I bought a 91 2.3 with auto which is usually NOT recommended. I paid alot for mine ($10k) because it was a 1 owner with 61k miles and this was back in 99 when I joined this site. It was 2 tone silver and grey but had the pretty bad blue interior. I mainly bought it for the low miles and good service records.

I will say after I had the transmission tweaked a lil to get the right shift points it would get about great and had decent power Oh and the next summer I had the lovely and wonderful evap core replaced so I could get some cold a/c... It was an awesome freeway cruiser. It would just hunker down, lock in and roll dead straight. I always yearned for a 2.6 tho

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Current stable......
17' Rogue SV 70k
11’ Saab 9-5 NG 94k
10’ e550 4matic 185k

sold
02' e320 210k
00' e430 167k
01' e320 171k (regret sale)
91' 300d 2.5t 300k (sold to ecoofidaho)
79' 240d 177k (old yellow my avatar)
87' 300d 169k (junk but fast)
85' 300tdt 261k (RBM parts delivery)
85' 300dt 68k (one owner cream puff)
82' 240d 250k
84' 300dt 198k (sold to diesel don)
91' 190e 2.3 61k
88' 260e 140k

I do realize that my families health is important-that's why I commented on the fact that even with it's shortcomings, My 190 protected my wife in a severe accident.

My grandfather fell asleep in his 450 , rolled it twice and had nearly a scratch. A true testement to MB quality

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92 300e 205 k miles decent -wife's ride
91 300 TE many upgrades and very clean-Junk yard rescue ( son's "hot rod")
68 250 s Low rust great shape
91 300e 236k ( rear ended and sheared metal subframe mounts /sway bar )
85 300TD 310k

Below have moved on
77 300d 36k miles one elderly owner! Now in Ca fully restored
79 300 sd 49k miles( time capsule clean )sold and still in ohio
66 230s new at factory "das boot" gone.
93 190e 2.6 crunched-hard no injuries
69 220d rusted away

I recently picked up an '89 2.6 5 speed. Its got a lot of highway miles on it, no records.

The door panels are peeling at the window edge, the AC/Heat is confused, and the radio keeps telling the antenna to go up.

Needs brake work which I'll diy with my son, who will learn to drive in it
I'm figuring for the purchase price plus brake parts it should do ok for around town and should my son get into an accident with it, he stands a better chance than in the other cars we own.

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95 E300D gave away
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, body gone away to the rust gods, engine is in a Yota pickup, going strong
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 154k summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k
12 VW Jetta- 250k
74 MG Midget-78k

I love my 190E. I just picked up blower motor at a junkyard for $16 bucks that I'm getting ready to replace. Hope it works lol.