Is a 190 a reliable cost effective commuter? - Benzworld.org

Hip001 · 06-09-2008, 07:31 AM

I've been shopping for the wife a commuter car. She pounds miles on her cars driving aprox 120miles/day. I've looked at 80's Mercedes cars only because I do not want to spend 20k+ on something she puts 45Kmiles on it per/yr.

1) Is the 190 a good car for this? (cost for car, maintenance, longevity)

2) What miles per gallon should I expect from it? (her daily trip is 90%highway and 10% city)

3) what years or models do you like better and for what reasons??

I had a 87 190E 2.3-16v that I absolutely loved, but she wants an automatic.
Any help here would be greatly appreciated!

Sam-Tee-Time · 06-09-2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hip001

I've been shopping for the wife a commuter car. She pounds miles on her cars driving aprox 120miles/day. I've looked at 80's Mercedes cars only because I do not want to spend 20k+ on something she puts 45Kmiles on it per/yr.

1) Is the 190 a good car for this? (cost for car, maintenance, longevity)

2) What miles per gallon should I expect from it? (her daily trip is 90%highway and 10% city)

3) what years or models do you like better and for what reasons??

I had a 87 190E 2.3-16v that I absolutely loved, but she wants an automatic.
Any help here would be greatly appreciated!

Here are my thoughts on this (current 190E-2.6 owner).......I also wanted a "beater/rain car" for long commutes, and daily slogging.

1) I LOVE my 190, and it's been very durable. However...I spent some good $$$$ on this car to get it reliable by replacing several motor pieces, A/C work, and filters, relays, etc. etc. It was expen$ive to do this, and I can't help but think a Honda/Toyota would be much less expen$ive, and just as reliable (if you find a good one).

Most people on this board will tell you about the durability of these early mercs. However...a car this old is going to require some seriou$ maintenance and costs. parts can be expensive, so you've got to be careful. And....no matter how much you maintain a car, it's still a 18-20 year old car, and things are going to break down with old age.

2) I get about 20-22 mph depending on lead foot, and traffic. Fundamentaly I"m happy with this mileage.

3) I'm happy with my 190, but sometimes wish I had a 300E for more room for passengers. OTOH....the smaller size is handy for downtown parking, and maneuverability. Frankly I wished I spent some more $$$ and got a C280 for better Air conditioning, and a more modern car, but I hear the early C-series can be problematic and have quality control issues.

My honest $.02 is that if you LOVE these older Mercs, and are willing to spend some $$$, go for it if you find a cherry one. But if you're requiring a beater/commuter, and dont' want to spend a bunch of $$$ on parts and labor, I would think a early 90's Toyota/Honda/Lexus would possibly be just as reliable and potentially cheeper to maintain.

Hope this helps a little.

Hip001 · 06-09-2008, 02:32 PM

Thanks for the Imput Sam. she already has a Buick Lesabre which gets 28mpg and is very comfortable. I just thought I'd like to see her in a Mercedes. I may just let her drive mine once in a while and concentrate on keeping it cherry and maintained properly! I was hoping someone was going to tell me that the 190 was the best kept secret around and they got 35mpg!

But I guess you confirmed my expectations and maybe the older Rice-burner will be the best for long term abuse at a low cost. I'll keep the Benz in the garage polished up and looking sweet for special outings!
Thank you,
Hip

MTI · 06-09-2008, 02:56 PM

Because of the power to weight issues, virtually none of the gas powered Mercedes vehicles are ever going to be MPG kings.

However, safety is another issue. Just simple rules of physics . . . in any collision versus another vehicle, the advantage lies with the heavier mass. Combined with Mercedes legendary "passenger cell" designs, they are a very good choice when crash safety is an issue compared to a similar model year car.

Saltyal · 06-09-2008, 05:05 PM

If you find a 190D 2.2 or a 2.5 in good shape you'll get pretty good mileage & run it "forever" (I get 38 to 42 mpg, but its a 5-speed). Like the other guys say though, its easy to become enamored with these older cars & turn them into money pits!

Hip001 · 06-10-2008, 06:45 AM

Saltyal,
What years are these diesels? What could I expect to pay for one?

**Jippi** · 06-10-2008, 07:29 AM

i had an 85 and an 87 they were peppy little cars. driving highway i got 28 mpg combined i get the usual 20-22 mpg. once you ostart driving one and working on one. you will fall in love with it.

drcharlesatlas · 06-10-2008, 08:41 AM

It's the 80/20 rule. Of the 80% of Mercedes ( all other cars included) on the road today 20% will develop unexpected mechanical or electronic failure, some catastrophic.

A car, including Mercedes, is only as reliable as the sum of its parts.

I am not sure what 190 you are thinking about, but if your wife pounds out 45k a year,
I think a 190e 2.6 would only be reliable in relation to the many maintenance costs which would make you dig deep into your wallet and drive you to drink.

Here some of the potential problems with these old wonderful cars:
a/c failure
water pump failure
head gasket failure
thermo viscous clutch failure
suspension failure
cooling problems
window motor failure
vacuum leaks

Of course every car can and does develop these failures.

I would advise you to let her drive your diplomat car and get yourself a 190 to run errands. You probably would average 18 miles to the gallon doing that and your other maintenance costs would be far less.

Just my 2 cents of opinion.

colinmi · 06-10-2008, 08:56 AM

The biggest issue I can think of when considering an "older" car for a wife is the air conditioner. You can have a mechanically and cosmetically perfect car that runs beautifully but if the air coming out of the vent is not as cold as the air that comes out of the vent of a new Japanese car you will never hear the end of it. No matter how smooth the idle is, how quiet the valves are, how perfectly the auxilliary fans click on at precisely 105 degrees, that your OVP relay is new _and_ you have a spare in the glovebox, that your subframe bushings and flex disks are new, how well adjusted the vacuum modulator is, how perfect the wood trim is, how perfect the paint is and the fact that it has a fresh set of Michelin Pilots on it, she will hate the car if the air isn't quite cold enough.

I don't think the AC in the W201s is better or worse than any other 15-25 year old German car but I do think that keeping AC working well at least doubles the amount of work, if not money needed to maintain one of these cars. Even then, when they are in as new condition many people who have become used to the AC in Japanese, or even American cars will not be happy with them.

You certainly know your wife better than I do but I would definitely consider her tolerance for older AC systems.

Saltyal · 06-10-2008, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hip001

Saltyal,
What years are these diesels? What could I expect to pay for one?

Mine's an 84, I think the 2.2's were only supplied foe a couple of years around the mid-80's, and the 2.5's overlapped that period & a bit later..... somewhere in these forums I saw a kind of spreadsheet that details the various power options by the model year....
As for price, I got mine as a "beater" for $700, but of course you'd pay much more for one with lower mileage & meticulous maintenance..... I'm guessing that barring a real "find" (like someones neighbours old retired auntie selling the old Merc on blocks

) you'd expect to pay at least $3000 & up for a good 190D.... but as fuel prices continue upwards I suppose these classy old cars will become even more economically viable & hold their value