Faults:

Leaking oil gasket from around the engine block, replaced recently.

Radiator leak. Replaced last year.

Heater core failure. Will be replaced shortly.

Electrical short causing car to stall out, fixed last year.

Emergency brake failure, replaced recently.

Rear brakes and rotors replaced.

General Comments:

The 190E has been a pleasure to own despite the rather long list of repairs listed above. For the most part it is an extremely reliable car and with 165,000 miles clocked on, it still runs incredibly smooth. I quite frequently drive it for three hours at a time on the weekends and it always brings me safely home without anything to worry about. A wonderfully constructed car!

The car is quick and peppy, although not as fast as my old Mazda Miata. It accelerates smoothly and has enough power for getting out of any tight spots. The gears are firm and the first up shift will definitely get your attention if you've been driving American cars for a long time.

It handles through just about anything and I doubt you could do anything to lose control of the car. It is responsive in the corners, a very stable ride and feels very reassuring to drive.

I have to say, it's built like a bomb shelter and when the door closes you feel like you are driving something very safe. You know that if anything were to go wrong, the car will definitely take care of you. It has excellent safety restraints and even has an airbag for the drivers side.

I've driven the car non-stop since finding it in October of 1999 and I must say it is the safest, most reliable, and most confident driving car I have ever had the pleasure of owning.

Faults:

A/C Compressor replaced 3 times so far since the car was new. No surprise there.

Shocks replaced at 110,000 miles.

Throttle position switch replaced at 130,000 miles. Decel fuel-cutoff had stopped working, and idle was surging.

Rear brake disc caliper seized at 140,000 miles.

Electro-hydraulic actuator replaced at 150,000 miles (part of fuel system that controls mixture, began to leak fuel).

At 155,000 miles at 13 years old, the car looks and feels brand new inside and out. There is no visible wear on the leather-and-cloth sport seats, which are incredibly comfortable.

The steering is starting to become loose now, and the car is leaking oil and transmission fluid slowly from several seals that are failing.

In typical MB style, the car uses about 1 to 1.5qt of oil per 1000 miles and smokes slightly under hard acceleration.

General Comments:

My car is a 2.0 Euro model originally purchased in Berlin (It's in the US now).

Built like a bomb shelter. No chassis flex, no rattles, no squeaks. Incredibly solid.

No visible signs of wear on the body or interior after 13 years and 155k miles.

Surprise! It handles incredibly well! It leans horribly through curves, but hangs on providing copious amounts of grip. And there's nothing you can do to unsettle this chassis in corners - no matter how much gas, brakes, or steering you apply, it stays smooth, composed, and balanced.

2.0 engine is 6-cylinder, smooth and quiet as a sewing machine. It lacks in low-end torque but pulls strongly to the redline, and can get to 60mph in 9.7s with the 4-speed automatic (G-Tech Pro results for my car... YMMV).

The transmissions on these cars shift unusually harshly - so you'll be disappointed if you're used to butter-smooth GM Automatics. They're made to shift fast and hard... not neck-snapping, but very firm.

The heavy flywheel weight and long, progressive gas pedal travel makes for a car that is reluctant to dart around or make quick downshifts. If you learn how to make the transmission and engine do what you them want to do, you can get the car to keep up with the best of them... but you'll always feel like you're "fighting with it" to go fast.

Gas mileage is ~22mpg overall. 60-0 braking is an insanely short 120 feet (with ABS), and you can't seem to get the brakes to fade.

All in all, a safe, well-handling car that should last a long, long time and make you very happy in the meantime.

Faults:

The water pump was replaced at 125,000 miles.

A couple of seat cushion strips slid out at 110,000 miles.

The thermostat housing began leaking very slightly at 125,000 miles. Otherwise a perfect record.

General Comments:

It's been the best car; I drive it up and down the west side of Washington State for drives of 4-5 hours every other weekend with no problems.

The car is welcoming and comfortable in all climates.

Very reliable, with only a few parts being expensive to fix.

Great for off-roading and on camping trips. I put a bike rack on it and take it to triathlons very often.