3.8l M116 snapped there single row chains in as little as 40k miles. The M114(I think) steering gear box tended to break off the frame. Nothing new really.

People have a very selective memory, and worry to much. If I had the money I'd be very happy driving an E320CDI vs anything in my currant fleet. Its a darn fine car simple as that.

I have to say in some aspects the rust proofing is a bit better on the W126 vs the W210. But the W210 wins hands down in the user friendly area. Whoever designed the W210's interior worked on W126's. All those pita screws and stuff that you have to remove on the W126 were done away with or are accessible on the W210. Pulling apart the interior on a W210 is such a cake walk compared to the early cars, and underneath it all looks about the same. Wood still aluminum backed, as well as most of the interior trim. Wiring is typical MB, ect.
The best made MB I have ever worked on is the W140 hands down. Its like MB took the W126 and fixed all the problem areas, and beefed it up. More complex yes but you get more toys so there is a trade. For example on the W126 they mounted there battery on the passenger side and it tends to collect crap below the tray and rot out that area. W140’s is in the trunk. On the W126 the hood pad is glued on, on the W140 its help on my twist clips so its designed to be replaced. The W140 is hands down the best MB I have worked on so far, they spent much more time on the details with that one.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

So what years were these engines made? As I said previously I'm not very familiar with the gasoline engines.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

My grandmother gave me my 300SD. she "Upgraded" to a 96 E300 Diesel. she liked it at first. i drove it and it drives like a dream. problem is it has a ton of problems. Her and I don't have much we talk about anymore... except the mercedes, so it is our bonding point. she told me over thinksgiving that her head gasket has blown. she is planning on getting it fixed, but it is only the most recent in a long list of problems she has had. compair that to my car and my uncels (grandmas son) 85 300CD who are running fine. It can't just be a point of view thing.

Now my anut is talking to her brothers about getting grandma a new car. she is a big toyota fan. she is trying to get grandma to trade the Mercedes in for a Lexua or Acura. I understand that Grandma needs a good car, so i'm happy they are thinking about her, but i'm upset that i'm going to loose my "Mercedes Bond" with my grandma.

I wish that quality was better in the 90s.... this is directly effecting my family.

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Early 80's. Problem was fixed in about 84, still it is a weak design.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

All perfectly valid points, however.

I've travelled extensively around Europe, visited nearly every European country at some time or another. Outside nearly every single airport, without fail, will be a large fleet of W210 taxis. They all have starship mileage, and without fail all are smooth, quiet, and much loved by their owners.

Now if professional drivers like them, that says a lot - although I'm prepared to concede that Mercedes do help out by manufacturing a lot of components for taxi use.

I have a 1998 E300D TurboDiesel with 145,300 miles or so, I get right at 30 MPG, and have learned, thanks to this forum, how to do most of the maintenance. Repairs of the electronics have been another story. The added features enabled by the electronics are of little value to me, so I find the overall bargain - more features, lower reliability - not in my favor. One of the appealing features of the W123 chassis is its simplicity. Manual HVAC controls for the 240D that work fine today, without having replaced anything. Of the several I have owned and more that I have maintained in my family, I have replaced one heater valve on a 240D because it leaked. I know of nearly no one who has owned a W210 that has not had a duo-valve fail, which results in a lack of temperature control inside the car and costs an order of magnitude more, as a mere part.

The basic W210 is much more refined chassis than the W123, W124, and W126 chassis. The body slips through the air with substantially less drag (enabling that fuel mileage) and noise. I have had the front seats get wobbly and require new frames (warrantee work), something I never heard of on any prior MB. The same with self dimming outside mirrors. The W210 driver's side mirror is all funky. Unlike many of the other electronics that fail, the mirror is still functional, although staring through it would give you a headache.

Given the cost all this electronic crap adds to the cost of the vehicle, and how troublesome it has turned out (by the way, I have had no issues and know of no one who has, with the ABS, BAS, ASD, ESP, and so forth, which are safety related electronics instead of creature comfort electronics), I would love to have the chance to have ordered the car with minimal electronic stuff and more mechanical stuff. I see no need for the seats, or the memory stuff, or for a bunch of sensors and gadgets to regulate the temperature (what is wrong with turning the heat up if you are cold, or down if you are too warm? Or sending it to your feet by turning a selector knob if your feet need heat?) or a digital dashboard, and so on.

I believe the fall of MB quality is real, and it was driven by the demand, created by the Japanese manufacturers, for more and more electronic stuff. Overall I think the basic MB automobile is still an excellent machine, with few exceptions. The designs in production today can trace their mechanical heritage to the legacy machines we refer to with such reverence. They just happen to be part of machines with a more electronic interface with the owners, which is something MB actually sucks at. When the electronics are part of a safety system, MB is more than capable, which is an indication the lower quality result was an elected path, not a path that "had to happen." Someone suggest this is Schremp's legacy, which was to reap short term profits while eroding a century of building a reputation for rock solid quality. Some bargain. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

When I lived in Germany, and when I imported grey market cars here in the early and mid 1980's nearly everything was optional. Electric windows (another item I am not in favor of - I have long arms and can wind down any window in a W123 or W201 from the driver's seat) were purchased as front windows, and then rear windows, or just rear windows, for example. Even the sunroof was mechanical, with the electrically operated version an upgrade of the sunroof option. So, I believe many of the taxi cabs you see are simpler versions of the cars we know here in the W210 chassis, or the W203. In the old days, even the "S" class was available in a very base configuration with everything else optional. A simpler version would not have the automatic climate controls, although even the simplest versions of these cars now come with a standard A/C system, and likely have some electroncally controlled valves or air control flaps. Or the electric seats, or Xenon headlamps, and so on. Overall, if such cars were made available here, it is unlikely anyone would buy them. Americans seem to want to have an electronically enhanced, even if unreliable, interface with their vehicles. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

The main difference between older and simpler MB diesels and the newer ones comes down to cost of ownership, with the older ones you can drive them until rust kills the car, with the new MB's 100K or the end of extended warranty is when you need to move on, if you continue driving, it will cost you an arm & a leg, and if you can indeed afford an arm & a leg you might as well buy a new one and be happy.
A new MB from quality standpoint is no better or no worse than any other car, it is just expensive thanks to its reputation derived from its glorious past.

Vahe
240D 77