Thinking of adding a 1995 300te with 135,000 miles to the stable. Just curious, are these cars terrible gas hogs? Other than the wiring harness and the head gasket leaks (I will try to figure out if they have been done already) are there any serious issues with this model? My sons would be driving the car, so I would also be interested in your thoughts of the relative safety of this model. Thanks!

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1996 Saab 9000 5 speed
2002 Volvo XC70
1983 300D [sold ]
1981 300D [sold ]
1973 450se [sold ]
1967 230 (4 on the floor) [sold ]

There's no such thing as a 1995 300TE.

I meant to say e320 wagon.

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1996 Saab 9000 5 speed
2002 Volvo XC70
1983 300D [sold ]
1981 300D [sold ]
1973 450se [sold ]
1967 230 (4 on the floor) [sold ]

bgt a 1995 e329 wagon recently, with 135k miles. Car is solid as a rock, feels almost like a new car. I replaced the front shocks, all brakes, and have a toe-in link in the rear suspension that needs replacing. great safe cars, and very comfortable. My 300 E sedan was more sporting, but this has its good points.

Very nice car, gas mileage a little lower than the sedan but not much, solid car should be very safe, 2 front airbags.

I've had a 1994 E320 wagon since 1999. My wife drives the snot out of it every day. Excellent but complex car. The wiring harness and head gasket are just the beginning. However, the only real kisses of death for the old 124 are the air conditioning system and, to a lesser extent, the traction control system.

To answer your question about fuel economy, the real world milage is between 10 and 30 MPG. Yes, the powerful, thoroughbred M104 engine, if you drive it like a race car, especially in an urban environment, will really suck down some fuel. If you baby it, though, it's efficient, getting up to about 30 MPG on the highway. Driven moderately, you could expect about 20 MPG.

They are very safe, solid cars. Think Volvo wagon but better. About as good as you can get from that era. I'm not sure I would turn new drivers loose with that powerful of an engine, though. The braking and handling are exceptional.

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Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230

A few items unique to the "Wagon" aka "Touring" as in 300TE. The 94 & 95 e320 are virtually identical and have some differences to the previous years.
"Froggy" memory says less than 10% of 124's were wagons. Do the math on availability if any body part has to be replaced with a used one.

94 & 95 wagons require replacement of lower control arm. Ball joint & bushings are not replaceable!

Self leveling is only on the rear wheels to help with additional cargo weight. Test self leveling: with engine off, put 2 people in cargo area, when engine is started, rear height should return to unloaded height. It's age and milage will require 2 accumulators if original. Pressure comes from a dual pump for the power steering and self leveling. Hose that feeds the reservoir goes bad with age, but is easy & cheep DIY. The mechanical fluid "controller" [near right axle] rarely goes bad.

Rear seat operation should be checked. Rotate seat cushion up. Pull red handle up and it should release easily from its pins that should not be broken. Seat back should release easily as well. If rear seat back doesn't release due to broken mechanism in wheel well, I've never read of a way to access it to repair.

Rust at bottom edge of rear windows. Open storage compartments on both sides and peel back rubber moulding to inspect closest to side door.

Tailgate should "stay" in virtually any position. Nightmare to fix supports. It has an auto pull down to latch. Don't slam it closed!

AUDIO:
- The rear door "speakers" are an oxymoron and you'll probably break the tiny pins off the speaker covers when you replace the speakers.
- The antenna mount to fender is an oddity. But replacement AM/FM antenna is doable.
- Alpine 6 CD changer [plugs into audio harness in storage compartment] fits inside First Aid kit sleeve. Put First Aid kit in spare tire.
- Rear compartments could make for big speaker enclosures. [On my to do list]

Top rails mounted onto roof good for 200 lbs. I understand, horizontal sliding rails help prevent your stuff from sliding off roof, but I've never needed them.

Rear facing seat good for two small adults. This wagon has more cargo space than any other automobile chassis wagon - BMW, Volvo & previous Sable / Taurus chassis. Although owner's manual doesn't mention trailer hitch, there is info in this forum for capacity & installation.

If your son is into sports, as my 2 daughters were, or needs to haul a lot of stuff and/or people this is an ideal vehicle. It handles very well from empty to fully loaded. I seriously don't know of another vehicle to match its capabilities. I've had my trials & tribulations with mine. Fortunately the form members have helped me through it all. if you search my name, beware of my many "don't know a socket for a wrench" questions.

Well, I finally went to see the car today. It was in the used car section of a local new car dealer. There was a poster on the front saying that the price was $7995 but it is advertised on the net for $3,995. In any event, looks more like a parts car than anything else. Climate control is dead, sunroof inoperable, seats worn out, noisy front end, pronounced whining from motor (tensioner?), exhaust noise. Wow! Only 135,000 miles. Must have been owned by someone who didn't care about cars. Very sad. If they were asking $1,000, I would have taken it on as a project. It is amazing to me how a person could neglect such a beautiful vehicle.

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1996 Saab 9000 5 speed
2002 Volvo XC70
1983 300D [sold ]
1981 300D [sold ]
1973 450se [sold ]
1967 230 (4 on the floor) [sold ]

..... I hate to hear about abused wagons!

I picked up a 95 w124 wagon earlier this year, needed new struts, and had the wrong (undersized) tires on it, but other than that, the car is almost flawless.

PO's had every receipt and record from day one, along with all the keys and books.

At 141,000 miles, the car runs exceptional, and gets around 20mpg, mixed.

I wish you luck on your search, just hold out for the "right" car