I had one of these as my first car. I bought it off my elderly neighbor who had decided to sop driving. It was in immaculate condition with 90000 miles. Frank was my trusty steed all through high school and college. He has been with me through thick and thin, I am planning a restoration to spruce him up a bit. Love a good old Merc
Marvellous! At the time these cars came out, they were an incredible success from the beginning. Customers had to wait two years and longer to get one. Workers in the Daimler-Benz Imperium could buy the 190 earlier and for a reduced price; but they had to keep them at least for one year before selling them (Jahreswagen). And they did sell them: to impatient folks for a higher price. In my surrounding there are still so many as daily drivers on the roads - it’s fantastic! Very well told story. The German word “Einspritzung” you did pronounce correctly. Cheers • Martin
I have the 2.0 automatic 190E. Absolutely love it, and it's been my daily drive for over two years. I don't think I could go back to a modern car now. I like the way it's a very _carry_ looking car... If that makes sense? No stupid childish rounded edges, or flashy LED's or screens. No ugly tiny brake lights, or annoying blue xenon headlights. It's just a good, sensible, respectable, reliable car... from a time when cars were made for adults.
US viewer here, ironically the only one of these W201s I've ever driven was a 190 E 2.6, never a 4 cylinder model. Can agree that it is arguably the way to go if you cannot get a hold of a 16v model. Lovely engine for a car this size.
In the U.S. we never actually got a true 190E (or 190D); they all had larger engines, but for some reason Mercedes called it the 190 anyway. The rarest was the one-year-only turbodiesel model, the 190D 2.5 Turbo. And the 190E 2.6 had the same engine as the larger W124-based 260E, later renamed the 300E 2.6.
I feel ambivalent about this. On one hand, it's wonderful seeing a Benz from the tail end of the golden era. On the other hand, it's enough to make me weep over how far M-B has fallen over the past 25 years or so.
Worked at a Merc Dealer many moons ago and drove the 1.8, 2.0, 2.3/2,5 -16V Cosworth (Dog-leg 1st gear gearbox version - quite a few in the bodyshop with rear end damage with that one) and the 2.6. You're right about the 2.6 really being the one to go for in terms of refinement, but the 4 cylinder ones still good fun to drive. Lots of options could be with these as well, funny thing was you got an electric sunroof with keep fit windows as standard equipment. I'm guessing the electric ones all round we're an optional extra, like just about everything else on them. Great review as always Ian and brought back some fond memories about driving these cars and just how well built they were.
My first car was a 1986 2.0 Manual pre facelift , I loved every minute of it , mine had a stainless steel exhaust system which sounded great . Miss it tremendously, but needed a bigger car due to family life ( Mk3 Mondeo ST) I’m glad it’s in good hands with it’s current owner , who’s slowly refurbing it.
These things are a nugget. Well built and probably the last reliable and rugged generation of Mercedes. My friends owned one in base spec - black plastic bumpers. I forget the engine spec, but suspect it might have been the 1.8
Fondly remember the driving lessons I took in a 2.5 diesel! Fun review, this 190 is in great condition. Thank you HubNut, enjoy the classic reviews being back on the menu 😎 ✌
I had an 1984 190E with the 2.0i engine and a 5 speed box. As you say, not a race car, but it would out class a Ford Escort of the time. No rattles or rust. Very smooth and quiet on the motorway. The single wiper, on mine, didn't wiggle. It was just was very big with a smaller one on the same arm for the centre.
Thanks for a fine road test HubNut. I've been tempted by these and indeed drove one. In keeping with your findings, I was much impressed, though enjoyment of the 4 cyl engine would have been quite limited. If the right 2.6 comes along, I may end up in one yet. Cheers.
Gr8 to see the 190E , I drove one from factory in1986, shipped to Aus. Drove 220,000klm, petrol colour, agree it was awesome car we had mags & sunroof.
Very interesting video, Ian. The long pedal travel is similar to the Volvo 240. The longer pedal travel allows for very fine control of the throttle. This is particularly valuable in snow and icy conditions. I believe the brakes on the Benz came with harder brake pads, again the same as the Volvo 240. This allows threshold braking to be much easier to achieve as well as allowing the wheels to rotate. Mercedes knew that their cars would end up in the Alps and the Dolomites where winter can be rather nasty at higher elevations. Unfortunately Mercedes was forced into building down to price rather than up to quality. Blame Lexus and Infinity. The two brands offered models quite comparable to the various models of Benz but at a significantly lower price point. The two Japanese brands cut a bunch of corners but managed to convince many people that their premium models were better. The thing is that the Japanese cars used a thinner gauge of sheet metal to save money. That really showed here in the Great White North. The early Infiniti and Lexus lines all disappeared in the mid- to late-naughties. Rust ate them. For all the much vaunted claims of reliability, I knew several people went from Lincoln's and fancy Chrysler models and ended up right back in North American boats.
