190 1.8 or 2.0
Discussion
Going to view 2 excellent 190's next week aand drive them back to back.
One is a 1.8 and the other a 2.0
Is there a big difference in performance between the two.
The 1.8 is in mint condition and is the better car but the 2.0 has all the bells and whistles
leather a/c h/seats and c/c.
Although the 1.8 is by far the best car I.m concerned that I may be disappointed by the
performance of the car over the 2litre.
Anyone owned both and can comment
Steady
One is a 1.8 and the other a 2.0
Is there a big difference in performance between the two.
The 1.8 is in mint condition and is the better car but the 2.0 has all the bells and whistles
leather a/c h/seats and c/c.
Although the 1.8 is by far the best car I.m concerned that I may be disappointed by the
performance of the car over the 2litre.
Anyone owned both and can comment
Steady
speed ie 0~60 times are not an issue as I have just sold my Porsche 993.
I'm more concerned with the general on the road performance re overtaking
and being able to cope with modern traffic conditions.
As regards rust there is no rust not even a hint anywhere on the 1.8.
It is concours.
Regards
Steady
I'm more concerned with the general on the road performance re overtaking
and being able to cope with modern traffic conditions.
As regards rust there is no rust not even a hint anywhere on the 1.8.
It is concours.
Regards
Steady
Personally, I agree with the above. 190s should now be bought on condition, rather than engine or spec. Don't forget, too, that the more toys means it's more to go wrong, etc, etc 
However, seeing as your asking about performance.....
If the 2 litre is an injection car, then yes it will be quicker.
Although I've never owned either, both cars have been courtesy cars from my indie, both I've driven for well over 5,000 miles each over the course of a 3ish year period.
The 1.8 was a manual, while the 2.0 an auto. The odd dodgy gear change notwithstanding, the 2 litre was still noticably quicker.
The 1.8 certainly felt spritely, though - maybe something to do with the fact it has almost zero options ticked - A manual sunroof and radio were your lot!
The 2.0 I drove on two round-trip longer journeys. Norwich to Nottingham and Norwich to Portsmouth. It certainly cruised much better than the 1.8, and over taking was definately swifter.
While you haven't asked about it, I think I should add that they ran a W202 C180 Manual for a while, which I periodically drove for over 4,000 miles. While build quality was down on the 190's, the 16v 1.8 felt even better than the 2.0 8v of the 190.
Hope this helps! Let us know how you get on
Darren
However, seeing as your asking about performance.....
If the 2 litre is an injection car, then yes it will be quicker.
Although I've never owned either, both cars have been courtesy cars from my indie, both I've driven for well over 5,000 miles each over the course of a 3ish year period.
The 1.8 was a manual, while the 2.0 an auto. The odd dodgy gear change notwithstanding, the 2 litre was still noticably quicker.
The 1.8 certainly felt spritely, though - maybe something to do with the fact it has almost zero options ticked - A manual sunroof and radio were your lot!
The 2.0 I drove on two round-trip longer journeys. Norwich to Nottingham and Norwich to Portsmouth. It certainly cruised much better than the 1.8, and over taking was definately swifter.
While you haven't asked about it, I think I should add that they ran a W202 C180 Manual for a while, which I periodically drove for over 4,000 miles. While build quality was down on the 190's, the 16v 1.8 felt even better than the 2.0 8v of the 190.
Hope this helps! Let us know how you get on
Darren
1.8 is a slug. 2 litre is a slug too - but the extra power does make a difference....especially if you go for one with an automatic gearbox. I'd drive a 2 litre first and see if you feel comfortable with its performance...if you're not, don't even bother with the 1.8. If you want a swift 190 and don't want a Cossie, buy a 2.6 with sportline suspension - excellent engine and TBH not that much less economical than the 2 litre.
ETA - just seen your comment re overtaking - let's put it this way, I didn't dare overtake anything on any road other than a dual carriageway in my 2 litre...but I loved it in terms of build quality and a feeling of solidity...
