MBNUT1

How do they compare? The 500E is such a heralded model. Is it better that the W211?

gaazmon

Idk, but all I know is that the 500E was an amazing car from what I've heard. Also, the thing was built along side with Porsche, so that tells you a lot about the car. Better can apply to so many aspects: quality, performance, comfort, etc. It all depends. I think the 500E is something of it's own and you can't really compare it to others.

Chicago_Buckeye

Couldn't have said it better myself. The 500E was a legend in its own time, and continues to be one to this day.

lkchris

Nothing about a W124 is better than a W211.

Lot happened between 1985 and 2002.

For one thing, Lexus didn't exist when W124 was designed and BMW was not nearly what they are today. Yes, E500/W124 had Porsche input, but since then MB purchased AMG.

Chicago_Buckeye

Comparing a W124 with a W211, each vehicle should be judged on its merits and technical innovations ACCORDING TO ITS OWN TIME.

Direct comparisons between ANY vehicles without taking into consideration their respective eras would be irrational; not to mention bringing Lexus into this .

MBNUT1

Thats not where I am coming from. Maybe what I am looking for is given the choice which would you rather drive today? Other than fuel mileage I think I would rather drive an W124 500E even if it didn't have more power. I think they posess more of the traditional Mercedes solidity than the W211 which would seem to say they are better built cars. But I could be wrong which why I asked the question.

MBNUT1

Have you driven a 500E? I've had a couple of test drives in them and I've owned a E3504matic for a year. My experience from driving them is that the 500E is a special car to drive. The W211 lacks something in the driving experience. The W124's are more hunkered down cars to drive than the W211's and the 500E is a hunkered down W124. The W211 doesn't feel nearly as solid which is a mystery as to why because I'm sure that Mercedes would claim that it has greater torsional stability. In my opinion it has something to suspension / steering / wheels selection. I wish I could pinpoint how to give the W211 that traditional Mercedes feel. It is a pretty car.

gaazmon

Agreed. A lot has changed since the tech boom era.

The cars of today are just different from those of 15 years ago. I personally, don't like old old cars. I like semi-new, meaning I buy something like a couple of years old and hold it for a while. The only car from 10 - 15 years ago I can see myself driving in is an S500 (or a Ferrari, but that's it ). The W140 was hands-down the best Benz in my eyes. Every time I see one drive by, it brings back the joy of my first car, a 94 S420. Also, whatever you say about an AMG or M car, a Porsche will always be the better sports car IMO. A Porsche, not a BMW, is the ultimate driving machine.

Ah, the good ole days, when there weren't any Lexus drivers causing chaos on the roads and MB hating BMW drivers who think they own the ultimate sports car... JK

Polar Bear

Even though one may consider the W124 more "over engineered" than the W211, the W124 is getting some age on it and would start to have its own share of issues if used as a daily driver.

I think the delta in engineering in MB and other cars has closed-in more in recent years - I think up to and including the W124 that MB had more perceived quality than what they do now.

In the W124 era, they did not rely in electronic gadgets to help sell the car and differentiate it (which I admit I do enjoy gadgets to an extent) as much, therefore did not have the quite the reliability issues as reported now by many owners.

I have owned two W210 E55 AMGs and I think they had the "Mercedes feel" more so than the W211. My W211 does not have Airmatic, however. I would not be surprised if I convince myself to purchase another 2001-2002 E55 AMG in the near future. I had zero issues from either of them. I have had quirks out of my W211. I enjoy the car a great deal, but I do miss the W210.

Other brands are starting to catch up with MB on some electronic gadgets - brands you would not think of. The new 2010 Ford Taurus SHO has a twin turbo V6, dynamic seats, A/C seats (better than MBs if I had to guess since they area actually cooled and not just ventilated), Sirius with additional info such as gas prices, movie times, HID Bi-xenon lamps with auto high beam, keyless go, etc.

But back to your original question - the 500E was a new milestone for MB and really shook the industry for a mid-size sedan with so much power. This was followed up by the E55 AMG in 1997/1998 or so in Europe and 1999 in the US. I have never driven a 500E, but if I had to guess, it would share a similar feel to the W210 E55 AMG with the MB feel and raw torque.

I had a first generation ZR-1 Corvette back in the day. That car set some records when it came out, and cost close to $70k new. Although the next generation Corvette in 1997 was similar in performance, the ZR-1 will always be remembered as a "first" for the technology and performance that it offered at the time. AND incredible MPG to boot. I got over 32MPG hwy in that car on a trip - it was amazing.

