Unflappable Mercedes E220 (W124) for sale
If Obi-Wan Kenobi were a car...
Right, it's time for something stoic and dependable. And apart from a Routemaster or an FX4 cab, do they come more stoic and dependable than a Mercedes W124? I was specifically drawn to this one at Hankins because it mirrors the very car I used to own. In fact, it's such a twin of my old beast that I had to check the number plate, to make sure it wasn't actually my old car. It isn't. But anyway, let's crack on.
Now, these days my love of classic Mercedes' runs marrow-deep, but this wasn't always the case. The old Stuttgart produce never really featured on my radar because I was always into BMWs - growing up they were sporty and dynamic, whereas Mercedes' seemed just a wee bit sober. My mate Ian, though, whom I worked with when I was in my twenties selling Bentleys and Roll-Royces, was a proper Mercophile. Oh my god, he wouldn't shut up about the things. He'd owned many, including W123s and a 190E, and his drip-drip, water-torture enthusiasm was starting to wear me down. At the time I was smoking an E34 525i manual, which I'd bought on the promise of pin-sharp handling and electrifying performance. Now, I liked the 5 Series, but a year into our union the deep love I'd hoped for just wasn't materialising. It felt heavier and more ponderous than I'd imagined it would, and the engine - while lovely and smooth - lacked a free spirit in the way it revved out.
Anyway, by chance, we traded in a pair of W124s saloons - one, a fetching Sportline in Brilliant Silver with eight-hole alloys, which Ian snapped up, and the other in Blue Black with wheels trims just like this car. It was super-low mileage, completely mint and it had air conditioning, which was a must for me. So with the lever of peer pressure giving me last nudge I needed, I bought it. Boom: I was a Mercedes driver. And the day I drove it home, I thought to myself "What on earth have I done?"
Oh my, it was just such an old fart's car. The steering wheel was from a truck, the seats were hard and flat, the dark burr walnut was the colour of an old man's pipe, and the instrumentation was front lit. Now, this may seem like a small detail to fixate upon, but the last car I'd had with front-lit dials was a Mk2 Cavalier. I'd moved on in life since then, and my E34's dials glowed from behind with a lovely warm orange. This was a huge backward step. Then there was the E220's engine. Okay, my 525i wasn't a free-revver, but it was as silky as a mink's belly. The E220's four-pot was gruff, like the big ends in its belly were shot. I wasn't happy.
Yet here's the thing. The joy of cars is when they get under your skin, right? Seeping through every pore and rewiring your brain via your sole. And this is what the W124 did. Yeah, the steering wheel was the diameter of the O2, but it was still a surprisingly accurate implement when attacking corners and exploiting what was, fundamentally, a well-balanced chassis. It really was. On the low-grip, 195-section tyres you could hurl the big old Merc into a roundabout and find yourself aping Jim Clarke in a Lotus Cortina with a lovely four-wheel drift. I'll whisper this quietly, but it felt lighter and lither than the 525i, and more fun. And some of the joy was because this was a pair of M&S tartan slippers on wheels that had no place going sideways, so when it did it felt like an act of anarchy.
But while the W124 would indulge my imbecilic side, conversely it like a wise uncle that also taught me to slow down. I learned the art of coasting, which hitherto had escaped me. It was what the W124 did best. Its ride was soft and forgiving, its engine had plenty of torque to surf (although nothing like the grunt of the fabulous E320 Coupé's that I followed it up with a few years later), the gearbox was slick when you were trickling along, and those hard, flat seats - well, they were superb. On a long drive they were like a made-to-measure wingback. And sure, it was old fashioned inside, but beneath pipe and slippers was the quality that made Mercedes so revered. The unflappability of everything, from the switches to the surfaces, schooled me in the value a well-engineered car over looks and features. It's a lesson that I still heed today.
I just looked forward to getting in the W123 every morning. The silence of the vacuum-operated central locking; the reassuring thud of its well-oiled the door close. And as I settled into its simple but grand interior, I'd look out to the sign of earth, sea and wind in front of me and think, "Oh man, I own a Mercedes." It felt like a privilege to view the world through a three-pointed star and it meant something real back then. Not in a flashy way, because being a twenty-something fella there was plenty of gauche stuff I could've swapped it for if I'd wanted to stand out. But I didn't. I grew to be happy with stoic, sensible and a wee bit sober. You could argue, then, that the W124 made me a better, more rounded person, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the sign of a truly great car.
Specification | Mercedes E220 (W124)
Engine: 2,199cc, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated
Transmission: 4-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 150 @ 5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 154 @ 4,000rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1995
Recorded mileage: 59,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £6,995
I woke up with a sore head and a message that I was the highest bidder on a 1993 E280 estate, for £500. Part pleased, part WTF have I done, I made my way 180 miles to collect it. The seller wished me a lot of luck in driving it back to Yorkshire but it didn’t miss a beat.
Once I’d got my head round it I had an identical opinion as the author, over time it grew and grew on me. Unfortunately the inverse was my wife’s opinion of it and also the famed reliability didn’t apply to the head gaskets on 6-cylinder models. After a number of attempts at getting it fixed it went back online for sale.
I sold it for a bit less than I paid, but had split off the private plate which I sold separately for 3x the price of the car.