I have had a few auto's, Peugeot 505, S type Jag etc. and I think, just like cameras, people tend to stick them in auto and forget there are options, I loved shifting to different gears to make my auto's drive like I wanted them to rather than how the intelligent car thought I should. Lovely period car. Nice film Ian.
A friend of mine had an early one. It was a horrible thing to drive! It seemed to have an upholstered plank mounted on a spring instead of a seat, and it was mounted too high, and I kept clouting my head on the inside of the gun turret. Er, I mean, sunroof! 😲
Auto transmission trick on many Benz of this era: At standstill in position 'D' shift from 'D' to '3' to '2' and then back to 'D' and these old girls will start off in 1st.
If you put in Economy mode, it also not uses 100% of the power when you fully press down the throttle. Maybe around 70% (idk the numbers here). Overall, Economy mode doesnt really save any fuel. It just want to give you a even "smoother" ride. It takes away even more spontaneity and feels tough and "slow". Leaving it in Standard mode is the best you can do really. Really nice review! I am owning one myself too since July last year. It's a 1.8 liter though.
Thanks doing a review of the car model I own. Mine is also a 2.0l, but in silver with a 5-speed manual. The manual transmission does make for a more interesting driving experience. I agree, with many Benzes of this era you feel like you are piloting rather than driving - very relaxing. That was Zebrano wood veneer I think. The rear window is self-clearing at speed.
You forgot to mention the delightful quirk of having one manual mirror and one electric one. I suppose it makes sense as you only really need an electric one for the passenger side.
Loved the 2.6. the straight 6 was just fantastic. I worked for Merc some years ago, one customer had the 2.5 16 and wanted more speed. So a turbo was retro fitted.. thing was as mad as a box of frogs.. The C class was initially a very good car, and I fell for a Canary yellow sport variant. It seemed so very modern against the 190 at the time. But I agree with the harshness of the engine sound though. Was the only thing that really detracted from the proper MB quality. That initial close up on the front light and indicator reminded me of the S class of the time too..
The 1.8 only came with the face lift, it replaced a 2lt carb engine. One model not sold here was the standard 2.3lt, probably because Merc assumed it might take sales away from the W124 with entry level 2lt. I believe Brabus made a few 3.6lt cars, there was also at least one 2 door convertible done.
A great car, excellent design, made when Mercs quality was top dog. One criticism though, I’m not sure a 4 cylinder engine belongs in such a car it makes it sound like a Mondeo like you said, I’d go for the 6 cylinder as well. Great informative video once again Ian, and good camera work too. 😊
My dad had two 2 litre 190E models. He loved them and they were very nice cars, but a bit old blokish. A Mercedes main dealer service cost a fortune. I never wanted to swap my 2 litre Alfa 75 or 164 TS for one of these having driven them all. The long nose of the Mercedes reminded me of driving a Peugeot 403 the way the bonnet front described an arc as you drove round corners. It was a very 50s feel in the 80s and 90s. In other cars the nose fell away from you and wasn't so obvious. Competent and beautifully made is how I'd sum it up.
Aah, had my driving lessons in one, same color, 2.0 diesel. That was fun cruising with the sunroof opened. The diesel was slooooooow, but I was allowed to give it an ‘Italian job’ one of my driving lessons, it reached 90MPH.
Great review, I sold Mercedes in California in the 1990s and had both 190E & a C280. You’re right about that four, I think any Fiat sounds better. But the C-Class was to me not the decline of their quality and engineering. I think that really started with the 1996 E Class. Nobody liked it there when it came out, the cost cutting was so blatant. It really didn’t look all that good either, kind of blobular. The C280 was much more solid feeling, even slamming the door… the interior was a lot nicer than the plasticky 1996 E class
2:59 The one ton of fine German steel that's also just smacked into said unlucky pedestrian might also be an injury factor, but it is a nice safety touch nonetheless. Takes away the added impalement ;)
I think I'm right in saying that in its day, the 190 (W201) was referred to as the "baby Benz". The slight slur from the motoring press didn't stop lots of these being sold and even now you can find them for sale (at least here in Oz). "Baby Benz" they might be, but they were *built* by Mercedes-Benz, not merely assembled.
One of my all time favourites. But I have 3 fantastic facts on the 190. My Dad went to buy a new one in 1987. They said ‘would you like a radio?’. ‘Yes’. £800 for the cheapest. I saw 4 at a classic car auction. All 4 had problems with both rear door cards. So I think that’s a definite weakness! Also a boss had a Cosworth 190. He described as the most unreliable car. Ever. He said it had had that many trips on the back of a truck 😂
It's unfortunate that in Canada these Mercs tended to rust, although honestly not many cars of the 1980s didn't. Rust resistance is one of the areas that cars have most improved in the last 40 years, although it took Mercedes a little longer than most, at least judging from my experience with the 2001 C-class wagon I acquired back in 2004. In fairness to MB, my wife's SLK320 was still completely rust-free when she sold it a couple of years ago, but then I suspect the C-class was the object of far more cost-cutting than the rest of of the line.