Out of interest, have you ever driven a 190E?...judging from your post, I doubt it...that's not meant to be provocative BTW :-). Also watch for rot in the boot floor and under the rear windscreen rubber seal.
ETA - just seen your comment re overtaking - let's put it this way, I didn't dare overtake anything on any road other than a dual carriageway in my 2 litre...but I loved it in terms of build quality and a feeling of solidity...
Out of interest, have you ever driven a 190E?...judging from your post, I doubt it...that's not meant to be provocative BTW :-). Also watch for rot in the boot floor and under the rear windscreen rubber seal.
Edited by rubystone on Monday 8th August 17:17
My wife owned a 190 20 LE for 2 years but I did not drive it alot as I had a
company car.
However I did not find it slow and on a long run it was a delight, being a great comfortable drive.
I have never driven a 1.8 but I believe. there is not a noticeable difference between
the two.
Going to drive both back to back on Wednesday so I'll soon find out if there is any noticeable difference.
I will buy on condition.
Regards
Steady
company car.
However I did not find it slow and on a long run it was a delight, being a great comfortable drive.
I have never driven a 1.8 but I believe. there is not a noticeable difference between
the two.
Going to drive both back to back on Wednesday so I'll soon find out if there is any noticeable difference.
I will buy on condition.
Regards
Steady
Get a 2LT the 1.8 is a bit troublesome as the mileage mounts up,headgasket problems I believe are a main concern with the 1.8. Theres very little difference in everyday motoring ,manual boxes are tough but lifeless.Check jacking points if their good then it probably bodes well for the rest of the car.Electric rear window mech is a weak point,its a cable drive which frays jaming the motor .Better to replace the whole thing.The 2.6 is a belting car and well worth considering very nearly as quick as the 2.3/2.5-16 and now getting hard to find in good fettle.Europe got a 2.3 8valve(as in the 230E)LE models were final year for the 1.8/2.0 different colour options is the main difference.Sportline option for the 2tl and 2.6,dont think it was an option on the 1.8,someone proof me wrong .
Just bought the 1.8 190E and having driven both the 2.0 and the 1.8 back to back,
the 1.8 was the best car to drive and I defy anyone to tell the difference between the
two in performance if the badges were covered.
This car is almost 20 years old and still drives like new. It is tight with no rattles or squeeks.
I drove it the 300 miles back to Northern Ireland and it was a pleasure, so relaxing and more than eable to keep up with modern traffic.
It will cruise at 70-80 mpg all day long.
I was surprised at the number of people in the queue for the ferry who stopped to admire and
ask questions about the car.
No more Porsche for me.
Steady
the 1.8 was the best car to drive and I defy anyone to tell the difference between the
two in performance if the badges were covered.
This car is almost 20 years old and still drives like new. It is tight with no rattles or squeeks.
I drove it the 300 miles back to Northern Ireland and it was a pleasure, so relaxing and more than eable to keep up with modern traffic.
It will cruise at 70-80 mpg all day long.
I was surprised at the number of people in the queue for the ferry who stopped to admire and
ask questions about the car.
No more Porsche for me.
Steady
steady eddie said:
Just bought the 1.8 190E and having driven both the 2.0 and the 1.8 back to back,
the 1.8 was the best car to drive and I defy anyone to tell the difference between the
two in performance if the badges were covered.
This car is almost 20 years old and still drives like new. It is tight with no rattles or squeeks.
I drove it the 300 miles back to Northern Ireland and it was a pleasure, so relaxing and more than eable to keep up with modern traffic.
It will cruise at 70-80 mpg all day long.
I was surprised at the number of people in the queue for the ferry who stopped to admire and
ask questions about the car.
No more Porsche for me.
Steady
Must be a manual ;-)the 1.8 was the best car to drive and I defy anyone to tell the difference between the
two in performance if the badges were covered.
This car is almost 20 years old and still drives like new. It is tight with no rattles or squeeks.
I drove it the 300 miles back to Northern Ireland and it was a pleasure, so relaxing and more than eable to keep up with modern traffic.
It will cruise at 70-80 mpg all day long.
