Best MB for Commuter Car.
 

After working 6 years since leaving school, I am finally at the point where I can go to college. I have been planning to go at either a nearby private liberal arts college (20 miles away), or at the local university (45 miles away). I will be commuting at least 3 days per week (still working the rest of the time). I need a reasonably fuel efficient, reliable car to do this with, but I still want the luxury and quality of a Mercedes Benz. However, I am unsure which model is the best for doing the job. I was thinking about either a W124 or a W201, or possibly even a W123. Not sure about Gas or Diesel. I don't want to spend more than 5k. (Trying to save up for a older 107 SL for my "personal" :cool3: car.)

All advice will be greatly appreciated,
Thanks, Dave

Sounds like money is or will be an issue. I know I had little when I was in college. I would think you're best bet is a w123. And I know most will tell you to go diesel, I'd say get the lowest mileage 280E you can find. They're just as reliable, drive faster with today's traffic, they're 1/2 as much as a diesel, and the low-mileage means the interior will be well-maintained.

In my mind, gas vs diesel doesnt matter so much. Diesel prob still just barely edges out a gasser in terms of fuel cost per mile but with diesel as much or more than super in many locations that becomes less an issue. Diesel engined cars also sell at a premium currently in most markets.

I'd buy the nicest, best maintained car with documented records that you can afford. In the long run it will usually be the cheapest to own regardless of age.

You could do a lot worse than a W124; is nimble with either engine, safe, efficient and pleasant to drive.

You can get a decent 124 for $4-$5,000, either Gas or Diesel.

how about a w201 190E? ..

How about my 89 trofeo, $1800 obo... Gets around 20 intown, dunno interstate but.... $3200 buys alot of gas and parts if you need...

rawr, end shameless plug for my car

~Nate

How about a newer Altima?
It for sure will be more practical and reliable.
wait till you finish school, there will still be plenty MB's to pick from.

The Perfect Commuter Car!
 

Red Hot Mercedes-Benz 190SL Pedal Car!

Mercedes means quality! Features working steering wheel, high traction rubber tires, powder coat paint, shiny chrome parts, detailed body, padded seat, and adjustable non-slip pedal positions. Very low maintenance, exceptional gas mileage and a convertible, to boot! Low emission should get you a HOV sticker for California Carpool Lanes. And you can’t beat the price for a classic – only $250 at http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/item/productid/7597
What more could you want? And check out the whitewalls!

Although, if you want something a bit less flashy, I'd settle for a nice, clean W123 - the more manual, the better (less stuff to breakdown). Seriously though, you just can't beat the reliability of a W123. They just seem to go forever with simple, routine maintenance.

...But the pedal car has class!

Cheers (with LOL),
Jeff

I'd consider a 4-cylinder or diesel W201, or, if you can afford it, think about a non-supercharged 4-cyl W202. While the W124 is a nice driver, the gas mileage on a 300E at least isn't anything to write home about. I think you could eat up a lot of cash with gas costs. I don't know much about the 190s, but the early C220/C230's get surprisingly good hwy mileage (low to mid 30s) depending on your driving style. I just did a 1000-mile round trip in a '00 C230k and it gave me 28-30 mpg while cruising at 80+, I'd imagine it'd be a couple/few mpg higher at more reasonable speeds.

Either way, try to figure a total-ownership cost for the number of years you'll be commuting to school in your purchase decision.

94-96 C220, easily had for $4000 and gets 30mpg highway. I don't know why anyone would suggest paying the same money for a 123 or 124 which can be 10-20 years older. Any diesels you see are commanding RIDICULOUS money because of the WVO/BD craze, and they are going to plummet, guaranteed. A 1983 300D is not a $4000 car. Keep in mind with diesel, you ARE going to have more maitenence - fuel filters, oil, anything related to dirty diesel - and diesel is still higher in cost than 93 octane now. The early 202s with m111 are CHEAP now......and they are fairly abundant.

Hmmm… Not sure I totally agree. Any W123 - in reasonable condition, diesel or not - is good value. The important thing is to find one in reasonably good shape. True, a newer model W202 may be the same basic price, but there are far, FAR more things to fail in a W202, than a W123.

