Older better than new Mercedes?

[PaulG]

Just thought I would start a discussion to see what preferences people have.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

I do like the ornament on the bonnet of Mercedes but I do hope that mine stays intact and doesn't have someone decided that they would like to remove it. I don't own an AMG Mercedes but it would appear that the name has started to be watered down over the years. In favour of the new Mercedes I would say that the new technology that they are putting in C and E classes is fantastic. Parking the car with your phone was a thing of science fiction just a short while ago.

Oh and it would be good to see a modern Mercedes with the round headlights that you get on the W210/W211 E classes. I like them.

Anyway it will be interesting to hear what thoughts on the old v new debate people have.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Old vs new, apples vs oranges. Both are fruit but they’re different. Neither is better than the other, just personal preference.

Generally speaking, as we age it’s human nature to increasingly amplify the positives of the past and overlook the negatives.

It’s also human nature for the young generally to undervalue things from the past, instead focused on present and future.

I’m a young man trapped in an old man’s body, so I like both new and old Mercedes, but I have more new ones than old ones.

I’m probably in the new camp, but I’m definitely an apples kind of guy. Like older cars, oranges are time consuming and messy.

 

[Darrell]

Old vs new, apples vs oranges. Both are fruit but they’re different. Neither is better than the other, just personal

I’m a young man trapped in an old man’s body, so I like both new and old Mercedes.

I’m an old fogey trapped in the body of a 30 year old. The root of my present problems.

I’m a big lover of classic cars but I’ll never buy one. Don’t meet your heroes.

 

[Dryce]

If you had raised this question 15 years ago then there would be a stack of responses about the W124 being the last proper E Class.

But 15 years have passed.

I personally think the pre-facelift W211 was the pinnacle followed by a dip in its immediate successors and then a rise. But I'm biased because I had such a car and in the 9 years since I parted with it I have never encountered a better all round motor car. The SBC was controversial but having experienced it keep my day from turning into abad one then I think it was step backwards when they deleted it. Compared with earlier MBs the W211 got 'proper' rack and pinion steering but still had 'proper' hydraulic power assistance. The MB 5 speed automatic transmission was tough and properly sorted in terms of reliability and refinement (yes - the modern ZF and MB epicyclic/torque converter transmissions are better - but the 5 speed set a benchmark where the auto transmission worked properly and almost seamlessly and acceptably). By the time the W211 hit it stride rust wasn't an issue either.

As the moment I think the current A, C, and E Class are very good. The A is a bit bland but in its category the smaller engined petrol and diesel are very good packages - comfortable, nice, eat miles, decent range, acceptable performance - though the DSG style transmission requiers a bit of finessing at times when moving off. The C is good enough to give the E a run for its money. And the E is I think the best large saloon out there.

 

[Darrell]

If you had raised this question 15 years ago then there would be a stack of responses about the W124 being the last proper E Class.

But 15 years have passed.

I personally think the pre-facelift W211 was the pinnacle followed by a dip in its immediate successors and then a rise. But I'm biased because I had such a car and in the 9 years since I parted with it I have never encountered a better all round motor car. The SBC was controversial but having experienced it keep my day from turning into abad one then I think it was step backwards when they deleted it. Compared with earlier MBs the W211 got 'proper' rack and pinion steering but still had 'proper' hydraulic power assistance. The MB 5 speed automatic transmission was tough and properly sorted in terms of reliability and refinement (yes - the modern ZF and MB epicyclic/torque converter transmissions are better - but the 5 speed set a benchmark where the auto transmission worked properly and almost seamlessly and acceptably). By the time the W211 hit it stride rust wasn't an issue either.

As the moment I think the current A, C, and E Class are very good. The A is a bit bland but in its category the smaller engined petrol and diesel are very good packages - comfortable, nice, eat miles, decent range, acceptable performance - though the DSG style transmission requiers a bit of finessing at times when moving off. The C is good enough to give the E a run for its money. And the E is I think the best large saloon out there.

When I joined this forum in around 2005 the W124 was the darling of Mercs. If you had a 124 cabrio then you were the mutts nuts.

