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Originally Posted by stevebfl
...and never need head gaskets.
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I have known many M103 equipped car owners (2.6L in W201 and W124 and 3.0L in W124) and have not known one that has had to replace the head gasket. I have known a few that had the gasket replaced as part of a top end job, but the mileages were very very high and the gasket was not leaking.
The M103 also has a simple timing chain route, and the chain is long lived, and when it does need replacing, it's not a difficult or expensive job.
Like the 190E 2.6, the 300E is not a "dynamic" car by today's standards. It was a world beater back in 1986 when it hit the NA market. Quicker than a Porsche 944, it was also the quickest, fastest, and best handling Mercedes as well, besting even the flagship S-Class and SEC. However, compared to a new E-Class, they are pretty hum-drum.
The four speed autobox rarely fails before 150K-miles, and many live much longer than that. Rebuilding the tranny is easy and not terribly expensive. Not sure about in the US, but in Canada, Mercedes-Benz Canada sells a "factory" (rebuilding center in Toronto) rebuilt unit that is no more expensive than rebuilding your own unit, and comes with a very good warranty. It gives a good option if the original is gone completely.
As to the engine, I have never heard of an M103's bottom end wearing out. I have heard of some failing thanks to negligence, but as to simply wearing out, never seen it.
Items like brake parts are inexpensive and easy to DIY. All the fluids/filters are easy to DIY.
The only problem I really see with older W124 300E's is that the number of well cared for examples is lessening thanks to low prices and multiple owners.