Remember, the original request was a basic commuter car; one that would (I assume) be reliable and fairly reasonable on fuel. Not a car for long-haul ownership. Dave wants class, style and reliability in his MB while saving his bucks for the R107 of his dreams. (Good plan, Dave!) Whether prices for a W123 go up or down in the future is not relevant here, since Dave (thread owner) is only looking for a good basic vehicle to get him to and from college; less than 50 miles distant. He is not speculating on the futures of MB automobiles.

I agree that resale prices for W123’s have gone up, but not necessarily due to the “WVO/BD craze”. Most of the rust bucket W123’s and poorly maintained examples are hitting the crusher with greater frequency, leaving a larger percentage of finer W123 examples on the road/market. Now, the W123 will never achieve investor-type prices, but what units are available out there are of better quality. The C-class, on the other hand, was a cheaper, entry-level MB for the masses. And many of them – still on the road, unfortunately – were treated as such. I’m sure yours is not one of these, but you must admit that there are a multitude of W202’s on the road, in various degrees of desirability. Electronics in early- to mid-90's MB's (all models) was not stellar and a single problem in a newly acquired used W202 could easily cost the same to repair as the owner paid for the car. While the only electronics in my W123 is in the radio.

From experience, I can attest that any *decent* W123, with a manual transmission, is going to be fun to drive and a classic motorcar that is also inexpensive to maintain. (Fuel filters and such are not that expensive, and there are excellent methods to keep a diesel humming along very well.) I am *not* saying the other models wouldn't be good choices, but don't discount the humble W123 simply because it's a diesel or an older model. They are bullet-proof when reasonably maintained and have stood the test of time in classic style! My 2-cents.

Cheers,
Jeff

Diesel -- any of them.

Sounds like you are looking for a mid-term, mission specific car and want it to be fuel efficient, maintenance friendly and comfortable. Look no further than a late 1990's - early 2000's Buick LeSabre (or one of the many similar types). 30 mpg on the highway, bulletproof 3800 engine, good availability of parts and maintenance and fairly cheap to insure. Also, have you checked the most reliable cars list lately? Buick and Lexus tie for #1.

Honda Civic/Accord, or Toyota Camry.

I wish I kept my near perfect Camry for school use. School ruins cars, I could have driven it to school for five years then throw what was left away. They don't break, and if they do parts are cheap and you can get them anywhere.

Running Mercedes on a budget is a PITA, they really are not ment for that.

I would have said toyota or honda too, but the above thread is quite valid. I had my grandfather's old 1987 park avenue, and the car was very reliable, very efficient (high 20's on the highway), smooth and good low-end torque. Granded, the thing wasn't a handler or good braking car, but the maintence was cheap relative to the german cars, and front wheel drive got me through some tough winters. A plus is you can find a late 90's early 00's for cheap- the toyota and honda I was going to recommened carry relatively higher prices comparing cars of similar age and mileage. The car I had was an 87 3800- the newer 3800s only kept getting better and better- one of the oldest and best GM motors- not for absolute power, but for efficiency, reliability, smoothness and low end torque. Simple design- pushrod V6.

Well, I really appreciate all of the great feedback. I did actually consider a 3.8 powered buick, (Had a Delta 88 with the 3.8 in high school), but I really hated to go back to the buick after having a benz. I am leaning toward either a 201 or a 123, due to cost, availability, and (hopefully) reliability. Does a 190E 2.3 get decent (20-25mpg) mileage?
Dave.

i love my 94 202 (c280) have you considered a tdi vw? or late 90's early 200's honda civic? mercedes is in no hurry to give us a late model c-class diesel which is what i am really waiting for. (in europe you could get a diesel in the c class in the mid-90's that got mid 30's or better on the highway

Yes. My '92 201 2.3 gets 25-26 mpg reliably on my 33 mile commute (66 miles per day). If I really nurse it (50 mph on 2 lane roads, and 60 mph on the interstate) I can get it up to 28-29 mpg reliably.

