How Good! 190 e
 

Hi!

I see the 190e Mercedes Benz out on the road and was wonderind how good of a car they are! Gary

Re: How Good! 190 e
 

To: Gary

I have a 1988 190e 2.3 8 valve and I can say that I love the shape of the car which was my initial attraction. I always admired these cars ever since the beginning of the 80s when they first came out. So I bought one and then I realized how much maintenance these cars require. I've spent more than twice it's value since I've owned it which is about 2 years now and it still requires work. That is my experience anyway.

So my advice to you is be careful and if you decide to buy one, look for a low mileage vehicle with service records and definitely avoid the 1984 model, which was the first year for North America.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Good Luck

I have an 87 190E 2.0 (Euro, obviously). I love the car, though its weight blunts the performance compared with other 2 litre saloons from lesser manufacturers.

I have to disagree with Philip on costs. I have found this one of the cheapest cars to run that I have ever owned, despite its age and 200k miles. I buy non-OEM parts but keep to the service schedule. Non-routine maintenance is cheap and infrequent. I have just had new sills fitted (do you call them rocker panels?). Including fitting and paint that cost me 100 pounds ($150). A new fuel pump self fitted 94 pounds. New brake rotors and pads all round including fitting 100 pounds.

I doubt if I've spent more than 1000 pounds on all maintenance including tyres over the last 30 months and 50k miles.

I bought a 1991 190e 2.6 five speed (real hard to find) about a year and a half ago with 60,000 miles on it and have had very few problems with it, especially compared to the 266,000 Peugeot it replaced. The 190e was introduced just before the 300e, so you could say the 300e is a bigger 190e and it shares many of the same parts, problems and reliabilities. The engine is an inline six that’s the same except for bore. It’s a typical small Mercedes (relative to the option laden SEL’s.)

I have a 85 190E 2.3 with 123K miles - have had it for 5 years, bought it at 80K miles. Its quite a drain on the pocket - have spent 12.7K on repairs and maintenance (total, over 5 years and 43 K miles) - That's a hefty sum. Don't buy this car if you cannot do the odd small repair jobs yourself.

It drives well though!

I had a 2.6 for two and a half yrs.and not a single
problem.A drunk bastard totalled it.:mad:

Get a VW or BMW, seriously.

I bought a 190e 2.6 new in 1989 and its the best car I've ever owned. It looks and drives great. Don't let the maintenance scare you. I own six cars and even with 250,000 miles, its the same as any other car with far fewer miles. The car was well engineered and is easily maintained by a DIYer. Good Luck

Having run VW and BMW previously, I'd go for a Merc every time. Reliability and running costs are far better in my experience. The most unreliable and expensive car I ever had was a BMW 320 convertible. It cost a fortune compared to the 380SL I had before that.

My Golf (Rabbit) GTi was completely knackered at 127k. Compare that with my totally reliable 190E at 200k.

Howdy,
I have a 92 190e 2.6 with 102k on it. I bought it when it had 85k and have owned it for over a year. It has some inherent problems like weak valve seals & guides which causes some oil consumption. Also the belt tensioner & fan clutch bearing wear out at about 100k. Otherwise I believe it is a solid car. I really enjoy driving it especially on the highway. I don't believe there is any car that could beat the handling or smoothness of this car.

Regards
smk_texas