Hi, I'm new to the board and to a Mercedes. I'm looking at buying a 91 190E with a 4cyl. and auto trans in very good condition, all options work, with 167000 miles and a price tag of 2500.00. Can anyone tell me if this sounds like a fair deal and what are the good and bad points of this model car? I would like to know what to look for so not to get a lemon. I just don't want to jump into something I have had no experience with. Thanks in advance.

The best advice is to have a mechanic
check the car over with a fine-toothed comb (compression
test, engine, brakes, suspension, drive shaft, exhaust, AC, etc). Might cost you
a little but will be well worth it. I have the
same car you're looking at and can tell you things can
get expensive if you have to replace major parts. Does it
COLD start OK? How does it drive/idle? Does the transmission
shift smoothly? If you have emissions testing
have it tested to make sure it passes. Emission repairs can be expensive with these MBs. Also check out:
www.190revolution.net. It's a site devoted entirely to
190Es.

I went to look at an 87 190 2.6 with 109000 miles w/auto trans. Car started right up and ran smooth with oil pressure a little below 3 then up to 3 when you give it gas. Is this normal? Motor looked free of any oil leaks. Now for it's problems. The air doesn't work/sunroof doesn't open(motor runs but roof doesn't open)antenna doesn't go all the way up. When driving the car the steering seemed tight but the car felt like it wanted to wander alittle??? Maybe I'm just not used to the car, does this sound normal? The car is on a small used car lot and they want 2500.00 for it. Does it sound like a fair price? And what do you think it would cost for repairs? Thanks in advance.

Like timmyj51 said get a PPI!
The 2.6 is a nice smooth running engine
but can have head gasket problems. MB
are nice cars but seem to cost more to
keep running than Honda,mazda etc.

The W201 is a Mercedes in every sense of the word, both good and bad. During that design period, the air conditioning system was weak right from the factory and prone to leaks. It can be an easy $1K in parts and service to fix, so get to the bottom of that before purchase. The revolutionary 5-link rear suspension and the front suspension have a myriad of rubber links and bushings to give that "Mercedes" ride and handling. Again, over time those pieces, including the motor mounts, transmission mount, flex discs, ball joints, etc, might need refreshing. Rebuilding a front suspension, including struts, tie rods, damper, etc. can easily run another $1K. Another good reason to get it inspected.

Thanks for the the information. So I've asked about two other 190's but now I have become a 190 owner. The car is an 89 2.6 with 158,000 miles. The car starts right up and idles fine. The trans shifts smooth. And the air works!! The problems that I see so far are the power antenna does not work and the vinyl on the door panels is pulling off. I drove the car for a 120 mile trip home and it ran perfectly. There are a few dents from parking lots but nothing more than the size of a quarter. At what point should the electric fans turn on? The car sat running for some time but the fans never came on. Is there a way to check them? The person I bought the car from seemed very up front about the car. He said he changed the oil every 3000 miles and when I checked it the oil was still fairly clean. By the way, I paid 1600 for it. Does it sound like a fair deal?

Its hard to really lose for that amount unless its a basket case. I paid 1700 for my diesel and its been great for 2 years. Also, I really like the later 190's, even more than the newer 300's.