1992 Mercedes-Benz W124 260E from Japan - Comments

At 95000km, wiper motor became weakened.

At 102000km, water pump and alternator became bad, and were exchanged.

At 120000km, oil pump and brake hoses were exchanged.

At 138000km, wiper motor was dead.

At 139000km, air conditioner was broken.

Generally speaking, this car was tough and beautifully engineered. In fact, before 95000km, there had been no trouble except power windows starting to work slower.

But at 95000km, wiper motor became bad and had to be replaced with new motor, it would be a sign of fatigue.

Its mechanical element was largely built to last and heavy-duty. For example, after the repair of several troubles, she cruised as fast and smoothly as when it had been new. Even at more than 100000km, it could reach its manufacturer-quoted top speed of 210km/h (131mph) with no slightest hint of strain and stress. Thus its true top speed proved to be 224km/h (139mph), far more than manufacturer data.

Along with it, it reached 241km/h (150mph)! @6500rpm (well into redline) on chassis dyno, with recording 177.5bhp (more than quoted horsepower) at 120000km! I think such astonishing data for its catalogue data of 166bhp (124kW) /5800rpm were results of 0W-50 engine oil (higher in grade than its manufacturer recommended 5W-40 oil) and carbon removing chemical mixed into fuel.

Above all, the mechanical precision of Mercedes'2599cc 6-cylinder unit with 12 valves proved to be excellent through that performance data!

One major defect of my Mercedes 260E was poor fuel economy, as average fuel consumption of 8.7km/l far behind those of the Lexus LS460 with 4606cc/385bhp engine and Mercedes' own S500L with 5461cc displacement, to today's standard. But it is sure that this data was commendable enough in early 1990s, compared with the likes of Peugeot 605 SV3.0 and BMW525i with similar performance.

And its noisiness was barely tolerable. I think it was largely owing to low-gearing with final ratio of 3.27:1. As a result, my 260E was as noisy as today's Corollas and VW Golfs.

Considering several troubles and towering service costs, the total running cost of my 260E could be very abusive, roughly as much as the price of new Mercedes' small car as B-class! So I traded her for a brand-new Lexus IS350 late 2008 (last year).

At that age and mileage, of course you'll have problems -- with ANY car. You haven't mentioned an automatic gearbox rebuild, nor a top overhaul, no brake master cylinder rebuild either. Everything you experienced is just normal. Even on a Toyota.

Thank you for your response! I replaced my brake pads and master cylinders at 105000km and 130000km. After exchange of those elements for brake system, my 260E Mercedes stopped well and safely as when it had been new. But it is also sure that the service costs become more and more expensive, as its mileage increases.

As a whole, my Mercedes 260E was a reliable and economical car considering its mileage and age. Handling? It was somewhat dull and feelless, but basically it was safe as well as predictable I think. On S-line corner, it didn't lose any traction, so I could control the form of the car rather freely. Its suspension was somewhat soft but stable. So I feel the 260E is more comfortable and has more controllable handling, compared with a brand-new Nissan Teana and a Chrysler Sebring (these are 2009 new-models)!

Its ergonomics are superior to today's most cars of this class; from the BMW 5-series to the Chinese Brilliance BS6.

I predict my Mercedes 260E would have been exported to the country such as Iraq or Somalia, and used as a reliable transportation for some VIPs there now.

You may be correct on servicing costs, especially because you are in Japan. I am in NZ, and we get many of the used Japanese cars too, including European cars. But we have many non-dealer mechanics who are very good. So, even if normal working people can only afford to buy second-hand Japanese-import European cars, if it was well looked after, we can still afford to run them.

I consider your Mercedes to be one of the last "real" Mercedeses, over-engineered, very durable if serviced well. That is why they are used as taxis in many countries. But Mercedeses these days from mid-1990s, are not as good.

I hope that Mercedes quality improves again, especially after they sold Chrysler, so they are not bleeding money anymore. In the meantime, I hope your new Lexus serves you well, and you are as happy with it for the same long time as you had the Mercedes.

Thank you! My Lexus IS350 serves for me very well, and its fuel consumption is about 10km/l average, obviously better than my previous car, Mercedes 260E. Above all, my Lexus IS350 cruises smoothly and powerfully as a silky bomb! It accelerates as fast as the Mercedes E550 and the BMW 750iL, with well loosen-up engine and powertrain.

By the way, my Mercedes 260E made in 1992 is superior to the likes of Chrysler Sebring, Chevrolet Impala, and Kia Magentis or other crappy American and Korean newer offerings to this class in the elements of active safety. Thus I feel very proud of my departed 260E Mercedes could be still working and serving for people as a faithful transportation in other countries, such as New Zealand!

I believe my quasi-20 years old Mercedes 260E would corner and stop more safely than a Ford Falcon or a Holden Commodore of 5-7 years old.

I'm happy to have come across this review. I'm on the verge of purchasing a 300TE with high mileage from Japan. Having procured two vehicles from the Japanese used car market (Golf & Nissan) with great satisfaction. I think I will never walk into our local dealer/showrooms to get ripped off. "Kenya" where you get punished for owning a car. I've handled several GD series so I assume toughness "cuts" across siblings. I was taken in by the review of the 124 and having experienced the effortless speed, safety and comfort of a 200E I'm throwing in all my chips into the 300TE. However, I'm getting different information concerning the fuel economy i.e. km/lt. The manual puts it at about 10 and I see this review puts the 2.6 "smaller engine" at about 8 - it does not add up. Can anyone out there give me a factual figure? Automatic four speed transmission.