W210 E50 or W210 E55

[WDB748372]

Low miles (ca 10k?) W210-E60 in April was sold at the 'basic used cars' auction in Japan for 260k++ USD

I created a thread to document the car.

@phoenix217 is "said to" own one.

Also a V12 W210 but haven't seen that either.

 

[weide1]

I created a thread to document the car.


Also a V12 W210 but haven't seen that either.

Yes. @phoenix217 writes he also owns a W211 EV12 S.
Besides the W210 EV12 and 5.7K.

Sounds like a dream collection.
But since he isn't showing any footage at all, we have to take him at his word.

 

[195910]

As a former owner of a Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG (6.2 C216), I always felt the lack of low-end torque - typical for 55Kompressorrr engines…
To explore the real potential of the M156, you need a fantasy straight road and pretty long one.
To enjoy the 55K, any stretch of good tarmac will do.

In the end, sooner or later, mint 55Kompressor cars will overtake W124 / W210 models in market prices.

Agree, 55K provides a good balance between 1980-1990s Mercedes durability and Modern Mercedes power. Its overengineered not over sophisticated.

Greetings from the S55K (SHORT Wheel Base)

 

[weide1]

Greetings from the S55K (SHORT Wheel Base)

This is yours?

 

[195910]

This is yours?

You cropped the background! The is the Sultan's personal Yacht, an impressive sight.

 

[weide1]

You cropped the background! The is the Sultan's personal Yacht, an impressive sight.

At your service.

BTW, your car is a beauty.

 

[195910]

Best photo yet: Hotel Entrance

 

[yao500e]

I have never understood the allure of the W210 E50 (or E55) for that matter, over the E500E.

Don't think things got interesting until they threw a blower on the M113, but that's a W211 thang.

w210 E50 with AMG m119, 722.6, 3.07 3.06 rear drives far far better than w124 e500e. its so lovely and comfortable. And the w210 AMG look is coming back a bit. I may never be on the same level as w124 e500e legend and desirability but its is building a following...

 

[gerryvz]

I can see the more modern transmission being a nice enhancement, as well as the ME injection/ignition setup (with coil packs, no distributors). The 3.06 rear end, sure, a small improvement over the 2.82 that the E500E has (I "upgraded" my 1989 560SEC from the stock US 2.47 rear end to a 3.07 about 20 years ago). And yes the E50 has some nice exclusivity, particularly in the US where it was never sold.

Performance-wise, was the E50 really a big upgrade to the E500E? Even the US E55 AMG W210....not a major performance leap forward, I'd say.

I think the W210 is a bit of an acquired taste, though. Not sure that it is a visual "upgrade" to the more classic W124. But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I do prefer the looks of the W211 to the earlier W210 and also the W212, but maybe I'm biased because I own one......

It will be hard to beat the back-story of the MB-Porsche collaboration. Never happened before, and it will never happen again.

 

[8899]

I have never understood the allure of the W210 E50 (or E55) for that matter, over the E500E.

20 years ago would strongly agree with this statement. But today, with the difficulties presented by NLA parts, the W210 E55 is a much less complicated ownership experience.

 

[gerryvz]

20 years ago would strongly agree with this statement. But today, with the difficulties presented by NLA parts, the W210 E55 is a much less complicated ownership experience.

I hear folks talk a lot about this (NLA situation). And it is definitely bad for internal trim and external parts, no question. I also see this for my W211 -- many internal trim and even external and powertrain parts are NLA, and this is a car that went out of production in 2009.

Fighting the NLA situation has been a major benefit of this forum over the years, either for sourcing NOS, substitute, reproduction, used parts, or proper repair resources, for the owners here to keep their cars on the road. Honestly I think the whole "NLA" thing is somewhat overblown.

Especially for those of us junkyard dog "hoarders" who have been "hoarding" for the past 20 years.....

 

[gsxr]

As I currently own both the W124+M119 and W210+M119... TLDR, the W210 powertrain is nicer, but the W124 interior is more durable.

The 210 does have a lot more features & gadgets. Some examples: dual zone climate control, tilt steering wheel, glass sunroof, factory IRCL, and optional HID headlights. But the penalty in build quality is noticeable, and rust protection is nonexistent on the 210. Oddly, the 210 steering feels numb because it's super low effort, and there's little feedback. Not sure how the AMG models compare as those have a different, unique steering rack vs standard 210, but I've never driven one. The 210 powertrain and feature improvements sorta cancelled out the drop in kwality, so it was a sideways move in total, IMO. The 211 was generally better all around BUT is far, far more complex electronically, and had some really stupid design changes (the bar graph temp gauge is AWFUL).

Aesthetics, well, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. My wife christened the 210 "Bugeyes" and the name stuck.

 

[gerryvz]

My wife christened the 210 "Bugeyes" and the name stuck.

Does that mean the W211 is "Slanted Bugeyes" in her view?

 

[Markus-MD]

the E50 is only faster with the 3,06 Diff.and from this diff lives the Car.not sure that my e50 mor horsepower has as my e500.
maybe in my brain but .....
Yes for daily drivers the w210 is more easyer do drive an the frontsuspension is quit better.But the RUST aka Corrosion is terrible.

