My first car W124 200d (old Taxi. ). Loved it. It was driven 750 000km. It wasn't fast att all but very good in everyway. Her life ended when she had 970 000km. Last thing she did she saved my girlfrieds life on head on collision with a tanktruck. So thank you who made it: Father of three lovely children...❤
German style was at its peak in the 80s/90s in my opinion. I could really do with a middle sun visor too... Very cool and actually useful especially in low sun winter. Another great video Matt!
I owned a 1988 Toyota Crown that had this feature along with every electronic device available for the period. All worked. Even the steering wheel got out of the way when you entered the car. Came back once key was inserted. But a must admit the Mercedes of that time was in a class of its own.. P.S . The Crown is still used in Japan as a taxi like the W123 in other parts of the world. memories.lol.
@@jackjacko8706 Toyota really were ahead of their time back in those days, some features such as swaying air vents which even now you dont get. Or Nissan/Mitsubishi with their 4 wheel steering which have only in the recent years been made available in mainstream cars
@@r3h4n786 Toyota Honda and Nissan ( before their merger with Reno ) were very VERY well made, in fact they were better made than newer ones ( i own a 92 Nissan Japanese build, it is very well made, reliable economical )
I was the proud and happy owner of a beautiful 230E with blue leather interior. What a splendid car it was. Not powerful but very smooth, comfortable and quiet. I miss that car everyday. Thank for the review mate and cheers from Canada.
Now this is bringing back some memories! Lots of nostalgia for these old barges, I spent many many miles as a passenger in a W124. My Dad had an estate when I was small, the goal being a nice family car that could carry his guitars and amps as the TR7 it replaced wasn't the best for either of those tasks. It was bronze with a cream leather interior, I loved the rear facing seats in the boot. It was one of out longest lived cars, it was sold on around 202k after it became unenomical to repair the suspension as the car was worth so little at the time. I recall it riding like a bouncy castle during its last few months. My grandfather had decided he would give up driving, and had offered my Dad his '99 2.5 V6 Rover 75 and bought a Westfield to replace it as his final car. The Rover got to over 320k before it went to the breakers yard! He went straight back to Mercs after that. The W210 was mechanically bulletproof but utterly hidious had no rust proofing, the C-Class he currently has been a constant source of problems and spends most of its time off the road being repaired. Mercedes sadly isn't what it once was. Nice to see a W124 on the channel though, and an excellent review as ever. I may have to own one someday....
You should go for it the w124 has to be one of the best cars ever built I have just bought a 320e with only 74000 miles and it is just like a 3 year old car driven slow not even a fly in the radiator grid no dents marks scrapes original paint engine bay Hoses hydraulic pipes every thing just as new jack and spare never used garaged mostly all its life I can't believe what I've bought it's like something you would invisage in a dream but it's the real thing it's like driving your couch down the road and the aceleration is like suckling in the road total power house straight six purring but no kitten
I stopped using my 89 300E after Dec 24, 2020 (WHAT a stupid thing!) due to the pandemic and WFH ---- and every now and then I would dream that I'm driving it again and FEELING how joyfully super smooth and comfy it is. Been haunting me in my dreams. I probably should promise to finally awaken Benzo this Spring 2025! Hope it won't cost much.
No, they like the W123's and the W201 that succeeded them are RUSTERS. They rot like queens, far worse than e28's Audi 100's or even Fords 1985 Granada.
A colleague of mine had a W124 200D, with 72 trampling German diesel horses and a four-speed manual. You had to measure 0 to 60 with a calendar but after 300,000 miles it still drove like new.
@@furiousdriving Some of the horses may have left the meadow in the course of time, but 72 Pferdestärke is what the sales brochure said if I remember correctly. Try merging on an Autobahn with that amount of sheer power!
I recently purchased a 86 300e to replace my thirsty 560SEL. I still miss the V8 but love the silky smooth 6. I prefer the first generation looks with the simple side moldings. I have put a lot into this car and continue to do so to bring this back up to 100%. Still need to tackle the heater core and a couple oil leaks but this is one car I feel the money is well spent. I plan to be the last owner so hopefully 5+ years of ownership. I also have a 86 560SEC so I can still have my V8 urge satisfied.
Great review of a great car, i had the an E230 for a decade and i still miss it. One minor point is that you said it’s a 2.3 engine but i think in this case is a 2.6 engine in this example.
The greatest car I have ever owned....J641CYK 1991 W124 260E, bought as a trade clearance from a local dealer for £450 and ran it for 3 years up until about 2 years ago. It had 235,000 miles and was still as tight as a drum. Even with a disconnect idle control valve it would never fail to start and after a few minutes warming up it would be turbine smooth at idle and right through the rev range. The ride quality was unmatched by anything I have driven since and the feeling of solidity and engineering just as astonishing. Regrettably the tin worm finally caught up with it especially on the front wings as per usual, that long with a failed brake system left me unable to get it through an MOT and the previous owner decided to buy it back for only £250(I know!!) It sat off the road for a number of years as I would always check the GOV MOT status website and no activity had taken place since my ownership and then suddenly out of the blue I seen it up for sale on eBay! It eventually went for over £1000 in almost the exact condition I sold it in and requiring full restoration...…I hope one day I can see that car back to its former glory out on the road were it belongs!
