Best Mercedes-Benz Ever: W124 E-Class
Mercedes-Benz W124 300E sedan
Coming home from a long bike rail today, I kept looking at the cars parked on the side of the road, looking for something that stood out. And out of all of the cars that caught my eye, there was a one thousand nine hundred ninety two (or so) Mercedes-Benz E-Class in very good condition–not bad for a car that is almost twenty years old. And I thought for the umpteenth time; that is the finest Mercedes-Benz ever, which is fairly a claim to make given their immense automotive history.
I know this is a very subjective and emotional topic, but after much soul-searching and contemplating and pontificating, and maybe a beer or two, I have concluded that the W124 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the best Merc ever.
What? Heresy, you say? Maybe a certain three hundred SL Gullwing pops to mind? Maybe an AMG or two can suck the doors off it, you say? What about the massively awe-inspiring three hundred SEL 6.Trio from the late ‘60s–especially in that deep maroon? What about an S-Class or two? None of these was ever a taxi, and many of them had better spectacle and pedigree within the Mercedes-Benz empire.
Look, I could quote production numbers, and such. Such as the Two.Five+ million W124s that were sold across the globe over an 11-year period. Granted, many of those were diesel taxis, but that doesn’t detract from the stunning sales for a luxury car. I could also go into the numerous spectacle versions with heart-stopping V-8s, the, sheer longevity of the turbodiesels, or even the stately station wagons that are still in request as used cars across the globe. But none of those points truly makes my argument (well, maybe the production figures do, but that’s only part of it).
What I believe made W124 E-Class the mid-size luxury vehicle to have was that it was one of the most accomplish Mercedes-Benz cars to incorporate everything that is the Mercedes-Benz brand–and that encompasses a lot. It’s about solidity, longevity, safety, luxury, engineering excellence and of course, prestige.
The W124 was developed by perhaps one of the best designers ever to lay pen to paper, Bruno Sacco. Two other designers had a helping forearm, Joseph Gallitzendrfer and Peter Pfeiffer, and should be recognized for creating a truly timeless, elegant, solid and brand-enhancing set of lines, inwards and out. From the beveled edges, to the elevated trunk that cut haul coefficient, to the masculine sides and ideal proportions inbetween front and back, there hasn’t been a Mercedes-Benz that has had this kind of design influence and longevity.
The interior isn’t to be forgotten either. There is a visual structure in the cabin. Its layout is balanced and driver-focused. It has excellent ergonomics, good seats (I got a rail in this vehicle on numerous occasions, so I can attest to that), and a kind of German design sensibility that made it stand out from its peers in this market and still does in my opinion.
It terms of solidity, safety and engineering excellence, this was the stiffest vehicle in its class by a broad margin and set off a series of other claims by rival manufacturers as to the stiffness of their chassis. It incorporated offset crash crumple zones and superb aerodynamics into its design for a low (0.29-0.32) haul coefficient–still very good by today’s standards. It also had optional 4Matic, stability and slip control (novelties back then) and a cool feature that I love to this day, the one-armed windshield wiper that covered more area than any other.
And don’t leave behind the engines. From four- and five-cylinder diesels to V-8 monsters that could pursue down a nine hundred eleven on the Autobahn. The six-cylinder engines were superbly balanced, the diesels are still running to this day, and the V-8s are all refined, managed muscular mayhem.
Imagine that–a luxury car that could be a sedan, convertible, station wagon, and with the right engine, a sports car. What a broad breadth of talent and skill. It’s all of these factors together that lead me to make this claim: it’s the finest Mercedes-Benz ever in my opinion, and I still want one.