That was when Mercedes built solid reliable cars.👍 Never driven one but been in one a taxi in the mid eighties. From what I recall it was a white manual 190 can't confirm if it was a petrol or diesel, but by the way the driver was putting his foot down, I would say it was a petrol.
The W124 was replaced by the W210 in 1995, although the coupes and cabriolets soldiered on for a year or two longer. I addition to mashing the pedal, you can get it to start in first from a standstill by pulling the shifter all the way to the bottom when you're at a stop, then putting it back into drive.
Yes, it’s called low gear or 1 st. Same as all auto boxes at the time. Mostly used when pulling caravans uphill or for going down very steep hills when you need to remain in a very low gear to keep your speed down.
My Mum, much to my disappointment is a huge badge snob. We have had every C Class since 1997-2006. Before that we had ancient 230E. That was interesting an elegant. The 1999 C180 Elegance had the engine from an egg whisk. It was characterful but couldn't match the quality of my Dad's company 1999 A4. That was so much better. The C180 was always breaking down as well. We then had a couple of 2006 C220 diesel Avantgardes. One estate and one saloon. They have been great. I think Mercedes got it back by then. The 220 diesel is a lovely engine. Got a nice amount of power. A bit gruff but I like the sound and it's very quiet once you're on the move. Fantastic quiet motorway cruiser. Faultless reliability too. I think the C Class is generally a lot better than people think!
I always preferred these to the first C-class. The 190 looked premium, felt quality and had that waft of a prestige car. Everything a Merc should be. Did you go back for Miss Hubnut?
There used to be a few of these around here, but we don't see them any more. The last few I saw were pretty rusty in places. Switchgear... I remember in my time selling parts for British cars here in Canada, more than once I got the wrong turn signal switch for say, a Marina, because of the terms nearside and offside.
I'm not an expert on the fours, I've only had the six but I think I have this down. In petrol engines the base Euro model was 2.0 originally, unleaded without cats and later production got a 1.8 designed for the same performance as, with better economy than the 2.0 but whilst using cats. For the US market the 2.0 lost too much power with cats so they just put the 70s W123 chassis 2.3 litre in it as a stop gap measure, that the 2.0 was originally based on. With cats it runs the same as the 2.0 without cats, with poorer economy. Then they revised the SOHC 2.3 for use with cats like they did for the 1.8 and offered it as an upmarket Euro option on the base model, which also meant the US ones got the better 2.3 post-facelift, with much more power and better economy than the earlier NAM 2.3 but it was still the base model, the 1.8 wasn't introduced there. Basically an early or late NAM 2.3 has different chambering, piston crowns, camshaft and spark electronics between them, later is far better and has something like a good 15bhp increase fully emissions compliant. Not that Americans tend to give a shit about regulations but the later versions of the same engines give better unleaded flame fronts and all sorts of improvements that don't necessarily show up on paper, but do on the road to own and drive and do big time if you start tuning them. Earlier ones seem to give more wiggle room to accommodate less than perfect tuner mods but have a roof limit on how far you can go without basically having to rebuild it using later model parts and components which, factory new are insanely expensive, or else custom fabrication which is even more insanely expensive and that's just to get beyond a fairly mild build. Mild tuners, these are great for, wild tuners get ready to sell a house. Good thing is a mild tuner 190E in pretty much any variation still feels fine to drive in everyday modern traffic, which relatively few contemporaries can lay claim to. Main thing to watch on these is plastics don't age well and this is the beginning of the plastic car era. All the hoses and plastics tend to petrify with age and become brittle, crumbling in your hands easily. Just about anything you pull apart on them has to be replaced, including everything you removed simply to make room to do some other work, all typically breaks and needs to be replaced, hoses, clips, fasteners, switches, vacuum lines, regulator valves, you name it. If you have to undo it, generally it breaks when you do. It's an age thing with plastic era manufacture, the 80s cars pretty much all do it and it's their biggest pain in the butt compared to a 70s car.
You might have benefitted from pressing harder for kickdown.. just more throttle isn't always enough. Talking of hussling down the road.. I remember being a passenger in my late grandads 190D, back when it was young.. another time when I was following and my E36 compact was struggling round one bend, and more recently, one night when the alternator needed new brushes and I needed to get back before the lights went out.. it's slow, until it isn't.
StenSpeedShop - I agree about those two designer gentlemen, and I've been doubly fortunate to have owned numerous models by each of them, including their respective masterpieces: Bracq's W112 300 SE coupé and Sacco's C126 500 SEC. I've had two W201s: a 190 E 1.8 and a 2.0, both autos. Excellent review, Ian.