 

[saff]

This is a great subject to discuss. I prefer the 'traditional' look of MB compared to the new. The new cars seem to have become a bit faceless and sometimes difficult to tell apart from other makes. Older MBs were very distinctive and easily recognised. Then there is the build quality: old Mercs seem to be better screwed together than new and built to a higher quality, this is my perception. From memory and from reading magazine road tests from the past there was a huge difference between MB and other cars in price and whilst mentioned there seemed to be an acceptance of this due to the quality of engineering and prestige the cars had. Today there seems to be less of a differential in cost (I'm sure some will disagree), certainly in the A,B and C classes and similar from other manufacturers. Mrs Saff runs a 246 and its a great car and seems well-made but it doesn't seem 'special'. My 211 makes me feel like I'm driving a quality product, seems well screwed together and has an 'old-school' feel about it, I think the gunsight helps . I know my 211 is hardly an 'old' Merc but it feels a bit that way to me. I would love a pristine W111 Fintail if I could afford one. I'm definitely in the 'old' camp.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Generally speaking, the generation before the one before seems to get the love. As suggested when the W211 was current it was the W124 that was perceived by many to be the “best” or the “last great” Mercedes. Today the W211 is very well regarded at a time that the W213 is current. The W204 is a hero car in the time of the W206, and so it goes on.

 

[DrNick]

Having had 2 210s,a 211 and a 212 I think they were all very good. For me the best overall package was the 211but that was a diesel 320 with the 7 speed box and that power train made the car.
The e280 was good but lacked the oomph and the w212 was a250 petrol so only 4 cylinders and that made a difference to the perception. It had the best interior though.
My r129 500 wins overall though. However, I’m not sure it would if it was my only car as it loses on economy and practicality.
My wife’s i10 does it all more than adequately though and it can be parked. So there’s something else intangible that makes a Merc a merc, and whatever it is, I think it’s less of a differential than it was.

 

[DrNick]

Having said that, I had a go in a Tesla yesterday, and overall that makes everything else look like a dinosaur. I almost felt like I had to put on a long coat, a stovepipe hat and grow sideburns before I could get back into my otherwise wonderful merc.

 

[Mactech]

I'm in the newer is better camp. My boss back in the early 80's (I chap called Eddie Jordan) had a 123 estate. It was just so solid I wanted one.
In the late 80's I bought a 124 estate which retained that hewn from solid feel. It also proved very robust with my wife surviving two fairly big front end shunts in the car, neither of which was her fault.
I was good enough to be with us for 7 years and was replaced by a more powerful and much more refined Lexus LS400 in the mid 90's.
On refection, I have no idea how I survived with things like no aircon or a fuel computer, but we did.
My current A8 is certainly the best car I've owned, swift, virtually silent, the fuel consumption of a small hatchback and with more tech than I ever dreamed of some years ago.
The fact that it can drive itself or use the sat nav to point the headlamps in the correct direction for a road I don't know is fascinating, and most of it really useful.
Whenever I drive a 'classic' car I'm disappointed by almost every facet of it because I now know how much better it can be.
Not to say classic cars can not be fun, and my Defender was every bit endearing as it was frustrating, but I now just want to use the tech we have spent years developing.

 

[neilrr]

The newer Mercs all look a bit samey to me. TBH they're almost invisible on the road with pretty near zero presence.

 

[Darrell]

The newer Mercs all look a bit samey to me. TBH they're almost invisible on the road with pretty near zero presence.

I think the same can be said for most cars though.

 

[MB-tex]

Newer mercs probably are better in most respects and certainly more efficient! But having just returned from a 2000 mile trip to the Med and back in my 96 E280 estate (with 310000 miles) I can say older mercs still do a job - and very well too! I'm just glad I got my A/C fixed before I went! The car ran faultlessly and was a delight to drive. On the highway and through twisty mountain roads she just kept going and bringing a smile to my face. A new e class would have been great too, I'm sure but just not quite the same. I only saw one other W124 in the two weeks I was there (see image below). It had 444323km on the clock. Just run in.

