funkgab

So out of curiosity.. whats the closest thing you've driven that had the same driving feel of the w124? just wondering in case i do get a new car one day..

tec nine

bmw 530i

nantucketsleigh

BMW 540i, E39, 2001. Previous generation BMW 5 series was close to my 1992 500E which I've had since new. IMO current generation 5 with run flats is not a great compromise of ride and handling. Interestingly, I now have an X5M with self adjusting shocks which is also close but the steering is not as natural as my 500E. I've had 9 high performance BMW's and Merc's since my 500E -- thus far its been the only keeper.

YNVDIZW124

w210 or maybe the w202...but i'll never be the same...the interior of the w211 and w203 make it just feel totally different....

neanderthal

R129

Coz, well it's essentially the sports car version of the W124. lol

RHW

a 2010 W124
(the Chairman model is on a w124 chassis)

190E 16V

Actually, it looks impressive, maybe not 'cutting edge', but a nice update.

spinlps

I had a 1992 190E 2.6 Sportline for many years. It's the closest in feel to my 94 E420, 95 E320 Coupe and 95 E320 Sportline Wagon of anything I've been in. She actually handled a bit better and was lighter on her feet that the W124s, like a sister to the W124 brothers, but definately the same family.

funkgab

I can tell the r129 can be similar to the w124.. I've always loved those.. I had a w202 c280 it felt nothing like the w124 felt slower actually and a lot cheaper

spetz

We had an E39 523i, and 124 E220 (two of them, the coupe we still have) and we owned E34, E28 5 series and I can safely say that NO Mercedes (124, 202, 210 that we've owned) ever came close the driving experience of a BMW. BMW really is "Sheer driving pleasure".

BMW's are amazing cars in my opinion.

For me, my Audi B8 A4 is fairly close. The Audi is much nicer, but also gives that very vague, disconnected feeling that I get from the 124.

I know this isn't the thing to be saying on a Mercedes forum, but I think BMW's are better. Only the really old Mercedes are better and cooler than the really old BMW's I think, but for 20 years now BMW have been making nicer cars in my opinion

YNVDIZW124

No, they are not better. I had an e36 and that interior fell apart while my w124 basically looked new...

190E 16V

I guess your family never owned a W124 500E, the Four Door Supercar and Autobahn Stormer.

322hp V8, and suspension by Porsche.

There are several articles from the day, comparing it to the BMW 5 series.
Here is one by Rowan Atkinson, who owned both cars and now writes for UK car mags. He is a Vintage Car racer, as well.

http://500espot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=449

this IS 18 years ago. You are correct that there has been a different focus from the two marques over the past 15 years, but bear in mind that the M3 was created in response to the W201, 190E 2.3-16 Valve twin cam Cosworth.
That was a hell of a "Driver's Car", developed for DTM racing and homologated for the street.
It was designed by the same team that later designed the larger, W124.

I do like the Bimmers, but Let's not forget where the Super Sedans spawned from.
And... MB is being reborn - Gullwing, C63, Black Series...
I

neanderthal

I would argue that the E30 M3 was a natural evolution of the BMW E21 and BMW 2002 touring cars that bookended the legendary "Batmobile" CSLs. To call it a response to the 90E 2.3- 16 is a bit of a stretch when you consider that BMW was involved in touring car racing from the mid 60s and throughout 70s and 80s while Mercedes was not.

Privateers raced Mercedes' with limited success by comparison to the successes BMW had on the racetracks.

190E 16V

Good point, Neanderthal, I am not a BMW expert.
Actually, it was a BMW E30 fanatic friend of mine, that I was quoting.

However, I agree, the BMW focus has, since the late 60's, been racing and as a driver's car. Your mainstream MB, has characteristically been a well-built, solid, comfortable, cruiser, with power, and surprisingly competent road manners.
However, to compare a base model (220E) W124, aimed more towards families or even the taxi fleet, to a 5 Series coupe, with it's bias towards performance, seems mis-matched. My point was, that criticising a W124 as "vague" and "disconnected", is not representative of the whole line:

"I can safely say that NO Mercedes (124, 202, 210 that we've owned) ever came close the driving experience of a BMW."

MB engineered W124's that were more powerful, and rode and handled better than the 220E.
In some cases, in a very superior manner to most other cars, yet still giving a feeling of effortlessness, and a wonderful ride.

We may be comparing apples to oranges, here.
The 124 was never meant to ride like a BMW. Those who enjoyed their W124 experience, may not consider the BMW a "replacement". Others prefer the BMW "feel".

I know this is all subjective, anyway, and varies from car to car - what sort of shape was the Spetz MB in, when he rode in it?

