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Mercedes' strong suite has never been Camry-like reliability. Since the mid 1980's when Toyota and Honda really got it together, pretty much all other brands have been behind in pure reliability.
Where Mercedes shone is in the area of long term "life" of the car as a whole. The most expensive parts of the car were designed to last nearly forever. Even here in the salt-winter belt of the world, W124's are rarely seen with rust. The body looks like it'll last another decade, or more! Engine bottom ends are built to last 500K-miles, maybe more.
Take the example of our 88 626 and our 90 190E. The 626 has a working sunroof and power windows. Heck, the car is in pretty good shape, EXCEPT that the engine is getting a little soft and the tranny is on it's way out. The body is beginning to show some serious signs of rust and will begin to rot away soon. The 190E has a broken antenna, non-working power window (passenger door, driver's side) and other maladies the 626 never has had. Overall, the 626 has required far fewer repairs than the 190E, but the 190E will last many years to come while the 626 is now a lost cause.
Why? Because the M103 in the 190E is still tight and strong. The body is in good condition and various other major parts are in good shape with lots of life left. Heck, even at nearly 400K-km's, the 2.6 has only been opened for a timing chain, and only for peace of mind as it was still well within spec.
So, which one is the "better" car? Well, the 626 has been a loyal servant for nearly 17 years. That's a good run for a car that was about $17,000 back in the fall of 1987. The 190E other the other hand was nearly $50,000 back in 1990! For value, the 626 is miles ahead even considering it's shorter overall life. But, the 626 is an awful (in my opinion) car to drive. The 2.6 is not. IT's still reasonably quick and handles very well considering it's "old" strut suspension. The body structure is incredible and it's still nearly rattle free.
Apples to Oranges...
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