Tom

 

[ChipChop]

Only driven 4 Mercedes models. A c107 450slc, w201 190d 2.5 manual, s210 320 cdi and a w168 1.6 petrol. The first 3 on that list all shared a feeling of solidity which in my mind is what driving a Mercedes is all about. The a class w168 hire car lacked that feeling of solidity.

Maybe Mercedes used to do the conventional spring & shock suspension / tyre profile calculations better years ago? Never having driven an air sprung Mercedes i accept i could be wrong. Personally i have no interest for in car tech though, preferring to be able to understand the workings of cars i drive.

 

[Mod1]

Just thought I would start a discussion to see what preferences people have.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

I do like the ornament on the bonnet of Mercedes but I do hope that mine stays intact and doesn't have someone decided that they would like to remove it. I don't own an AMG Mercedes but it would appear that the name has started to be watered down over the years. In favour of the new Mercedes I would say that the new technology that they are putting in C and E classes is fantastic. Parking the car with your phone was a thing of science fiction just a short while ago.

Oh and it would be good to see a modern Mercedes with the round headlights that you get on the W210/W211 E classes. I like them.

Anyway it will be interesting to hear what thoughts on the old v new debate people have.

My clk w208 is 22 years old sill looking great. Do like old mercedes but would I like a newer one probably.

 

[Mod1]

Only driven 4 Mercedes models. A c107 450slc, w201 190d 2.5 manual, s210 320 cdi and a w168 1.6 petrol. The first 3 on that list all shared a feeling of solidity which in my mind is what driving a Mercedes is all about. The a class w168 hire car lacked that feeling of solidity.

Maybe Mercedes used to do the conventional spring & shock suspension / tyre profile calculations better years ago? Never having driven an air sprung Mercedes i accept i could be wrong. Personally i have no interest for in car tech though, preferring to be able to understand the workings of cars i drive.

 

[ChipChop]

One thing i think that surprises people who drive an old Mercedes for the first time is how 'modern' they feel. Modern meaning riding very well, being quiet at motorway speeds, the interiors being a nice comfortable place to be and generally still being very good at being 'a car' despite being 30+ years old. Mercedes were way ahead of other manufacturers in that respect. Are they still way ahead?

 

[G7Wagen]

Mercedes built cars to last back in the day.. 50s-80s... their quality and engineering were something to be proud of... I think as time has gone on.. the technology has become over complicated, and profit comes ahead of the same high quality that old Mercedes possessed.
I Don't like the Arcade game interiors they are fitting nowadays.. I prefer the older designs.. like the interiors of the 50s SL's..

It's all a question of perspective... as I age.. I prefer older more simple interiors... More tech does not always mean its better..
Gull wing Mercedes and E types and old DB Astons command huge sums... but have no high tech...because bling does not always mean its better... subtle style and quality... are what I look, for.

I don't like many of the new Mercedes cars... they have lost their individuality.. All personal choice of course.

The new G wagen is the last good looking individual car they make that I like.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Just thought I would start a discussion to see what preferences people have.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

I do like the ornament on the bonnet of Mercedes but I do hope that mine stays intact and doesn't have someone decided that they would like to remove it. I don't own an AMG Mercedes but it would appear that the name has started to be watered down over the years. In favour of the new Mercedes I would say that the new technology that they are putting in C and E classes is fantastic. Parking the car with your phone was a thing of science fiction just a short while ago.

Oh and it would be good to see a modern Mercedes with the round headlights that you get on the W210/W211 E classes. I like them.

Anyway it will be interesting to hear what thoughts on the old v new debate people have.

How old is old and how old is new?

 

[Benz17]

I’m in the newer camp, like to move with the times, like the newer gadgets in cars, yes people will say more electrics mean more to go wrong, but the gadgets are useful, and convenient, also cars tend to feel dated after a while, I feel each time I’m changing cars, am getting an upgrade, which no doubt I am.

My previous W211 was a great car when i bought it, my current W213 is a joy to behold, especially the interior, mind you the shape of the W211 never felt dated, even to this day when I look at its pictures, still looks the bees knees.