My best friends Dad had one of these when I was a kid. He kept it immaculate and it was a beautiful rich red colour. They picked me up to go and play Nintendo whilst the Corrs was playing on the radio... Nothing like a 90s nostalgia trip eh! Another smashing vid Matt, thanks for the hard work to create the content especially during these tough and miserable times!
My grandad used to have a D reg 124. What a wonderful car. Drove it right up until 7 years ago and the only thing that broke on it was a window switch. Wonderful cars.
Mercedes form this vintage wont set your heart on fire but they are so rewarding to drive or to be driven in. There is something about the way the go down the road that makes them feel so planted and serene in all circumstances, is a perfect blend of firm and comfortable, of isolation but without feeling disconnected, of size and authority but without feeling ponderous, of refinement and yet responsiveness. You feel that you are driving something special and that it does not matter how much time goes by, it will remain special. Sure, they have shortcomings (like the A/C, maintenance and the attention they draw) but the good stuff more than compensates for anything bad. In my opinion, they are simple the best.
I drove a W124, a 230E for 4 years and over 140.000km. Great car, not without faults. Mine was a 1987 version and needed a cylinder head revision, damaged camshaft- which was quite common. Rust is an issue, the most difficult to repair are the front mounting points of the rear suspension subframe, can be done, very expensive. Apart from that, really a great car and in 230E form even with an auto box relatively economical. If you buy one, always choose an auto box and a sunroof is a must (I think). Thanks for the video.
Great to see a W124 on the channel, great video. I have a 1990 W124 260E, and it’s a fabulous car. Would be good to see your W123 back on the road too.
They never passed the taxi regulations in my town as insufficient rear leg room, one had to go to the next one up. The Authority was moving towards only purpose built taxis so saloons could only be one specific colour, white, with no advertising on them.
Not just in Germany, in Spain, especially the Spanish islands and you'd find at least a few plying their trade in pretty much every city in Europe. Despite their cost in the UK, and these really were expensive over here, especially when you started adding optional extras, there were quite a few run as taxis here too. There still were W124s operating as taxis in places like Gran Canaria very recently including very early ones that had been running as taxis their entire lives, well over 30 years. These really are incredibly tough cars and the 300D is an easy million mile plus vehicle if you take decent care of it...
@@gosportjamie Everything on a Merc was an extra including the radio, the Taxi Pack was good value as included uprated suspension and reinforced rear seat, central auto locking so no runners and easy clean seats and floor coverings. Also included the wiring, mounting points and sender unit for the meter and roof light wiring along with provision for the two way radio, larger amp/hr battery and higher output alternator.
@@tonys1636 Yes, you're right about the extras, Mercs of this period were very basic as standard but beautifully engineered. I'm not sure the taxi pack was something that was available in the UK, which rather makes sense as the regulations governing taxis are different in each country and can vary from area to area inside countries, but it certainly makes sense of them to offer that on German vehicles as they have probably built up intimate knowledge, over the years of Mercs being used as taxis there, of what the needs are for that. It certainly sounds like a very good value option indeed as an awful lot of the cost of having a vehicle fitted to taxi spec is labour in dismantling the vehicle and fitting the necessary items, so having them fitted in the factory kicks those labour costs right into touch...
In Belgium too. I remember a taxi one that took me from the airport to a training course there back in 1995. Loved it & made me want to buy a Mercedes later on.
I just bought a 1990 300TE in March 2021 here in the US and have been daily driving it since. Very comfortable and rides great. It was in great shape when I received it, but I have been enjoying working on it and making small improvements and minor repairs along the way. Wanted a classic that felt special, but that wasn't so nice I felt guilty driving. Recommend highly to any enthusiast willing to put in a little time and money to keep them on the road.
