I've got a 126 560 SEC and a 210 E55. I feel the 210 is a much better car. The engine, tranny, seats, suspension are miles ahead of the 126 cars. There is just no comparison. I have found the 210 to be more reliable than when my SEC had similar mileage.

I drive the E55 every day and save the SEC for fun. The supercharged/intercooled SEC is much more powerful than my E55 and is a blast to drive. The E55 has a much more solid feel and is more comfortable and quiet on the interstate. The new 211 E55 is an even better all around car with close to 500 hp and straightline performance similar to a Dodge Viper.

I think Mercedes is making better all around cars than they were 20 years ago. However, I also feel they may be packing a little too much technology into their cars before they have worked out all the bugs. These nagging little problems are causing them to suffer in the quality rankings. I think they need to perfect the product before releasing to the public instead of always trying to be the first on the market with new technology. Mercedes does need to get back to its roots and make cars that have higher quality then any others while still keeping the soul of German engineering and style.