1987 Mercedes-Benz 190 190e review from North America

Clock was not working; driver's seat squeaks, and the ELECTRIC headrests were not working.

I bought this 1987 190e 2.6 sight unseen from a dealer in Colorado and had it shipped to NJ; I have driven daily it for two months already, adding 3000 miles, and must say that I am astounded by this car - it simply does EVERYTHING better than you would expect.

It is comfortable for four adults and five in a pinch; the suspension is fantastic as is the steering response.

The 2.6 6 cyl gas engine hides quite a bit of pep at 170hp, and lets it loose when you floor the pedal, putting a huge smile on your face and a puzzled look on nearby drivers in Asian econoboxes.

If you are shopping for a 190e, be aware that only the 2.6 had standard ABS and had power seats - which brings us to ELECTRIC headrests! - I took apart the back of the seats to see what the mechanism looks like, and it is one the strangest arrangements imaginable - a motor turns a 10" horizontal ridged tube-screw, which then lifts a very delicate plastic assembly. I had to raid a salvage yard to get pieces, but they now work beautifully!

The car gets great gas mileage in the 25mpg area and is just a blast. Buy the best one you can find for about $7000; avoid the $3000 versions that have been abused;