[284037]

What a machine!
Aside form ice accumulating around the wiper mechanism and seeing nothing from the windshield this car got me home in one of the worst snow storms I drove through.
Oh, I didn't mean to drive this car today but my winter car blew a tire yesterday and I had no choice but to drive the 190E hoping that the snow would show up after I head home. I was wrong, the snow showed up while at work and I ended up driving the 190E with SUMMER tires for 30 miles on a congested highway and another 5 miles of city driving up and down hills.
The car's ability to control its fishtailing was what saved the day. I used that characteristic to propel it up hills while passing other rear wheel drive cars that were stuck. I basically drove most of the city miles in some form of controlled drifting.
I didn't make it all the way home as traffic got worse and I had steeper hills ahead of me but I did manage to find parking in my neighborhood a couple blocks away from home. I was wise enough to know my limits but I loved the fact that the car was so controllable.

Oh, I have no ABS, traction control or any sophisticated stuff. Just an auto trans and responsive throttle. The rest was steering and feathering the throttle games.

The essential thing is that I am safe at home and my wife is now making me a hot coco with double Scotch.

 

[slk230red]

Glad you made it home safe Drew. How do you guys live it that white stuff. I wouldn't know how to survive one winter. I just went outside to get the mail, a nice 72 degrees.

 

[tark514]

Man I completely disagree. This car sucks in snow... Before anyone calls me out on not know how to do rwd on snow, I used to have a E30 for years and I would never be an issue.

The Benz, is horrible to park in even the smallest snow banks... anything storm more than 10 cm of snow and forget it leave the car at home.

Hoping to put some studded tires for next year. Maybe that will help.

 

[oefvetw124lover]

Tires are the key.
I bought my first snow tires today- I usually use all season. What a difference with the snow tires !

 

[284037]

Man I completely disagree. This car sucks in snow... Before anyone calls me out on not know how to do rwd on snow, I used to have a E30 for years and I would never be an issue.

The Benz, is horrible to park in even the smallest snow banks... anything storm more than 10 cm of snow and forget it leave the car at home.

Hoping to put some studded tires for next year. Maybe that will help.

I made it with semi bald summer tiers, no traction control or some fancy stuff, no ABS and with a frozen windshield wiper. I just stuck my head out and ended up with frozen snot and caked hair.
I wouldn't do it again because of the wiper and the tiers but with the right tiers and a way to keep ice off the windshield and cowl I would do it again. Time to jerry rig an ice melting apparatus for the wiper arm.

 

[fact150]

We had a snow storm here in Oregon last February and both my MB got stuck . I finally got the 190 out and it did well . There is no snow removal in my town at all so it was a couple feet deep and I had actually a lot of fun in the car . And my tires are basic all season . Like any rear wheel drive it'll do better with some weight in the boot .

This is my w210 I couldn't get it out

 

[mxfrank]

What did Han Solo say? "Don't get cocky, kid". The only advantage a 190 has over modern RWD cars is skinny tires. Yes, it's true. Wide tires are useless on wet pavement.

If your car has limited slip, that's one thing. But for the most part, a 190 is a far cry from an ideal snow car. If you have to deal with this sort of weather, stick with Subaru.

One other tip...careful about spinning your wheels. The differentials are none to strong.

 

[fact150]

I always found it strange knowing Germany gets lots of snow and MB really did almost nothing until the late 80s to make cars that did good in it . What the hell did they do before ?

 

[Ignatz]

I have 4 Michelin X-Ice tires that I put on my 190E and wifes Volvo S70 every season. The extra wheels do take up storage space, but the cars go better with snow tires.
And extra weight in the trunk helps the 190!

 

[rjb190e]

I always found it strange knowing Germany gets lots of snow and MB really did almost nothing until the late 80s to make cars that did good in it . What the hell did they do before ?

Snow tires and chains. I have to say that there's much better choices than W201 in the snow, with the right tires, equipment and driving experience it's not that bad in a little snow. As for getting stuck, I got stuck in my W202 more than any car I ever had even with snow tires.

 

[Josh]

I had awesome winter tires on my 2.6 back in Germany, with a bag of sand or two in the trunk. Never had any issues, never got stuck, and we always made it to our destination.

