Wifes 86 190E got side swiped last week, insurance man says its totaled. In the last year the entire suspension has been replaced, Stu Ritter rebuilt transmission and A/C overhaul, engine burns less than 1 quart between oil changes at 165K; planned on keeping it for another decade. In the search for a replacement, what are the best dependable MB choices for a replacement? Something smaller than an S class, but other than that, no real restrictions. Any ideas? Thanks Clip

Yikes! Is she okay?


How about another 190E?


Naw, I am sure you want variety too!

The 300E I have is very nice and dependable... but if you want true reliability.. go diesel man!

But I imagine your wife may not like the loud sounds of a diesel..

Tell you what, my mom drives a 1999 E320, very nice and quiet....
had a few quirks at the beginning, but is very dependable now (knock on wood!)

The different steering setup of the W210 chasis gives almost no steering feel of the road, however, it provides a VERY luxurious ride!


Try to get her to test drive (I am sure you already know that, but I am stupid, sorry! )

__________________
2006 BMW M5 "Heidi" @ 109,000 miles
2005 MBZ C55 AMG "Lorelai" @ 165,000 miles
1991 MBZ 300E "Benzachino II" @ 165,000 miles
1990 MBZ 500SL "Shoshanna" @ 118,000 miles

(On the hunt for a good used M103 engine as of 6/10/23, PM me if you have one to sell!)

If you want the smaller baby benz, I'd go with a C220 or C230, I'd tend to shy away from the C230 Kompressor though, it might be OK if you can get a deal on one, or for more power the C280 V6. For a larger car my choice would be a E320 with the V6, unless you want more power, I really like the E420 210 chassis, but a E430 wouldn't be too bad, really moving up in price for a V6 or V8 E Class, especially a 430. Overall winner for a small one is that you can't hardly go wrong with a 98 C230 (naturally aspirated).

Gilly

__________________
Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

Just curious - why a 98 over a 97? 722.6 more sorted out? Or was 98 the first year of the 722.6? Or some other benefit of the 98?

97 was the first year of the 722.6

As suggested above, the W202 would make a good replacement.

__________________
Ali Al-Chalabi

2001 CLK55
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel
2002 Harley-Davidson Fatboy
Merlin Extralight w/ Campy Record

Not just because I own one, but the W202 in 1996 and later models are among the most reliable Mercedes models. They are "simple" compared to newer ones and their bigger brothers. The M111 aspro four cylinder engine in 2.2L and 2.3L (96-98) are terrific engines giving great fuel economy, no head gasket problems and overall decent performance. A five speed auto C230 is about the same quickness as a 190E 2.6.

The 1996 C220's avoid the wiring harness issues and have the reliable four speed box. The 97's have the slightly bigger (and teeny bit more torque) 2.3L engine, but it is the first year of the 722.6.

The 98's had some exterior changes including a new front valance, side skirts and rear valance as well as a revised grille and "smoked" taillights. 98 also brought side-bags and different door panels as well as the SmartKey system. FSS was also introduced in 98. The 98's had the digital ACC system the same as the 96-97 cars.

In 99, the M111 changed to the "kompressor" engine and HP went up and refinement went down. The ACC was changed to manual AC and ESP was made standard. 2000 was the last year for the C230 W202 and it was pretty much the same as the 1999 model except for the "touchshift" trans.

The C280 is a slightly different story. The 96-97's had the M104 inline engine which has some head gasket issues. The 98-00 M112 V-6 has no such problems, but make sure the harmonic balancer has been updated. The C280 kept the digital ACC system.

Having owned both a W201 and W202, the W202 is a big step in driving dynamics. The suspension in the W202 is much "sportier" and the overall level of handling is much better. The AC/ACC system is much better (after 95 it uses the excellent variable-compressor system) and the fuel economy is WAY better. It's a bit bigger with a noticable increase in rear seat room. The trunk is much bigger and has a trunk cut-out for loading. I also prefer the back-lit gauges.

With 98- cars you get nice features like keyless that allows opening and closing of windows/sunroof from the key, four air-bags, auto up/down windows and other little things.

As to overall performance, the C220/C230 will run away from a 190E 2.3 and matches a 190E 2.6. The C280 is quicker than any 190E. The better aerodynamics means much, much better fuel economy.

__________________
John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/4050/tophat6.gif