Faults:

Common oil leaks over the years due to the heat from the M119 V8 block.

The 4-speed automatic transmission can become harsh, delay shifts, or slip if the hydraulic fluid and filters have not been changed on time.

Play in the steering box that reduces precision at high speeds.

The cable sections in the engine compartment crack, causing short circuits or erratic failures.

General Comments:

While its size and weight mean it isn't a sports car, in terms of performance, it certainly seems like one. It boasts a high top speed and excellent acceleration, and it is incredibly easy to drive.

The pleasure of driving lies fundamentally in the ability to control the car, understood as the operation of the controls and the vehicle's response to those actions. To begin with, this requires adequate visibility, an impeccable driving position, comfortable yet smooth and precise access to the primary controls (steering wheel, pedals, and gearshift), and a seat that offers good lateral support.

The car is a monument to high-performance automotive technology that does not sacrifice comfort.

Standard features include: ABS anti-lock brakes; ASR and MSR traction control (during acceleration and engine braking); hydropneumatic rear suspension with self-leveling; power steering; forged alloy wheels; H-4 headlights with long-range and ellipsoidal fog lights; headlight washers; interior headlight height adjustment; manual and electric door mirrors; fluid level and lighting check-control system; air conditioning; Becker Mexico 2000 radio-cassette player with four speakers and an automatic antenna; central locking for doors, trunk, and fuel filler cap; four electric windows; fully power-adjustable front seats; leather steering wheel; height-adjustable seatbelts; cruise control; outside temperature display; three reading lights; tachometer; water temperature gauge; oil pressure gauge; analog clock; and instrument cluster dimmer. For a 1992 model, all of this is phenomenal, even for a Mercedes!.

The anti-roll bars are not excessively thick for the car's weight, nor are the springs overly stiff; however, because the bars are anchored using very hard rubber bushings, they react to the slightest steering input. Overall result is a car that is genuinely comfortable, responds instantly to the steering, and exhibits very little body roll in corners. Combined with traction control systems, which prevent wheel slip during both acceleration and deceleration (effectively performing an automatic heel-and-toe maneuver during downshifts), the car handles corners with astonishing ease, provided the radius is not so tight as to conflict with the geometric constraints imposed by its size.

It has tremendous recovery power in fourth gear, yet its cruising ability is more than adequate, even for those most demanding regarding straight-line performance. In corners, the steering is remarkably quick, requiring little more than three turns of a steering wheel that is, at long last, of a reasonable size; as for the brakes, they are sufficient unless one insists on driving flat-out and recklessly in mountainous terrain, where the vehicle's weight and acceleration capabilities present them with a truly daunting task.

The only downside (aside from the fuel consumption, which is extremely high) is that the automatic transmission has only four speeds; this causes the car to lose some responsiveness, even though the acceleration itself is excellent. The engine is typical of an old Mercedes: bulletproof. It’s expensive to maintain, but it won’t give you any trouble.

It’s a great car, superior to anything on the market today, which is exactly why I still own it.

Faults:

Windshield wiper stopped working.

Windows stopped going up and down.

Alarm would not stop going off.

Gas cover got locked up, and had to be broken in order to get gas.

A/C worked for a day.

Radio stopped turning on.

Sporadic transmission failure.

Would not shift to 3rd gear for a while.

General Comments:

I have a '92 Mercedes E300 as well. It has relatively low miles for an old car - about 92000.

It is definitely the worst car I have ever owned. The best thing about it is that it is safe (I was hit by a dump truck and the car wasn't even damaged), but that's the only good thing I can think of.

The bad things with my Mercedes were that all of the electrical wiring went bad (after research, I discovered that there is a recall for this). The windows do not work, A/C broke instantly, the sole windshield wiper stopped working, and now even the radio stopped turning on.

This car has been more trouble than it's worth. I have to take it in to get it fixed every two months. My mechanic actually told me, "The problem with this car is that it's a Mercedes. If I were you I'd get some good insurance on it and crash it."

I also had a battery explode.

I had one period of time when the car would not shift gears at all, causing it to be non-driveable for 3 months. When I took it to the mechanic, it suddenly worked fine.

Also, I had a MAJOR problem with the alarm system. One day it just started to go off for no reason. At first, it would go off when I started the car, but after doing this for about a month, it would no longer turn off for ANY reason. I ended up having to get the alarm system disconnected.

I have had plenty of used cars before - Ford, Saturn, Toyota, Volvo, Chevy, etc., and none have been as bad as this car. I'm going back to Toyota, which lasted to 300,000 miles.