RE: SOTW: Mercedes-Benz 190E
Discussion
Owner of a 1991 white 190E 1.8 that has just gone past 120,000 miles. Had it 5 and a bit years and had a vx220 when I bought it. Basically bought it as a winter car (in mid-summer) but actually ended up using it every day.
Needs a clean and I need to have a look inside the boot as the boot lid always has condensation in it.
Good stuff: comfortable seats and ride, handles not just well for a car of its age, but well full stop. Brakes are very strong as well but there is no abs. Oh and as others have said they are really impressive in the snow. In the recent snow we had I kept finding bigger and bigger challenges for it to face - like parking on snow at the bottom of an incline and having to get up to the top of the incline over more fresh snow to get anywhere. It did it!
Niggles: gearbox (mine is manual) isn't great. That's it.
Will keep mine indefinitely as it's comfortable, safe, reliable and it cost me £700. What more could anyone want?
Needs a clean and I need to have a look inside the boot as the boot lid always has condensation in it.
Good stuff: comfortable seats and ride, handles not just well for a car of its age, but well full stop. Brakes are very strong as well but there is no abs. Oh and as others have said they are really impressive in the snow. In the recent snow we had I kept finding bigger and bigger challenges for it to face - like parking on snow at the bottom of an incline and having to get up to the top of the incline over more fresh snow to get anywhere. It did it!
Niggles: gearbox (mine is manual) isn't great. That's it.
Will keep mine indefinitely as it's comfortable, safe, reliable and it cost me £700. What more could anyone want?
J4CKO said:
Why do I want this so much, I am sure it isnt a scintilating driving experience but I love old Mercs, especially ones with MB Tex, plastic wheel disks and originality, I cannot abide the things people do to old Mercs to make them look current or flashy, the big wheels, body kits, chrome arches, AMG badges and massive grilles, if someone wants to look like 90s pimp, that is fine but I will take mine as plain jane as possible.
It goes back to older Mercs as well, three box saloon, made well, job done.
There is an old boy down our road what has had an E class since it was new I think, a 300 E I think, we have been here 15 plus years and he had it then, it never looks any different and gets left outside, I see it trundle past a few times a day, when either he or it expires there will be something missing. I think it is the sense of solidity and permanence these cars in a world of disposable trinkets festooned with gadgets, Merc arent immune to this now and they go where the market is, the luxury in the past was more from the engineering than the gadgets.
Could not agree more.It goes back to older Mercs as well, three box saloon, made well, job done.
There is an old boy down our road what has had an E class since it was new I think, a 300 E I think, we have been here 15 plus years and he had it then, it never looks any different and gets left outside, I see it trundle past a few times a day, when either he or it expires there will be something missing. I think it is the sense of solidity and permanence these cars in a world of disposable trinkets festooned with gadgets, Merc arent immune to this now and they go where the market is, the luxury in the past was more from the engineering than the gadgets.
Cracking cars(opens Autotrader in a new tab)
What is it with these era mercedes? Over the past two months I have been getting an itch to get one as a runabout, now its getting to the point its almost possible to ignore.
I have always liked the 190, such a timeless design moreso its bigger brother the w124
The tank like quality, gentlemanly waft and elegance of it all, from a car that's over 20 years old. Brilliant, excellent SOTW.
I have always liked the 190, such a timeless design moreso its bigger brother the w124
The tank like quality, gentlemanly waft and elegance of it all, from a car that's over 20 years old. Brilliant, excellent SOTW.
Another fan here. Mine has been faultless.
They are a towering achievement in the motoring pantheon. I've had three E39s, commonly regarded as the closest thing to a perfect car, and the 190e is distintly superior in several important measures.
The quality of thinking that went into the design and construction of these cars is still unsurpassed. A perfect brief, met squarely head-on.
And the first few seconds of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw-AxiVqihM show another side to the 190e that I don't think ever properly broke the surface in the UK, mainly due to the excellence of BMW's marketing of the time.
I exhort you to find a quiet corner of the office and watch this film. It gives me shivers.
They are a towering achievement in the motoring pantheon. I've had three E39s, commonly regarded as the closest thing to a perfect car, and the 190e is distintly superior in several important measures.
The quality of thinking that went into the design and construction of these cars is still unsurpassed. A perfect brief, met squarely head-on.
And the first few seconds of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw-AxiVqihM show another side to the 190e that I don't think ever properly broke the surface in the UK, mainly due to the excellence of BMW's marketing of the time.
I exhort you to find a quiet corner of the office and watch this film. It gives me shivers.
