w123 vs w126 - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

engatwork · #16 11-03-2005, 04:49 PM

If I am going to ride on the interstate I take the 300SD. If I am riding on two lane blacktop I take the '81 300D.

rs899 · #17 11-03-2005, 07:17 PM

I too , am turned off by the plastic touches and the lack of chrome on the W126.

That's one reason I dumped my Camaro.

I will say that euro lights really improve the look of the W126 (and W116

), don't really affect the look of the W123. IMHO, of course.

Rick

pawoSD · #18 11-03-2005, 07:33 PM

I would probably not want a 123 purely for the factor that I like to have a huge car

I'd probably like/drive one just the same if I did have one, but my preference lies in size, I would love to get an SDL someday, those are awesome.

Heck I would drive a full wheelbase Sprinter as my Daily Driver if I could afford one.

83-240D · #19 11-03-2005, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig

That's interesting, you've done a very good job of listing all the reasons I prefer the W123. The mid-90's styling (plastic bumpers, etc.) is what I like least about the 126's. Other than the body style, I would like to have some of the W126 features (although I can do without airbags, ABS, ASR, and power seats). IMHO, the 70s/80s style MBs look classic, while the 90s styles (especially 124s and later 126s) just look dated. Maybe in 10 more years the 90s style will be more appealing?

i have a hard time from a distance deciding if the car is a benz or a lexus or from the side a 7 series. it seems all the high end designers went to the same cocktail party and shared napkin drawings. mb's do not look like mb's any longer. they look like lexi.

83-240D · #20 11-03-2005, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig

That's interesting, you've done a very good job of listing all the reasons I prefer the W123. The mid-90's styling (plastic bumpers, etc.) is what I like least about the 126's. Other than the body style, I would like to have some of the W126 features (although I can do without airbags, ABS, ASR, and power seats). IMHO, the 70s/80s style MBs look classic, while the 90s styles (especially 124s and later 126s) just look dated. Maybe in 10 more years the 90s style will be more appealing?

i have a hard time from a distance deciding if the car is a benz or a lexus or from the side a 7 series. it seems all the high end designers went to the same cocktail party and shared napkin drawings. mb's do not look like mb's any longer. they look like everything else.

bobbyv · #21 11-03-2005, 07:50 PM

a plus factor of the 126 is that it is the first Benz designed specifically for offset-frontal impacts.

however, I personally prefer the look of the 123, especially the wagon. The 123 really stands out in a sea of generic-looking cars, with its upright greenhouse. And of course, the diesel sound just adds to its character.

but I marvel at how fresh the design of the 126 still looks, especially if it has Euro headlamps and bumpers.

braverichard · #22 11-03-2005, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

I would probably not want a 123 purely for the factor that I like to have a huge car

I'd probably like/drive one just the same if I did have one, but my preference lies in size, I would love to get an SDL someday, those are awesome.

Heck I would drive a full wheelbase Sprinter as my Daily Driver if I could afford one.

HA HA HA You're just like me, the bigger the better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 83-240D

i have a hard time from a distance deciding if the car is a benz or a lexus or from the side a 7 series. it seems all the high end designers went to the same cocktail party and shared napkin drawings. mb's do not look like mb's any longer. they look like lexi.

Well this will start a different discussion, but people tend to forget that Lexus has been copying MB from day one. Only recently have they decided to go with their own original design - though one that isn't very original actually. Any designs that look like MB designs are evolutions of MB's designs. Most manufacturers are going out of their way in designs, but from what my eyes deliver to my brain, all MBs are instantly recognizable as nothing else but MBs.

Meta6981 · #23 11-03-2005, 09:25 PM

Ok my turn... my daily driver is a w126 and i love it so i think the car loks nice and it has enough chrome accents (plus in many movies the w126 is the villans car) I like how comfortable the interior is i like the lay out. It has more low end than a 123 but less of a top end. I also driver sometime a 300 d grey market. Which has smaller bumpers, it has the 617 non trubo, paired with a 4 speed. Now the 300 d handles a bit better than my sd granted because minehas more body roll is longer etc etc. What it comes down to is personal prefrence. all the various diesel modelsare just about evenly matched. but depending on what you tweak with etc. Both are great cars. both have thier own set of pros and cons. end of story

#24 11-04-2005, 12:48 AM

300SD = Highway fun
240D = Town Fun

And the comment about a w123 out handling a w126 on no/bad pavement...