Had one of these in Hong Kong for 2.5 years, a 1990 300TE in a rare colour 441 impala brown metallic and a palomino interior, only sold it last July due to relocation to UK. The 3.0 I6 M103 had considerably more grunt than the 260E, especially low-down torque. It was, as you put it, “wafty” on stock suspension and wheels, but I soon found upgrades by fitting H&R lowering springs (wagon-specific items as the rear axle has self-levelling), thinner 8mm spring shims, 17-inch Autostrada Modena (Ferrari F40 lookalike) wheels (staggered, 8.5J fronts and 9.5J rears), and Goodyear F1A3 tires. Dampers were untouched as the last owner replaced them. The waftiness was gone with surprisingly little tradeoff in ride comfort, probably a testament to the sophisticated multi-link rear setup. It still didn’t enjoy being hustled into corners too rapidly, but actually it could carry quite some speed into them, a trait that could hardly be matched by most other executive cars of the era. I’ve heard that the multilink rear had actually taken a whopping Dm 2mil to develop for the 190E, which had exceeded that of the entire BMW E30 project. The sluggish performance on your test vehicle was likely partially due to the auto ‘box being left in “E” mode. There should be a toggle switch right next to the gear selector that would allow either “S” or “E” be selected, in the latter case the 4-speed transmission would start off in 2nd gear from a standstill. There's no 280TE I'm afraid, the facelifted wagon with the DOHC M104 I6 engine started with the E280T and went up to the E320T. That’s never been a problem for myself as I much prefer the pre-facelift cars due to styling (mostly the front grille and headlight treatment), and the use of normal plastics (as opposed to biodegradable items) on the wiring loom.
Those looked huge back in the day but it's actually narrower than my wifes 2016 Corsa... Incredible how cars have grown and you don't notice it at first.
Picked up a '95 E280 on Christmas Eve. M104 straight 6, 24v 193 bhp. 143 mph. Beautiful to drive with zero rust ..a bit thirsty but @ 30p /liter here I don't care lol. One of the best cars i have owned, it may well become No 1. Good review new sub.edit Sept 2021 143k no issues running great!
I adore the W124, arguably MB’s best over engineered car. I had a 1992 300E back in the early 2000’s and gravely regret selling it... thanks Matt, this bought back fantastic memories.
I have a ‘95 E300 Diesel. The W124 was my dream car since I was 5, and the ‘95 E300 Diesel was my dream spec since I was 10 when it came out in mid ‘94. I bought it in 2005, and In my dream spec except it was black on black MB Tex, and I wanted it in hunter green and tan mb Tex. But every option I wanted save the trip computer- auto climate, folding headrest, heated seats, power seats, headlamp wipers, Bose sound, cruise control, folding armrest front and rear, full power windows, power mirrors, even the sunroof. It was my daily driver until late 2012, and is still running and driving although it could use some work. They don’t come better.
I was a passenger in a W124 taxi in Ukraine last year with the same year and engine and the owner told me the cylinder head had not even come off in 800K KM’s of driving.
One of the best MB cars. I knew a guy who had a 300TE and put over 300,000 miles on it in three years. It still drove like new. Don't think there was a 280, it went from the 260 to the 300.
A W124 280E was available, though it was for the sedan and estate version in model year 1993 only and it superseded the 260E (there was no 260TE or CE).
The 6-cyl cars were the 260E, 300E and 300E-24 (4 valve). In 1993 those engines were replaced by the 4 valve 280E and 320E. Renamed to E280 and E320 in 1994.
Amazing to see that despite the mileage it looks like almost new! Most US E-class models had more standard equipment, but because this models was so fresh, well manufactured, and with the 3 litre (and later 3.2 litre V6 if I'm not mistaken), sprightly, others had to catch up as well. This is basic as it has no cruise control, this was standard on US imports. Handling and especially ride quality made this E-class a standout. And why it sold for so long and sold so well, nothing could come close! And the year this manufactured, or maybe 1993, came to the S-class, and I remember how advanced that was. I also spied a SAAB 9-5 in the background! Brilliant review!
Most of german cars in europe are low spec junk with diesel engines. These are the kind of things that happens when poor people want to buy things they can't afford.
@@furiousdriving Yes, it was just market strategy. Mercedes in the USA was supposed to be just luxury cars so they had all the options included. They didn't tell you it was a common taxi car in Europe
Nice Review, I love my W124. It's a 1990 260E I bought for £1500 9 years ago.Took it for it's MOT test the other day and it passed first time. Easy cars to work on for a DIY'er and amazingly well built, made to stand the test of time!
I remember my Grandad having one of those parked outside his house. I got all excited then learned he'd picked it up from the dealer for his boss. The single wiper amazed me.
The W124 are the last of the Mercedes that were built to last forever. The 260E is a rare beast, most of them were sold with diesel engines, known for their extreme longevity. They were immensely popular in NL once they were over 25 years old because then they were exempt from road tax (which is €2000 = £1800 a year for a W124 300D). When in 2014 the law changed to 40 years, they seem to have disappeared overnight...
@@michaeljose8122 tax is basically calculated on weight (100 kg brackets) and fuel. Diesels without DPF are hit extra hard. A 1000 kg petrol engined car will cost you €400 a year. But that wasn't so bad if we didn't also have the most expensive petrol in the world. Filled up the Volvo for €1.54 per litre today at a local automated filling station. Diesel is cheaper at €1.25 per litre. (At motorway services you pay 20c per litre more)
As you were saying that the car changed to 2nd, mercedes gearboxes uses 2nd gear if you accelerate normally, only shifts to 1st if you stab the throttle
My father had one like that is the same color. It was a 1992 model with a 2.5L, 5 cylinder diesel engine. It was a breeze to drive and built to last....indeed it was over-engineered.
