[McLaren Rulez]

The W124 is absolutely a car to buy if you're looking for a classic in India. I cannot think of a better one because
1) You can still daily drive it unlike most 90s cars. It's not great, but it's comfy enough to not feel like a chore.
2) It will appreciate in value. This phenomenon may have already started.
3) It's cool!

Originally Posted by blackwasp

At the most, get some nice rims & subtle cosmetic enhancements.

I'd avoid even this. In fact, get rid of anything non-original and bring the car back to stock spec. There is huge value in keeping a car exactly in stock condition. For instance, don't throw away that old tape deck - adding Android auto to a W124 misses the point of the car completely.

[Jeep]

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[arunrajk81]

I feel w124 is last of its kind from the manufacturer, the classic boxy styling. (G-Wagon is an exception.) After w124, Merc started following round off designs, initially with round head lights, then slowly moved to curvy rear end which I am not a fan (I guess from w210 and later). Question of owning a w124, I say “No”. I prefer having w123 over w124.

[SandyX]

One buys a W124 to have a W124. There's just no point in comparing it with a different model since that ain't the point. I find it to be the last Benz, or last Mercedes, whichever way it pulls. If I'm in the market for a Benz now, I'd be getting only a W124. Where I'm right now, there's no dearth of it. I hope someone sits around to remanufacture this model. It deserves a second life.

So, YES.

[BeemerBug_06]

It's a definite YES from my side. I feel the Mercedes Benz W124 is still worth picking up if bought from a reliable source and at the correct price, of course with all required paperwork in order. The W124 is a definite youngtimer as off now and will probably go on to become a classic just like its predecessor, the W123. In India particularly, the 124 in my opinion , plays an important role in the automotive heritage of our country, considering it was the first Mercedes Benz car that was officially assembled here in the 90s. It was probably the most expensive car in India back then and was a dream car of many . Those people can fulfill their dreams now by picking up one for a decent price .
Secondly, as far as old pre-2000 Mercs go, it is probably one of the most usable and practical ones as compared to its predecessors which are more of 'Sunday morning drive' cars and cannot really be daily driven anymore.
Thirdly, it is also fairly reliable. Yes, there are some known issues which the 124s suffer from, but if you have a good garage and mechanic who knows his Mercs at your disposal, nothing like it . And of course, you ought to have picked up a car which is in a good state. Scoring parts maybe hard at times , but is still not all that difficult .
Finally, coming to the engines. The 124s sold here came in the E220 Petrol and E250 Diesel variants, correct me if i'm wrong. The Petrol is a smooth motor and also has a certain punch when pushed. The Diesel on the other hand is not very quick but is ultra usable and reliable and E250 diesel owners have clocked lakhs of kilometers on their cars without any issues! Majority of them had a manual 5 speed transmission , while about 5% came with the Automatic .
I shall conclude by saying that anyone who wishes to get into the hobby of owning and keeping up with an Old Merc or a youngtimer in general should definitely consider the W124 to start off . After all, they say the W124 is the last true Mercedes Benz

[akshays]

Definitely a W124 AND a W123. I was on the lookout for both of them. Did check out and speak to a few owners in Bangalore and Kerala but what i found to be a coincidence and a surprise was the ownership papers for 90% of the owners i spoke to was not in place. I loved one owned by a Kerala guy who seems to have most Mercs at his rather posh home, but then again, the papers were not in order. Like SandyX mentioned, anyone looking at a 124 or 123 will look at it because they want it period. The last merc ever built and indeed. With parts relatively easier to source, a timeless design which would put the curvacious, bootilicious new gen cars to shame, the elegance and sophistication of those days and more than anything a proud to own moment. Why look elsewhere. Offtopic but if DQ is listening he must add a 124 alongside his green 123. Low stance 124 gangsta style.

[TheHelix0202]

Voted for ‘no’. A beautiful car no doubt, albeit a boxy one at that. I’d rather go for a mid 2000’s Merc, as I have sentimental values attached to models launched at the said time. And they’d be easier to find and modify too.

[amsidhu]

I would say depends on the purported usage of the car owner and the area he resides. If its a weekend car for a Geri route, and the city houses lots of reliable garages having expertise in old Mercedes then yes why not. It still is a looker and a neat W123/124 still makes heads turn among the line of new cars.


However, if one is planning to use almost 2 decade old car for daily commute, I would suggest him to go and buy a Pre owned Corolla for a hassle free sedan experience.

The poll should have a may be option here as well.

[arindambasu13]

Voted - no. I have never been that fascinated with the W124, or indeed with the E Class in general, any version of it. I personally prefer compact cars (hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs) and anything too elongated or barge like immediately puts me off.

