Build quality, the 211 has the old solid sound when you close the hood and the doors feel a lot heavier than the 210’s.
To stand the hood up the 211 has the old style catch on both sides versus the 210s’ single catch on the passenger side.
The 211 has a warning on the display if your hood is not properly latched,,,, I really like that feature.
The 211s’ 350 engine has incredible torque. Even with 5 people in the vehicle, you never notice the weight and it seems to pull like you are alone.
The under hood and front unibody is completely different from the 210. The bumper has extensions from the frame rails which should absorb a lot of force from a front collision without disturbing the actual structure.
Lighting seems to be a lot more reliable. My 210 seemed to blow bulbs on a regular basis,,, none on the 211 yet.
Interior seems roomier than the 210 and has a completely different layout.
The window switches on the door takes some getting used to.
The center console seems odd,,,, where you would rest your arm is the wood cover for the cup holders,,,, no padding at all. In 3000 miles of driving it wasn’t really a bother, but it would be nice to have a natural pad to rest your arm.
Seats are still extremely comfortable on the long haul. I did a couple of 1000 days, and this 63 year old body felt no ill effects.
Windshield wipers are still a puzzle. I kind of like the dual wipers, but you cannot raise them with the hood down like you can on a 210 or a 124. If you try you will take the paint right off the back edge of the hood. I always used to raise the wiper to dry underneath when I washed the cars, but don’t try it on a 211. The windshield washers are real gushers.
They seem to have gotten the rain sensing option down, as on my first 210, it was useless and I hated it. My wifes’ 02 works pretty good, but the 07 is almost perfect.
I LOVE the cargo cover on the 211. When you open the hatch, the cover raises up automatically and when you close it, it returns to it’s normal position. Neat.
The heated seats have finally been made useful. The 211’s heat up faster, and they heat your back, and they have 3 heat levels,,, really nice compared to the bottom only style.
The brakes are fantastic on the 211. They even seem a lot better than on my SL.
The underbody on the 211 has a lot more protection from the elements than the 210,,,, a good thing up here in the northeast. It looks like the 211 is a lot better thought out to resist the rust that plagued my 00 210.
The 211 drives like a dream. It actually seems better on the road than my SL.
So far I have put 4000 miles on the 211 and have not had an issue yet. I love the car and hope it is a return to the old reliable tanks that we held so dear. Time will tell.

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