But, they are a bit wheezy and slow, and you can tell yourself all the old things about build quality but they are a bit of a stodgy old thing, some pleasure to be derived but then you realise it moos like a wounded heifer when you put your foot down but doesn't seem to gather any additional momentum
For seven grand, my son bought a very tidy 2006 350Z and a fairly decent 209 CLK 220 CDI which is also quite a dollop but at two grand you dont mind, and having had both, and a CLS I cant really tell a massive difference in build quality. The 224 I had was a lot higher mileage but it just felt like an old, leggy car.
I think time has moved o and they are perhaps trading on a reputation from a while ago, no car is immune to the ravages of time, does look a nice example but seven grand seems a bit spendy.
My first introduction to a Mercedes-Benz back in 1996 certainly didn't go well, but I reckon that a drive in a 500 E(E500) might have floated my boat far more though.
But then in 1991 I managed to buy a W123 280e and just loved the ride quality and general waftiness, but sadly I hadn't bought a good example and had a few niggly issues.
Anyway I sold in when I got a company car in 1992.
In 1997 I bought a 1989 190e with a rare manual gearbox and really liked it so in 1997 I got tempted by a C280 Sport which was the most disappointing car I'd owned, the straight 6 engine was it's only redeeming feature!
I realised I was too young for wafty automatic Mercs and later discovered straight 6 manual BMWs which is what I probably should have bought.
Now I'm getting on a bit a wafty Merc might suit me better but I'd want a 280 or 320, especially for that sort of money!
Highly overrated imo. not quick, not that great to drive, not that bulletproof and boring. But they do have a old school meets newer era charm to my mind.
Strangely blokes liked it, and women really didn’t. No one was neutral which was odd.
This particular year and model isn’t special, can’t see the appeal personally at that price.
By 2013, I’d had enough of BMW’s and wanted a change. I bought an ex demo E250 CDI AMG Line (first of the facelift models). I really liked it and kept it for years.
In 2019 it was time for a change. A new E Class would be the obvious choice as I did enjoy the Mercedes ownership experience. But no it was back to BMW my eighth one in the shape of a 6 month old 530d M Sport.
I think people get hooked on certain brands.
By 2013, I’d had enough of BMW’s and wanted a change. I bought an ex demo E250 CDI AMG Line (first of the facelift models). I really liked it and kept it for years.
In 2019 it was time for a change. A new E Class would be the obvious choice as I did enjoy the Mercedes ownership experience. But no it was back to BMW my eighth one in the shape of a 6 month old 530d M Sport.
I think people get hooked on certain brands.
Like you I've ended up getting hooked on BMWs though, and I'm on number 8 now. Predictably the only engine I didn't like was the one in the 520d, but all the others I've had...have had either a V8 or a straight six in them. For me a premium car needs a premium feeling engine, and that is where a 4 cylinder engine falls short I reckon.
As the world's oldest car manufacturer, it's safe to assume Mercedes clearly know their market well and have consistently built cars with "sufficient" power and performance, and no more.
When I was working in car importing, I asked a couple of our continental dealers about this. Their unified response was that the domestic market (Germany, obviously) demanded a car that could cruise at 200kph all day long on the autobahn, but didn't really care how long it took to get there and didn't want to pay for a lot of fuel for the privilege. Hence the proliferation of 2.0 or 2.3 Mercedes like W123,124, 210 etc.
As the world's oldest car manufacturer, it's safe to assume Mercedes clearly know their market well and have consistently built cars with "sufficient" power and performance, and no more.
When I was working in car importing, I asked a couple of our continental dealers about this. Their unified response was that the domestic market (Germany, obviously) demanded a car that could cruise at 200kph all day long on the autobahn, but didn't really care how long it took to get there and didn't want to pay for a lot of fuel for the privilege. Hence the proliferation of 2.0 or 2.3 Mercedes like W123,124, 210 etc.
Truth be told I'd be much happier with 60mpg that the 320d/520d/C220d/E220d offer, rather than the 40mpg(if I'm lucky) that I tend to get from the engines I like to go for(330d/640d/GLC350d/GLE400d).
Plus when you are cruising at 70mph(ish) on the motorway it doesn't really matter what engine is under the bonnet, because they all feel the same way to use at that speed. It is only when you start to use the revs when the 4 cylinder engines start to feel a bit rough and strained in some applications I think.
I've personally never liked a heavy car mated to a small engine, and my E61 520d at 1700kg was a good example of that. My E90 330i(not exactly a small engine but being NA it felt like it had to work hard) at 1550kg suffered a bit with that problem for me as well.
As the world's oldest car manufacturer, it's safe to assume Mercedes clearly know their market well and have consistently built cars with "sufficient" power and performance, and no more.
When I was working in car importing, I asked a couple of our continental dealers about this. Their unified response was that the domestic market (Germany, obviously) demanded a car that could cruise at 200kph all day long on the autobahn, but didn't really care how long it took to get there and didn't want to pay for a lot of fuel for the privilege. Hence the proliferation of 2.0 or 2.3 Mercedes like W123,124, 210 etc.
Its funny as the 219 CLS I had with the 5.5 litre V8 engine didn't use a whole lot more fuel than that 230CE knocking about locally, didnt do any long runs in it but it only seemed to do just over 20 mpg like the CLS did but without the ability to gain momentum in a mildly alarming manner.
They both had the Mercedes feel to them, as does the CLK we have, not sure I could pay all that money for a W124 with a 4 cyl petrol engine when that opens up a world of W211 options, would have to be dead set on a W124 specifically, it does look very clean to be fair which is appealing.
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