Ok, I think the M103 / W124 have passed my reliability test based on what I have read, so now I am ready to worry about other issues .

To the untrained eye (ME!) the 89(maybe even older, but that is as old as I want to buy) through 93 (except the motor on the 93) seem visually the same; same exterior features and interior features. Did the newer ones bring any nice standard features or available options I should be looking for?

The things that I have seen and like are the headlight wipers and on one 93 300E I saw, I pressed a button on the dash and the rear head restraints(?) fipped down. I thought that was pretty nice. Is that standard? And on the headlight wipers, I haven't seen them on different same-year units. Was it an option?

I pulled some of my old MB brochures (circa 93) but it doesn't talk about options. So what did they come with, that you guys like? I know the Jap cars bring alot of gadgets, some of like them, some don't. The 300E, I see has power driver seat (what about passenger?), some w/sunroof, pwr(vacuem(sp?)) locks, but that is basically all that I see. Any other standard MB features that I don't know about?

My questions stems from the fact that if I find , say for example, an 88-89, that I won't be missing out on some nice option / feature / creature comfort item that I could've had on a 90-92.

thanks

From 86 to 93 a lot of things changed by increments. My 87 has the push button rear head rests, and a driver airbag, with MB Tex interior instead of leather. Later models added a passenger airbag, so they lost the glove compartment in favor of a center console with hinged lid. They also added additional speakers in the front doors in later years, and I believe that leather became standard on the 300E (but not the 260/280E?). The headlight wipers were optional in 87, but I believe standard on later models. The power seats are both driver and passenger on my car, with 2 driver memory, and the steering wheel is electrically adjustable for position.

The wheel style changed at some point from the technically superior forged 15 hole Aluminum to the easier to clean 8 hole aluminum. Changes were made to the rear axle ratio, the fuel injection, alternator, etc. The earlier models like mine were faster and weighed a couple hundred pounds less, and handled like a sport sedan. The early 90's got better gas mileage, weighed more, had upgraded creature comforts. DSinger did a post on the relative performance on the various years - 300E Performance Throughout the Years and Comparisons .

Like all cars, each year has a trade off. Older models had R12 AC, which is getting hard to find or illegal in some areas. Later models had fragile wiring harness problems (just on v8s?). I would look for the cleanest, lowest mileage, best maintained model I could find, make my best deal, and enjoy!

__________________
John

2003 Firemist Red/grey leather SL 500
2015 Palladium Silver/black mbtex GLK 350
1987 Smoke Silver/burgundy mbtex 300E Sportline (SOLD)

Click to see 87 300E

There are few major cosmetic changes about the 300E.

Starting in the 1990 model year, there are these plastic panels on the lower portion of the doors. They look nice.

Starting in the 1991 model year, the truck was re-designed. Again, the new truck looks nice.

I believe there are numerous small changes as well in each and every model year.

Ok, I like some of these options : electrical adjustment on steering wheel, 2 driver seat memories, and I have also read electrically adjusted headrests (not sure if on 300E's) . Are all these things standard on certain years or optional?

One more thing>. What is the MB TEX interior I keep seeing, but I haven't seen a decription... Is this vinyl or synthetic leather?

thank you

Here is what came standard on my California 1987 300E:



Note the sun roof was a NC option. Power windows, steering wheel, memory power seats, drop down rear headrests, headlight washers - all standard. Also note the $43,010.00 price in 1987 dollars!!!!


MB-Tex is nearly indestructible kid/child/bullet proof vinyl that looks so much like leather that most people don't know it is not the 'real thing'. 'Taxi Cab' leather as they call it in Germany. One of the main reasons I bought my 98 C230 is because it was the last year for MB-Tex in the USofA

__________________
John

2003 Firemist Red/grey leather SL 500
2015 Palladium Silver/black mbtex GLK 350
1987 Smoke Silver/burgundy mbtex 300E Sportline (SOLD)

Click to see 87 300E

Looking at my 91 MB brochure and reading my new MB book, I see there were two 300E's, the 2.6 (later 2.8) and the 3.0. The 2.6 being the econo version and the 3.0 equiped with more standard features.

I think the 3.0 has the 177 hp and the 2.6 has the 15X, no?

I am narrowing more my choices. So, I am down to a 91-82, as I don't want the MB that starts in 2nd gear. I also want the body cladding and the M103 (so sticking to pre 93. Also want leather , not MB-Tex.

Please correct or advice me on the 2.6 comment. I believe I am correct.

I also noticed in my book , I forgot the author ..Frank something .... the pic of two different engines in the 300's. One, I identify as the M103 (side air cleaner looking thing) and plain valve cover and on another page a very nice looking engine with a BIG nice valve cover with Mercedes Benz on it. This might be in a 300ce, can't identify it. If it is, then it would be the M104.