Wow this car is unbelievably clean!! Nice to see one with the cloth interior too, which looks great and is probably very comfy. I've never seen a W124 IRL that didn't have MB-TEX or leather!
I recall that, about a year after the 124 was announced, hosts of German taxi drivers turned up at Stuttgart to complain about a diminution of quality (particularly the interior) compared to the 123. M-B took notice and this and the W201 became their last over-engineered cars. This one looks like the nicest car you've ever tested.
Yes I heard the same thing regarding German taxi drivers and their W124 Mercedes. It wasn’t the overall quality that was the problem, but some electrical issues concerning Bosch. The W124 is every bit an over-engineered Mercedes.
Yes you can just compare the inside of the doors on a w123 vs w124. Its some nice padded material in the w123... w124 feels like almost some cheap plastic in comparison..
For more rapid acceleration from a standstill, move the shift selector to L for a snappy first gear start; then to progress to and hold 2nd, shift to 3 BUT then immediately back to L. Once 2nd gear has revved out, then shift to 3, and onto D.
Yes - very smart. The dials seem very clear too. I've heard Mercs from this era have so many smart yet simple features on them. Rather than over-computerised complexity
Back in the late 90s/early 2000s, I was the proud owner of a G-plate 300TE Estate version W124. I retro fitted the rear facing children seats (a fourth child required it!) and drove it for 100k miles. Apart from a broken hose that left me at the roadside, and a malfunctioning window, I never had any problems! A brilliant car.
To raise the rear headrests you just pull them up manually with your hands until it locks. The button on the dash releases the catch and the spring loading drops them back down.
@@benholroyd5221 It makes perfect sense. Each passenger can raise the headrest if he or she pleases so. The button is there for the driver to lower them, and give you full vision when backing up, when the passengers have gotten out.
The button for the headrests lowers them, you have to manually fold them back up. And a verry good reason for the rear seats not folding is that the fuel tank is located behind the rear seats
The rear headrests are simply pulled up and click into place. Operating the centre console switch releases the clip and the headrests fall back down. Simple but effective.
Despite the very obvious similarities between items like the instrument panel and dash switches in the W123 and W124, just about everything in the W124 was new for that car. This was back when M-B made beautifully engineered but pretty basic in standard form cars and the changes made between the outgoing and incoming models weren't massive wholesale changes for the sake of doing it, they were gentle improvements and upgrades on what had gone before, which was already pretty damn good... It has to be said that the 260E is probably the hidden gem of the range. In the UK people often want to go for the top of the range if they're looking for a large engine example of a car, so the 300E in petrol form, which had a larger displacement form of the same basic block as this car, but came with twin-cam heads. With the miles and age you often get timing chain and sprocket issues that can cause problems with the camshafts on the 300E. The single cam 2.6, however, really doesn't have those issues and is actually a smoother engine than that in the 300 while really not being appreciably slower on the road. The big bonus is that, as it's a 6 but not the 300, the 260 is pretty much ignored in the UK making it a lot cheaper. And, although Mercs were known for timing chain issues, the W123 230E was known to need a timing chain "about every 100,000 miles," Merc had been badly stung by that issue and had redesigned the chains for the engines in the W124 so it's really not unusual for a 260E, given decent maintenance, to go 500,000 miles before any more serious attention might be needed to the engine. They're lovely to drive and, being thoroughly engineered cars, unlike more modern Mercs, they're pretty easy to work on once you've got your head around the fact that the engineers did some things in ways that don't, at first glance, make logical sense. You also need very few special tools to do even very in-depth work on them, though there are countless specialists selling various special tools that can make life a lot easier. Even these really aren't expensive, especially if you've had to go to a manufacturer to buy a special tool for a job on a lesser car, which is a massive advantage to having a car with such a massive specialist industry around it... You could get the 4-matic in the UK, but only on the 300E. A schoolfriend of mine's dad bough a 300TE 4-matic brand new after rolling his Toyota Supra into a field on a winter's day. It's fair to say that it was a great car for them, but the 4-matics could get temperamental with age and miles. The 4-matic was very expensive in the UK, and never available with the 24v engine, so they are extremely rare in the UK so it's no great surprise a lot of people won't have ever seen one here. My friend's dad's car cost over £35,000 in 1988, which was a whole lot of money then as there were plenty of places in the UK that you could buy a house for that then...
260E and 300E is exactly the same engine. Just different bore. Maybe you're thinking of the 300E -24.. I've only heard of problems with some earlier MB engines using the single chain.
