[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by kaisen

For the same money for the same miles, I'd pick a decade newer W211 AMG E55 with 469hp and 520 lb-ft.

Unless it's a heart over head emotional thing, or the Porsche connection.

Otherwise, the W211 E55 are better than the W124 500E/E500 in every way I can think of -- apples for apples money.

Hard to argue that a W211 E55 is a better performing and equipped car. But you also can't regularly find a nice one for $10-15k, at least not in the private market. Comparison to the W210 E55 is much more relevant, which is also a better car by the numbers.

Let's face facts though, most enthusiasts don't care much about numbers. A modern Honda Accord V6 can destroy the majority of our Porsches in a straight line, all while blowing cold A/C and never breaking down. It's caring about how cars make us feel that differentiates the enthusiast from the car owning sheeple. I love the solid feel of the W124, that is something that you won't get from a W210 or W211. The materials are top notch even today, and the build quality is impeccable. No modern car, even a Mercedes, has that same bank vault feel to it.