I have two teenage daughters in the 123 series currently. One in a 1978 300D, gave $750 for it three years ago and it is still going strong. One in a 1980 240D automatic, gave $900 for it over a year ago - has 336,000 miles still not a rattle in it. The oldest had a 1985 300DT I have it know it was the biggest maintenance of the 7 Benz's we have.
The two young really like their vehicles. I like them as maintenance is cheap and reliability is high. The cars are not "cool" but they know they will always make it to there destination and their friends may not.

Thanks everyone for the input,

I just bought an '81 300D for her. (BRAD, don't let Ashley see this post, or tell her about this, we will surprise Carrie with the car on April 9th.)

The dialog was helpful. I was already leaning toward a 123 car, but I was looking for feedback regarding the 2.3 engine.

As it turned out I found well cared for, normally aspirated 300D. I heard one concerne regarding these particular 300 enginesthat someone may be able to comment about:

I was told that the crankcase vent system on these engines sometimes will puddle the driveway. Does anyone know about the aliment, and what could be done about it.

The engine runs strong, but the air cleaner mounts are broken. It blew some oil below it, but I feel that I can change the mounts and correct this. Any hints would be welcome.

Thanks to everyone,

------------------
Larry Bible
'84 Euro 240D, 516K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles

larryBible,


I'm a teenager and I do own a '85 190E 2.3. It runs like a champ and has 230k miles on it. The engine is really smooth, and everything on it works in harmony. As long as you keep the car in mint condition, like bringing it to a MD dealer for maintainance, it should last you a long time.


However, your daughter might be afraid of driving a "benz" because it makes her look old or she doesn't have the same car as her friends do. Try to convince her that this car will protect her extremely well.


One more problem you might encounter. In these cars, the sound system suck. Depending on your daughter's music taste and preference, she might wish to upgrade the sound system. Please refer to the audio section for this.

I know you already got a car, but here is my input on the w201 anyways.

I agree, My father gave me his 93 190E 2.6 after we sold our project car when I was 14 (another 93 190E with a 3.0) and I used it all through High-school. It wasn't planned that I would use this, because before the 2.6, we had plans for me using an old Audi. But that got wrecked before my hands even touched it. Then we sold the 190E 3.0 so and he din't feel like buying a new car until I was in college, so the 93 190E 2.6 became mine. I loved it. It was slow but solid as can be. The inline 6 was the one of the best engines MB has ever made and I am sorry to see them switch to the V6s. Since we have been the original owners, we never had to worry about any problems because we had everything dealer maintained. The techs even know me by name because I ask so many questions about my car and paid so much detail to it. No real problems, and its been a smooth reliable 90k miles. Car just serviced, and everything checks out. As a birthday present when I turned 17, I had a 6-disc changer and custom amp, equlaizer, component speakers installed, but I wanted to keep the MB quality, so everything was carefully integrated into the standard MB head unit with the cellular phone hookup.

Now that our 93 190E 3.0 project car is sold, and since my father wants to sell my 190E 2.6 in order to get a new C320 for my mother. We got her a 99 ML430 for Mother's Day, and she loves it, but is afraid of wrecking it, so she gave it to my dad, and now my mother wants a new C320 w203. So Dad wants to sell the 93 190E 2.6 and I will probably end up getting something like a used 328is or M3. (I know breaking our MB tradition.) I love the 2.6, but I want something more powerfull, and I haven't got into an accident yet (the 190E is in one piece ) and only one speeding ticket which my parents knew the circumstances about (my grandmother was leaving to go back to India, and I woke up late and had less then 2 hours to make it back to Delaware from DC, it only happend last month to ) so I have proven to them I can be responsible enough for a more powerful and sportier car. I like the way BMWs handle, and I think I will be going that route. I know they don't have the quality like my Benz did, but what I would pay to customize my 2.6 would be so high, that I could afford buying a used BMW that is newer, more powerful, and upgrade more cheaply.

Anyways, the 93 190E is a great car, and My 2.6 is for sale if you are interested.