@UCKeSCYpJ0JCyNsXjjpfDfJg well, in dealerships and rarer top of the range cars, but privately sold are much less. You can find good cars, well equipped but not necessarily top of the range, for around £5-£7k and thats how much you pay these days for many 80’s Classics in good condition with no work needed. In fact, right now there’s a 300ce coupe in good condition on Car and Classic for £6.5k. If that’s not relatively affordable for this type of car, I don’t know what is.
Yep, they continued it with subsequent models, my W211 had it & my current W219 has it. And as Sean said, the switch drops them but you physically have to put them back up yourself.
Had one back in 1988, the same 260E It was such a good car. The last well made merc in my opinion. Later ('90) I had a 230E which just wasn't as good. The ones without the plastic cowling on the doors were better made than the ones with those moldings. The 260 was so good to drive, and in the wet on a roundabout you could hang out the rear at 45° from direction and it was so controlable. I miss that car, Top build and capable.
The rear headrests drop when you press the button but you have to manually click them back up again. :) The 300 had 188bhp, the 260 166bhp. The gearbox pulls away in second gear, unless you pre select first or floor it away from a standstill. On a steep hill start the gearbox will select first automatically.
In terms of technical perfection and manufacturing quality this is the best Merc ever. Maybe this and the W116 s-class of the 1970s. Great review! The rear headrests: you just pull them out manually until they click in position. If you want to fold down, you press a button at the dashboard to do that. Same idea as with the electric passenger mirror: You only need to fold up the headrests when someone is sitting there. So that person can pull it up manually, right? :p Oh and 5-speed auto was only introduced in the very late 280 and 320 engines. All others had the 4-speed auto. It's super short geared and lacks torque converter. So 5-speed auto is much more modern. But the old 4-speeds are bulletproof and 5-speeds, if they go wrong, hard to impossible to repair to perfect working order ...
My mom had a H registration 260E when I was a kid. It was a beautiful red metallic with cream leather interior. I remember it being so solid in the way you'd shut the doors. We've had lots of cars in the family since but nothing has felt like the old Mercedes
IIRC, the 5-speed auto was an option (fairly expensive) on the W124 in the early nineties, and only became the standard auto box for the last two model years on the larger engined cars
Matt, great to see a 124 on the channel, espcially a rare 260 which was only available as a saloon and that one was after the thin side rubbing strips but before the moulded in grill. I love my 124 230 estate, again very solid no squeeks or ratles 1989 showing 158k but the odo had stopped for 10 years before i got it fixed. Feels like it will go on for ever!
That 260 is in stunning condition. Still a fairly modern chassis with multi-link IRS. Shame the values on nice ones with a/c and the good engines have gone through the roof now.
Either whoever owns that car has taken excellent care of it, or its just W124 quality aging like a fine wine. I had to stop and check the odo because it really doesnt look like it has 93k miles on it. Extra points to the owner for not changing the cassette deck for some horrible 2000s Pioneer headunit. Also, probably some of W124s that were in the UK didnt get scrapped, they just immigrated east. Some say that they file the VINs and pull the door locks for weight reduction
I have been looking for over a year now and just bought a genuine 74.000 miler one owner from new spare wheel and jack never used no rust garaged all its life even the wiper stalk is still the black it should be other than faded grey not even a fly or any dust on radiator grid all nuts bolts hoses and hydraulic pipes are as if just rolled of production line Straight six 320e the Wright engine when you ecelerate it feels like you are sucking in the road in front of you at 0 to 60 in 5 seconds it's said to be as fast as the porche but the car is like I dreamt I found a w124 30yrs old that has only done 100 mile from new because that's the way it feels drives and looks but in this case my dream came true I woke up and found it Carpets and boot carpets as new It's a dream and drives like a dream.
Love these cars, have had a 260e saloon, 230e coupe manual and a couple of 300td estates. All seriously well built cars. The kids found the seats in the boot of the estates particularly entertaining. All of them had well over 100k miles and were solid as a rock. Found myself trawling the ads for another one recently..... 6 cylinder petrol would be the choice this time:)
I have the privilege of owning a pristine 1995 E300 D. The naturally aspirated OM606 is such a jewel of an engine and contributes to the overall bulletproof feel of this car. Love old school yet modern enough for today. W124 is a great classic. Very nice video btw. Keep em coming!
My Dad bought one of these when I was 5 in 1995 it was a 94 Model E320. He will never get rid of it. Only has 87k today & Still Garage Kept. My Mom had a 94 C220 also and that was My First Car in 2004 & I still own it with 167k on it. Neither one of those cars never had any problems! I drove the C220 to Los Angeles from North Carolina in 2008 to attend college. This Generation 190, 260 300E, C & S-Class were the last cars Mercedes didn’t have a build budget for. After 2000 they got cheaper & more complicated
The smaller size square mirror was fitted on the passenger side door so that, if you parked your W124 in a narrow lane or on the sidewalk in a small medieval European village, you could get the passenger side of the car an inch or two closer to the side of a building without the mirror scraping against the wall, and you could then also manually fold the driver's door mirror against the glass as well, allowing other cars to still get past your parked W124 more easily (remember, this was long before power-fold side mirrors were even thought of by any car manufacturers).
