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In contrast, our various 190E's were inexpensive to maintain, and miles piled on without the need for any major repair. The 2.6L M103 is an excellent engine like it's 3.0L cousin. Headgasket issues are nowhere near as bad as M104 engines.
The 2.6L cars are tough to work on thanks to crowded engine bays, but not so bad to keep from buying one.
The 2.6L cars are not great in snow. They have a serious front weight bias and lack traction. Even with premium studded snow tires, our 190E 2.6 was not great in the snow. Our C230 is much, much better.
In the spring we sold our 190E 2.6 with almost exactly 400,000kms on it. The new owner is a friend of my mine as it's still chugging along at about 410K without the engine being opened and the tranny is original. Nothing but service, no repairs. The AC system still blows cold. The shocks are shot and the front springs are sagging, but they're all original and should be replaced.
The real problem with 190E cars is their age. The youngest is now 12-13 years old and with such low prices, most have changed hands many times. This means that service has typically been neglected, not a good thing for a Mercedes. Personally, the 190E's would not be on my list anymore. For a few more bucks it's a smarter move to buy a C-Class. They are a better car than the 190E and prices are low. The rear seat is much larger, as is the trunk.
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