I was surprised at the number of people in the queue for the ferry who stopped to admire and
ask questions about the car.
No more Porsche for me.
Steady
But anyway - fantastic build quality - only thing that lets them down is the fact that few had aircon and leather - I had to hunt long and hard for a facelift car with aircon but couldn't find a decent non-clocked one with leather too...
steady eddie said:
Just bought the 1.8 190E and having driven both the 2.0 and the 1.8 back to back,
the 1.8 was the best car to drive and I defy anyone to tell the difference between the
two in performance if the badges were covered.
This car is almost 20 years old and still drives like new. It is tight with no rattles or squeeks.
I drove it the 300 miles back to Northern Ireland and it was a pleasure, so relaxing and more than eable to keep up with modern traffic.
It will cruise at 70-80 mpg all day long.
I was surprised at the number of people in the queue for the ferry who stopped to admire and
ask questions about the car.
No more Porsche for me.
Steady
the 1.8 was the best car to drive and I defy anyone to tell the difference between the
two in performance if the badges were covered.
This car is almost 20 years old and still drives like new. It is tight with no rattles or squeeks.
I drove it the 300 miles back to Northern Ireland and it was a pleasure, so relaxing and more than eable to keep up with modern traffic.
It will cruise at 70-80 mpg all day long.
I was surprised at the number of people in the queue for the ferry who stopped to admire and
ask questions about the car.
No more Porsche for me.
Steady
I had a 1.8 manual for a while and although there is very little low down torque, it is surprising how much they wake up above about 3500rpm. I found on hilly motorways it would sometimes be more comfortable in 4th gear but otherwise, very easy to live with. 190Es are an amazingly relaxing drive.so old now original power output is probably acedemic, may not even have the same engine... Could tell little difference between the 1.8 or 2.0, if anything the 1.8 was a little more rev happy. Roughly 10hp difference. 113 VS 122 bhp. more torque on the 2.0.
A carb 2.0 was available until 1990, with between 90 and 100 bhp. Europe had a 2.3 8 valve option too with 135bhp, these sometimes turn up...
A carb 2.0 was available until 1990, with between 90 and 100 bhp. Europe had a 2.3 8 valve option too with 135bhp, these sometimes turn up...
I've run a '93 1.8 for the last four years and it's quite a remarkable motor, a little bit of maintenace and preventative medicine and it keeps on going without missing a beat.
Mine's a manual and you have to stir the box and use the revs to make it shift sharply, it will do it but it's not really what the car is all about.Take it easy and you'll get about 30mpg, stir it too much and you're looking at 20ish.
HTH
Mine's a manual and you have to stir the box and use the revs to make it shift sharply, it will do it but it's not really what the car is all about.Take it easy and you'll get about 30mpg, stir it too much and you're looking at 20ish.
HTH
What are these like as a daily driver in terms of running costs, (insurance, servicing etc) and actually driving? Speed isn't really an issue, just need an auto box and to be comfortable whilst stuck in traffic!
Looking at a new run around and I'm swinging between polar opposites. The Lexus LS400 appeals though my brain says that an older Prius makes more sense.
Looking at a new run around and I'm swinging between polar opposites. The Lexus LS400 appeals though my brain says that an older Prius makes more sense.
Bebop Beru said:
What are these like as a daily driver in terms of running costs, (insurance, servicing etc) and actually driving? Speed isn't really an issue, just need an auto box and to be comfortable whilst stuck in traffic!
Looking at a new run around and I'm swinging between polar opposites. The Lexus LS400 appeals though my brain says that an older Prius makes more sense.
I bought my first 190E , a 2 litre auto , as a stopgap after the diff failed on my 300TE at just shy of 200K , my only breakdown in 35 years of Mercedes motoring ..Looking at a new run around and I'm swinging between polar opposites. The Lexus LS400 appeals though my brain says that an older Prius makes more sense.
The 190 was for sale at the roadside about a mile from my home and I picked it up for the princely sum of £300 - it was hardly a well cared for example . It had a broken headlamp/indicator and , after I replaced these with used items from the breakers and beat the damaged wing back into shape so that the lights could be fitted , it sailed through the MOT .