FWIW: the EPA mileage rating for the 124 is only 1 mpg lower than the 201 with a 2.6

The cheapest car to operate and maintain on a budget is a 240d stick. I would recommend an 82 or 83. The only weak point is the ac is not all that great in them.

Buy the best one you can afford and keep it up. It will be worth the same or more when you decide to move up to something newer.

The 280e is a fine car but uses LOTS of gas,

Tom W

As soon as I've resolved my tranny issue, I'm selling my 280CE. Asking $3k for it. (What I paid)

I wouldn't consider a 190E. I had one and they were
good in their day but MB stopped making 'em in
'93 so they're OLD, OLD technology. You'd have a hard time finding one in decent shape these days. Second the
recommendation for a C220, which I now drive. They're the successor
to the 190E and are a much better car. Can also pick 'em
up pretty cheap. I get 32mpg+ highway
with mine, though I drive like an old lady.

jeeze... for what?

Depends on the commute. I commute in my 140 most of the time. While its not the cheapest car in the world being trapped inside some cheap plastic and polyester cloth lined metal coffin on the way to the office just does not appeal to me.

Then again since this is a school situation it might not be advisable to attract the attention of angry goth kids and environazi's. My 140 spends most of its day in a parking deck with the company of other MB's Porsche's and the occasional Ferrari.

If I had to suggest a Mercedes I would suggest a 123 or 126 depending on your commute. Both the 126 and 123 were built before the world went cheap and have good construction quality and comfort.

You can drive an older 123 diesel into the ground and it will just keep going and going and going. I had a friend that had a 123 that they did near zero maint on that kept going and going for years. The rear axles sounded like a train going down the road and there was not a panel on the car that did not have a dent. The only reason it ended up being retired is the hood release eventually broke from them shutting the car down from under the hood for so many years. The only service the car ever saw was an occasional fuel filter when it refused to start. It was on the "everlasting oil change" because of the oil that needed to be added during leaks and never actually had a change done.

The 126's won't put up with that kind of abuse but they have classic styling and a reasonable around town and highway ride if you like a big car.

Japanese cars are great until they hit 200K. They loose virtually all of their resale value at that point and even the most well maintained cars start loosing accessories like crazy at that point like Alternator, A/C compressor Power steering and other bolt on engine items. Japanese cars are great to own from about 70K (where most of the new resale has gone) to about 150K where people start getting afraid to buy them as Japanese buyers don't buy for quality they buy because they are cheapskates. They won't take the abuse that many of the other makes will endure.

P.S. When I say 126 I am thinking more on the lines of a 300SEL or a 300SD with an OM617. Notice there is already a 560SEL. :)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PRIVATE-OWNER-NO-RESERVE-ON-A-5-DAY-AUCTION-39-PICS_W0QQitemZ200170420925QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200170420925

I know it is on Ebay and by definition probably not too advisable, but these cars are simple, durable, and get very good gas mileage. This one looks very clean and whomever replaced the A/C compressor at least knew enough to replace the receiver dryer as well.

Food for thought. I would not buy a car from Ebay if I could not examine it in person first.

Sure but if money is super tight, an M104 needing a head gasket job can be a killer. While a Honda, Toyota, or some GM car can be kept going on a shoe string budget.

Apples and oranges.

Yes and no. Check some of the parts prices on the Japanese cars. $300 for the alternator that dies on top of labor to install it because the engine bay is impossible to get into is nasty on a budget as well.

As for the head gasket thing those other cars loose automatic transmissions at about 100-125K which costs about the same as a head gasket if you go with a used transmission.

Personally after seeing the abuse that my friends 123 endured I would have to go with a 123 if I wanted a car that would thrive on abuse.

My philosophy is you pay one way or another with cars. You either pay on the front end with interest, depreciation and higher insurance premiums on a new car or pay on the back end in service and repair work on an older car. Japanese or German the car makers have figured out how to make money over the life span of the cars. While German cars are more expensive all the way around you get more for the money you spend.

Its also a matter of choice and preference. After driving in high quality German and Swedish cars I could not go back to driving commodity made cheap Japanese cars. While there are claims that they are more reliable (even though most of them require 3000 mile oil changes which makes them see the inside of a service shop more most German cars) they just don't have the level of fit and finish that German cars do.

