Faults:

Radiator hose, leaking radiator, replaced the lot (very expensive) but worth it.

Electric window passenger side failed, fixed by myself and some cheaper mechanism parts sourced online.

Previous owner said auto-box was playing up at around 110K miles, expensive refurbishment was carried out - now shifts smoothly.

The car has all the wear and tear items replaced as expected of a 30 year old car; exhaust and suspension pretty much entirely.

The engine has been taken care of, every oil change on time since 1991. A little smokey now but still sounds good, and no leaks and good power. Cosmetics - No rust! The car was always garaged and looked after.

General Comments:

Bought as a classic car, at over 20 years old this has been one of my favorites. Always wanted one of these cars - it came from a time when Mercedes was Mercedes - they built cars from an engineers point of view, not a company accountant.

The 190 E is a solid car. Famous for reliability. I have to be honest though - the car has had its fair share of problems, and they have been expensive to fix. The point is though it is worth it - these cars are very dependable in general, and hold their value exceedingly well. What I paid for it I will get in return if I decided to sell it, even with higher mileage. Market is very strong for these, you will always find a buyer.

2.0 with auto box is the best option; the 1.8 can be a little slow for a car of this weight. Fuel consumption is respectable, managing more than 30 mpg on a long drive.

Interior is just gorgeous, such a high quality feel even after all these years. A smaller car by today's standard, it does feel as though there is decent space however, but outside the car looks like a compact executive car, which is exactly what it was market as. The BMW 3 series was its main rival, have not drove one of them so cannot comment on which is best. There is probably little in it and likely will come down to what you prefer.

If you are looking at buying one of these, go for it, their value will only rise with age.

Faults:

On one of the Continental tires, the tread started to separate. Replaced tires.

The thermostat housing (made of plastic) broke.

Clutch pedal has excessive travel.

Previous owner replaced (among many other things) the complete exhaust system, and the head was removed and valves ground.

General Comments:

I purchased this car off a friend who had had it special ordered from the factory. He complained of very poor service by MBZ, and spent a fair amount of money on it before I purchased it from him in L.A.

Once I owned it, I replaced the tires and installed quality sheepskin covers on the front chairs. I found the seats, even with power adjustment and pneumatic lumbar support to be borderline uncomfortable. Once the covers were on, it was comfy.

It had regular oil changes and the brake pads were replaced when required. I moved north to Canada and only sold it as it didn't suit the northern climate (namely the winter). Besides, Canadian mechanics seemed as if they equated a MBZ driver with delivering copious bills for repair.

If you can find a good one, get it. They're solid and corner really well. With the 4 cylinder and 5 speed, I had to throttle the car to get it moving, but it never ever balked. Never burned oil either. They're quiet inside too, if you like that. The interior is inviting with real wood and MBTex upholstery is tough.

I think it's a great car for a teener learning to drive. It has an airbag and it's built like a vault.