EDIT: E39 and W210... That's what I get for being in a hurry. Stupid me!
Lets take a 1998 version of each with 120,000 miles and with an equally substantial list of deferred maintainance.
Which one would you rather bring up to date and why?
Preference for ownership not included, please!
W124 didn't exist by 98 so it will cost zero to run 
Sorry, nothing useful to add, but general wisdom seems to be that W210 was OK for reliability, if not hewn from granite like the W123. It was the cars from the early noughties that turned into money pits/.
And there is no such thing as an E49 that I am aware of
mtn wrote: And there is no such thing as an E49 that I am aware of
I concede and apologize for my hastiness. Edited above. Wow did I ever screw up THAT title!
That is from the era when Mercedes was having real quality issues as they learned to cut costs. As an anecdotal example, my stepmother had a 1997 e320, which needed a head gasket in the first 35k miles, among other surprising things, and was seriously rusting by 2004 when we replaced it with 55k miles, none of which were in the winter.
The E39 on the other hand, was a real high point in the design of the 5 series. Yes, it has some issues, but they are all pretty well known and fixes are known and well documented.
In reply to Sonic:
Would you say VANOS, cooling system and suspension bushings are what you're referring to? And if so, are we talking $1,500 to fix and/or get fixed? (For a fairly savvy shade tree)
We had a 99 E300 turbodiesel.
Plusses: insanely high quality of materials. At 230k miles, the leather on the seats could have honestly passed for new. the woodgrain was still like new, the dash wasn't cracked even though it spent its entire life in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin TX.
Minuses: electrical parts were a bit pricey. I had to replace the duovalve (the heater's coolant mix controller) for $160, and that was a super deal I found online somewhere. Body parts, glass, and other things were fairly cheap. Mechanical parts were hit and miss. You have to search a bit, but you can find them cheap. I bought a replacement OEM Behr radiator for $120 from 1-800 Radiator. I got oil filters and fuel filters cheap from Rock Auto.
I personally never had this issue, but many things on the W210 are vacuum controlled. That alone isn't a big deal, but it can be a nightmare to diagnose and fix if you get a vacuum leak. The first thing you'll notice is that the A/C will start going back and forth between hot and cold in some vents. You can let it go and pretty soon the power locks won't work. Its not an expensive part, but it does require almost a complete dash disassembly.
I've never owned an E39, but they are generally considered a good bet by most enthusiasts. I did own an E30 for a while, but I doubt my experience has much benefit regarding E39s.
Overall, I would definitely do a W210 again. No doubt. My only problem is the fact that they don't come with manuals. Automatics in BOTH of these choices are not a cheap fix. I'm talking like $4000 or more depending on damage.
Thank you and please keep it coming. A manual in the E39 is a definate btw...
I can't comment on the Merc. for lack of experience, I do however work as a tech on BMW's of that vintage. I'd say that I see an E39 3-5 times a week. VANOS is not a common issue, it's actually pretty rare that we see anything to do with them. Bushings, control arms/joints (front and rear), and OIL LEAKS are the majors on that car. For the average DIY guy, there really aren't that many jobs that you wouldn't do. Some are worth paying for simply because of how much headache you save.
The only major-ish job that seems to be happening more commonly is the coolant pipes on the side of the engine are starting to fail. I guess it's just the life span of the part, as they are becoming more and more frequent. It is fairly involved as you do have to remove the entire intake. Which though not very difficult, for someone who doesn't do it regularly it's easy to miss something or forget exactly how everything went (have to do a lot of blind touchy/feely removal and installation.)
If you get the 540 variant, make sure to keep an eye on two main things. One, the chain tensioners, make sure there is no excessive slapping noise from the chain. And two is the coolant plate on the back of the engine, it will drip coolant out from the converter area (like a rear main seal). Not all the uncommon, and obviously requires R&R of trans.
When it comes to emptying your wallet quickly few old cars can defeat MB!
I'd take an e39 525 or 528 anytime, as long as it could pass a compression test, and if its an AT car, shifts well. If there is no evidence of cooling system overhaul, negotiate the price down, and hit that first.
Personally I wouldn't touch any German V8, those who can afford to roll that way aren't likely to reading this forum.
