Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Which Mercedes? 1 2 3

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  March 24, 2011 5:40 p.m. Travis_K Dork

  I am pretty sure I want to get a Mercedes for my next car, My Milano isnt really working out that well for a daily driver, so I want to sell it and get something else. The only Mercedes I have driven is a W123 240D (two different ones) and they seem pretty nice (not even nearly as underpowered as I would have thought), although the comfortable cruising speed (65-70 mph) would be a bit too slow in many freeway situations, and they are also getting rather old.
  Are any of the newer ones (like as in say 84-94) a good idea for a daily driver? Or are there too many problems with them.

  The ones I would be looking at are:

  W126-tons of the always for sale around here, the only weird thing I have noticed is that every single one in the junkyard has the front of the drivers seat unbolted from the floor and bent back (which ruins them). Does anyone know why people do that? Also, does anyone who that kind of mileage they get with the different engines? I have heard 24-26 with diesels, but someone with a 560sel told me it got 26mpg on the freeway too.

  W124-also tons of them around, mostly 300Es, occasionally a 400E. Any problem areas with them? Do the automatic transmissions hold up well?

  W140-lots of them around, but too complicated? I dont really know much about them other than that i see them every couple days.
  

  Most of the others are either too expensive, old enough i would get just a W123 if i wanted something that old, or I dont really like them.

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  March 24, 2011 5:52 p.m. m4ff3w SuperDork

  My wife has an '89 W201 2.6. I know lots of stuff were shared between that car and the W124. But I don't know what will relate to your search.

  She gets 21mpg in mixed driving, 23.5 pure highway at 70mph. The power seats don't get enough current to run. They get 12v but not enough to move.

  So far no problems with the K-Jet 2.6. It actually moved the car pretty darned well, even with the automatic. Speaking of which, the automatic isn't a terrible one. No issues from it other than a leaking cooler hose that was fixed via Pick-n-Pull.

  She previously had a '79 W123 280E. It averaged 18mpg mixed, but we never spent enough time on the highway to get a solid highway only mpg figure. It was slow from a dead stop, but had surprisingly good passing power.

  I finally got a Maserati Biturbo.

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  March 24, 2011 6:11 p.m. curtis73 Dork

  We had a W210 (99 E300 diesel). It was great. Get one and the very first thing you do is remove the fan shroud. It will eventually get sucked into the fan which pushes the fan blades into the radiator. Ditch it, burn it, and never look back. Just remember its not there when you're under the hood :)

  Most of the W1xx cars are beat hard. W210s can be found for fair prices. Get one in the 150k mile range and you'll be golden.

  I'm bringing sexy back

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  March 24, 2011 6:24 p.m. Junkyard_Dog Dork

  +1 for W210s. Tons around and still going strong for a reason.

  I love going to the Pull-a-Part because the dollar admission is cheaper than most car shows and you almost always see cooler cars.

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  March 24, 2011 6:29 p.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork

  Be very wary of a 210 with A/C problems. The blower motors and evaporators are $$$$$$$ to replace. Were it me, I'd try to find a 97 or early 98 with the 104 inline 6. Those things are tough as nails.

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  March 24, 2011 6:30 p.m. Travis_K Dork

  Hmm, W210 is about 3x the price of a diesel w124, and 4-5x the price of a gas w124 or any w126 around here. Are they that much better?

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  March 24, 2011 6:31 p.m. BoxheadTim SuperDork

  Just keep in mind that the W210 tends to rust a lot worse than the W124. Scary areas include the front suspension crossmember and that's hidden behind the engine undertray.

  IMHO the best W124 to get are the last model year or two before the W210 changeover. As usual with Mercedes pretty much all the problems with the earlier ones had been ironed out at that point and they've received the newer engines. I liked the E280 I had in the UK - very nice long distance cruiser.

  Sanity is vastly overrated.

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  March 24, 2011 6:53 p.m. benzbaron HalfDork

  A w126 will give you lousy mileage but if you are looking for one find a 300se in good condition, I think 1990 was the last year. Find the best one you can buy. You could probably get 18-20mpg on the highway but less than 15mpg in town but I'd be suspicious of anyone who claim much higher. An older 560sel with a 3 speed will drink fuel like something else.
  

  I'd stay away from anything newer than a w126, as the problems will go from being mechanical to electrical. It is easier to find a leaky vacuum line than a short in a wiring harness.
  

  The w123 diesel is the workhorse of the mercedes line but they are all getting pretty old. I also don't know about how much gas mileage you'd get with a diesel verses the cost of fuel. Right now diesel prices are higher than premium so that is something to consider.

