a friend asked me to help him find an affordable (meaning cheap) wagon. he likes my wife's car, which is an '87 300 TDT. i found him an '89 230TE which is a german import, the car is in very good condition and in his price range. this example has been well maintained and is only on it's 2nd owner. the rest of the car is very good for the price tag and the fact that it is a euro model is appealing since it lacks many of the power options that can be problematic on a 20-year-old car.

what i don't know much about is the engine in this car. how is the 2.3l engine in terms of longevity? mileage is at 255K kms (155K mi).

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punkinfair

As an MB tech with over a decade experience I'll say that I have a low opinion of the 2.3 engine. That alone would keep me from buying the car. The wagon is a lot of car and that little engine has worked its ass off. The timing components are not very robust and are costly to repair/replace. Being a grey market car has its headaches too. Try to convince your friend to hold out for a 6cyl.

thanks for that valued opinion. it is indeed a lot of car for the 2.3 to motivate. i honestly know next to nothing about the 2.3l engine, but there has to be some reason why you can't give away a 190 with one in it.

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punkinfair