1990 Mercedes-Benz 190 190e from North America - Comments

20th Dec 2006, 21:44

"Once a Mercedes, always a Mercedes"

What things have gone wrong with the car?

E-brake not longer works.

A/C needed recharging.

Cruise control works intermittently.

Heater control valve leaks intermittently.

General comments?

I love this car! It hugs the road and is very communicative; a true driver's vehicle. Somewhat slow off the line since the automatic is programmed to start in second gear (unless I floor the accelerator for 2-1 kick-down/kick in the pants), it has unbelievably long legs on the highway, showing its Autobahn pedigree. In this respect, I need to be careful, since this car could land me into trouble with the authorities. On the highway, it will cruise at 145km/h without any trouble. I personally took it up to 190km/h and it was still pulling and had a fair fit of pedal travel remaining, but that was the limit on the T-rated tires I was running at the time. I figure it could go to 215-220 km/h before the engine would run out of revs. More than enough to get my license suspended if I get caught!

The interior is nicely-appointed in leather and textured plastic that looks and feels a cut above the rest even 17 years later. The heated seats are a real treat on cold mornings. The car feels like a tomb inside, isolating everyone from the harsh world outside and imparting a sense of invincibility to the driver. If this was the entry level Benz of 17 years ago, what are they like today? I am very eager to find out. Now if only I had 50-grand lying around someplace...


22nd Dec 2006, 03:08

Mercs are very poor quality wise today, yours is one of the 'old school' that were real quality!


22nd Dec 2006, 08:51

I totally agree, although the 190 doesn't have the best reliability record according to the posters here. But, overall, older Mercedes were a sure thing as far as being dependable.

Personally, I couldn't see owing a modern Mercedes past its warranty. With all the electronic gizmos and questionable advances built in there is simply too much to go wrong that will cost too much to fix.


13th Mar 2008, 15:49

I have a 1989 E190 and at 60mph its at 3,000 rpm..

Is this okay?

Seems a little hight.

Thanks, mike.

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