Over the years I have driven 1 or 2 examples of all the 'popular' models- 114, 115 123, 124, 116, 126, 140, 210, 201, 107.

While the condition of older cars can vary wildly, these are my opinions, and I wanted to hear some others.

107 and 116 cars all have a similar feel: heavy, well balanced, moderate body roll and excellent tracking at speed. large steering wheel does not encourage 'sporty driving.'

124 - lighter on its feet, higher center of gravity. 201 felt similar, maybe more nimble.

126- my least favorite. Rides harder than the others, yet has more body roll. very vulnerable to crosswinds.

140- Besides the overboosted steering, the best overall. Goes around corners faster than anything its size should.

210- Similar to the 140, minus 1000lbs, and with better steering.

Any thoughts?

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'90 300SE 298k
-300K and it gets put into retirement.
'80 300D 255k Purchased new by family in 1980.

Had a:
1973 220 (gas)
1980 300SD
1992 400E

Drive a W211! The dynamic balance of the chassis is nothing short of amazing. The ride is as supple as the W140 or W220 and it's lighter on it's feet than the W124 (1986-1989 years).

I had only a half hour of seat time, but was blown away. The steering is SO perfect. Precise, light in parking, and rock solid on the freeway. BMW has lost the steering crown, in my opinion.

The only thing that ruined a PERFECT car was the non-linear SBC braking system. Boo.

The next best I have driven is another car with the front multi-link, and that's the W203 C-Class. Highly evolved, but not as perfect as the W211.

I found the W140 ponderous in town, but superb on the highway. A cruiser class ship. The W220 almost matches the W140's highway ride and is lighter in town. The overall feel is lighter, and that might not be what some traditional MB fans like, but really appeals to the Lexus buyer, and MB wanted conquest sales.

The W210 is nice, but having owned both, I felt very little dynamic difference between the W210 and W202, which is not a bad thing. The rack and pinion on our 98 W210 was nice, but not as heavy at high speed as the old box in the W202. The suspension set-ups on the W202 and W210 are similar,and it felt that way.

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John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

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

I haven't driven as many models, but here's my take (just driving characteristics):

1) w203 (C230 and C320, both w/ Sport pkg): good tradeoff between ride and handling. Good steering and braking response. Feels secure, yet light and tossable.
2) w211 (E320): good ride/handling balance and steering as well, but brakes just too grabby. Handles great for it's size/weight class.
3) w201 (190e 2.6): acceptably nimble, good brakes, feels great w/ Bilstein HD's IMO, still beat out the w124 w/ stock suspension. Ride/handling balance not up to the modern cars'.
4) w124 (300e): good driver for it's time, secure, but feels heavier and fairly slow steering. Brakes weren't as responsive as the w201 either.

If you would have asked me 5 years ago, I would have told you that I would probably never own a MB, at least not as a daily driver. (I figured maybe I would get one for my wife and kids, but for me I needed a little more "performance").

A couple years ago, I had the chance to purchase a 560sel for $1500 (running ok, looked ok, a little rough), so I took it. After getting it running right (new fuel distributor, new front suspension, etc)., I had what became one of my favorite cars. A little "boaty", but in a straight line that motor was just great!

I replaced it a few months ago with a 500sel w140. Wow, is this an awesome car. The steering might be a little soft, but I put a leather cover on the wheel, and the thickness makes it feel "right". With 18" Lorinsers and Conti CH95s, there aren't many cars faster through a 100mph sweeper, and from 50mph to 100mph, it pulls away from all but the fastest cars on the road.

Add to this the 10 speaker stereo, self closing doors, cruise control that works, reclining rear seats, wood trim, etc., etc.,...

In summary, the engine/tranny performance in the 560 is almost perfect. Strong, solid shifts, good use of power. Handling is surprisingly good, but it is a cruiser, not a sports car.

The 500 has more power, but doesn't use it quite as well. However, the handling (with the minor exception of the steering) is on par with many (most?) sports cars, and yet the interior makes for an even better cruiser... Sure, it might have it's flaws, but the bottom line is that for me, I can't imagine a much better car than the 140 with a big V8... (unless I could find one with a V12...)

-David