1995 Mercedes-Benz W124 E 200 review from Germany

Power antenna stopped working twice, not going all the way down.

Light bulbs fail remarkably often.

Key cylinder was blocked at 160 000 kilometers. As result, both key cylinder and steering column lock had to be replaced.

Aside from these trivia, no problems have occurred.

The gearbox does not work smoothly at all. Better go for an automatic.

The car offers very poor visibility to the rear, especially when compared to its predecessor. This makes parking an extremely unpleasant adventure.

Generally I am very pleased with the car as it is very spacious and comfortable and of almost legendary reliability.

The performance of the engine isn't really exciting, but absolutely sufficient considering the heaviness of the car. Gas mileage is very pleasing, too.

The car was (and still is!) expensive to purchase, it also did not come with a lot of standard equipment.

But maintenance costs are generally low as this model was a bestseller among taxi drivers around the world. Due to this fact, spare parts are affordable and easy to get everywhere. In Germany, Mercedes-Benz even officially sells second hand parts. (www.mbatc.de)

Considering these facts, the 124 series should make a faithful longterm-companion for anyone who needs a big and reliable workhorse at affordable costs.

Service at my local Mercedes dealership is way too expensive, though.

Conclusion: After two Mercedes and more than twenty years of hassle-free driving, I won't go for anything else in my life.