W123 vs W124

[FreeWheeler]

Hello

Can anyone explain which are the better and more reliable cars to have? I am thinking of 300D. What I know is that W124 is newer, but W123 might be more sturdy and better made cars. Would this be true? Why or Why NOT?

cheers

[blkchambers]

Buy the one with the best maintenance history. Both are great, and depending on which enthusiast you ask, you'll get a different answer, all supported by perfectly logical reasoning.
W123 has the all iron engine, and should last longer, but there is more required maintenance than the aluminum headed W124's engine. Mostly valve adjustments. W124's diesels are more powerful and fuel efficient.
SO Buy the one with the best maintenance history. All that being said, I'm sure you'll get more votes (on this forum) for the W123

[blkchambers]

FreeW, I'm very surprised you haven't heard a backlash from the hard core 123ers yet. You must be living right!!

[Maxbumpo]

FreeWheeler,

The 124 series has better handling characteristics, and seems to be less prone to rust. Personally, I like the style of the 123 much better. The OM 617 (123 series 5 cyl diesel motor) will deliver long life at low cost, but requires valve adjustments every 15k miles. The 124 diesel motor is a little more fragile (#14 heads are flawed and prone to failure if overheated) but delivers more power and better mileage, and does not require valve adjustments.

[Robby Ackerman]

Drive each and see which you prefer. We have a couple of each. We drove our 123 to Cape Breton in October and I loved driving the old car on that 4,000 mile trip. I enjoy the additional power of the 124 and it is quieter, but it may be that I simply need new door seals in the 123. They are both different and I enjoy them both though for different reasons. If you have an interest in a wagon you'll be surprised with what a great driving car the 124 wagon is.

The 123 has a great reputation for reliability, but the newest ones are 20-years-old and it is easy to put $3,000 to $4,000 into one, fixing the little things. By the time you do this, you can buy a 124. Look out for wiring harness problems on the 94 & 95 104 engines and head gasket problems on (oil leaking) the 103 engines. 124 Wagons with over 140K miles will need head rebuilds due to the higher revs.

[Johnson Chan]

I owned both and I like the 124 diesel more for the various reasons listed above. If you have the opportunity to buy a mint 123 then it might not be so bad. If you buy one that has sat outdoors all its life AND/OR neglected, then you will have to change various door, window seals, interior, rust, etc. etc. The engine is not the main concern, the accessories will add up costing a lot of money, especially if you dont do your own work.

[FreeWheeler]

Thank you all for your kind comments and info. They are helping me a lot.

I used to have an old 124 300TE. It drove beautifully, but had too many problems such as suspension (I thought I was on a horse rather than in a Mercedes at one point...;-)), steering wheel (used to make squeaking noise when being parked), engine oil was disappearing in buckets after 2k miles, the bodywork was falling apart..etc. It would have needed a few hundreds if not thousands spent to be roadworthy. She had to go. Since her departure, I got a small Renault Clio just to get me from A to B. The Clio is a great runner, but alas, after only 2 weeks, I am missing the MB especially when I am driving on motorway. I am thinking of going back to W124 300E, but read somewhere that W123 is actually more sturdy and more fun to drive...so. I have not driven or owned the 123, so I have been much wondering...

cheers from FW

[VLayton]

I believe if you compare the part replacement costs of all MB models respectively, there is no cheaper MB to run long term per mile than a W123. Even a 617.952 can be rebuilt for under $7,000. Most MB motor rebuilds run 5 figures. Due to the volume of W123s produced, and the more universal MB model line parts used of the era, any other MB will statisically cost more to own, repair and run long term. If you go older or newer than a W123, the part prices rise, either for low demand rareity or technical complexity. When I look up the same "common-to-fail parts of any car" for the other MB models in the Performance Products catalogue, I'm glad I'm stuck on W123s. :cool:

[pch2021]

hows this one for a statitsic:

for every 124 diesel i see, there are about 10-15 123 diesels here in florida.


A bare cylinder head for a 602-603 motor runs atleast 2,500 on a good day.


a good head for a 123 can be found in any junkyard.


The statistics for turbo diesel sedans given by vince are a bit sketchy- I think that it was more like 160,000.