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  March 24, 2011 7:38 p.m. Travis_K Dork

  Hmm, so w124, w126, or w210 with an 6 cylinder are probably the best bet? I don't really fit in the smaller ones, and anything less than about 18 mpg on the freeway wouldn't really work, so the big v8 ones probably aren't the best idea I guess. A 400E does sound like it could be fun, but I bet they aren't at all fun to work on.

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  March 24, 2011 7:52 p.m. JFX001 SuperDork

  Isn't Tom (Heath) selling his white 300TE?

  Looks like a sweet car.

  Easy like Sunday Morning.

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  March 24, 2011 7:55 p.m. BoxheadTim SuperDork

  I'm still thinking the 400E is a lot of car for the money, they don't attract the same silly prices as the hot rod 500E (the 400E was more designed to be a mid-size luxury long distance cruiser). The wagons are immensely practical so they would probably be my first choice, though.

  Sanity is vastly overrated.

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  March 24, 2011 8:01 p.m. Travis_K Dork

  There is a beater 400E for $1k that has been for sale for months here. I don't need another car that needs a bunch of work though. They do sounds like a nice car. It would probably be a long time before I could afford a w210 or newer w124, but I will probably go test drive a 300e and a 300se when I have a chance.

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  March 24, 2011 8:32 p.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork

  I have a friend with a clean 4 door sedan V8 model for sale. I don't know the details, but I'm sure it is reasonable. I think he wanted about as much as an enclosed trailer would cost to haul his tools in. He's in Montgomery, Alabama. Sorry I don't know more details on it, I try to avoid those. I think it's a late 80's, and the big sedan. I know he's spent a bunch of money on it getting it running well. It's been sitting a while now. He has too many vehicles and not enough work. We're in a depression and his industry was hit the hardest.

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  March 24, 2011 9:30 p.m. DrBoost SuperDork

  Travis_K wrote: Hmm, so w124, w126, or w210 with an 6 cylinder are probably the best bet? I don't really fit in the smaller ones, and anything less than about 18 mpg on the freeway wouldn't really work, so the big v8 ones probably aren't the best idea I guess. A 400E does sound like it could be fun, but I bet they aren't at all fun to work on.

  1993 was the last year for a good benz, well, one that won't break the bank trying to put and keep right. I have a 1992 W124 and I would say, go diesel. I get 30 mpg all day long and it has 270K on the ticker and still ticking (loudly) along. They are built like a tank and still look good. The most common issue is vacuum problems. Take a weekend and comb over the vacuum system and all your woes will be past.
  Another reason to get the diesel, they have that bad A air intake on the fender
  

  You know you are deep in boost territory when you get tire pressures and boost pressures confused

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  March 24, 2011 10:17 p.m. carzan HalfDork

  ^^^ What Dr. Boost said. I have a W124 Turbodiesel as well. While mine is an earlier model that doesn't have the cool louvered fender like the '92s do, I agree they are fantastic cars.

  "There are so many ways you can ALMOST fix this..." (Ray Magliozzi)

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  March 24, 2011 10:25 p.m. DrBoost SuperDork

  Me likes the louvered fender. I came out of the grocery store the other day and there was this kid, about 8 or 9. He was just looking and looking in there trying to see what it is. I was laughing. I've had people (usually from mid-teens to mid-twenties) pointing out how cool the headlight wipers are. I don't care about the headlight wipers, but the louvered fender makes it worth it to drive a boring car.

  You know you are deep in boost territory when you get tire pressures and boost pressures confused

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  March 24, 2011 10:31 p.m. mtn SuperDork

  DrBoost wrote:

  Travis_K wrote: Hmm, so w124, w126, or w210 with an 6 cylinder are probably the best bet? I don't really fit in the smaller ones, and anything less than about 18 mpg on the freeway wouldn't really work, so the big v8 ones probably aren't the best idea I guess. A 400E does sound like it could be fun, but I bet they aren't at all fun to work on.

  1993 was the last year for a good benz, well, one that won't break the bank trying to put and keep right. I have a 1992 W124 and I would say, go diesel. I get 30 mpg all day long and it has 270K on the ticker and still ticking (loudly) along. They are built like a tank and still look good.

  IMHO, this is false. I'd take any W124 from 93-95. I'd stay away from the 96 onward though, my neighbors had bad experiences with theirs. It seemed to rust immediately.

  Anytime somebody tells you that vodka mixes well with anything, slide them a jar of mayonnaise and tell them to practice what they preach.

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  March 24, 2011 10:37 p.m. DrBoost SuperDork

  Sorry, I meant up to 95. Yeah, the post W124's were junk. I've worked on too many of them that were 1/2 the age, 1/3 the mileage and 1/5 the car mine is. And mine is just a driver.