With so few 500Es/E500s produced, they have not went down much in value in recent years. I would love to have one, but not as a daily driver.

K-A

I think it's safe to say that realistically speaking the W211 outdoes the W124 in everything by a long shot. As a car enthusiast one can certainly appreciate what the 124 brought to the table and still does considering its age, and appreciate the classic and thunderous history it has (something no new generation of M-B has been able to really capture). But as a daily driver, there's no way a 124 will out-do the W211 nearly anywhere. We're talking generations of advancements.

But yeah, it's true that M-B's today aren't built to nearly the standard they were back then, and back then they didn't put out 100's of SUV's and lower-end lines, just a different company now-a-days.

As for the 124 feeling more solid, I agree it does to some extents, it has that "old school rock solid steel" feeling, but I'd doubt that statistically it's a more solid car.

szvook

There is a very important point missing here – the W124 E500E’s do not feel like Mercedes car’s to begin with and anyone with a Porsche in their stable can confirm this – and a hand build car will always hold up better and longer when it comes to reliability then the typical car which the W211 is.

As far as the W124 as a “reliable” daily driver, the W211 is not even close to the reliability the W124 has already proven it’s self by many hard nose drivers who still drive the W124 into very high miles that the W211 will never see.

The only thing the W211 has going for it is its youth and nothing more. I’ll take a special car build to stand the test of time any time and to have a Mercedes/Porsche hybrid with the best engine Mercedes ever build to date put in the same sentence as a W211 which partially is also build by: China, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia as well – no thanks.

gaazmon

That always brings be back to being a kid in the early 90's. I would barely see any Benzes around. It was really something special having a W140 S420. Not anymore IMO. Now there are all these low-end washed down cars running around. Now they turned into a volume company. I was so pissed during the holidays seeing so many MB commercials, I was like WTF, I see more of these than BMW or Audi!!!

I don't think you can compare an MB to the specialness (is that a real word?) of a Porsche 911 (the 911 is the only Porsche I would buy).

szvook

Sure you can compare an MB to a Porsche if you are talking about the W124 500E - since the Porsche test drivers for the 500e’s indicated that this MB handles like a Porsche.

K-A

Yeah, M-B has me really disappointed. It's too bad because I've ALWAYS loved M-B, and now that I can afford them they're not building cars to my taste aesthetically as much, and are changing their whole game around. I still smile at the fact that I own a "Mercedes" and feel accomplished due to it, it's just I can see myself being one of those history-****** of the brand soon enough rather than someone who digs what they're putting out today.

gaazmon

Lol, that sounds just like me. I love the W140 S-coupe and would've loved to buy one, but it's too old and outdated now . Honestly the only MB's I like out are the E, S, and CL (the latter two being out of my price range and I already have an E).

Lol, the problem is I am a history junkie.

Dj Death42er

thumbs way up MY E420 w124 is a great daily driver i take it everywhere it picks up quick in the highway when needed acceleration is great when getting on the pasadena freeway (google the entrances on pasadena frwy) transmition is great no skipping or anything...actually this is a very clean car and i do admit i'm not a saint of a driver i do floor it sometimes just for the hell of but other then that the only annoying thing is that gas prices w211 i love those cars considering that or a g55 amg but w124 are legend even if i don't have the 500 i'm close

OK55

First, what 'e' are we comparing the E500/w124 with? A couple of friends had e500 w124s for many years. In my opinion, those cars can really only be compared with AMGs. Not in performance terms though, for I'm sure even the w211 e500, e550 and some others will show it a clean pair of heels. The point is that in it's day it looked different, sounded different, was significantly faster than it's siblings and was an extremely rare sight. Perhaps even more importantly, it felt 'special'. Special in a way the ubiquitous w211 e550, 500 and the others somehow don't but the AMGs still do.

I don't kid myself about the superior reliability of its partly Porsche pedigree. It did produce significantly more power and torque than other 5-litre Mercedes cars of its day but it was temperamental - prone to all sorts of problems especially overheating (and cylinder head/engine block cracking if it ever did overheat).

