How does the MB 190E (2.6) compare to the W124? I hear alot about the impressive driving experience provided by the W124, but haven't heard much about the 190. My understanding is they use alot of the same parts and are essentially the same car. Common sense would tell me to look for a 190E instead of a 124 because a larger car is typically more expensive. If most of the parts are similar, it would appear that a W124 is better in every way. There must be some kind of tradeoff.

I typically look for cars with manual transmissons, but Mercedes made alot more autos. I'm not awfully impressed by the auto in my W123. Did Mercedes make alot of improvments to the later autos? Inconsistant shifting, and harder shifting with the A/C on becomes more annoying everyday.

If the W124 and W201 drive in a similar way to my W123, I think I'll start looking at BMW. Don't get me wrong, the W123 is a great car, but I'd like to upgrade.
Thank You

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1976 BMW 2002- 100k
1995 BMW 325i 175k
1984 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo Diesel- 270,000 mi

1981 Mercedes Benz 240D- Estimated 300,000+ mi Returned to the earth