...football field...newberg high schol...right now

pawoSD · #25 11-04-2005, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon314159

300SD = Highway fun
240D = Town Fun

And the comment about a w123 out handling a w126 on no/bad pavement...

...football field...newberg high schol...right now

Yeah, the 126's are offroad beasts, I've driven mine through sand nearly a foot deep with mine before and been fine (key here is to not stop, and go fast) as well as many other off road situations and dirt roads/back areas, and just yesterday I had to turn around in a construction zone by going up a steep dirt "ramp/driveway" type thing into a parking lot, the 83 churned up that dirt and made it up just fine

(this thing was STEEP!) I flung dirt all over the place when I merged back onto the road from the packed soil I was sitting on when I floored it.

#26 11-04-2005, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

I flung dirt all over the place when I merged back onto the road from the packed soil I was sitting on when I floored it.

16's will yard some turf...let me tell you....

PagodaLover · #27 11-04-2005, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braverichard

These folks pretty much covered it all.

Personally though, I'd rather walk than drive a W123 on a daily basis. Firstly, the car is too small for me, it is more prone to rust than the W126, it is much less refined (it was a cheaper car than the W126 afterall, and was actually the entry-level "poor man's" Benz), and the worst part of it to me is the exterior styling: the car truly looks as old as it actually is. I've had several people guess my W126 as being from the mid 90s... not sure if that would ever happen with a W123 - if it has happened to any of you W123 owners out there I'd like to read about it. Even when equipped with Euro lights, the bumper of the W123 gives it away as a very old car (the W126 was actually the first car in the world to have bumpers covered with plastic). The W126 just looks much better and has many amenities that aren't even standard on all cars being made today, stuff like airbags, ABS, ASR (later W126s), power seats, rear seat reading lights, automatic climate control, factory theft deterent system, etc. It is actually very amazing to me when I think that my 21 year old luxury car has more standard features than the average 2006 car!

Respectfully, you just described the very reasons I prefer the w123 over the w126. These are also the reason I have bought a 300TDT, an Aston DB2, an Alfa Giulietta Spider Veloce, an MGA, a Jeep Grand Wagoneer Woody, and have never bought a plasticy Miata, w126, or modern Mercedes-Hyundai looking variant.... chrome + class. Personally, the w123 even had wayyyyy too much plastic inside for me.

iNeon · #28 11-04-2005, 01:56 AM

so were your parents poor when you were growing up?

Ara T. · #29 11-04-2005, 02:58 AM

W123's have better maneuverability and visibility and they make for great cruisers OR city runners... no problem parallel parking or going into tight parking spots (i dont though, rather not get anymore dents). I absolutely love the W123 for its visibilty, makes lane changes a real snap compared to more modern aerodynamic designs. I have found that W126's absorb ****ty roads a bit better than 123's. Then again you must take into account that you shuold compare cars with suspensions in identical condition, and how often does that happen?

#30 11-04-2005, 06:10 AM

I had an '82 sd. The opinion that 123's have worse rust issues is hard to believe. One spot that looked bad where there was a support rod which attached to the lower control arm and went back and bolted or welded to the frame. I could not tell which since it was too rusted. The 123's replacement parts are more affordable. The 126 has an upper and lower ball joint and the 123 just has a lower. Axles are cheaper. The 77-85 123's have the least expensive parts-period. The 300d weighs 100 lbs less than the 300sd, and far as I know has the same gearing, so mileage comparisons should be real close. For those who have ambitions of swapping in a manual tranny, the speedo swap only works with 123's. (mechanical cable vs. electronic signal on the 126). Mabee a 126 manual tranny exists-and has electronic signal sender instead of cable-very rare and infeasable to find.
Looks aside, cheaper parts and manual trans compatable are my reasons.

'84 300d