The footbreak is one thing I like with older Mercedes. It's out of the way and works good without taking up lots of space in the central console. Even my 2013 GLK has one, as did my 1970 w115 I once had. Not that I ever use the parking break, but for condition it for the yearly inspection.
I don't get the "run out of road" when doing a 0-60. The engine actually has a quite sporty character, it pulls well enough at low revs and very smoothly so, but there's a surprising amount of power above 4500-5000. Absolutely no slouch! As one commenter already noted, with 'normal' throttle it accelerates from standstill in 2nd gear, also adding to the somewhat lazy impression that the car gives. Try a kick down and you'll see that the automatic takes it up nicely to the redline and does not waste the engines performance. I personally think they are fantastic cars and would still love to own one, especially a nice 260E like this one! Engine and gearbox suit me perfectly. Did quite a bit of driving in a 200T back in the day, and loved it. It belonged to the director of our company and we got to drive it as a colleague had crashed our Nissan Vanette. Talk about a nice upgrade! Also one of the first cars I drove after getting my license which makes it even more special.
The iconic beige Stuttgartner taxis were the first to adopt fleetwide ABS, and accidents and fender benders went down for about six weeks. Then all the taxi drivers had found the new limits of ABS and accidents went back to the pre-ABS usual.
Had a 260E on a G plate (89) around 92/93. Same colour scheme, grey leather seats. Best car I ever owned. Had to let it go, as I then had a company car. 😢 been looking for another one last couple of years. Did Matt make a mistake on the engine size? My 260 was 2599cc (not 2.3, as (I think)) Matt said.
I had a great 300E W124-it was such a joy to drive-the ride was the best I’ve ever experienced, combined with decent handling. Such an elegant, intelligent design-and she lasted our family for 28 years. Am now in a W211. Btw, also owned a Volvo 245DL from new-we all called it “The Lorry”, that’s how awful it was-the 300E is nothing like a lorry.
Matt, a great review. I concur that these w124s are perfect 'semi classic' daily drivers. I am on my third w124. I occasionally make a mistake and think "an LS/A8/XJ would be better". But these mercs are just perfect dailies. If this video does well, you are welcome to come and drive my last of the run E320 - very well equipped, the bigger engine, and only 80k miles. Might be an interesting follow up (as I say if there is interesting in this video and COVID goes away!). All the best.
One of the best Mercs ever made. I love these cars they are so solid and feel like they are built from solid granite. This car is also well priced on the website you mentioned. Sadly Mercedes no longer build well made reliable cars. That title has fallen on to Lexus. Great review thanks.
Such a classy, handsome pinnacle of engineering - why is everything new about profit now? Those middle sunvisors were fitted to my friends D-reg Renault 25 back in the day lol. Great review Matt!
What such a good model the W124 was. The styling and the 80s look really make it a good looking car for me. If you showed me one of these and a W123 i wouldn't be able to choose one. I remember these being used as taxis everywhere and no wonder, they just wafted along and very hard to be beaten for ride and comfort. Great video as always.
My 1st car was a 1977 W123 230 (rare in the US). Now that I'm able to have a project car, I have a W124 300E (not super common here in the US). It's the most reliable vehicle in my driveway with 226k miles and counting. Thank you for these, but please get that W123 back on the road!
Lovely! I wanted my late dad to get one of these secondhand but he was fearful about how much how much spare parts would cost. Not that you need many provided it was a cherished example. His last car was a W169.
I knew a hard working Asian gentleman in the late 80s . He had a 1984 Ford Granada 2.8 Ghia X then a 1988 Granada Mk3 Scorpio both really lovely opulent cars with V6 Autos. Basically the best car that the local Ford dealer could supply. After that he moved up to one of these Mercedes but it was a 4 cylinder car I think and it probably still cost more than a Granada. Might have been a 230, was that a straight six? The handling and aerodynamics of these was wonderful. I confess 🤫, I used to watch those wipers for ages in traffic or at Pelican Crossing. Simply the coolest wipers ever
@@michaeljose8122 it doesn't really replace a Cologne V6 2.8 or 2.9 but the rest of the car, the interior the suspension, the feel of the switchgear, the easy handling chassis, the imperceptible gearchange, the hewn from solid feeling. It is simply the best. Nothing wrong with the Granada. It's quiet, comfortable, powerful, roomy, well specced and agile. I it's just not a Mercedes.
The Last QUALITY build MB, looked after these last a Long Long time, personally i like the silver and black, looks good ( i have a silver and black car ) this car is in beautiful condition!!