A very timeless design and very good technologi. One of the last strong and reliable models Mercedes built. Today they are just shit. Thank you for a good review.
When Mercedes were premium quality not like the overpriced fail and problem riddled rust buckets they make nowadays, I can categorically say that we had a more modern Mercedes and it was very disappointing.
My uncle has one at 1.4 million km manual trans champagne colour and beige and black interior with period bbs wheels. 5 pot no turbo 100kp/h maybe on a good day.
Hi, i have one that was my pride and joy until i became disabled, she is still sitting in my back garden after 13 years and still looks great! Can anyone help me get her back on the road? Dabs from Derby UK. X
in that time German drivers looking for a sporty car took the BMW 3-Series instead of the Baby-Benz which was always the more refined "elder statesman" car... this has changed over the last 20 years when Mercedes got more and more sporty... but the automatic transmissions Mercedes used never were meant for sports car drivers to use... still the image in Germany is BMW for Sports, Mercedes for understatement... even the 190E 2.3-16 homologation models for DTM did not really change that.
I believe W124, W126 and these have zinc coated bodyshell so won't easily rust bodily unless accident repaired, but the bits underneath need periodic Waxolying...or maybe Ziebarting given these cars' origins. My 1985 280SE has zero rust but earlier W116 and 123 cars do crumble.
A proper Mercedes, engineered and a classy car. Complete opposite to the awful, cheap crap that they churn out these days and the new A-Class is a dreadful car. This was when German engineering was actually a thing, not an image fest. You wouldn’t get such a cool wiper these days as it would cost too much. Great review Ian.
What a lovely example! I like the Mercedes-Benzs of this era before they went 'bling bling'. Nearly 30 years ago when it was time to replace the family car I hoped that my dad would buy a secondhand 190 or a W/S124 but he was apprehensive about the running costs of owning a German car at the time.
Mercedes Benz cars from this era stood out from all other brands as they were properly engineered and rigorously tested. I would not buy any Mercedes Benz from the year 2000 onwards as they are no better than any other car and in many cases worse. Very good review
A proper Mercedes-Benz from a bygone age.
I should then sell my corolla and keep driving my 190 😂😂
I had one of these as my first car. I bought it off my elderly neighbor who had decided to sop driving. It was in immaculate condition with 90000 miles. Frank was my trusty steed all through high school and college. He has been with me through thick and thin, I am planning a restoration to spruce him up a bit. Love a good old Merc
Marvellous! At the time these cars came out, they were an incredible success from the beginning. Customers had to wait two years and longer to get one. Workers in the Daimler-Benz Imperium could buy the 190 earlier and for a reduced price; but they had to keep them at least for one year before selling them (Jahreswagen). And they did sell them: to impatient folks for a higher price. In my surrounding there are still so many as daily drivers on the roads - it’s fantastic! Very well told story. The German word “Einspritzung” you did pronounce correctly. Cheers • Martin
Loved the end where Miss HubNut realizes she'd been abandoned 😂Great car, it's in very good condition and I love the colour on it!
My favourite bit haha
I have the 2.0 automatic 190E.
Absolutely love it, and it's been my daily drive for over two years.
I don't think I could go back to a modern car now.
I like the way it's a very _carry_ looking car... If that makes sense?
No stupid childish rounded edges, or flashy LED's or screens. No ugly tiny brake lights, or annoying blue xenon headlights.
It's just a good, sensible, respectable, reliable car... from a time when cars were made for adults.
Along with my 280TE in that red, I have a 190 2.3 8V in gunmetal. 160K miles and still rock solid. Wonderful cars.
US viewer here, ironically the only one of these W201s I've ever driven was a 190 E 2.6, never a 4 cylinder model. Can agree that it is arguably the way to go if you cannot get a hold of a 16v model. Lovely engine for a car this size.
In the U.S. we never actually got a true 190E (or 190D); they all had larger engines, but for some reason Mercedes called it the 190 anyway. The rarest was the one-year-only turbodiesel model, the 190D 2.5 Turbo. And the 190E 2.6 had the same engine as the larger W124-based 260E, later renamed the 300E 2.6.
@@vwestlife I wasn't sure if we ever got any of the lesser variants, as I've only ever seen a few 2.6s.
@@vwestlife The W201s were all called 190, 190E or 190D worldwide, often with an additional engine size badge on the right side of the boot lid.
@@AliceC993 In the US we got the 190E 2.3, 190E 2.6, 190E 2.3-16, 190D 2.2, 190D 2.5, and 190D 2.5 Turbo. Although not all at the same time.
I feel ambivalent about this. On one hand, it's wonderful seeing a Benz from the tail end of the golden era. On the other hand, it's enough to make me weep over how far M-B has fallen over the past 25 years or so.
