Re the 210 vs 124 thread
 

Have been getting the bug lately to upgrade from the TE to a newer wagon. Found an 01 with 79K on it not far from here. Drove down tonight and took it for a ride. BIG disappointment ! Maybe it was just that particular car, but after 2 miles, I knew it was not close to the quality of my 95. When I returned from the drive the salesman asked if I would trade the 95 on the 01. When I told him I probably wouldn't trade him even up, he really did not seem surprised. He asked how my car was so immaculate with 136K on it and I told him just because. I look after the car,,, maintain it and if it needs something,,, I fix it. Back to the 01,,,, the temp and gear indicators had pixels missing,,, the heated seats didn't work,,, when you hit the rear window washer, the front washers came on,,, and the thing rattled like a 95 Cavalier,,, I couldn't believe it. I hope it was a one off deal, and I will try others, but like I say, it was a big disappointment. My 95 is looking REAL good tonight.

Sounds like the '01 was really poorly maintained. My '96 with almost 250,000 miles drives very nice. No rattles, everything works as it should.

It would be interesting to drive a W124 and a W210 in similar shape back to back.

Pete.... Look closely at the watch I'm swinging in front of you. Good... Now repeat after me... W140. I want a W140......


:D:D:D

And Pete, NEVER let that V8 124 go -- I so want a poor-man's 500E!!!

There must be a better word than "upgrade" to describe going from a 124 to 210.

"update"?

That is what I hoped. I'll keep looking.

A well-looked-after W210 should be a more satisfying car to drive than a W124. It is a different feel, particularly in the steering shift from recirculating ball to the rack & pinion setup. Also the newer autobox is far more responsive than the "I'll downshift when I am good and damn ready" 4-speed in our W124s.

One that's been beat-down and neglected though... I've also had the bug to find either a W124 or W210 wagon, but as you know wagons generally see very heavy family use/neglect, and they are often run into the ground.

I lol'd at that.

I have both a W124 and a W210, and love them both for different reasons. My W210 has all the fancy toys (heated seats, AWD, sat nav, etc) that one could want, plus it recently astonished me by doing this trip on a single tank of fuel.

However, I find that the W124 has the superior driving position, and the M104 isn't overly burdened with fancy electronics making it (theoretically) simpler to work on. I'm also finding the build quality of the W124 to be better.

If I want my passengers to enjoy the ride, I take the W210. If it's just me, then I'll take the W124.

move up :D

Pete, I am in the same boat as you..... Drove newer wagons, and the only one that has met my standards set by my W124 Wagon was a W211 Wagon....

that's because the 124 was designed in an era where a mercedes just had to be the best built car in the world, period. (quoted that from mercedes enthusiast magazine). the era before the daimler chrysler era is alot better i think. and the recirculating ball steering is what makes the car feels like a proper mercedes.

I drove an o1 yesterday at a dealership,,, nice car, everything worked, even the dash pixels, with 87K. Went to put it up on the rack and just happened to open the rear doors and poke around the weatherstrips, and the tops of the doors were gone.:eek: MAJOR rust ! I stopped the guy right there and told him I wasn't interested. I am sure he had no idea of the problem,,, he ought to sign on to Mercedesshop.:D I though most of the rust problems had been addressed by 01.:confused:

KPB,

Price out the tuneup parts for a M119 V-8, then look at the ETA cost. Both considered routine maintenance.

Had a 400E for a year, nice car, but the complexity and cost was a real bummer. Back to W124 M10X engines....

Jim

I chose the W124 wagon over the W210, even though I ended up paying more for the W124 than some of the w210 I looked at....

So far, I do like the W211 series, but the W210 kwality is lacking in opinion, compared to the W124s.

The W211 seems to be doing better, so far, but it IS a much more complex car. My brother's W211 requires a computer to reset the car when the brakes are replaced, for example. It appears the DIY guy is going to have to invest in some expensive tools to maintian one!

Jim