After running it for a few weeks to confirm it was worthwhile , I put on four new tyres , new brakes all round ( 4 discs , front & rear pads , handbrake shoes , flexible hoses ) . Besides that it got oil & filters , plugs & new dizzy cap . At some point , I came across another Diamond Blue 190 in a breakers and got two rust free front wings for £15 each , they bolted on with perfect Colour match . Also picked up a set of the correct 14" Alloys to suit an early 190 and had my tyres fitted to these .
At this point the car was running well , totally reliable , looked presentable and was as much a pleasure to drive as any of my bigger , more expensive Mercs . I ran the car for a further two years with little more than routine servicing done by myself . At one point I rebuilt the worn out drivers seat after finding another car in a breakers with the same Galaxy Blue interior and taking the unmarked passenger seat from that car , fitted a genuine new rear exhaust section at about £70 odds from the dealer and a water pump which cost about the same .
I was going to give the car to my daughter for her 21st , but she turned up her nose at it and I bought her a camera instead . The car lay up my drive for a year or two as I was using a 300TE-24 by then , but came back into service when the 300 was written off by an uninsured driver . Then I got the chance of a 190E 2.6 , so the smaller car was given to a friend who still runs it .
Servicing was cheap as I did it myself , reliability was absolute , as with all my Mercs because I look after them , insurance reasonably cheap at £150 odds and fuel economy normally 30-35 mpg with 40+ possible on a run .
While not as fast as my 500 or 300-24 , it was certainly fine for driving in normal traffic , being smooth , comfortable and quiet in normal use .
The 2.6 was a bit quicker , noticeably smoother and only slightly thirstier .
IMHO the 190E is the biggest retro / classic car bargain out there right now. They are beautifully built (better than a W124), ride well, feel quite agile and the gear ratios are spot-on
I sold a 65,000 mile 190E 1.8 a couple of years ago. I expected it to be a real slug but on Sussex B-roads it was torquey, willing and easy to punt along between 50 and 70
I suspect Mercedes juggled gear & back axle ratios to make the smaller-engined models have acceptable acceleration at the expense of pulling more revs at higher speeds. A fair exchange, I think
Cheap to run as well - classic insurance, reasonable road tax, cheap parts (the front pads were £19 / axle from my local Mercedes dealer!) and they don't seem to go wrong
Buy a nice one and enjoy it!
Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk
I sold a 65,000 mile 190E 1.8 a couple of years ago. I expected it to be a real slug but on Sussex B-roads it was torquey, willing and easy to punt along between 50 and 70
I suspect Mercedes juggled gear & back axle ratios to make the smaller-engined models have acceptable acceleration at the expense of pulling more revs at higher speeds. A fair exchange, I think
Cheap to run as well - classic insurance, reasonable road tax, cheap parts (the front pads were £19 / axle from my local Mercedes dealer!) and they don't seem to go wrong
Buy a nice one and enjoy it!
Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk
Bought a 2.0 auto as a stop-gap 4-5 years ago and its still running in the family. Not fast by any means but keeps up with the traffic nicely. Only major repair in that time has been oil splodges in the water (head gasket), not as nasty as it sounds as no skimming was req because it was caught before an overheat.
Ran various much newer, more expensive cars since which have been much pricier to run and in a few cases nowhere near as reliable!
Little gem of a car.
Ran various much newer, more expensive cars since which have been much pricier to run and in a few cases nowhere near as reliable!
Little gem of a car.
I hope nobody has seen this. I neither need, want nor afford another car but this is for sale and is very tempting indeed:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-MERCEDES-190E-AUTO-...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-MERCEDES-190E-AUTO-...
williamp said:
I hope nobody has seen this. I neither need, want nor afford another car but this is for sale and is very tempting indeed:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-MERCEDES-190E-AUTO-...
What a terrible link! My dream of owning an older Merc have been stirred again and now trawling through eBay wondering if I should sell my current car....arrrgghhh...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-MERCEDES-190E-AUTO-...
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