Worked at a Merc Dealer many moons ago and drove the 1.8, 2.0, 2.3/2,5 -16V Cosworth (Dog-leg 1st gear gearbox version - quite a few in the bodyshop with rear end damage with that one) and the 2.6. You're right about the 2.6 really being the one to go for in terms of refinement, but the 4 cylinder ones still good fun to drive. Lots of options could be with these as well, funny thing was you got an electric sunroof with keep fit windows as standard equipment. I'm guessing the electric ones all round we're an optional extra, like just about everything else on them. Great review as always Ian and brought back some fond memories about driving these cars and just how well built they were.
Great road test with excellent camera work - thanks Miss HubNut 😊😊
My first car was a 1986 2.0 Manual pre facelift , I loved every minute of it , mine had a stainless steel exhaust system which sounded great . Miss it tremendously, but needed a bigger car due to family life ( Mk3 Mondeo ST) I’m glad it’s in good hands with it’s current owner , who’s slowly refurbing it.
Martin Brundle reckoned these had the best chassis of any car he had driven at the time….allegedly.
Waiting for that comment 🤣
Very nice vid and spot on comments. You’re welcome to come try my 300CE, the BisMerc, any time!
Again Ian, top review, if only we had people who reviewed modern cars in an honest down to earth honest approach
I would say Johnny Smith and Harry Metcalfe are pretty good for the modern stuff. (Late Brake Show and Harry's Garage)
These things are a nugget. Well built and probably the last reliable and rugged generation of Mercedes.
My friends owned one in base spec - black plastic bumpers. I forget the engine spec, but suspect it might have been the 1.8
Carly is absolutely rocking it with the camera work.
EDIT: You're a great team.
Fondly remember the driving lessons I took in a 2.5 diesel! Fun review, this 190 is in great condition. Thank you HubNut, enjoy the classic reviews being back on the menu 😎 ✌
Wow, lessons in a 2.5D, so much torque it was probably impossible to stall. 😊
I had an 1984 190E with the 2.0i engine and a 5 speed box. As you say, not a race car, but it would out class a Ford Escort of the time. No rattles or rust. Very smooth and quiet on the motorway. The single wiper, on mine, didn't wiggle. It was just was very big with a smaller one on the same arm for the centre.
1991 190E has been my daily drive for a dozen years (if my wife hasn’t nipped off in it first). I can’t find anything even close to replace it.
Thanks for a fine road test HubNut. I've been tempted by these and indeed drove one. In keeping with your findings, I was much impressed, though enjoyment of the 4 cyl engine would have been quite limited. If the right 2.6 comes along, I may end up in one yet. Cheers.
Excellent review as always, what a stunning example of a 190E. Car still looks good 30 years down the line.
I had that exact car back in the day. Im looking for another one. Awesome car.
Gr8 to see the 190E , I drove one from factory in1986, shipped to Aus. Drove 220,000klm, petrol colour, agree it was awesome car we had mags & sunroof.
What a beautiful and unmolested example, still on wheel trims is brilliant. 👍
Epic wheel trims. Looked so good at the time
Very interesting video, Ian. The long pedal travel is similar to the Volvo 240. The longer pedal travel allows for very fine control of the throttle. This is particularly valuable in snow and icy conditions. I believe the brakes on the Benz came with harder brake pads, again the same as the Volvo 240. This allows threshold braking to be much easier to achieve as well as allowing the wheels to rotate. Mercedes knew that their cars would end up in the Alps and the Dolomites where winter can be rather nasty at higher elevations.
Unfortunately Mercedes was forced into building down to price rather than up to quality. Blame Lexus and Infinity. The two brands offered models quite comparable to the various models of Benz but at a significantly lower price point. The two Japanese brands cut a bunch of corners but managed to convince many people that their premium models were better. The thing is that the Japanese cars used a thinner gauge of sheet metal to save money. That really showed here in the Great White North. The early Infiniti and Lexus lines all disappeared in the mid- to late-naughties. Rust ate them. For all the much vaunted claims of reliability, I knew several people went from Lincoln's and fancy Chrysler models and ended up right back in North American boats.
i have a '91 1.8 E and i totally love it, the only thing is that the original buyer didnt order it with AC
I have had a few auto's, Peugeot 505, S type Jag etc. and I think, just like cameras, people tend to stick them in auto and forget there are options, I loved shifting to different gears to make my auto's drive like I wanted them to rather than how the intelligent car thought I should. Lovely period car. Nice film Ian.
A friend of mine had an early one. It was a horrible thing to drive! It seemed to have an upholstered plank mounted on a spring instead of a seat, and it was mounted too high, and I kept clouting my head on the inside of the gun turret. Er, I mean, sunroof! 😲
Auto transmission trick on many Benz of this era: At standstill in position 'D' shift from 'D' to '3' to '2' and then back to 'D' and these old girls will start off in 1st.
