All very good comments and answers to your question. I had direct - and expensive - expensive experience with the "superceded" timing chain tensioner failing.

I am not at all sure that I would buy the 16V if I had it to do over. The car is a big of a pig around town, given its weight and high-revving 16V configuration. My old '84 BMW 325e is a more fun car to drive.

A year and a half into my E420+, I have to say I like the 124 better, aside from the automatic. With a pretty easy set of mods to the suspension, the big V-8 car will leave the 201 in the dirt.

Just one guy's opinion.

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Charles Cleaver
1975 350SE + 1992 300CE-24 SportLine 5-speed + 2002 SLK320 6-speed + 1974 W114 280
1986 190E 2.3-16 (Decomm rear self-leveling suspension; Euro-code headlamps) sold
2004 Audi S4 6-spd - sold
1969 (2) and 1980 Porsche 911T, S, and SC - alas gone
1987 300SDL - Graf Spee; Euro-code headlamps; 16-inch 8-hole wheels - sold
1994 E420+(E500 suspension/E-code headlamps/PAD chip) sold
1968 250SE 4-speed (NICE car) - long gone
1962 220S 4-speed/column mount - long gone