------------------
Chirag (Charlie) Patel

- 99 Mercedes-Benx ML 430 V8 w/custom TV, Video, UHF, speaker system
- 93 190E 2.6 (4-sale) w/ an amp, equalizer, and CD-changer, integrated w. stock stereo for integrated cellular phone speaker system
- had a 93 190E m103 3.2, 5-speed trans,
- had a 88 300E 2.6
- had a 84 300TD w/275k+ miles
- 2001 C-Class - Maybe (if 190E sells)

I agree with the 190. The old W123 diesels are getting OLD. A 1977 240D was my first car as well. Very underpowered. Many mention the non-hot-rod status of the old diesels. However, with modern traffic patterns and interstates, merging and changing lanes with that car is very hazardous. There were MANY MANY times that I would merge onto an interstate and nearly got rear ended because I just couldn't get up to speed in time....pissing off countless drivers along the way. Also, the lack of airbags and ABS brakes and harder availability of diesel fuel doesn't make it very practical anymore. It was during my 10 year ownership back in the mid 80's but today?

I would recommend a 190E or early 300E. You can buy an 1986-1988 300E for $6K-$8K all day long and have all the benefits of modern safety equipment, nice body structure, rock-solid reliability, and smooth driveability.

Satish

I too had considered a 190 for my teen daughter. I had also considered a diesel. I rejected a 240D, in spite of the fact that I love diesels and was very happy with my 300SD turbo, because in Southern California you need to be able to have good passing power for freeway driving.

I also rejected the 190 because it is rather small and I wanted a lot of steel around her. After reading some of the advice here I decided on a 300TE. It is a nice car, it has plenty of cargo space for the sports equipment and video gear that she hauls around, it has plenty of passing power and it is relatively big sized.

I'd recommend a good, used 300E or 300TE.

Good luck in your search....

__________________
Current Benzes

1989 300TE "Alice"
1990 300CE "Sam Spade"
1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
1998 E320 "Orson"
2002 C320 Wagon "Molly Fox"

Res non semper sunt quae esse videntur

My Gallery

Not in this weather!

How does this post help a man who was looking for (and already purchased) a car for his daughter 6 years ago???

__________________
08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

Sometimes we don't check, or see, the date of the original post.

Sometimes I've answered a post, not realizing how ancient it was.

Go easy on the guy.

__________________
Current Benzes

1989 300TE "Alice"
1990 300CE "Sam Spade"
1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
1998 E320 "Orson"
2002 C320 Wagon "Molly Fox"

Res non semper sunt quae esse videntur

My Gallery

Not in this weather!

It appears to be random spam...ads for an insurance agency and only 2 posts

__________________
Daily Driver: 02 E430 4MATIC
In the family: '03 E500 // '04 ML500 // 64 220SE

Maybe.

I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, however.

__________________
Current Benzes

1989 300TE "Alice"
1990 300CE "Sam Spade"
1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
1998 E320 "Orson"
2002 C320 Wagon "Molly Fox"

Res non semper sunt quae esse videntur

My Gallery

Not in this weather!

His only other post:

<<" yah better do it in the shop. i pay $220 a month for our lexus. heheh check http://www.insurancepaylite.com see how other insurance companies price">>

As long as he doesn't go posting this ad in every other thread, I don't have a problem with him.

__________________
Daily Driver: 02 E430 4MATIC
In the family: '03 E500 // '04 ML500 // 64 220SE

I picked up on that. Not my forum but the problem has been dealt with. That poster won't be spamming us with insurance ads any longer.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

Oh fine...

In the immortal words of Scotty the Engineer: "Fool me once, shame on 'ya, fool me twice shame on me!!!"

__________________
Current Benzes

1989 300TE "Alice"
1990 300CE "Sam Spade"
1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
1998 E320 "Orson"
2002 C320 Wagon "Molly Fox"

Res non semper sunt quae esse videntur

My Gallery

Not in this weather!

larry

good choice. nothing against 190s i like them too, but it will be hard to beat the simplicity of the na 300. i never noted mine leaking oil but it was freshly rebuilt. fixing the air cleaner mounts may do the trick with the oil separator coming out the bottom of the housing.

good luck

tom w

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I'll have a new teenage daughter driving later this year so this thread happened to caught my attention as it is a timely subject for me.

I've been thinking of something in the w124 line and was orginally thinking of diesel as I don't want a lot of repair headaches and I want dependablity for out of town trips.
However, it seems the diesels are at such a premium now that I can about pay for the gasoline cost for a couple of years of driving.

I know the diesel engines but if someone wants to help me with some "key words" to use to learn more about the 6 cylinder gas engines I'll do the search and research. Or if you've got a favorite for me to consider I'm all ears!

I remember there was some wiring harness issues in the early 90's models, and the typical A/C problems associated with all the W124's, but anything else to be considering now?

Is it worth going for the latter - 1990 and newer year models?

__________________
JD