Paul, thanks for the interesting write-up, and congratulations on your E430! I think the W124 coupe/cabriolet won't disappoint as your 3rd car -- you'll get back the E320 feel, plus a different body style for variety.

I’ve always been a BMW fan, having gone though a bunch of 7 series ranging from 1984-1990...never did reach the E38. The 3.5L inline 6's were nice, and for such a large heavy car, it moved VERY well. The last 7 died in a moderate collision and thus my foray into Benz's. My dad has been driving Benz’s since the early 80's and I never quite liked them. Long story short....I own 2 1994 E420s now. As of yet, nothing major, but that’s much in part due to both the previous owners who loved their cars so much… money was no object and preemptive service was the norm. Wait, I forgot, I did do an evap core in one (which BTW is not a hard thing to do, just a bit time consuming.)

The only thing I don’t like about the W124 E420 is the turbo lag.......well at least that’s what I call it. I have always found the E420 to be slow to react. You step on the gas and it’s like the car has to think about it, or like there a bunch of sandbags in the trunk. Now I’m not trying to make it sound like its taking 15-20 seconds but when I hit the gas it’s because I need/want to be moving NOW, and I don’t get that with the 420. At highway speeds the car responds much better and makes me more comfortable in its abilities.

I don’t know what exactly I need to get what I am looking for, maybe a BMW 540i with the 6 speed manual? I had thought a lot about the 210’s in 430 guise, but you guys make them sound problematic and that’s sort or worrisome.

Excellent compare/contrast of the W210 and the W124. I also recently added a W210 (98 E300D) to the family stable. I agree with pretty much everything you have said in your review. I'll only add one thing....

This weekend I'm driving down to Hilton Head, NC. I will be about a 1500 mile round trip and I could take either the "new" W210 or my "old" 91 300D 2.5 turbo....I'm taking the W124 - it's a better driving car in almost every way.

Paul, You are dead on with your reporting of your results and I totally agree with your assesment of the road feel. About 2 years ago I said that I could almost feel the pebbles in the road with my '94 W124 wagon more than the E300 Turbodiesel I'd bought. There is a disconnect with the w210 but a partnership with the W124 in my opinion. I love both cars but for different reasons.

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dtf
1994 E320 Wagon (Died @ 308,669 miles)
1995 E300 Diesel (228,000)
1999 E300 Turbodiesel ( died @ 255,000)
2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC 4X4 (115,000 miles) rusted frame - sold to chop shop
2011 Audi A4 Avant (165,000 miles) Seized engine - donated to Salvation Army
BMW 330 xi 6 speed manual (175,034 miles)
2014 E350 4Matic Wagon 128,000 miles
2018 Dodge Ram 21,000 miles

I am pretty sure that the E420 / 400E never came with a turbo (at least not from the factory). You are right, they are a lot faster at higher speeds then at lower speeds. I own a 1997 E420 (w210) and have not really had much trouble with it.
With regards to the 540i, you need to be careful and make sure that if you decide to buy the car must have the alusil block. The 540i's came out of the factory with what is called a nikasil block. This block contained a certain mixture of nickel in the alloy that resulted in abnormal wear of the block caused by the high sulphur content in US gas. As a result these cars were given a 100,000 mile warranty from the dealer and many had been replaced. If you are looking a car that has not had the new block put in (93-95 models) then you need to be careful as it is very expensive to do this on your own nickel (pardon the expression). I close friend owns a 6 speed 540i that was recently stolen and recovered. He is hoping that the car will be totalled due to the 2000 mile run that the thief took it on (damaged a lot of small items resulting in a lot of money), if it does get totalled, I would be very interested in the salvage title :-).

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With best regards

Al

Cool . I’ve got a 124 wagon and a 202 sedan, and, while not a totally parallel comparison, your observations between the 124 and 210 are similar to mine between the 124 and 202. Now what about the transmissions… between the 722.4 and 722.6. How do they feel and which do you like better?