If you put in Economy mode, it also not uses 100% of the power when you fully press down the throttle. Maybe around 70% (idk the numbers here). Overall, Economy mode doesnt really save any fuel. It just want to give you a even "smoother" ride. It takes away even more spontaneity and feels tough and "slow". Leaving it in Standard mode is the best you can do really.
Really nice review! I am owning one myself too since July last year. It's a 1.8 liter though.
Thanks doing a review of the car model I own. Mine is also a 2.0l, but in silver with a 5-speed manual. The manual transmission does make for a more interesting driving experience. I agree, with many Benzes of this era you feel like you are piloting rather than driving - very relaxing. That was Zebrano wood veneer I think. The rear window is self-clearing at speed.
You forgot to mention the delightful quirk of having one manual mirror and one electric one. I suppose it makes sense as you only really need an electric one for the passenger side.
Loved the 2.6. the straight 6 was just fantastic. I worked for Merc some years ago, one customer had the 2.5 16 and wanted more speed. So a turbo was retro fitted.. thing was as mad as a box of frogs.. The C class was initially a very good car, and I fell for a Canary yellow sport variant. It seemed so very modern against the 190 at the time.
But I agree with the harshness of the engine sound though. Was the only thing that really detracted from the proper MB quality.
That initial close up on the front light and indicator reminded me of the S class of the time too..
The 1.8 only came with the face lift, it replaced a 2lt carb engine. One model not sold here was the standard 2.3lt, probably because Merc assumed it might take sales away from the W124 with entry level 2lt. I believe Brabus made a few 3.6lt cars, there was also at least one 2 door convertible done.
4:08What a satisfying slam of the bonnet that is
Exactly how i feel about my 1999 W202, same engine, same interior same wiper set up, best car iv'e ever owned
Great to watch. My mum had one of these when I was little. Dark grey with the same wheel trims.
Please review a W202 next, they're great cars and there isn't much content on YT on them.
Yep bang on … always thought they sounded like a Cortina … same pinto induction and exhaust note (and diff groan …)
A great car, excellent design, made when Mercs quality was top dog.
One criticism though, I’m not sure a 4 cylinder engine belongs in such a car it makes it sound like a Mondeo like you said, I’d go for the 6 cylinder as well.
Great informative video once again Ian, and good camera work too. 😊
My dad had two 2 litre 190E models. He loved them and they were very nice cars, but a bit old blokish. A Mercedes main dealer service cost a fortune. I never wanted to swap my 2 litre Alfa 75 or 164 TS for one of these having driven them all. The long nose of the Mercedes reminded me of driving a Peugeot 403 the way the bonnet front described an arc as you drove round corners. It was a very 50s feel in the 80s and 90s. In other cars the nose fell away from you and wasn't so obvious. Competent and beautifully made is how I'd sum it up.
Haven't tuned in in a while but must may say Ian the reviews have gone from strength to strength - really great. Keep up the great work!
Aah, had my driving lessons in one, same color, 2.0 diesel. That was fun cruising with the sunroof opened.
The diesel was slooooooow, but I was allowed to give it an ‘Italian job’ one of my driving lessons, it reached 90MPH.
Great review, I sold Mercedes in California in the 1990s and had both 190E & a C280. You’re right about that four, I think any Fiat sounds better. But the C-Class was to me not the decline of their quality and engineering. I think that really started with the 1996 E Class. Nobody liked it there when it came out, the cost cutting was so blatant. It really didn’t look all that good either, kind of blobular. The C280 was much more solid feeling, even slamming the door… the interior was a lot nicer than the plasticky 1996 E class
Always loved these cars, never afford one at the time sadly. This car is awesome !!
Ian why have you not got one of these as your daily driver? This is proper hubnut with its amazing telescopic wiper.
2:59 The one ton of fine German steel that's also just smacked into said unlucky pedestrian might also be an injury factor, but it is a nice safety touch nonetheless. Takes away the added impalement ;)
I think I'm right in saying that in its day, the 190 (W201) was referred to as the "baby Benz". The slight slur from the motoring press didn't stop lots of these being sold and even now you can find them for sale (at least here in Oz). "Baby Benz" they might be, but they were *built* by Mercedes-Benz, not merely assembled.
Yes, baby tag was applied, but I don't think in a disparaging way - it was just the smallest car they made.
