Not in some areas.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

In terms of "the way it drives" a 210 leaves a 126 for dead. The 210 is a responsive, comfortable almost-a-sport-sedan. A 126 is big and ponderous in comparison.

Yeah, the rack and pinion steering has a different feel than the old recirculating ball boxes, but nonetheless it is very, very good. Steering on a 210 has good feel to tell you how hard the tires are working and is very accurate on center with almost no play.

Fuel economy on a 210 wagon should be about the same as a 126 diesel, maybe a little better on the highway.

I'm thinking the reliability of a 2000+ 210 isn't going to have much trouble matching the reliabilty of an '87 SDL.

One thing to be aware of with wagons is they have a bit more road noise than sedans. It's not bothersome, but is noticeable. Be sure to drive any candidate cars at highway speeds.

It's hard to argue with a 210 wagon; they are a great blend of competent driving, comfort, safety, utility, and even decent economy.

Precisely.

I have no idea where that above poster Ferdman came up with his beliefs on W210's handling. All eroneous from my 11 years and 120K miles driving and owning one.

The W210 (mine anyway) is a precise rocket sled of a car that does everything well. It's fast, quick, handles perfectly, stops on a dime, and feels like a tuned sports car is how it feels in your hands.

If an SDL feels anything like my mid '80s SD did - they're apples and zebras apart from the W210 in the performance and overall ride aspects of the two cars. I much prefer the W210's precision.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

Rack & pinion steering gives an entirely different feel than the recirculating ball steering, at least to me. I own a 1995 E320 and a 1998 E320 and the ride/handling is noticeably different. I was simply suggesting to Randall that he drive W210 wagons to determine if he is satisfied with their ride/handling because it will vary from a 300SDL. Not saying it's good or bad, just that it's different.

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Fred Hoelzle

Thanks for the information, everyone. I've owned the W210 for about a month now and am posting back here for edification of previous repliers and future searches on similar topics.

The short of it: my 2003 E320 wagon is the closest thing to a perfect car I've ever driven, but I still love and miss the 300SDL.

The W210 feels smaller inside, and is more nimble. The throttle is amazingly fine-grained and responsive compared with an old diesel. The steering is very different: more confident around corners, but seeming to require a little more touch maintaining a straight line. It's very solid; it feels better at 110 than the SDL did at 80.

One thing I've always loved about the SDL (and the '84 300TD before it) was that it felt like it was working. Something happens when you put the throttle down, but it's not effortless or automatic. These 80s models still feel very mechanical and analog, and for me this makes them approachable and gives them more character.

The E320 drives so perfectly it's almost arrogant, but it still feels like a Mercedes. I was worried that something so new would drive like my mom's Camry (that is, like a go-cart), completely disconnecting me from the road. Not at all. Through the steering wheel and my butt in the seat I feel exactly what's going on at all times.

But it doesn't pretend to be a sports sedan, either. The transmission shifts into high gear more slowly than the SDL, which surprised me quite a bit, but the shifts are usually so perfect that I don't notice. The 5-speed helps.

Of the SDL I miss the long hood, the big steering wheel, the lower and more reclined driving position. I miss the sound and the smell and the simpler controls. I miss the size, and the trunk space.

I wouldn't consider going back, though. The SDL has one 24-year-old airbag while the E320 has 8. The E320 has heated seats and all-wheel drive. Hot damn, what a car.

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2003 E320 wagon, ~80k, "Sputnik"
1987 300 SDL, ~160k, "The Pimp Daddy" (sold April 2010)
1984 300 TD, ~200k, "Das Boot" (Demised March 2008)

Actually, it has 10. There is a pair of side impact bags for the 3rd row seat mounted in the ceiling back there.

The more I see the W210 wagons - the better I like them. They are attractive cars - especially the newer model ones.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

Ha! That's awesome. This car just got a little more ridiculous

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2003 E320 wagon, ~80k, "Sputnik"
1987 300 SDL, ~160k, "The Pimp Daddy" (sold April 2010)
1984 300 TD, ~200k, "Das Boot" (Demised March 2008)