handling

hi there
my father have an E320 but he claimed that the previous model was more stable (W210)
about me i feel that the steering wheel is more connected to the road
any idea??

nantucketsleigh

When the 211 was introduced several mag articles (Automobile and C&D come to mind) concluded that the 211 felt more solid an stable at speed than the 210. From my perspective the 211 is still not up to the sold feel of the 124.

sklasse

124 's magic has yet to be recreated. It feels like aiming a rifle when your steering.

At least mine is I have FIRST AMG package !

lkchris

NOTHING about a W124 is better than a W211.

sklasse

your right you can't compare the two... w124 is a classic MB, you can't compare it to a japanese-influenced chrylser garbled w211 of modern times.

AsianML

Your M-Class was designed in the same time period.

sklasse

M-class 1998
w124 designed 1986
w211 2003

I dont think so...enjoy your bann though

Germancar1

First of all the W211 has nothing to do with a Chrysler. Secondly the W211 is superior to the W124 in many areas, but not all. The W124 was a more solid car in its day and the driving was more upright and stoic compared to the W211. That said the W211 is worlds more advanced and more modern, that much goes without saying. The W210 was the E that really didn't live up to MB's standards, not the W211 and certainly not the W124.

Automobile Magazine came right out and said that they preferred the W124 over the W210 when they first drove the W210 back in 1995. The W211 though other than in sheer build quality is a superior car to the W124. The W124 hit the drawing board in the late 70's, quality and tank-like build yes, but outdated in nearly every other possible way.

Recently Sport Car International did a comparison between the W124 E500 and the W211 E500 and guess what? The W211 ate the W124 alive on the road and around the track, again the only superiority the W124 had was in the area of build quality and detailing.

This argument about the W124 vs the W210 and W211 is an interesting, if recurring one. I loved the W124, only liked the W210, but love the W211 also, especially after the facelift. It has become quite a car. If at all possible get a 2004+ W211 and call it a day, the W210s just aren't all that.

To answer the question, the W211 is more stable than any W210 I ever drove. The current E550 is near perfection in the midsize class. A well-kept W124 is going to be "more stable" than a W210, but the W210 doesn't have anyting on the W211 when it comes to stability. There were many publications that complained about the W210s wandering highway behavior, as well as my own experiences with them.

M

BudC

I own a pristine, low mileage 1991 300E and a 4/2004 build E320. The only time I drive the W211 is on vacation. Otherwise, the W124 is my car and I simply can't part with it. Sitting side by side with the E320 in the garage it's so obvious which is the better built car. Everything on the W211 has been cost reduced and there is only so much technology can cover up for.

I much prefer the 4 speed transmission in the 300E with it's direct coupled fourth gear that has no turning gear sets. I much prefer the inline six in the 300E to the coarse sounding V6 in the E320. I much prefer the quality of the leather and carpeting in the W124 to that in the W211. I much prefer the shape of the trunk in the 300E to the one in the E320.

The headlights on the 300E are lousy thanks to the US government and their inane rules. The E320 corners much flatter than the 300E but iif I'd gotten the Sportline suspension, the 300E would be much better. The 300E has too much understeer but putting a couple more pounds of air in the front tires fixes that problem.

It costs me about an hour and $20 to replace the rear brake pads. It takes about $50 and something less than an hour to change the front pads thanks to swing calipers.

The only time the 300E had to go to a dealer in the first 12 years was to have the transmission serviced. I had to have the head gasket replaced after 12 years because there was a design defect in the head gaskets on the M103 engines. At 15 years I had things like the O2 sensor and injectors replaced.

The car currently runs beautifully. It will cruise more quietly at 80 than the E320 will with it's noisy Michelin all weather tires.

Both cars have been Zaino'ed but the beautiful teal 300E is the one that looks like a million bucks.

I simply can't force myself to sell the 300E. I keep imagining some klutz taking it to Walmarts to be serviced, sticking a Sears battery in it, putting a Fram filter in it and using the wrong fluids in it.

I'll keep putting off getting rid of the 300E as long as I can. In fact, I'm more likely to dump the E320 and keep the W124.

Now if only I could find a nice, one owner six speed 540i to go with it, I'd be in fat city.

handling

thanks alot guyss
i'll tell him that W211 is more stable
1 more question
an E500 will be different than an E320 in stability ?

pinebaron

I am not sure in which report in this forum, I read that E-Class wanders off to the right if the steering is let go. I can tell you for sure, my 2007 Bluetec (US version) is solid like a rock; I can let go of the steering at speed in left, middle or right hand lane, left slope, no slope or right slope, there is zero tendency to wander. Having said that, I only tried this several times to prove a point. I always usually drive with both hands on the wheel in 9-3 position.

Germancar1

The W211 was is far more stable thant he W210 ever was.

M

lasvegas99

I think its more than stable enough at 120+