That being said have you considered "disposable" cars? Any make car you can buy for $800 or under and driving it until it dies and then buying another? There is a big market of unwanted cars out there. It of course would not be a cool car at all but buying one and patching it as cheaply as possible and then dumping it if it has a major malfunction is the cheapest way to own a car. :)

Oh I have owned both, MB's cost a lot more to take car of than Honda's and Toyota's. Parts for Japanese cars are cheap and everywhere. I can run down to Autozone and get an alt for a Camry for $100. Try that on your W140.:D I4 Camry's and Accords are pretty easy to work on, the V6's are tight, but so is the M120, and M119.;)

They last quite a long time too, my 1993 Camry is still on the road and going strong, 170kish miles. Not bad for a car that cost $18k in 1993, cheap, cheap transport. Original engine and trans.

MB's are great cars, but I find they need $2k-$3k worth of stuff a year. Unless of course its pretty new and under warranty, or you drive it into the ground.

Gee people let's get this triaght.
M-B's and shoestring budgets are complete opposites. :D
I would never own a Toyota, for the simple reason, a few years ago I volunteered to do a tune-up on one, for a friend of mine.
Went to the dealership to purchase OEM parts and got chastised by the Service Advisor, for doing underhood-work on my own vehicle!:mad:
He would not even tell me what sparkplugs were required.
So Toyota ( substitute Honda, Nissan, etc. ) you can kiss my rosy red cheeks, as I will never buy one of your s.@^% buckets.

Guys, I am really impressed by all of the input. I won't be making a decision until summer 08, so I have some time to think things over. I will be on a budget, but I've saved up enough that if I have to have some repairs done to a MB, I can take care of it. I'm somewhat scared of the M104's head gasket issues, don't know if the M103 had the same problem. How about the 2.3 4 cyl? Was it a good or bad engine? As far as diesels, I have heard lots of bad things about the 3.5, such as "rodbender". Is this accurate? Also, were all 126 diesels turbos? And are the MB diesel turbochargers "problematic"?
Thanks, Dave.

No turbo unit on a Mercedes Diesel is troublesome, so don't worry about that. You don't really want a non-turbo Diesel as they are quite slow - the minor exception being the 1995 E300D, which isn't mind-numbingly slow at least.

An aluminum-head Diesel (603) is prone to cracking the cylinder head if run hot. So don't run the damn thing hot! ;-)

Don't buy a 3.5L Mercedes Diesel. Bad motor, period point blank.

Honestly I would not buy any Mercedes Diesel right now. The Diesel "duuuude" craze has inflated the "value" of the used Diesels to the point that there isn't much if any economy to buying one right now. Plus Diesel fuel is not cheap compared to gasoline, oil changes can be pricey, etc., etc. There is much more value to be found in a nice used gasser MB.

You can find yourself a really nice gasser MB for the price of a marginal or even crapped out Diesel. I'd seriously consider a 1993-2000 C230 or C220. Good cars.

The "old technology" is precisely what makes them a desireable choice for a durable, affordable vehicle. Even the experts agree:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/204448-92-190-v6.html

15 years old is not that old for a Mercedes of this vintage. When you get into the post-'95 cars, you're dealing with a completely different car company.

i agree, go post 95 (202 or 124). not sure mercedes actually require 3000 yearly maintenance. a reasonable diy'r can do most maintenance themselves. i have never spent that kind of money on my 94 c280.

I know when we have to replace our older 124's, I will be looking at the best i can find in 93-95 124's.

Further down the road, i may not be driving a Benz... i am talking 10 years or so..

When we get out of DIYer territory, I will be done.

Suit yourself, but I drove a 190E for years and can tell
you there's no comparison with the C220. Engine,
heating/cooling system, audio system, etc. all so much
improved over the 190E. My C220's a '95 so I guess
I just got under the wire with a "quality years" MBs.

And they just shut the plant down. Probably the best engine they made and they just dropped it. No wonder they're always in trouble.