My advice is this. If you want that 'special' feeling get a w124 e500, or an e55 w210/211 if the budget can stretch. If you aren't hooked on that 'special' feeling get a w124 e420 or, if the budget can stretch, an e500/550 w211.
Brgds

OK55

I don't really consider the Porsche special any more. Growing up in the '70s, yes, but not today. There are simply too many of them, especially '911's, running around...and they all look the same!LOL. Sure, they're excellent sports cars - and I wouldn't mind a 911GT2RS - but for me I'm afraid 'special' in this class means prancing horse or raging bull...
Brgds

gaazmon

i know what u mean. just the other day i threw a tantrum (yes that's what it looked like from everyone elses perspective) when I saw a new Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 coming out. And now with the panamera (along with the cayanne, caymna, boxster, etc etc and God knows what else soon), they've just become like any other company. and ya there is so many 911 variants its sickening

zach1328

I'm bringing this thread back because it did not reach a valid conclusion.
As a daily driven car, the w211 is probably better because it will be cheaper to maintain, but do not expect the reliability or quality the w124 500e has.

I would personally rather buy a 500e as a daily driver even though it may be more expensive to maintain.
When comparing the performance of a w211 to a 500e, keep in mind the 500e was made with performance in mind. I don't think you can really say the same for a w211, except MAYBE an AMG model.

A 500e was hand built and porsche helped to make the car more balanced as far as handling and power go. Even today a 500e's performance figures are pretty amazing. It will put up a good fight with plenty of newer, lighter, "sportier" cars.
Also, the 500e will offer an unrivaled driving experience. You will get a more connected feel with the road and car. You will have the feeling that you're car will do what you want it to, and when you want it to.

500e's had an $80,000 price tag for a reason. You get what you pay for. A 500e took 18 days to build, any e55 will take under 18 HOURS to build with the newer assembley lines.

Another big thing about the 500e is, it won't ever really be replaced by another mercedes. You can't say that for the w211.

Overall the 500e will offer a more fun driving experience aswell as a richer history (if that's matters to anyone). 18 days to make 1 car is a long time, and that just goes to show mercedes was doing more than just building a typical car.
By the way, about the rack and pinion vs ball point steering, ball point is much better in m opinion. At low speeds the ball point is a little sluggish, but over 40mph and its not a big deal. On the highway or faster, the ball point offers an unrivaled handling feel.
Coupled with porsche tuned suspension, a low stance, and wider tires this car can't be beat my many mercedes around a track.

The 500e is more of a higher speed car. I don't know many sedans with 320hp than can break the 165mph mark. This car is truly over-engineered and you definately can't say the same about any newer mercedes.

To me, and many others, its a given, the 500e is simply better. The 500e has the performance, history, handling, and driving experience that most new mercedes can't compete with. Newer isn't always better, especially when the newer is carelessly made compared to the older.
Also, if you have an e55, you'll be struggling to outrun a 500e at highway speeds. Its a nice feeling to be in an older car without "look at me" factor, but still able to keep up with cars that no one would ever expect.
Don't underestimate the 500e's.

SLK55R

i think only those that have both cars extensively should be providing input here. Seems like there are a lot of sofa drivers that have no clue.

I got the first 1999 E55 in Nor cal and had over 120k miles on the car before it got totalled during a rainy day.

Did I go and buy another E55 from that era? No I went and bought 2 1992 500e.

If people think that the 500e is expensive to maintain I think they would be shocked at how expensive the e55 was to maintain. The moment warranty went out ... everything started to go and it was VERY expensive.

This is not to say that the maintenance on the 500e is cheap. Especially since it is significantly older. If you get an example that has been properly maintained you might get away with only a few grand in fixes. To be honest if you can find a good well maintained 500e, I bet you it will cost more than the E55 we are referring to.

Was the E55 faster? Yes but not by much. The 500e is MUCH better build and of higher quality.

Clearly I would recommend finding a 500e in excellent condition with an extensive service history.

gaazmon

the money is in the maintenance these days it's like everything is designed to fail with products just to be replaced to keep the factories churning. i.e. $4000+ for a new pano roof on a car that's probably not worth more than $15K... yaaaaa

oh and i decided at 1:50AM to hit up autotrader and look for some 500E's lol damn you guys... jk

Dj Death42er

a new roof dam dude my '94 420 all the windows and seat (all Electronics still work on my baby) i think Mercedes over engineered the w124's but regarding the E500E can't go wrong it's a porshe/mercedes Hybrid

gaazmon

yup. i had it shut tight, the cover closed, and had the fuse pulled

zach1328

Does anyone know if the 500e or an e55 can break quicker?
I'm guessing the later year (94/95) equiped with the bigger sl600 breakes will stop much quicker than an e55, correct?

I think the 500e is about 115 ft 60-0mph which is very good for a 3900 lb car.
Also with upgraded/sportier tires that are 8.5 or 9" wide in the front could probably stop the 500e in close to 110ft.