Great points, Shertex.
Thanks for the price ranges. No, I'm not wedded to the 1995 E300D. (although I do like the look of that air vent on the right fender, what is that thing?) Ultimately, I just want a low-maintenance, LOW COST (operating costs), fuel efficient, diesel Mercedes that will last a good long while. Performance and luxury are not really that important to me but I want it to be clean and reliable and I'm trying to find the sweet spot in value of a used diesel Mercedes >15 years old. I thought a W124 would have less costly replacement parts, but that was an assumption on my part. Even after the financial beating I've taken with my W123, I guess I'm still not yet believing the old adage that "There's no such thing as a cheap Mercedes!"
As far as the '95 W124 vs. the '98 W210, I am not well versed on the differences, as I am only familiar with the W123. What do you see are +'s and -'s of each in a nutshell? Thanks for your help!