190e

A head-turner but nothing special to drive, and now starting to need attention to the bodywork.

I had long heard of the legendary longevity and over-engineered build quality of the 190E, and being a lifelong fan of saloons rather than hatchbacks, I decided this was the car for me. I do not do a lot of motoring and thought that an older car would satisfy my needs. Rather than buy private and potentially end up with a nightmare, I chose to buy from a specialist, thinking that he would source only the best and give them a thorough check over before selling. My car was advertised as stunning, which, for an eighteen year old car, it was. I loved the colour - light metallic blue, and the price and spec seemed ok. It had covered 109k miles and had 14 MB main dealer stamps in the service book, together with receipts for a further 5 services/oil changes.
I was given the opportunity to examine the car fully prior to purchase, but I didn't pay too much attention to the bodywork as I couldn't expect it to be perfect, and I took the dealer's word that the engine and gearbox were sound - I'm no expert. Mechanically, it has been perfect, but the bodywork has proved to be a little less sound. I have had to have large areas of the boot welded after poking my fingers through the bottom on either side when looking for damage caused by the ingress of water. The bill came to £180 for a double skin repair. My next job is to have the rear screen removed and resealed with attention to rust-damaged metal below the screen.
This, of course, is a common problem with this model, as is corrosion below one or both of the rubber boots in the front door pillar. Only one side is affected on mine.
I know the dealer was aware of these common problems and that mine was a victim to them, because for some subsequent cars he has advertised, he has pointed out that these ailments have not affected a particular car. My tip is, therefore, be fully aware of all potential problems and if a dealer does not specifically state that a certain problem is not present, assume that it is.
On a more general note, I love the looks of the car and find the fixtures and fittings very well put together and all electric features are still working. It is not as smooth a ride as I had expected and I find the driving position a little uncomfortable. The seats are hard and I ache after about an hour - my recently sold twelve-year-old Citroen Berlingo was a joy to drive. The seating position is low and there is no adjustment to the steering wheel. Also, I find the two door mirrors - one portrait, one landscape - small by today's standards. Still, I like the simplicity of it mechanically, parts and servicing are very reasonable - I have a good independant garage who recently charged me £326 for a full service, including semi-synthetic engine oil, new front brake pads and one sensor and coolant flush/change (there was hardly any antifreeze in)- and hope to keep it for many years.
Since purchase, I have also had the alloy wheels professionally refurbished and the underneath Waxoyled - that's when I was told initally about it needing welding within the next twelve months or so.
I'm now contemplating - having sold my Berlingo - using the 190E as my run-around and buying a second Merc, probably a W123 or W124, or maybe even an old W126, for days out and showing - but I'll certainly do my homework this time. So let's hope the legendary longevity and over-engineered build quality of these older Mercs proves true!

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