I love driving my 500E fast, and I cherish every minute I take it on the road, but it's the BMW I'd like to take on the track!

funkgab

i was thinking about picking up an e36 m3 for a project in the future sometime.. i love e39's.. but i've never driven one.. but i do hear maintain is terrible.. hey im not bagging on bmw or mercedes.. im just looking for something close to a w124...

spetz.. the only bmw ive driven is the e36 m3, and an e46 m3... i did like the e36 m3.. it had alot of racing feel.. still completely different from the w124 though.. alot more sports oriented, but i like the w124 better still for some reason.. the e46.. it had power.. no fun though :/

RBYCC

Closest vehicle to the 124?

NONE !!!!

Why...

Take a ride in a major urban area...
How many 80's BMW's Audi's etc do you still see in traffic compared to the 124?

Therein lies the answer...

Both BMW and Audi build quality were no where near that of the 124.

Proof is visual...

spetz

To be honest, I think the greatest super sedan of all time is the E39 M5.

The only thing I can say about the 124 is that we have a E220 coupe and when it was new we also had a E220 sedan. At the time the coupe had 18,000km, the sedan had covered 200,000+ and without looking at the odometer you couldn't tell which one had covered more km as they both felt the same

190E 16V

In the day, the W124 500E was compared to the E34 M5, but the MB was far more expensive, and the agile, manual tranny M5 was really a whole different animal.
Of course, the 124 was gone by the time the E39 was out, and the only comparison MB would have been the E55 on the W210 chassis, and many W124 owners feel it is not as good. The smaller C36 and C43 were more in character with the BMW 3 series, IMO. Would that be fair to say, Ed?

RHW

Take a ride in a major urban area...
How many 80's BMW's Audi's etc do you still see in traffic compared to the 124?
----------

It remains amazing not just how many are still out there, but how many look almost like new, still.

edcarls

Totally agree!

In early 90's I was about to buy my second BMW (to replace my 85 325e coupe) at Shelly's in OC across from House of Import. Out of curiosity I checked out what MB (House of Imports) has to offer at my price range. The sales man showed me a video comparing how MB and BMW were assembled/manufactured. It convinced me that MB is better made. Then, the sales man removed the rear seat of my BMW and the rear seat of an MB being serviced and showed me the material and workmanship as shown in the video. Big difference, MB is better. He then opened the door and roll down the window of the MB and sat on the window sill of the open door! And dared me to do it on my BMW. I didn't, because he showed me the hinges'/pillars on my BMW are moving when you put weight on the doors.

I walked out of the door with a brand new W124 that day and never looked accross the street.

Currently, I have a 97 E36 that looks older than my 94 E320. The ceiling, upholtery, door covers are falling apart. It is on its 3rd water pump, 2nd radiator, 2nd LCAs. Don't even count gasket and seals replacement due oil leaks.

Just my personal experience with the 2 marques. Good luck with whichever one you choose.

taughtmepatienc

Honestly, I've had a Crown Vic Police Interceptor that felt similar to my E420. The Vic is a rear drive, floaty, heavy like the E420. The Vic cornered much better but gas mileage was 6mpg worse.

neanderthal

I'm glad you specifically stated cornered as opposed to handled.

The Crown Vic, even with the uprated suspension from the P71 Police Package, is a lardy, wallowing thing.

RBYCC

My story...

May of 1988 I was looking to trade my 1985 BMW 325.
Went to BMW dealer on a Friday night and they gave me a 635 to take home.
Drove the 635 that evening and in the morning took it to a Mercedes dealer.
On the floor the Merc dealer had a white over blue 300CE...
Honestly, pix didn't do the CE justice, in person it look liked it was chiseled from a solid block of steel.
Side by side the comparision between the 635 and the 300CE showed how unsophisticated the design along with the fit and finish was for the 635.
Took the CE out for about four hours....
Told the dealer if he could locate a Signal Red over Palamino then it's a done deal...
Took delivery the following week and twenty two years later it's still somewhere in my life...

As I stated earlier....when was the last time anyone has seen a 1988 635...??

Rich is correct, most 124's still look about as good as they did when they left the showroom...

spetz

I've driven a E34 525i where the odometer stopped at 300,000km, but considering the lack of power and rough engine I would say that thing had about 500,000km and it still handled very very very impressively. My 124 with not even 100,000km can't corner at half the speeds the E34 could and this isn't exaggerating.

RHW, here where I live, I cannot say there are more 124s than E34s. In fact, I would say there are considerably more E34s than 124s. Though, I see some 123s, but very rarely E28s.

I have driven my friends 203 C200K and it felt like garbage. Friends 208 also feels garbage (even though these are based on 202s which I hear are good, and my brother had one and praises it).

190E 16V

Hi Spetz;
If you don't mind telling us, where DO you live?