Faults:

Bulbs failed (including on instrument panel).

Wear on hydraulic tappets.

General Comments:

Superb build quality - feels very solid. All components feel strong, e.g. doors shut with a pleasing 'thud'. I bought the car when it was over 18 years old, but in my first year of ownership I have only had to replace some bulbs, and latterly two tyres. I have had several Mercs (W123, 190); this variant (W124) is the best.

However the coupe is a heavy car, and it is not that brisk when accelerating. This suits me (in my mid-fifties) as I drive fairly steadily. But it is certainly not nippy. It comes into its own on a long run though - this is a car built for long distance cruising. On a motorway it feels very sure footed, cruises quietly, and is a comfortable car.

Fuel economy is pretty good - mid-late twenties for general motoring, mid-thirties on a long run per Imperial gallon.

Faults:

Nothing so far.

I need to change the electric aerial; it works, but it's noisy.

General Comments:

Really nice on the motorway. I have been to Cornwall and Manchester from London; no issues at all. I even have put SVO in the tank; no problem except that the oil is as expensive as diesel.

Stereo needs updating.

Seamless gear change.

Underneath is spotless for a 17 year old car, and I love it, because it's so well built and solid.

A great car.

Faults:

Only thing I had to fix was the cigarette lighter.

General Comments:

This is a excellent car to drive and own. Me and my family love the interior and sound system.

Faults:

There have been no serious faults with this car during my ownership.

A core plug in the cylinder head started leaking due to lack of anti-freeze. This cost pennies to fix.

A rear wheel bearing needed replacement, not cheap, but at 183,000 miles you can't complain.

Other than that, it's only ever been general servicing and consumables.

General Comments:

I bought this car as a "builder's van' when I was working on my house, and I couldn't fit any building materials inside or on top of my Honda Coupe. I was so taken with the comfort and versatility of the car, that I decided to keep it and sell the Honda.

It's now of an age where depreciation is no longer a problem or a consideration, and as it still looks good and drives like new, I shall not be parting with it unless or until something very serious goes wrong; which I can't see happening for some time yet.

Faults:

A few days after I bought the car, I had to change the AC evaporator; a leaking problem. It was available at $200 from the dealer. I changed it myself. This problem is common on those models, specially for the ´93 to ´95 models. This is an expensive and delicate job, since the dashboard has to be fully dismantled.

Routine maintenance:

Full tune-up (spark plugs, filters, injectors cleaned) for $100.

Auto transmission fluid and differential changed (around $60 for parts and fluid).

New genuine MB engine coolant ($40).

Front lower suspension ball joints ($50 for parts at the dealer, very reasonable).

"New" used light switch ($40).

Now sunroof is starting to giving me trouble (common on those models).

Another well known problem on every MB model from 93 to 95 is the engine harness. MB made the wire insulator from some crappy rubber that deteriorates, leaving the wire exposed and producing all kind of problems (ECU, coils, etc.). Mine was probably changed by the previous owner.

Finally, four cylinder engines from ´93 had a weak head gasket, and had to be changed around 100K kms. Again, mine was probably changed by the previous owner.

Mechanical and engine parts are very easy to get, because the engine was used on C-Class models and even on the newer E Class. Usual wear & tear parts are cheap, but electrical and body genuine parts can be very expensive, but they usually don't break.

General Comments:

This car was well maintained by the previous owner, but he had not made any servicing for the last 30K kms, at least. That's why the full tune-up and fluids.

This car is a very good compromise between economy, power and reliability. The new fuel injection system (Bosch Motronic vs. the previous KE Jetronic) makes it more powerful and gives it more torque, and the engine need less maintenance than the previous models (230E from 85 to 92). And of course, more economical... Around 10kms per liter in city/highway use, and around 12kms per liter on highway.. not bad for the size of this car.

I owned previously a 1990 300E, and I can say this car feels less heavy, specially in the front end, and the performance is more than adequate.

The interior looks like new after 16 years, and the wood trim on all door panels and dashboard gives a nice sense of luxury. Every time you get into the car, you can´t believe is that old.

And of course, the unique sense of safety. From the "thump" sound when you close the doors, the superb handling, non-fading brakes, airbag... makes it a very good choice for family rides.