I just purchased this for my wife. She hates the stick shift. I bought it about 2 weeks ago with 30.5K on the odometer. The car is a euro edition with no sunroof. Smoke silver with a black interior.

The car is in good condition. I've always wanted one but commute to Manhattan on the train, therefore I cannot drive daily. The car is sitting in the garage. All interested can email me. Asking $16K which was my cost with tax included.

Tommy
'89 420SEL
'86 190E 2.3-16

[This message has been edited by slk528 (edited 05-18-99).]

If I were you, and money wasn't a consideration, I would keep the 16v and buy another wife....er.... buy another car for your wife, that is. Before you make a hasty decision to sell, spend some time driving the car on, say, some twisty country roads. FYI: the euro version came with 185 hp vs 167hp for the US version. Although I advise you to try to keep the car, if grey market cars weren't nearly impossible to bring in to California, and if the 30k odometer were really correct, I would buy your car in a heart beat.

[This message has been edited by revbond (edited 05-26-99).]

Revbond,
How do tell if the car is a grey market car? The car is legit on the miles. I spoke to the previous owner who has verified the mileage.

Revbond,
By the way, the car manual states that it has 168hp. The car was imported by a dentist back in '86.

Sorry for the typo!- the US version came with167 hp. Now to your question. I concluded that the car was a grey market car i.e., produced for sale in a country other than the US (with attendant different smog requirments, etc) because you identified the car as a "Euro" spec car. Grey market cars, because they may have been produced for sale in a county with much less restrictive smog requirments, may be difficult - if not impossible - to register in some states (read: California). How would you tell if the car is grey market? The simplest way, which is most subject to manipulation, is if the speedometer is in kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour (a dead giveaway). But those with basic craftiness simply switch the speedometer for a US version. The other way would be to check and compare the production numbers on the car with those which were produced for the US market. I can't tell you exactly which numbers to look for or where (door jamb, engine compartment, frame beneath the hood right behind the top of the grill...) but a Mercedes dealer should be able to tell you with minimum effort if the numbers correspond to US version cars.

The description of your car's history is interesting: it was "imported" by a dentist in 1986. Did the good dentist have a european delivery of US spec car and subsequently have it delivered to the US? If this is the case, then the car wouldn't be a grey market car since it was produced for the US, but just initially delivered in Europe. On the other hand, if the dentist imported a car which was produced for the European market, then the car is most probably a grey market car, and I would suspect that the instrumentations has been changed to US version, and the original language manual changed for a US version manual. Of course, if the instrumentation has been changed then, sure, the odometer has only 30K miles on it but the car has who knows how many miles?

Well, I think you get the idea. Check out the numbers to really satisfy yourself as to whether this is a US version car or not. If it is a US version, and you are comfortable that 30K is the real mileage (i.e., odometer never turned off or back, etc), then I would say you got a pretty good deal going there (assuming the car is also in a condition commensurate with 30K miles). If the car is not US version, then many things are suddenly questionable, not the least of which is the true miles on the car.

I'm curious what you find out.

hey i was just wondering do you still have that 190 E 2.3 16 valve? cause ihave been looking for one you can e-mail at mjgriffin85@charter.net

6 years ago Probably came off the $16K if he still has it.
I didn't look at the original post date for the thread and was thinking WTF $16K for a 19 yr old 190e.

__________________
BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)