Thanks for that I was having a bad day
I was given one of these for FREE (not like it was really worth anything) by a family friend with 208k miles on the clock about 2-3 years ago at a time when money was very tight for me but I desperately needed a car. It was the 2.0 auto in two-tone blue and rocking steelies and that oh so lovely grey cloth interior with mild tweed patterning. I'll have a look for a pic later on. It was slow, absolutely horrendous fuel economy, handled somewhat like a boat, the wiper didn't work, the electrics worked occasionally, only one of the electric windows worked, it wouldn't start a lot of the time if it was raining, the alternator needed tightening every couple of days, the list could go on and on. But you know what? It was a FANTASTIC car and I loved every minute of ownership. The car was bought brand new by aforementioned family friend in 1989 which made it two years older than me and despite a life of hardship it somehow kept going and going. The odometer stopped working at around 223k but I probably did another 10k in it after that. I could no longer afford to fuel it however and due to finally having some disposable income I bought despite plenty of advice to the contrary an alfa 147 diesel which was actually surprisingly reliable. I gave the merc to my local mechanic come handyspannerman Gary who has a bit of a thing for 80s barges and their like. Gary informs me that she's still running and he has fixed a few of the minor niggles. I honestly think it will go on for many a year to come.
Sorry for the block of text, to sum up, awesome car and totally indestructible. At times I still miss it.
Sorry for the block of text, to sum up, awesome car and totally indestructible. At times I still miss it.
Whilst I fully grasp the appeal of floaty-old MB's - I do not get why anyone would ever want a 190 (Evo 2 excepted, perhaps).
The quality was never there - they are a bit ungainly to look at - they're a bit cramped front and back (a big selling point for MBs is roominess for taller drivers - not the 190 tho) and so on.
I'm less surprised to see one for under £1000 - I'd be more surprised to find one worth more than a grand tbh (Evo 2 again, excepted)
The quality was never there - they are a bit ungainly to look at - they're a bit cramped front and back (a big selling point for MBs is roominess for taller drivers - not the 190 tho) and so on.
I'm less surprised to see one for under £1000 - I'd be more surprised to find one worth more than a grand tbh (Evo 2 again, excepted)
steady eddie said:
I own a 1992 190E 1.8 which is my daily driver.
Superb car, no rust anywhere, showroom condition.
It took me a long time to find a good one
.
Rust is the problem with cars of this age not the mechanics
To get a shed, at this money will have rust believe me, if not on the wings it will be at the jacking points.
All expensive to fix and a MOT failure.
Mine is perfect but cost a hell of a lot more, but it is an appreciating classic car.
Running costs excluding road tax ,insurance and fuel was £68 for service only needing oil change and filter.
Happy days
Steady Eddie
EddieSuperb car, no rust anywhere, showroom condition.
It took me a long time to find a good one
.
Rust is the problem with cars of this age not the mechanics
To get a shed, at this money will have rust believe me, if not on the wings it will be at the jacking points.
All expensive to fix and a MOT failure.
Mine is perfect but cost a hell of a lot more, but it is an appreciating classic car.
Running costs excluding road tax ,insurance and fuel was £68 for service only needing oil change and filter.
Happy days
Steady Eddie
I still intend to take you up on your kind offer of a go in your 190E some day soon, 'though I'd have to sell one of the W124s before I could actually buy one.
I think it's one of the cars I will have to 'tick off' at some point, along with a W124 coupe and BMW E34 and E39 540i (and maybe an Alfa 166 or GTV V6, oh, and a W126, and an R129, and . and . .)
Is this the only Merccedes the ever to have a proper handbrake?Incidently when was the last time you spotted any of the competion from the era,Carlton 2.0LGranada Audi 80 etc yet barely a day goes without me seeing a 190.There were a few models we never got in the UK. 2.5 turbo diesel.2.3(8valve)and the US market got an odd 2.2(engine carried over from the W115?) and I'm pretty sure there was a 3.6 Brabus model.72bhp for the 2.0 diesel upto 90 for the 2.5 which explains the slowness.I have a book"My Merecedes is (not)forsale" tells the story of a dutch writer who picked up a 190d and drove to Africa in it
http://www.mijnmercedes.nl/index_en.php
http://www.mijnmercedes.nl/index_en.php
405dogvan said:
Whilst I fully grasp the appeal of floaty-old MB's - I do not get why anyone would ever want a 190 (Evo 2 excepted, perhaps).
The quality was never there - they are a bit ungainly to look at - they're a bit cramped front and back (a big selling point for MBs is roominess for taller drivers - not the 190 tho) and so on.
I'm less surprised to see one for under £1000 - I'd be more surprised to find one worth more than a grand tbh (Evo 2 again, excepted)
Ha! Ha! Hahahaahaaaaaaahaaa.The quality was never there - they are a bit ungainly to look at - they're a bit cramped front and back (a big selling point for MBs is roominess for taller drivers - not the 190 tho) and so on.
I'm less surprised to see one for under £1000 - I'd be more surprised to find one worth more than a grand tbh (Evo 2 again, excepted)
Good one.
mccrackenj said:
I still intend to take you up on your kind offer of a go in your 190E some day soon, 'though I'd have to sell one of the W124s before I could actually buy one.
The W124 does more for me than the W201. Despite that, I've had 2 W201's and precisely zero W124's! Time may be approaching to remedy that... Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff