PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - What is absolute best gas W124 for reliability & durability

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Quote:

Originally Posted by oldsinner111 (Post 2418785)

Come to think of it,even American inline 6's were tuff. I had a Ford,Big Chevy 292,American motors,and Dodge slant 6. They lasted and lasted.I know Truck pulls,the best is a inline Cummins.Whats the deal.However Mercedes can take a 6 and make it run.

Straight sixes are great, on that we can agree. I love the Cummins, the AMC/Jeep, the MB M104 and even the M103 and unbelievably, even the 2.4 VW built diesel in my 85 Volvo! I love 'em!
Regards, Eric

Final update on my quest for a good gasser. I looked and looked for a good 400E within a day's drive of me here in Boise, but to no avail. Along the way, nice W126's kept popping up. Here on the board, and elsewhere, I kept hearing how good the M117 engines are, 300K-400K with nothing to worry about except timing chains every 100K or so. In the end I fell for the siren song of the W126 and bought a really nice '86 560SEL from a nice retired gentleman only 5 minutes from my house here in Boise. The car was not advertised, and I found about it only through my local indy who knew of a nice 560 that might be for sale. The rest is history.

72K miles, books and records, always garaged, almost showroom new with the only issues related to having sat for so long being hardly driven. A few dried seals and gaskets, OAT gauge inop, rear suspension accumulators tired, and that's about it. All original right down to the Becker radio. Paid about what a similar condition 400E would have cost me.

This car is fantastic. I took my family around for a drive yesterday after I bought it, and my son told me to start the car so while he was adjusting the rear seat recline he wouldn't run down the battery (trained him well :P). But the car was already idling! It's that smooth:D. It almost just glides around silently and effortlessly like a magic carpet. After years of being away from gas Mercedes', I had almost forgotten what a delight they are.

So here I am right smack dab back in the V8 gas Benz business and loving it. Thanks for the advice and great discussion.

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Wow, that is a nice car! But, the 14-16mpg is a bit thirsty...:eek: I'll stick with my 300E....it is equally silent/smooth, but much more frugal at 21ish mpg. :D

I'll toss another vote for the '94-'95 E320. That engine is stout, the car is solid, and it's got all the greatest creature comforts of the w124 line. Downsides are the wiring harness (not really a big deal), the evaporator (a HUGE deal - if the AC smells, run!), and a tranny that might fail before 150k-200k. Plus, they're very cheap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayfarer (Post 2417805)

On the 300E/260E's, they both said all you really need to do is rebuild the head every 150-250K miles and the bottom end will last longer than you care to keep the car...with proper routine preventative maintenance, of course. And in the end, the straight 6's will probably give you the lowest cost per mile in maintenance over long-term ownership. :

I'd echo that. My 1989 300E was am amazing car. Went to 333,000 Km with the engine completely original. You'll get more performance from an M104 or the V8, but that M103 was an exceptionally strong motor, IMHO. The 4-speed tranny is a bit temperamental, IMO, but it is certainly robust. I changed the fluid and filter regularly.

Good luck!