A 25 year old 123 with manual MBtex seats and interior may show no signs of wear. A 25 year old 126 has badly cracked (at best) leather seats and power adjustment that probably doesn't work. Easier to park a 123!

If I were buying new, I'd buy down to get the MBtex and avoid the leather. That's what I did 25 years ago and I'm still driving that 1983 123. Had I paid more and bought a 126, it would have been traded or sold a long time ago.