The 190E is a great car, My dad had one has a daily commuter. In 7 years he put on 230,000+ miles on the car. There were no issues till the end when the input shaft on the transmission went out (Yes it was a 5 speed). His was the 190E 2.3, while it was not a quick car it was able to easily keep highway speeds, racing in it however.. not gonna happen. For a new driver they are a small, economical, and safe car. The 190D would get you better MPG's as my friend has proven with his 2.5 diesel. I'd say keep an eye out for a great deal and get it. I started with a 1971 220 Diesel, it was s-l-o-w to the extreme but was cheap to drive and always got me there. Personally for a new driver it might be perfect. The 2.2 Diesel is reliable and won't get you into trouble for racing and such. Plus how cool are diesels!