Nice write up by Paul. I've owned a couple of 124 chassis and a couple of 210 chassis cars, so permit me to toss in my $.02.

Steering effort on the 210 is lower than the older cars which use recirculating ball steering gear. Initially I was a bit put off by it, somewhat like Paul sounds. However, over time I came to the conclusion that 210 steering is much, much superior to the 124. The 210 system does a marvelous job of communicating road surface and slip angle to the driver. It's light, but sensitive and communicative. A 124 is heavy and dead feeling in comparison.

The 210 chassis has a bit less spring rate than a 124, but much more roll stiffness. It also carries quite a bit more tire than most 124 cars. Overall I find it a much more capable handler as a result. What constitues sufficient damping is a matter of opinion; I've not had issues with the 210 cars being too soft. They still feel distinctly Mercedes, though perhaps with a softer edge than some of the earlier cars.

Oh, and let's not forget the 210 has a powerful air conditioning system! Now that is an improvement.

- JimY