That keeps people in their diesel 123's. The W210 is better in every way: power, safety, comfort, reliability. Did I forget to mention that holding the unlock button on the remote lowers all the windows and opens the sunroof (oh yeah, the sunroof is also better than the Rube Goldberg spiral-cable-remove-headliner-and-rear-window-to-fix-me version of yesteryear). You can tell from this forum that the diesel 123 is still on the road only because its owners are in need of Beschäftigungstherapie (something to keep them busy).

Most of all: the 320CDI is so much better than the old diesels that it's not even fair to call them by the same name.

I loved my W201 and my W124, but the 210 is still an MB of their ilk, and better. Now instead of fighting headgsket leaks and broken ignition lock cylinders, I can damage my back replacing 16 spark plugs, and waste my time figuring out the most complicated way to change my transmission fluid.

Bottom line: if it still has the single "panorama" wiper, it's a real Mercedes, even if it has a cupholder.