This particular model is no doubt much cleaner designed than some of the later E class variants, but I definitely would not buy it myself. Looks way too dated in my eyes.

Everything else put aside, the restoration and maintenance costs and consequent headaches and stress are not my cup of tea at all.

[raj981]

Voted NO.
Everything has it's time. Nothing really special about this to be really honest.
Regards,
Rajesh

[thomasjr]

Voted YES !

It is only because my close friend and me could lay hands on a clean '96 model E220 in Aug 2017. This car is currently serving as a daily drive in a small town about 25 kms away from the hustle and bustle of Cochin city and suddenly seems practical owing to the location it is being used in.

The search for a W124 started about a decade ago and he did about 70-80 test drive cars in the whole of South India, I met him much later and we bonded over this single factor and continued our hunt together. We couldn't believe our eyes when an ad popped up on OLX in July '17 - a 1996 E220, Single owner, ONLY 14,032 kms on the odo, always garaged, all documents available; too good to be true right? The car was in Chandigarh and after a few calls and WhatsApp video calls/chats, a token of INR 25k was transferred the same day. We flew out in a few weeks and drove the car back home from Chandigarh; quite an eventful drive for a car that was in hibernation for a long time. I'm in the works of penning down this buying experience and the 3200km+ drive, hope to complete it soon.

Our circumstances changed in early 2019 as he moved to Dubai and I shifted to Australia, the car is with his family in Cochin. Being abroad also helps us with sourcing the spare parts and shipping it to India, we have an entrusted FNG who is more than willing to go the extra mile and keep this in top shape even in our absence. The car currently has clocked 26,500+ kms and drives beautifully. It also works like a charm for us because we got a clean car, have access to spare parts and most importantly a technically qualified and sound FNG. Things may not have been the same for us if the car was a poor example that needed more attention, we would have needed a lot more money, time, patience and access to spare parts to restore it to it's original condition.

A W124 at this time and age is only for a hard core 124 enthusiast and not for an automobile enthusiast, we are the former and hence thoroughly enjoying this machine. The only complaint is that we don't get to drive it as much as we wished we could, my friend is luckier than me because he visits Cochin every 6 weeks. Also, he is in Cochin now due to the pandemic situations and this is being used for local errands and short runabouts. We intend to keep this car forever, while adding more to the collection.

Attaching few pictures of our beloved W124


The night we picked her up from Chandigarh




Re-registered in Kerala, missed the 124 number by a few minutes






And the last one with my pre-worshipped VW Jetta; Deutsche Familie

[JTM]

Voted YES !!!

The W124 has to be the most indestructible car Mercedes-Benz has ever made and the wagon variant has to be my pick of the bunch for its uber-cool character (atleast in my eyes ) and proper daily-driver appeal.

A Mercedes Benz W124 TE (1994) with a Wald body-kit.



One all the way over from Japan on Carlsson wheels.



From the 2017 EuTroDicted show.



A W124 that's been properly dressed up to be the ultimate Hammer wagon!



A W124 that looks absolutely beautiful in this darker Turquoise shade.

[DicKy]

Voted Yes.

But as a single car Daily driver. Maybe not. Though for daily usage on our roads, this one will be the cheapest Merc on the pocket.

The W124 should be bought for it being a W124, can't compare it to other mainstream cars, nor can the purchase be rationalised.

Will be a good start for any budding car collector, and see if he is up for the game, or kill off the car collecting fancy before burning their fingers much.

Regarding driving a W124 being underwhelming or not tight enough for a German. Perspective.
Jump into a contemporary of the W124 (okay maybe not a Lexus), maybe even drive it. Then jump into the W124, it will feel alright and tight. Would be futile to think it would feel tight as a 2010s german car.

[Dippy]

So I dont own a W124 yet but its been a long standing dream. I still aspire to pick up one if I find a decent car in the future. Meanwhile I have the original brochure of the Indian spec W124, which I got in 1996. It is 40 pages and printed at the Tata Press in Mumbai. I made a video to share it with friends and enthusiasts since many were requesting for the same. Here it is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAQvDJRru28&t=17s

[Vikram74]

Originally Posted by GTO

So true! To bring a W124 to absolutely pristine condition will cost a couple of lakhs and a whole lot of time. For that money (and cost of time), it's just better to buy something newer instead. I had toyed with the idea of getting a W126 or W140 and test-drove a couple. It was one of those "never meet your heroes" moments.

Well I met my heroes way back in 2002 when I bought my first W124, a E220. I had that car for 4 years. Fast foward to 2020 and I met my heroes again albeit this time it came in a diesel avatar. Somehow meeting my heroes in flesh has not just lived to my expectations, it’s gone way beyond them