If I recall, the MSRP of my old '91 300E 4Matic was about 52,000 USD and the MSRP of my current '92 300D 2.5 Turbo was about 46,000 USD.



The 4Matic was fairly optioned out. Leather seats, heated seats, but I think the 4Matics always came with more options as standard because 4Matic was a premium option.



The Diesel, on the other hand, is pretty basic. MB Tex interior, no heated seats, etc. But, if you think about it, 46,000 USD was a lot of money in 1992. You have to wonder where the quality was cut from the cars, as I believe the staring price for a brand new 2013 E-Class is still around 51,000 USD.



I think if they were to build a new E-Class to the standard of the W124, it would cost well over 100,000 USD. The quality was cut to make the cars cheaper to compete with the likes of Lexus and Acura.



New MBs are nice, and I wouldn't mind having one, but think they are just missing some of the soul of the W124.



Just like the S-Class, the new 2013 models start at about 93,000 USD. In 1999, my S320 had a window sticker of about 85,000 USD, (I got it used in 2009 for about 10k) and it is a base model, short wheelbase. Imagine what a new W140 would cost today. It would rival the price tag of a Bentley. But get into a new S-Class vs. a W140, and see that the over-engineering is gone. No more are there double-pane windows, or the feeling of being inside of a vault. Not to say a new S-Class is not nice, just to say that if it was still built with the quality of a W140, it could not compete with the Lexus LS or the Hyundai Equus.