Great car. Wafting cruisers suit auto gearboxes. My dad had a E250 diesel (no turbo) with a manual gearbox and that' becomes an interesting dance on 4 pedals at tee junction on a hill (US style foot operated parking brake, no hill start assist)! You might not be an automatic gearbox fan but there was a reason that many were ordered as autos. A whole batch in metallic dark blue or white W124s were ordered by Gledhillls of Ossett W.Yorkshire from India where German parts were shipped for CKD assembly to avoid taxes for sales in that part market. This meant the W124s was being registered in the UK (after headlight light and speedo conversions) long after the W124 had stopped being sold at main agent dealerships in the UK. Did any one else get one of these last batch of slow high quality taxi spec leather seats and air con manual gearbox E250 diesel W124s?
Having driven for a living in an urban environment it was always an auto for me, spending half the working day in heavy traffic a manual was a pain in the leg and the left arm, the days of the Oxford/Cambridge as a taxi were torture.
My first car W124 200d (old Taxi. ). Loved it. It was driven 750 000km. It wasn't fast att all but very good in everyway. Her life ended when she had 970 000km. Last thing she did she saved my girlfrieds life on head on collision with a tanktruck. So thank you who made it: Father of three lovely children...❤
What a heroic car
Quality
German style was at its peak in the 80s/90s in my opinion. I could really do with a middle sun visor too... Very cool and actually useful especially in low sun winter. Another great video Matt!
I owned a 1988 Toyota Crown that had this feature along with every electronic device available for the period. All worked. Even the steering wheel got out of the way when you entered the car. Came back once key was inserted. But a must admit the Mercedes of that time was in a class of its own.. P.S . The Crown is still used in Japan as a taxi like the W123 in other parts of the world. memories.lol.
@@jackjacko8706 Toyota really were ahead of their time back in those days, some features such as swaying air vents which even now you dont get. Or Nissan/Mitsubishi with their 4 wheel steering which have only in the recent years been made available in mainstream cars
@@r3h4n786 Toyota Honda and Nissan ( before their merger with Reno ) were very VERY well made, in fact they were better made than newer ones ( i own a 92 Nissan Japanese build, it is very well made, reliable economical )
My favourite Mercedes Benz ever made. It doesn't get better than this, the W124 is perfect.
Almost perfect. 1991-95 were bio-wire years.
@@encinobalboa It's a shame because the older W124s & W202's with amber indicator lenses do look nicer than the facelifted versions.
I was the proud and happy owner of a beautiful 230E with blue leather interior. What a splendid car it was. Not powerful but very smooth, comfortable and quiet. I miss that car everyday. Thank for the review mate and cheers from Canada.
Now this is bringing back some memories! Lots of nostalgia for these old barges, I spent many many miles as a passenger in a W124. My Dad had an estate when I was small, the goal being a nice family car that could carry his guitars and amps as the TR7 it replaced wasn't the best for either of those tasks. It was bronze with a cream leather interior, I loved the rear facing seats in the boot.
It was one of out longest lived cars, it was sold on around 202k after it became unenomical to repair the suspension as the car was worth so little at the time. I recall it riding like a bouncy castle during its last few months. My grandfather had decided he would give up driving, and had offered my Dad his '99 2.5 V6 Rover 75 and bought a Westfield to replace it as his final car. The Rover got to over 320k before it went to the breakers yard!
He went straight back to Mercs after that. The W210 was mechanically bulletproof but utterly hidious had no rust proofing, the C-Class he currently has been a constant source of problems and spends most of its time off the road being repaired. Mercedes sadly isn't what it once was.
Nice to see a W124 on the channel though, and an excellent review as ever. I may have to own one someday....
You should go for it the w124 has to be one of the best cars ever built I have just bought a 320e with only 74000 miles and it is just like a 3 year old car driven slow not even a fly in the radiator grid no dents marks scrapes original paint engine bay Hoses hydraulic pipes every thing just as new jack and spare never used garaged mostly all its life I can't believe what I've bought it's like something you would invisage in a dream but it's the real thing it's like driving your couch down the road and the aceleration is like suckling in the road total power house straight six purring but no kitten
Must be one of the last 260E! In 92 they got the new engine and became 280E for a short period of time and then E280 with the facelift!
I stopped using my 89 300E after Dec 24, 2020 (WHAT a stupid thing!) due to the pandemic and WFH ---- and every now and then I would dream that I'm driving it again and FEELING how joyfully super smooth and comfy it is. Been haunting me in my dreams. I probably should promise to finally awaken Benzo this Spring 2025! Hope it won't cost much.
The dash layout started in the 60’s . The Mercedes mantra was “ if it works don’t change it” sadly modern Mercedes don’t follow this rule !
Some of the modern Merc's are quite strange and ugly inside
The last proper Merc
No, they like the W123's and the W201 that succeeded them are RUSTERS. They rot like queens, far worse than e28's Audi 100's or even Fords 1985 Granada.