But oh wonder.I heared for years into a german Forum from a secret. nwhen your w210 has an X in the FIN this cars has not corrosion.
i was thinked yeah baby sure .and the earth is flat.

But on my yard stand an w210 mopf ez 2002 e200k with 178,000 on the clock .this car has for my no Corrosion. two little things .nothing for faster breate or Weldingmaschine.unbelivebel.And is true cars with the x has no nothing or not many Corrosion.The cars cmae from the Production lIne in Graz Austria.This have more secure for the bodywork.

 

[TerryA]

At your service.

BTW, your car is a beauty.

@195910,
Your car looks great but I gotta ask. Which Sultan’s yacht is that and what port is it docked at?

 

[yao500e]

the E50 is only faster with the 3,06 Diff.and from this diff lives the Car.not sure that my e50 mor horsepower has as my e500.
maybe in my brain but .....
Yes for daily drivers the w210 is more easyer do drive an the frontsuspension is quit better.But the RUST aka Corrosion is terrible.

But oh wonder.I heared for years into a german Forum from a secret. nwhen your w210 has an X in the FIN this cars has not corrosion.
i was thinked yeah baby sure .and the earth is flat.

But on my yard stand an w210 mopf ez 2002 e200k with 178,000 on the clock .this car has for my no Corrosion. two little things .nothing for faster breate or Weldingmaschine.unbelivebel.And is true cars with the x has no nothing or not many Corrosion.The cars cmae from the Production lIne in Graz Austria.This have more secure for the bodywork.

the 3.06 diff and enhanced AMG 5.0L engine together has a Huge power and acceleration difference as compared to w124 e500. I drive both right after each other back to back and feel a huge difference.
w210 is known to have rust issues but early w210 seem to be better than later versions.
My particular E50 has zero rust. all indoor garage kept and I make sure to clean the dry the most rust prone areas.

 

[yao500e]

I hear folks talk a lot about this (NLA situation). And it is definitely bad for internal trim and external parts, no question. I also see this for my W211 -- many internal trim and even external and powertrain parts are NLA, and this is a car that went out of production in 2009.

Fighting the NLA situation has been a major benefit of this forum over the years, either for sourcing NOS, substitute, reproduction, used parts, or proper repair resources, for the owners here to keep their cars on the road. Honestly I think the whole "NLA" thing is somewhat overblown.

Especially for those of us junkyard dog "hoarders" who have been "hoarding" for the past 20 years.....

I think w212 could be peak best looking E class ever with w124 along with it.

w211 is aging poorly. quite ugly in my view and horrible interior since this is peak Benz Chrysler era. Chrysler really destroyed benz quality overall except for the M113k engine which is legendary.

 

[gerryvz]

Like has been said, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. There are plenty of folks out here who hate the looks of the W124 too we just don’t see them so much on this forum.

That said, MB quality was already well on the way down before the DaimlerChrysler merger. There are subtle reductions in quality that happened even DURING the production run of the W124 sedans, during the 1986-1995 period. And the 1995 introduction of the W210 was a clear step down in quality and materials.

Quality and cost were also measurably reduced during the run of the W140 starting in 1991, through its final production in 1998.

The DaimlerChrysler merger didn’t happen until late 1998. The W140 was fully developed and out of production before the merger happened.

 

[Markus-MD]

yes Sir i agree to100%.And the 124 ist not the strong car .Its easy fix and he has simpel engeneerd things.
and i am loving it this car.

 

[gsxr]

I think w212 could be peak best looking E class ever with w124 along with it.

Funny you mention that! To my eyes, the 212 improved some things visually vs the 211, but added some stuff that looked odd to me. Like the upswept line above the rocker panel. I also wasn't crazy about the weird shape of the fender and door above/ahead of the rear tire. On the plus side, the 212 instrument cluster went back to normal analog-style gauges, fixing the bar-graph disaster on the 211.

w211 is aging poorly. quite ugly in my view and horrible interior since this is peak Benz Chrysler era. Chrysler really destroyed benz quality overall except for the M113k engine which is legendary.

The 211 leather seats were poor quality and you'll find a LOT of them torn up and looking terrible after only 20 years, sometimes even at low miles. Interestingly, the AMG 211's did not seem to suffer the same problem. Apparently, MB still put good leather into the AMG 211's but not the standard 211's. Lame.

 

[alabbasi]

I test drove a w124 e420 before buying the w210 e420 in 2003 and felt that the w210 was a giant leap forward. After owning it, followed by an e55 for many years, along with many other earlier cars, what impressed me was the reliability of the W210. Both cars were pretty much maintenance free.

I agree with @gsxr, the interiors are not made from as high quality materials as the earlier cars, but they seem to hold up better compared. II did not experience cracked dashes, leather split or delaminating wood as was often experienced with my varous w126 models. The electronics also held up and I only once had a failing window switch pack and a couple of regulators go out. AC would turn your fingers blue and was always reliable.

I've yet to drive my 500e as it's a project in the pipe. I can't imagine it being quicker than the E55 which has more power and an extra gear. Power is not important anymore, none of these cars are powerful by modem standards. My experience is that the W211 is a bigger step down in quality. My W210 is a CDI, the interior has not held up well compared to a W210 and feels cheaper. The more up market versions may be better.