I'm 39, an IT Pro who has always appreciated fine engineering and the W124 is state of the art in that regard. I've never had a car where I actually enjoy working on it like this one. Some problems are better left to the pros but the great engineering lets me still be involved in repairing many things. Also I test drove a new Jeep Compass the other day (for caming use, never would I get rid of my daily driver) and determined that the 17 year old Benz was quieter and smoother riding than a brand new car!
I'm a 36 year old IT engineer in London, UK. I bought my 320CE 4 years ago for £6800.
I remember seeing the W124 coupe, the CE and always thinking what a good shape it was. At the back of my mind I wanted one but could not afford it so had to carry on driving my VW Golf 16v.
I felt on top of the world the day I bought my 320CE, it was beautiful. The joy was unfortunately short lived, my car soon developed a habit of cutting out dead. My problem was this was irregular - once it happened 9 times in a day.
Added to this my car was broken into (a screwdriver between the two pillarless glass panes breaking them both), scratched by a key a few times, attacked by a bus whilst I was driving and no less than 7 others who chose to leave a dent when it was parked, the the star was a souvenir for local thieves - the thrills of owning a Mercedes in London.
I strongly believed my W124 was cursed and intent on ruining my life, I never had so many problems with any other car I had owned.
After months of acquiring grey hair, buying a second car and spending £700 on the cut-out problem, I changed the OVP relay and the car was finally cured.
I was also very disappointed with some aspects of this machine which was £40,000 in 1993. The factory alarm had proven itself to be useless (another £550 shelled out for a replacement), and the bio-degradeable wiring was a shambles, the fancy rear laminated screen could not deal with the savage elements of the UK climate "they all do that on these" I was told, and the seats were worse than most any car I had owned.
Of course there were aspects of the car that I liked, the way street lights reflect off the star at night, the sound the straight six makes with 4000 rpm on the clock, the steam that comes off the mirrors on startup in winter, the excellent cruise control and the ventilation system are all appreciated.
I was also surprised when taking my mother to buy a new Honda, every dealer told me I was driving their all time favourite car - hmmmm.
Now 4 years on and after covering 50,000 miles I like my W124 coupe, its a great piece of engineering let down by a few niggly details.
I can't help but think if this car had been made by the VW Audi group it would have been better built and more reliable.
Last edited by weisadclick : 09-18-2006 at 06:06 PM.
I will try to be succinct. I am a 58 year old semi-retired management consultant. I enjoy automobiles. My first ride in a w124 was in 1992 in a 500e. From that point on, I was hooked. In 2003, I found a 1994 E320 Coupe in great condition and decided it's time to scratch my itch. In 2004, I found a 1994 E420 and decided to add some excitement to the equation. Both vehicles have given me a world of fun in driving and, to a large degree, in ownership. Recently, the fleet grew again. I added a w126 1991 300SE to the garage and now am out of space. I must admit the toughest decision is which one I like more. It's funny, total investment is $12k, 9k, and $7k and it doesn't add up to half of a new BMW, Lexus, or for that matter, MB. Timeless design and excellent engineering are the reasons my addiction has increased. Good luck to those considering w124's, find the right one and you will never be disappointed!
I'm 40 years old, live in rural Birmingham in the West Midlands, and am a Sales Manager. I do quite a high mileage and got fed up with buying expensive cars and watching them depreciate before my eyes!! So I started buying older cheaper but reliable cars. I wanted a big two door barge that got me from Brum to Edinburgh in comfort and style, the 300CE fitted the bill!!!
Vehicle: 1990 Mercedes 300CE, Black/Black - H&R, Bilstein, etc.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 78
I'm 35 years old, married with children, work/live in the Los Angeles area, and am new to Mercedes Benz... (coming from a long line of BMW's... still own a '95 540/6-speed E34, and the wife drives an '02 Golf GTI). I do reasonably well as an office manager at a large law firm, but am not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. I could reasonably afford a new BMW 550 or a Merc E350, but have a penchant for "older" German cars... I actually owned a 400e for about 3 weeks before selling it because although I absolutely loved the negine, the body wasn't in great shape... I've been impressed with how solid this 300CE has been, but this cold-start issue is really niggling me...
I vowed to do most of the work myself on this car, so I am hesitant to drop her off at the local indie (though it is tempting at times...).
I'm a 50 year old recently retired Foreign Service Officer who was posted to Germany when the W201 (190) was brand new. Mercedes Benz as taxis! Unbelievable! Well, fast forward through several VW's and the need for a vehicle for my teenage daughter. She loves her "Spaetzel" because they share the same birth year. I joined the forum and started looking for a W124 wagon, which I found a couple years ago. What's next? I think I'm going diesel!
__________________
Scott in MD/DC
94 E320 Wagon (Just getting broken in)
95 C280 (RIP)
87 190E (Sold)
"There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes"
21 born in Northern Virginia and going back to school. I wanted a car that would be attractive, understated, and completely reliable. It couldn't be an Asian import or a domestic product. So then... Mercedes it was. I chose the E420 as I'm still young and quick is fun (and I'll eat the gas bill).
I'm a 31 year old scientist working in a crime lab in the Toronto area. 4 years ago I never gave a Benz a second look, but my wife sort of pointed our the marque to me. We've got an astounding number of Benzes on the road in this city, Canada's most affluent, so it's easy to see different models running around. I had a desire to get a diesel car and collect waste vegetable oil to burn and found a W123 diesel wagon for a very good price although it needed some love. I found it difficult to start in the winter without the block heater, so I barely drove it in cold weather, opting to instead use our Golf TDI (awesome little car). A few months back we found out we were pregnant and required a reliable second vehicle and I'd been eyeing up W201's first but the W124 grew on me. I found my wagon not long ago - it's a gasser so winter starts won't be an issue and the 4Matic should be fun when the snow flies. Why a wagon? The dog needs his space in the back, otherwise a sedan or coupe would be my choice. Besides, I can put a good load of lumber in the wagon when I visit Home Depot.
90 300e 2.6 
Linear Mode