 

[Sasasd]

I also found out that 190E is amazingly controllable in snow, with proper studded tires of course. It just so stable

 

[tark514]

It's the law to have snow tires here... The car still blows in snow and street parking. Next year studded tires for sure.

 

[fact150]

Those with rear wheel drive put bags of sand in the trunk here . No road salt here but studded tires are allowed during winter months . With 3 rear wheel drive vehicles I want a 4 wheel drive . I don't think about it until the weather happens and that is at least once a year . Then I'm like oh crap . I'm looking at a 91 300te 4matic . Needs a new transmission because reverse is out . I may pull the trigger . It has the m104.98 engine that is really good . Really don't want to take on another project until my current one is wrapped up but the opportunity is presented now . I want to sell my e320 really badly .

 

[Tricd04]

I've gone 2 and a half winters with the 190, and half a winter with a Mazda 626. The 626 had a lockout torque converter that was, surprise surprise, always locked. Not the best throttle response, so 2k drops into drive in the summer time. Didn't do any good at all into wintertime. Got that stuck multiple times, even being fwd. My mother's Oldsmobile Delta 88 did about a million times better.

The first half winter with the Benz was also with a slightly high idle, about 1200 rpms average. Little to no extra weight in the trunk... It was horrendous. By the next winter time, I had new all-seasons in the back, and a subwoofer. Still ended up with a high idle the first full winter, and had far too much fun, even with no heat in average 0F. This is my first winter in a more moderate climate, as I'm at college. Snow stays for a whole 2 or 3 days at a time, and then it's spring again. Have a different sub box, slightly better tires in the back, a second spare tire (no rim, just rubber), and a toolbox along with different fluids. When I went home to the 'bad' winter area with snowpack all over the road, I was able to still have fun with a little extra gas pedal, but it was extremely composed now that I have finally tamed the idle to 800. The one time I got stuck, some idiot was pulled out to a one way on a narrow side road to where I couldn't go through the already broken up stuff, and the rest was halfway up the grill.

Tldr; the 190E is a brilliant winter car as long as you have decent tires, extra weight in the back, and know where you can go.

 

[w123fanman]

I have little winter driving experience because I am in Atlanta but drove our Sprinter out on the black ice we had last year. It snowed, melted then froze, then everyday the sun would melt that top layer as the temps hung around 30 degrees. Pretty bad stuff according to my dad who is from Connecticut, went to undergrad near Boston and grad school in Minneapolis.

The Sprinter, an unloaded RWD work van, probably 60:40 weight distribution plus all seasons was not a good choice for the icy hills, had quite a bit of fishtailing going on but the traction control and my driving kept that thing on the road.

As for my 190, I didn't drive it, which was because I didn't have any injectors in the engine at the time. I think it probably would not have done well in the snow, I did have a lot of weight in parts and tool in the trunk but my 190 has no grip in the wet because of how much camber the rear wheels have from worn out springs, which are actually being replaced this week. As a winter car though, the heater is fabulous.

 

[Nfsjunkie91]

W123fanman: Remember also that the rear lower control arm bushings can wear out and be awfully detrimental to handling (camberrrrrrrrrr).

Our 300SD is a monster in the snow with General Altimax Arctics. I haven't tried them on my 190E but we'll see next winter.

 

[mxfrank]

The problem with this thread is that someone might read it and actually buy a 190 for it's winter capabilities. There are cars that can't move in snow, cars that cope, and a few that really work well. If you have to deal with real winter weather, you need at least one car that's really up to the task.

 

[Nfsjunkie91]

Are those Altimax Arctics, mxfrank?

 

[david yeagley]

in 25 years of driving W123's, W124's & W210's in northern ohio winter weather i have been stuck one time and it was my fault for trying to drive over a compacted drift that left me high centered! i have pulled people out of snow covered winter fields and ditches w/ a w124. in my opinion the most important factor in winter driving is not tires, not esp, not asd, not chains. it is experience. knowing how your car reacts in adverse conditions is key.
the only vehicle i have ever driven that is impervious to road conditions is my wifes '01 W163. that thing is a beast! because i am certain she will never read this thread i will confess it here: i have driven that monster over 10' snow piles in the walmart parking lot. i have driven it up to the axles in mud. i have crawled up and down strip mine walls in that tank. nothing fazes it. if she only knew...