1990 w124 190e 2.3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

tvpierce · #6 01-10-2008, 05:10 PM

As others have stated, the 190E is a 201 chassis. The 2.3 ltr engine is an inline 4.

Here are some of my rambling thoughts on the subject:
You won't see much in the way of problems with them -- it's a rock solid platform with limited "bells and whistles" (read: fewer things to break -- which is extremely important as you are talking about an 18 year old car). The 2.6 L-6 engine is also very strong. It has somewhat of a reputation for head gasket trouble and (if I remember correctly) an oil leak at the timing cover. These are not huge, insurmountable problems by any means -- but worth noting none the less.

The 201 doesn't have automatic climate control (also a good thing IMHO).
The A/C can be a problem spot (as it is in all MBs of this vintage) -- the evaporator gives out and is expensive to have replaced. Most of that cost is labor, so if you can do it yourself, it's quite affordable.

The 2.3 ltr equipped cars are no speed merchants. They are adequately powered, pleasant to drive and quite fuel efficient. I rarely see less than 25 mpg, I've been as high as 30 mpg on an all-highway trip. 23-27 mpg is a reasonable expectation in mixed driving.

I don't quite like the match between the transmission and engine -- at least in my car. The tranny is a little slow to react, and there's a "dead spot" at about 25 mph where it doesn't give you much pull, but it refuses to downshift (for instance, when merging into traffic). The 2.6 ltr would probably have enough torque to pull right through this, but the 2.3 just doesn't. I'm sure the 2.6 is much more responsive in all ranges.

One advantage of the 4 cylinder though is when it comes to service. My 2.3 has plenty of room to work under the hood. The 6 cylinder is really squeezed in there, front to back.

The consensous seems to be that the 201 feels much more nimble than the 124 -- and it should, it's quite a bit smaller. I would not call the 201 a sports car by any means, but when the suspension is in good condition, the handling certainly is sporty.

Now if you're talking about a 2.3 ltr/Cosworth 16 valve, that's a completely different animal. That is a true sports car that was designed for racing. But those are rare, so I assume you're asking about the "normal" 8 valve.

Just my 2 cents! After adjusting for inflation... still arguably worth that.