At the time of purchase used, it was clear that the car had not been properly serviced and that the repair / used-car dealer was not forthcoming about the items needing work, to wit:
Leaking differential gasket
Leaking oil gasket
six (6!) running lights out
three dash lights out
I had found other problems:
defective power window regulator
loose, non-functional air vents
defective driver's door lock
As the car was well priced ($7K,) I was happy to pay for the repairs I found (and would have paid for the others). The worthless dealer failed to fix the lock, he put in a defective Toyota window regulator that failed within a week, and took $500 for "servicing" which amounted to an oil change. I guess he figured I would not come back since I was from out of state. The Better Business Bureau in Conway SC has been notified.
Home in Virginia, the M-B servicing has (in contrast to SC) been a dream. They found all the problems, were solicitous and polite, and treated me like a king. I did not find the prices all that high, all things considered. To put the car in shape cost me another $1.5K. I also replaced the stereo-radio and speakers (blown by previous owner) on top of that -- and didn't regret the cost for a minute.
Over the two years owned, I have only had the most minor of problems:
Slow rear door automatic lock
broken hinge on hood raising arm
replaced dirty floor mats (I park on a dirt driveway)
Since the major problems with the car were all there when I got it, and were due to lack of care by the dealer and previous owner, I have nothing but good things to say about the car:
Tight responsive handling
V. quiet ride, I can even listen to music with the roof and windows open!
Wonderful comfort for such a small vehicle -- I love taking it for 7 hour trips, even!
Clear, elegant dash layout
Air conditioning that would freeze a polar bear (great in Va and SC).
I admit the 2.3 is not overpowered; acceleration is stately rather than peppy, but that does not bother me. The car seems to come into its own at about 70 mph -- accelerates better then that at lower speeds.
Beatifull classic lines, that get looks and comments even thougth the car is pushing 10 year of age.
If you buy a 190E -- and they can be gotten for a bargain price -- spend the money to get good M-B service. The car deserves it. I expect to get another 120K miles out of it, no questions asked.
Avoid fly-by-night dealers in SC.
It truly is hard for me to be impressed that the car needed some rather major work done at 107k when you acquired the car. To spend $7k on any used car and have to put another $1,500 in repairs blows my mind. I'm used to spending less than half that amount on my used vehicle purchases and spending a mere fraction of the $1,500 you spent on point-of-sale repairs. Maybe $500 max. Truly not impressed. From my frame of reference (American cars and Volvos), for $1,500 I can get a new engine or transmission. I've only had to get that type of major repair done once, and that was due to a faulty engine repair on my pampered '91 Park Ave, which destroyed the engine. $1,300 covered an engine swap for a clean running used unit with 90k miles. If some gasket replacements, light bulbs, and a power window are costing you $1,500, that is quite a costly car to repair. Not to mention those repairs shouldn't have been needed given the mileage anyway.
You
Have obviously never driven a 190E before if you think $8500 total expenditure is too much for a great car. There is a saying that goes like this "once you drive one you'll never go back" and this is true for this car. I traded my 2000 Mazda Protoge (gave it to my aunt) and I bought the 1992 190E and I have absoluteley no regrets, the car drives like a dream, it's incredible and the acceleration on the highway is amazing. I do recommend the 2.6 over the 2.3 since the gas mileage is virtually the same, but the car feels better on the 2.6 6 cylinder engine. Cheers!
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