I like the .4 for its solidity and, when driven manually, for its silky yet powerful mechanical feel. I hate it for not making more go power and fuel economy from the available power. I like the .6 for its heavenly gated shifter, seductive snick snick between third, fourth, and fifth, ability to make seemingly impossible go power and fuel economy from the available power, and option to blip the computer to perform synchronized manual downshifts. I hate it for its vaguely electronic feel.

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Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230

With the W210, MB did cut cost in some areas, but most people would NEVER notice some of these things. For instance, the wood on the dash is clipped on instead of fastened with nuts. The door panels use the standard press-on clips and not the hooks, etc, etc.

Many people mention the decline of quality in materials. This may be true to a certain extent, but keep in mind that auto manufacturers are under heavy pressure to make their new(er) cars more recycler/ecologically friendly these days.

hehe, yeah I know that they don’t really have turbos, I as just using that a metaphor as to what it feels like. Actually I'd love to know if forced induction is possible on these engines.

And about that 540, I actually do know what you're talking about. Good info thanks. A lot of people are unaware of that sulfur situation. The 540 I was referring too however was more of a late model....like 98-99.

To me it isn't even close. The 722.6 is a far superior transmission.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

which cars whave which?

W124 = 722.4 and W210 722.6?

Yes, the 5 speed in the W210 is the 722.6.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Altbenz,

Yea, the "turbo lag effect" you are talking about is these engines are geared low. You can look at putting the S500 diff swap and the difference would be pretty big.

I want simple, so for now W124. Of course, if I was in the market for a car- you might not be able to find a W124 in nice shape easily.
Comparing V8's to 6's doesn't seem right. W124 400E vs a W210 E430.
Reliability, repairability and rust are the long term owner's concern. I think so far, W124's get the nod.


Michael

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Michael McGuire
83 300d
01 vw A4 TDI
66 Chevy Corsa
68 GMC V6 w/oD
86 300E

My indie mechanic would disagree that the W124 is easier to work on than the W210. He finds the 210 a terrific car to service/repair. Most of the components are easier to access and on the W210 OBD-II cars, diagnosis can be done quickly and effectively. Might be different for DIY, though.

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John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/4050/tophat6.gif

Whoever designed the W210's center console has learned a lot from the W126's. The center console comes out in about 15 minutes with the W210. I prefer the way the W210 feels lighter and is more user friendly around town. I have found them to be just a simple to work on as my SDL.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Again, good writeup. I hate the 4 speed transmission in my E320 wagon. If you FLOOR the pedal, it will wind up in 1st, then go through the gears right. But who floors the pedal all the time? If you start off slow, then some jerk trys to pass you and you want quick power, too bad, the trans is already in second and it won't kick back down again! On the highway, the car feels quick, though not like a V8, I'm sure. Its actually amazing how nice the m104 is, though, when its already going 50mph or so, and just letting it wind...it sounds nice too. Its just that the transmission seems to blunt so much of that power, and its slow to kick down, etc. Love the brakes on the 124. The steering itself is fine, but the handling on the wagon? The w124 doesn't handle poorly, but not that great either! My 1996 Volvo 960 wagon that I sold (with the same 195/65/15 tires) outhandled the Benz wagon BADLY. It wasn't even close how much faster the Volvo could go through a curve. And the Benz has Michelin Pilot Primacy V-rated tires, too, while the Volvo had H-rated MXV4's. Then there is the stiff pedal with the "go" button as I call it under the pedal. When you floor the car it pushes a button which changes the way the transmission shifts!
Styling wise, the 124 is probably more timeless, but the 210 is a gorgeous car in sedan or wagon form. We have some friends with a 2002 E320 4Matic which they bought new, and so far it has been great. The modern conveniences it has (nav, Bose, digital displays, Climate, etc, glass moonroof, etc) make it that much more enjoyable, but the 124 feels so quality on the road. Not one squeak or rattle, everything is secure, tight feeling.
If one thing has deterred us from adding a 210 to the fleet it is the rust issues, and the 3-valve engines which have been said to not be as good for endurance.

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2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic
1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 Wagon
2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 SE
1999 Audi A8 4.2L quattro