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200E, a good 124 benz?

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  tiger_biru 
#1 ·
for a more economical ride with that benz quality..do you think the 124 benz 200E, 4 cylinder car is a good kind of mercedes? it just runs on a 4cylinder 2.0 liter engine so it wont run as fast as a 260E. What are the most common problems encountered on this kinda vehicle? please enlighten me coz i intend to buy one. The way i look at it its just merely like the 123"s 200G benz with a 124 body. fuel efficient yes but not as fast.
 
#2 ·
Red Dragon,

I have only ever owned 4 cyl Mercedes (unfortunately!!) so I guess I can comment on this one.

I have a 200TE from 1993 (around 130bhp) which is a very good car but certainly not powerful. Compared to the 6cyl ones I have driven its slow and unrefined, but in general car terms its still very refined as its a Merc. The steering and nose feel lighter too.

However, in everyday traffic here in Europe you don't notice the difference too much. When I hit the motorways the car will happily sit at 100 or even 110mph. I know because I drove the 1000miles from London to Milan like that. When I arrived I still felt relaxed and comfortable.

Where its not good is if you plan to do any overtaking on small roads. The car is just too heavy and had no acceleration at all. I think this is typical of small engined Mercs, they take long to accelerate but once they are at speed they drive well.

I also have a 230TE and that is a bit quicker though not too much difference (150bhp I think). Compared to my old w123 200T though they both feel modern and rapid.

In summary, depends on what you want. If you use it every day and economy is important then a 200E is an option. If however you can't give up the refinement of the 6cyl engine then stick with the 260E.
 
#3 ·
Thank you sir for your opinion regarding these kind of mercs. I already own a 260E, its powerful yes, but it consumes too much gas, like 5km/liter, roughly i think. I intend to buy a 200E for everyday use. with the traffic situation here, I just thought that getting a more efficient merc would work out just fine. Like you i'm a benz fanatic. I've heard rumors though that small engine mercs like the 190e is pretty much worthless.. I've even heard comments that one should rather have a jap car than a 190e benz cause they arent as dependable as the 6cyl mercs.. the 124 200e benz however has the same engine as the 2.0 190e benz. so, my question is, if i get this 200e benz, will it give me headaches like the 190e? are they similar in such a way or are they different in many ways? any suggestions would be a big help. thank you sirs.
 
#5 ·
Red Dragon, a Mercedes is always a Mercedes. That = good and reliable egineering which does exactly what it promises.

All the body and trim parts will be the same as your 260E, so in this sense you already know what to expect.

As for the engine, I guess it may depend on where you are (Asia I guess) but the engines are just as reliable as the 6cyl ones. The only common fault is the head gasket rots, but I see many E300s seem to have the same trouble.

I immagine the engine is the same as in the 2.0 190E though, so take your own conclusions from that.

In summary, I think you will have just as good a Mercedes as with your 260 (-refinement and performance). To give you an idea my W123 200T had 260,000mi (416,000km) and it was going very well.
 
#8 ·
C220 is peppy and fuel efficient.
They are relatively inexpensive to obtain.
Don't be too concerned with high mileage as
these are pretty sturdy units. C220 offers nearly as much interior space, so you wont't loose much in that area. Problem in the states is that they are not offered with a manual gearbox..
 
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