One of my all time favourites. But I have 3 fantastic facts on the 190. My Dad went to buy a new one in 1987. They said ‘would you like a radio?’. ‘Yes’. £800 for the cheapest. I saw 4 at a classic car auction. All 4 had problems with both rear door cards. So I think that’s a definite weakness! Also a boss had a Cosworth 190. He described as the most unreliable car. Ever. He said it had had that many trips on the back of a truck 😂
Been in quite a few sadly never driven one. Any time I went on holiday abroad I’d look out for a 190E taxi
It's unfortunate that in Canada these Mercs tended to rust, although honestly not many cars of the 1980s didn't. Rust resistance is one of the areas that cars have most improved in the last 40 years, although it took Mercedes a little longer than most, at least judging from my experience with the 2001 C-class wagon I acquired back in 2004. In fairness to MB, my wife's SLK320 was still completely rust-free when she sold it a couple of years ago, but then I suspect the C-class was the object of far more cost-cutting than the rest of of the line.
190s and 124's were actually better than any 2000-2004 model, when they used bad steel and water based paint systems.
That was when Mercedes built solid reliable cars.👍 Never driven one but been in one a taxi in the mid eighties. From what I recall it was a white manual 190 can't confirm if it was a petrol or diesel, but by the way the driver was putting his foot down, I would say it was a petrol.
Had a few over the year's great old cars. Had a £750 tatty one as a daily from 2016 - 2020 was great kept going & only needed servicing.
The W124 was replaced by the W210 in 1995, although the coupes and cabriolets soldiered on for a year or two longer.
I addition to mashing the pedal, you can get it to start in first from a standstill by pulling the shifter all the way to the bottom when you're at a stop, then putting it back into drive.
Yes, it’s called low gear or 1 st.
Same as all auto boxes at the time.
Mostly used when pulling caravans uphill or for going down very steep hills when you need to remain in a very low gear to keep your speed down.
My Mum, much to my disappointment is a huge badge snob. We have had every C Class since 1997-2006. Before that we had ancient 230E. That was interesting an elegant. The 1999 C180 Elegance had the engine from an egg whisk. It was characterful but couldn't match the quality of my Dad's company 1999 A4. That was so much better. The C180 was always breaking down as well. We then had a couple of 2006 C220 diesel Avantgardes. One estate and one saloon. They have been great. I think Mercedes got it back by then. The 220 diesel is a lovely engine. Got a nice amount of power. A bit gruff but I like the sound and it's very quiet once you're on the move. Fantastic quiet motorway cruiser. Faultless reliability too. I think the C Class is generally a lot better than people think!
Great video!
The reason it didn't kick down was you had it in economy mode! 😉
I always preferred these to the first C-class. The 190 looked premium, felt quality and had that waft of a prestige car. Everything a Merc should be. Did you go back for Miss Hubnut?
Always liked these.
Great detail, as usual you make me want one!
Absolutely NOT fake wood…
The trims gone gold as its aged. Not meant to be that way.1.8 was always injection. 2.0 was available in carb version.
There used to be a few of these around here, but we don't see them any more. The last few I saw were pretty rusty in places.
Switchgear... I remember in my time selling parts for British cars here in Canada, more than once I got the wrong turn signal switch for say, a Marina, because of the terms nearside and offside.
The tail happy Baby Benz.
I'm not an expert on the fours, I've only had the six but I think I have this down. In petrol engines the base Euro model was 2.0 originally, unleaded without cats and later production got a 1.8 designed for the same performance as, with better economy than the 2.0 but whilst using cats.
For the US market the 2.0 lost too much power with cats so they just put the 70s W123 chassis 2.3 litre in it as a stop gap measure, that the 2.0 was originally based on. With cats it runs the same as the 2.0 without cats, with poorer economy. Then they revised the SOHC 2.3 for use with cats like they did for the 1.8 and offered it as an upmarket Euro option on the base model, which also meant the US ones got the better 2.3 post-facelift, with much more power and better economy than the earlier NAM 2.3 but it was still the base model, the 1.8 wasn't introduced there.
Basically an early or late NAM 2.3 has different chambering, piston crowns, camshaft and spark electronics between them, later is far better and has something like a good 15bhp increase fully emissions compliant. Not that Americans tend to give a shit about regulations but the later versions of the same engines give better unleaded flame fronts and all sorts of improvements that don't necessarily show up on paper, but do on the road to own and drive and do big time if you start tuning them. Earlier ones seem to give more wiggle room to accommodate less than perfect tuner mods but have a roof limit on how far you can go without basically having to rebuild it using later model parts and components which, factory new are insanely expensive, or else custom fabrication which is even more insanely expensive and that's just to get beyond a fairly mild build. Mild tuners, these are great for, wild tuners get ready to sell a house. Good thing is a mild tuner 190E in pretty much any variation still feels fine to drive in everyday modern traffic, which relatively few contemporaries can lay claim to.
Main thing to watch on these is plastics don't age well and this is the beginning of the plastic car era. All the hoses and plastics tend to petrify with age and become brittle, crumbling in your hands easily. Just about anything you pull apart on them has to be replaced, including everything you removed simply to make room to do some other work, all typically breaks and needs to be replaced, hoses, clips, fasteners, switches, vacuum lines, regulator valves, you name it. If you have to undo it, generally it breaks when you do. It's an age thing with plastic era manufacture, the 80s cars pretty much all do it and it's their biggest pain in the butt compared to a 70s car.
