Your Projects: Reviving a Mercedes-Benz 190E

Actually they're Bilsteins 

I keep looking at these cars ,now for sale cheap ,but with minor issues sometimes , like needs a trans rebuild or at least a used trans , everything else may be decent , but have to check it out fully . How decent of a daily driver do these make ? 6 CYL  power may be ok but fuel economy concerns me .seems like they hold up well if decently maintained like any car ,I would compare to my 1988 alfa milano ,i don't think the benz holds up to that level of enthusiast car . The milano was a rocket that handled like a racecar ,got great mileage  carried 4 people  decent trunk and was reasonably comfy .that exhaust note gave you the shivers lol. The benz i assume is german banker quiet , slow solid and firm .I may pull the trigger. the car looks good ,right size , well built , and the one im looking at has 130000 miles so not beaten down too bad , but no 1st or second gear in the auto ,I worry about a low mileage car eating tranny clutches.. Best of luck i'm interested in more about these benz's

In reply to jdoc90 :

The W201 chassis is quite different from an Alfa 75. It's very much a Benz: quiet, smooth, refined, and on the heavy side. Practically impossible to find one with a manual gearbox. Many don't even have LSDs. The only exception is the 16v model, which feels very much like an E30 M3, only with more torque.

A 190E 2.6L would make a very comfortable and reliable daily driver. Personally, I prefer the W124 chassis as a street car. A 300E can do everything a 190E does, but just a little better in every way. More room. Stronger brakes. Better aerodynamics. Much more comfortable rear seats. I've been running an '87 260E as a daily driver and it's absolutely fantastic. Not very sporty, but I'm not looking for much excitement in my grocery-getter / baby-hauler.

LanEvo said:

In reply to jdoc90 :

The W201 chassis is quite different from an Alfa 75. It's very much a Benz: quiet, smooth, refined, and on the heavy side. Practically impossible to find one with a manual gearbox. Many don't even have LSDs. The only exception is the 16v model, which feels very much like an E30 M3, only with more torque.

A 190E 2.6L would make a very comfortable and reliable daily driver. Personally, I prefer the W124 chassis as a street car. A 300E can do everything a 190E does, but just a little better in every way. More room. Stronger brakes. Better aerodynamics. Much more comfortable rear seats. I've been running an '87 260E as a daily driver and it's absolutely fantastic. Not very sporty, but I'm not looking for much excitement in my grocery-getter / baby-hauler.

I agree completely,  I was looking for a 190E  and ended up buying the W124 chassis also.  Better in just about everyway for basically the same money.

I didn't mean to dog the W201. I love my 16v more than any car I’ve ever owned. But the W124 is so similar in terms of styling, performance, and price ... but edges it out in practicality. Just makes more sense for street use.