What is the most Reliable Benz - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

bdemir · #1 11-18-2002, 08:43 PM

What is the most reliable benz in your opinion and experience of these great car company. What is your favortie model and why.

Bedros

blackmercedes · #2 11-18-2002, 10:20 PM

240D with manual transmission.

I dare anyone to dispute that...

royaiii · #3 11-18-2002, 11:13 PM

300E. Go to any mechanic and they will tell you it is the best benz. I have asked a handful of mechanics and a service advisor also said the 300E are the best. 240D might be the best diesel (I have no idea about diesels) but 300E is the undisputed gas king. It is by far the best Mercedes of the past 15 years.

tjohn · #4 11-18-2002, 11:16 PM

Quote:

240D with manual transmission. I dare anyone to dispute that...

Yeah, it's tough to see how you can beat the 123s (I assume you weren't referring to the 115 - not that it couldn't make a claim of its own...). You almost need to specify diesel or gas, because otherwise its not a fair fight.

As for the 300E... no. A fine car, but in no way the most reliable Mercedes. If I were going to nominate a gas car, I'd probably go for the 450SEL. Bulletproof engine, mechanically sound chassis. Rust killed them, not much else...

#5 11-19-2002, 03:38 AM

I have driven a 280SE in Africa. Tough & reliable.I have driven the 240D & 200 gas model in Europe. Slow but tough as nails. And I have driven several other types of Benz(300SEL 8 etc). While my 1986 300E with about 70,000 miles has needed some 'internal medicine' ie. engine mounts, water pump etc, it is, in my view, one of the finest driver's cars on the road, rated as the best used car bar none by a popular car mag. Some of the work was probably unnecessary or due to poor service facilities overseas. Whenever i drive a rental car, while on business, I am so happy to get behind the wheel of my 300E. And the owner of my service centre has a 90 300E and his chief mechanic a 300E!! So be loyal to your benz, brothers!!Whatever you have is probably better than most marques out there!!

Al

Ken300D · #6 11-19-2002, 07:01 AM

Do any of the gasolene engines have cylinder sleeves?

Anything with a cylinder sleeve (like the diesels) essentially has an unlimited (engine) lifetime. Put in new sleeves and pistons - you've got a new engine all over again.

Body rust seems to be the limiting factor on the diesels.

Ken300D

Gilly · #7 11-19-2002, 10:12 AM

240D is pretty tough. Sometimes you run into vacuum problem if the vac pump fails. But if reliability is measure only in "dispatch rates", then I guess you can still drive it with no door locks, possibly a poorly working climate control, and having to shut the engine down manually!
In the more modern era, I find the C230 a really good car, a little better in the earlier non-supercharged version, because we do have occasional engine management problems with the supercharged version. But to be fair, these check engine lights most often won't affect "dispatch rates" of the car any more than a vacuum system gone south on a 240D.
The C230 looks like a lot more reliable car when comparing the amount of convenience and safety equipment on the newer car, but I realize it's not really a fair comparison. Although, the 240D and C230 were both entry level cars.

Gilly

Michael K · #8 11-19-2002, 10:22 AM

Wow. This is honestly the first time someone I'm not paying has agreed with my logic on the C230.

jay123 · #9 11-19-2002, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tjohn
Yeah, it's tough to see how you can beat the 123s (I assume you weren't referring to the 115 - not that it couldn't make a claim of its own...). You almost need to specify diesel or gas, because otherwise its not a fair fight.

As for the 300E... no. A fine car, but in no way the most reliable Mercedes. If I were going to nominate a gas car, I'd probably go for the 450SEL. Bulletproof engine, mechanically sound chassis. Rust killed them, not much else...

Well Gang, we are discussing which IS the most reliable MB. The w123 240D/stick is BY FAR the most reliable and least expensive MB to maintain.

This is very important when it comes to longevity/durability and reliability.

The diesel MB that will endure for a longtime for the least amount of money is the w123 240D/stick.

Now, the most reliable gas MB, I would say is a w123 280E M110 6cylinder. I believe it is more reliable than a v/8 450SEL and will cost you less to maintain.

A w124/300E will never out do a w123 in reliability, longevity, and least out of pocket expense. It wouldn't be reliable...

blackmercedes · #10 11-19-2002, 05:45 PM

Though I am a biased owner, I would go with Gilly on the "modern" reliable Benz being the humble C230 (aspro especially). It's M111 gasoline engine is very tight, and I've seen plenty of "runs-like-new" high mileage examples. One potential sore point is the 722.6 tranny, but I'm now seeing high mileage examples of that too, and they seem to be pretty tough once sorted out properly.

The 2.3L versions have no wiring harness issues like 94-95 cars. The M111 head gasket seems to have no relation to the M104 gasket - they don't leak.

Our 1998 C230 has been bullet-proof. My neighbour's ES300 isn't one bit more reliable.

But, for the loooong haul and the ability to keep the car on the road with a modicum of expertise and expense, I'll stick with my original statement concerning the 240D.

Gilly · #11 11-19-2002, 07:44 PM

I know what everyone is talking about with the 240D, it's a very simple and robust design.
I think what kind of alters my thinking about a diesel, and probably a few others in the Northern tier of the US and also Canada, is that a diesel as a daily driver up here can be a bit of a hazard, in terms of needing blended fuel in the winter, good compression, block heaters, etc. Every car up hre needs proper care, but when you look at these additional concerns, kinda dampers your enthusiasm a bit.
If a poll were taken right now though, looks like the 240D would be the winner so far.
A few other honorable mentions I could think of would be the 210 chassis E class, either the V6 or E430 V8, I personally like the E420 210 chassis as well, but for other reasons than just reliability, good car though. Also the V6 engine C280 rarely give problems. Problems are also few and far between for the older C class C220. Only really pattern failure I can think of on the 202 and 210 chassis would be a leaky differential.
MB's equipped with the 104 engines of course often suffer from the wiring harness problem, especialy from the beginning of SFI injection up to 94-95 or so, and the head gasket/front cover leaks, but in general are dependable.

Gilly

ILUVMILS · #12 11-19-2002, 07:54 PM

MINE!!!

Southern · #13 11-19-2002, 09:26 PM

Quote:

What is the most reliable benz

Anyone which has been well maintained.

#14 11-19-2002, 11:02 PM

I think the 190e 2.6 is very strong also, I've had mine for more than five years and have done nothing but oil changes to it and it's never left me stranded except once and this was because it ran out of gas. When it finally broke down, I was still able to drive it home but it didn't start once I got home.

I don't know what kind of transmission it has but I've never changed the transmission fluid or filter and never had to change the water pump. The car still drives fast and starts well in cold weather, I've worn out the driver's seat but everything else still looks good.