 test vehicle. After this incident, Mercedes installed those locks which automatically lower after 10 mph, correcting the issue and leading to the "G" rating of later tests (not tested again until 2001).