  You know you are deep in boost territory when you get tire pressures and boost pressures confused

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  March 25, 2011 12:15 a.m. curtis73 Dork

  Travis_K wrote: Hmm, W210 is about 3x the price of a diesel w124, and 4-5x the price of a gas w124 or any w126 around here. Are they that much better?

  Depends on what you are wanting, but IMO yes. Good luck trying to find a 126 that isn't beat and smells like that bread from last year you found in your fridge drawer. If you DO find one that isn't beat, you'll pay darn near as much as you would for a W210.

  If you're looking for reliable transportation with a seat spring in your anus and go everywhere smelling like mold, get a cheap 126. By the time they got around to the 210s, they were light years ahead in NVH, fit and finish, quality of materials, etc.

  I'm bringing sexy back

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  March 25, 2011 12:20 a.m. curtis73 Dork

  curtis73 wrote:

  Travis_K wrote: Hmm, W210 is about 3x the price of a diesel w124, and 4-5x the price of a gas w124 or any w126 around here. Are they that much better?

  Depends on what you are wanting, but IMO yes. Good luck trying to find a 126 that isn't beat and smells like that bread from last year you found in your fridge drawer. If you DO find one that isn't beat, you'll pay darn near as much as you would for a W210.

  If you're looking for reliable transportation with a seat spring in your anus and go everywhere smelling like mold, get a cheap 126. By the time they got around to the 210s, they were light years ahead in NVH, fit and finish, quality of materials, etc.

  Oh... and I highly recommend the 98-99 diesel. The 96-97 were non turbo and dog slow. 98-99 will break loose the tires if you turn off the traction control, and they are the last evolution of the old inline 6... the last of the good ones.

  Downsides: glow plugs like to die and trip the CEL, and about 25% of the time they break off in the head, but that usually doesn't happen until about 200k. A/C problems aren't that bad, just labor intensive. The compressor almost never fails. The climate control on them runs the compressor almost all the time so they never sit idle and let the oil drain back to the sump. The typical problems are the Duovalve (easy to replace, expensive to buy) and the vacuum control manifold (cheap to buy, a bitch to replace)

  I'm bringing sexy back

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  March 25, 2011 12:43 a.m. Travis_K Dork

  Are the w140 diesels (early 90s 300sd) decent? Or are they more like as bad an idea as a BMW 750il or other overly complicated cars. I have seen a couple of them around, but other than that it's very rare to see a diesel other than a w123 or w126.

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  March 25, 2011 1:52 a.m. mtn SuperDork

  Travis_K wrote: Are the w140 diesels (early 90s 300sd) decent? Or are they more like as bad an idea as a BMW 750il or other overly complicated cars. I have seen a couple of them around, but other than that it's very rare to see a diesel other than a w123 or w126.

  It should be the same diesel as the W124, just in a bigger car. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, this is just from memory from reading random (questionable) websites.

  Anytime somebody tells you that vodka mixes well with anything, slide them a jar of mayonnaise and tell them to practice what they preach.

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  March 25, 2011 5:41 a.m. DrBoost SuperDork

  I think you are right mtn. They are just going to be slower cuz they are heavier.

  You know you are deep in boost territory when you get tire pressures and boost pressures confused

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  March 25, 2011 5:59 a.m. carzan HalfDork

  mtn wrote:

  Travis_K wrote: Are the w140 diesels (early 90s 300sd) decent? Or are they more like as bad an idea as a BMW 750il or other overly complicated cars. I have seen a couple of them around, but other than that it's very rare to see a diesel other than a w123 or w126.

  It should be the same diesel as the W124, just in a bigger car. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, this is just from memory from reading random (questionable) websites.

  As far as diesels, W124s came with 3.0L in 1987 and then went to 2.5L in the early 90's. Larger cars like the W126 started out with the 3.0 in 1986 and went to a 3.5L in the early 90s. Early 3.0L engines had issues with heads cracking (#14 casting) in '86-87 but have since been improved to the point of it not really being an issue. The early 3.5L engines had issues with rods bending but seem to be ok if the rods have been replaced with updated ones.

  "There are so many ways you can ALMOST fix this..." (Ray Magliozzi)

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  March 25, 2011 6:06 a.m. ccrelan Reader

  I am currently mulling over some later W124s myself. I know a reputable seller right around the corner from me who specializes in them. He has a e320 wagon, e420 sedan, and a reasonable 500e for sale. He parts out these cars all the time. I dream of the 500e, but I am not sure how good of daily driver it would make. I think the wagon is sharp and practical. I need to get over to his shop to drive all 3.

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