PS. Most of the 6 cyl e39s use the GM 4spd electronic OD trans, they use regular ATF, and don't cost an arm and a leg to service.
I would choose neither of those Germans and pick the best maintained Lexus LS400 you can afford. Numerous people on this very board have called the LS400 the second coming of the W124 in all the good ways.
HappyAndy wrote: When it comes to emptying your wallet quickly few old cars can defeat MB! I'd take an e39 525 or 528 anytime, as long as it could pass a compression test, and if its an AT car, shifts well. If there is no evidence of cooling system overhaul, negotiate the price down, and hit that first. Personally I wouldn't touch any German V8, those who can afford to roll that way aren't likely to reading this forum.
This is also sage advice. I would go with the I6 BMW over ze German V8.
If you're looking at the post-facelift I6 E39s w/ the M54 engine, the CCV system is another thing to replace at 100k miles, especially if you live in a cold climate area. Best case you end up with increased oil consumption; worst case the valve freezes and the system sucks all the oil in the pan into the cylinders, hydrolocking the engine.
Interesting to hear the bit about the coolant pipes starting to fail. Any further specifics (part numbers of the failure items would be great)?
One of our local autocross guys has posted his 540i Sport 5 Speed for sale:
Out of curiosity, why are you looking at a 1985-1995 Mercedes, and a 1996-2003 BMW?
W124 vs E34 makes sense. W210 vs E39 makes sense. But not W124 vs E39.
W124 vs W210, the 124 is the last of MB building vehicles to a quality point; the 201 is the start of MB building vehicles to a pricepoint. The 124 is a better car, except that it is much older at this point.
124 vs E34, 124 was the better car, but the E34 is going to be cheaper to maintain (my dad owned a 93 300E for 6 years, and a 95 525i for 5 years--that one is still inthe family).
E39 vs 210, the E39 wins every single time.
mtn wrote: Out of curiosity, why are you looking at a 1985-1995 Mercedes, and a 1996-2003 BMW?
I had to fix my butchered title after I saw the first two replies... It was meant to be W210 vs E39
In prder of preference.
The BMW, tied with walking.
Riding the bus.
A 90s Benz.
clutchsmoke wrote: I would choose neither of those Germans and pick the best maintained Lexus LS400 you can afford. Numerous people on this very board have called the LS400 the second coming of the W126 in all the good ways.
FYFY, the LS400 is what the W140 S class should have been.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: In prder of preference. The BMW, tied with walking. Riding the bus. A 90s Benz.I'm not sure I understand your analogy. The BMW is at the top of your list... But it's tied with walking as far as you're concerned. Does that mean you LOVE walking or strongly dislike walking?
HappyAndy wrote: PS. Most of the 6 cyl e39s use the GM 4spd electronic OD trans, they use regular ATF, and don't cost an arm and a leg to service.
Hey, that's right 4L30E. Its a junk tranny, but its pretty cheap to build. Not as cheap as a 4L60E, but not as bad as the 5HP18.
In reply to ebonyandivory:
I'd almost rather just walk than pour money into one.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to ebonyandivory: I'd almost rather just walk than pour money into one.
Any details, Kenny? This is opposite what Ive read about them being the height of BMW 5 Series cars.
Thanks in advance!
My dad's E39 is rapidly approaching 250K with no maintenance other than typical oil changes, trans fluid drain/fills, and the every-100k cooling system refresh. Loves the car to death.
In reply to ebonyandivory:
Just (semi justified) prejudice against German vehicles of that era.
My dad has a 2000 540i 6 speed that has been very solid, it's got 115k miles and has never needed anything major that I can recall. He definitely does regular maintenance though and I would walk away from any BMW that hasn't, these cars aren't drive-and-forget vehicles. The thing makes buckets of torque (the acceleration is intoxicating) and gets pretty good mileage on the highway in 6th. I think the 6 cyl sport packs probably handle better as they have rack and pinion steering. The V8s couldn't fit it and have recirculating ball which results in less precise steering.
I cannot speak on the MB as for reliability having not owned one, but having driven many, that era E class is boooooring to drive in comparison to the 5 series.
mtn wrote: And there is no such thing as an E49 that I am aware of
Sure there were. They just came from Australia and looked like this:
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