my 1992 190E 2.6 gets consistent 24mpg on the highway at 75-80mph. I don't think that's too bad. I drive through central Ca. I5 a lot. I also have 2000 Hyundai that get 34mpg. I always take the Mercedes. Both run good.

If you don't have one yet...

I bet you it's easier to find a W124 in good condition over a W201. The W201's were the least expensive and second owners tended not to take care of them.

I think the W124 is a good comprise car- still retaining MB ride quality on long trips, but easy on the pocket book compared to W140's.

M

We managed to find a real nice W201....it is my sister's car. The previous owners dumped $$ into it then sold it for nearly nothing to us. :eek: It has not needed all that much. Soon I am going to replace a few steering components and the front struts...other than that, it has only needed a few things. The M102 motor still pulls strong and burns no oil with nearly 200k on it.

I still like the W124 more though, the ride is better and the car has a lot more room. When working on them the W201 and W124 are incredibly similar.

hmmmmm, many will probably disagree... but my old 190E feels stiffer and more solid, probably because of its smaller dimensions. Ride is tight and deliberate, no creaks and rattles...the doors also feel and close more solid.
i've had 3 w124s and 1 190E... out of the 4 the 190E felt more solidly built. :) i've sold it a few years back and i'm in the lookout for a good diesel one.
It's a misconception that 190Es are less of a car... they're just less in terms of size, they're every bit still a Merc.
DTM is based on the C Class platform which the 190E popularized.
Do not underestimate the little buggers. :)

I have a W124 and think of it as a small car. I can't imagine driving around in a smaller four door.
Than again, I am 6'3".

I've always gotten decent mileage with my 190E, especially considering how old it is. I found my 190E to be a very solid, reliable vehicle and it was my daily driver for 7 years. Now that I drive my S420 on a daily basis the fuel and maintenance costs of the 190E seem like pocket change.:)

Now that you can find W124's for so cheap, there is absolutely no reason to buy a 190E. Unless you just have to have one. The 300E is a superior car in almost every way. The 190 is a "C-Class" and the build quality difference shows. Yes, it's still a Mercedes. But interior quality/design of the 190 does not seem anywhere close to that of the 300. It just feels like a 300E with corners cut in almost every way to make it cheaper (which it is!). Yes, its a great chassis. But you couldn't pay me to own one.

Maybe on the earlier ones, but the later ones seem to be just as high of quality as the W124....just...shrunken down a bit.

I'd have to agree with this.

The 300E is an excellent car. The M103 is an absolutely fantastic motor.

I had to chuckle at the mileage comments...it's all perspective I suppose. My 300E had excellent highway mileage. After owning an E430 then the GL450, I've sort of given up on mileage. ;) (Though for its size/weight and engine power, the GL has decent highway mileage).

I have to disagree with this. The build quality in the 190e is every bit as good if not better than the 300e. The vast majority of the mechanical components including the engines, transmission, suspension, interior components are identical and interchangeable. Unless you carry passengers in the rear seat on a daily basis, the 190e will transport you with just as much comfort and reliability as the 300e, not to mention the superior fuel economy and easier to park. Late 190e cars in excellent condition are dirt cheap and plentiful because if you haven't noticed from this thread, most people don't consider them 'real' benzes. Their loss.

LOL that's funny. As has been repeatedly pointed out, the ONLY differences are the cheesy door cards and the dashboard! Same seats, same engine, same transmission, same suspension, same steering wheel, same, same, same.
Due to the weight distribution that's closer to 50/50 than the w124, its a better handling car. The cheesedick interior door panels and the somewhat cheap dashboard(not including the center console) are the only places I can see where they cheaped out. Everything else is literally THE SAME.
My philosophy is thus: if it's m103 powered, I'd rather a w201 since it's smaller, lighter, and handles better. I'd love a w124, but it needs to have an m104 for me to consider it, as that's the only thing that would make it a better choice over the w201 since they are basically THE SAME CAR.