You might have benefitted from pressing harder for kickdown.. just more throttle isn't always enough.
Talking of hussling down the road.. I remember being a passenger in my late grandads 190D, back when it was young.. another time when I was following and my E36 compact was struggling round one bend, and more recently, one night when the alternator needed new brushes and I needed to get back before the lights went out.. it's slow, until it isn't.
its done 181009 kms nice for a car that age
i have an pre production 190 e from september 82 but is one singel wiper
Does that road really just suddenly end with no warning?
It looks like Mercedes from flipping bangers !
Great video and car, love 190 MB😎😍🇳🇴
My 1999 C Class had the single wiper. I don't know why they dropped them, or why all cars don't have them.
No triangle of doom 😎 thats 1980s mb for you. Paul bracq and sacco designed the best looking benzes of the last 60 years
StenSpeedShop - I agree about those two designer gentlemen, and I've been doubly fortunate to have owned numerous models by each of them, including their respective masterpieces: Bracq's W112 300 SE coupé and Sacco's C126 500 SEC. I've had two W201s: a 190 E 1.8 and a 2.0, both autos.
Excellent review, Ian.
I miss the good old times when cars were cars as opposed to computers/smart phones on the wheels.
A very timeless design and very good technologi. One of the last strong and reliable models Mercedes built. Today they are just shit. Thank you for a good review.
When Mercedes were premium quality not like the overpriced fail and problem riddled rust buckets they make nowadays, I can categorically say that we had a more modern Mercedes and it was very disappointing.
My uncle has one at 1.4 million km manual trans champagne colour and beige and black interior with period bbs wheels. 5 pot no turbo 100kp/h maybe on a good day.
yes please
Hi, i have one that was my pride and joy until i became disabled, she is still sitting in my back garden after 13 years and still looks great! Can anyone help me get her back on the road? Dabs from Derby UK. X
in that time German drivers looking for a sporty car took the BMW 3-Series instead of the Baby-Benz which was always the more refined "elder statesman" car... this has changed over the last 20 years when Mercedes got more and more sporty... but the automatic transmissions Mercedes used never were meant for sports car drivers to use... still the image in Germany is BMW for Sports, Mercedes for understatement... even the 190E 2.3-16 homologation models for DTM did not really change that.
AY UP MR AND MISS HUBNUT
From the days when they rightly said engineered like no other car.
Hubnut! I need real professional advice! Would you put a large 70lb dog in the rear seat of a 190e? Thanks. Looking at one for daily but need to know!
Lovely car good video 🚗🚙🚘👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
The Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II, so wild it made a whale-tail Escort Cosworth look tame.
Very nice that.
I like it! It would be my kind of thing :-).
How many miles per full tank?
You can easily use the gear lever to drop a gear
Somebody ticked the options by the looks of it
Distictive or distinctive?
The last quality mercedes benz in my opinion, didn't rust like the rest of them.
I believe W124, W126 and these have zinc coated bodyshell so won't easily rust bodily unless accident repaired, but the bits underneath need periodic Waxolying...or maybe Ziebarting given these cars' origins. My 1985 280SE has zero rust but earlier W116 and 123 cars do crumble.
I always thought it a small cramped car.
Awesome \m/
From a time when Mercedes were built to a standard, not a cost.
Like most things these days.
1996E class was truly the beginning of the decline
I have a 1998 Mercedes-Benz c280 ~ Metallic Silver but looks Champagne colour😂🎉!
A proper Mercedes, engineered and a classy car. Complete opposite to the awful, cheap crap that they churn out these days and the new A-Class is a dreadful car. This was when German engineering was actually a thing, not an image fest. You wouldn’t get such a cool wiper these days as it would cost too much. Great review Ian.
What a lovely example! I like the Mercedes-Benzs of this era before they went 'bling bling'.
Nearly 30 years ago when it was time to replace the family car I hoped that my dad would buy a secondhand 190 or a W/S124 but he was apprehensive about the running costs of owning a German car at the time.
Why? Mercedes were building some W201 in Jelcz-Laskowice, Poland 30 yr ago ... prior to EU Membership!
When Mercedes was reliable and with elegant timeless design
These days they're just trying to out-bling the Bavarians.
Early C-Classes were also good before the ill fated merger with Chrysler
I remember back in the late 1990s, the average age of a Mercedes when it was scrapped here in Norway, was something like 22 years old.
Mercedes Benz cars from this era stood out from all other brands as they were properly engineered and rigorously tested. I would not buy any Mercedes Benz from the year 2000 onwards as they are no better than any other car and in many cases worse. Very good review