Bar the rust, what is wrong with a W210?
In the case of mine all sorts, corroded wiring looms, oil leaks, leaking injectors and failed turbo etc etc, it broke down more times than any car I have ever owned, and I have had Fiats! When it was going it was excellent though, but it was a lowish mileage MB serviced car and the rust was the final straw.
The French have made some cracking cars, 205, 2CV, R4, R5, DS, Traction Avant, CX, SM etc etc, in fact, at the risk of a flaming more ground breaking cars than Mercedes....
The problem I think with cars now is that the technology involved in the safety, economy, luxuries and so on that we now demand, combined with the costs of cars which have really dropped a lot in real terms means that the quality sufferes a little, so, we can't have it all I suppose