A colleague of mine had a W124 200D, with 72 trampling German diesel horses and a four-speed manual. You had to measure 0 to 60 with a calendar but after 300,000 miles it still drove like new.
a whole 72?!?
@@furiousdriving Some of the horses may have left the meadow in the course of time, but 72 Pferdestärke is what the sales brochure said if I remember correctly. Try merging on an Autobahn with that amount of sheer power!
I recently purchased a 86 300e to replace my thirsty 560SEL. I still miss the V8 but love the silky smooth 6. I prefer the first generation looks with the simple side moldings. I have put a lot into this car and continue to do so to bring this back up to 100%. Still need to tackle the heater core and a couple oil leaks but this is one car I feel the money is well spent. I plan to be the last owner so hopefully 5+ years of ownership. I also have a 86 560SEC so I can still have my V8 urge satisfied.
When Mercedes made proper cars...hewn from granite. Will last a lifetime.
Great review of a great car, i had the an E230 for a decade and i still miss it. One minor point is that you said it’s a 2.3 engine but i think in this case is a 2.6 engine in this example.
I believe Matt stated it was a 260E.
Think he got his merds wodulled. It's a 2.6 ltr m103 engine was what he meant to say.
@@alanworkman3040 That sounds about right - brilliant review none the less of a cracking car!
@@alanworkman3040 I will second that, as I owned a 1989 190E 2.6 for many years.
I have w124 1994 model ...I need help now ,already changed the fuel pump 2 times ...I will appreciate your help 🙏
The greatest car I have ever owned....J641CYK 1991 W124 260E, bought as a trade clearance from a local dealer for £450 and ran it for 3 years up until about 2 years ago. It had 235,000 miles and was still as tight as a drum. Even with a disconnect idle control valve it would never fail to start and after a few minutes warming up it would be turbine smooth at idle and right through the rev range. The ride quality was unmatched by anything I have driven since and the feeling of solidity and engineering just as astonishing.
Regrettably the tin worm finally caught up with it especially on the front wings as per usual, that long with a failed brake system left me unable to get it through an MOT and the previous owner decided to buy it back for only £250(I know!!) It sat off the road for a number of years as I would always check the GOV MOT status website and no activity had taken place since my ownership and then suddenly out of the blue I seen it up for sale on eBay! It eventually went for over £1000 in almost the exact condition I sold it in and requiring full restoration...…I hope one day I can see that car back to its former glory out on the road were it belongs!
My best friends Dad had one of these when I was a kid. He kept it immaculate and it was a beautiful rich red colour. They picked me up to go and play Nintendo whilst the Corrs was playing on the radio... Nothing like a 90s nostalgia trip eh!
Another smashing vid Matt, thanks for the hard work to create the content especially during these tough and miserable times!
My grandad used to have a D reg 124. What a wonderful car. Drove it right up until 7 years ago and the only thing that broke on it was a window switch. Wonderful cars.
Mercedes form this vintage wont set your heart on fire but they are so rewarding to drive or to be driven in. There is something about the way the go down the road that makes them feel so planted and serene in all circumstances, is a perfect blend of firm and comfortable, of isolation but without feeling disconnected, of size and authority but without feeling ponderous, of refinement and yet responsiveness.
You feel that you are driving something special and that it does not matter how much time goes by, it will remain special. Sure, they have shortcomings (like the A/C, maintenance and the attention they draw) but the good stuff more than compensates for anything bad. In my opinion, they are simple the best.
I own a 1994 E280T here in Germany and I absolutely love it. It is a really nice and roomy cruiser...
I drove a W124, a 230E for 4 years and over 140.000km. Great car, not without faults. Mine was a 1987 version and needed a cylinder head revision, damaged camshaft- which was quite common. Rust is an issue, the most difficult to repair are the front mounting points of the rear suspension subframe, can be done, very expensive. Apart from that, really a great car and in 230E form even with an auto box relatively economical. If you buy one, always choose an auto box and a sunroof is a must (I think). Thanks for the video.
Great to see a W124 on the channel, great video. I have a 1990 W124 260E, and it’s a fabulous car. Would be good to see your W123 back on the road too.
Default German taxi of the 80s/90s (in beige)
They never passed the taxi regulations in my town as insufficient rear leg room, one had to go to the next one up. The Authority was moving towards only purpose built taxis so saloons could only be one specific colour, white, with no advertising on them.
Not just in Germany, in Spain, especially the Spanish islands and you'd find at least a few plying their trade in pretty much every city in Europe. Despite their cost in the UK, and these really were expensive over here, especially when you started adding optional extras, there were quite a few run as taxis here too. There still were W124s operating as taxis in places like Gran Canaria very recently including very early ones that had been running as taxis their entire lives, well over 30 years. These really are incredibly tough cars and the 300D is an easy million mile plus vehicle if you take decent care of it...
@@gosportjamie Everything on a Merc was an extra including the radio, the Taxi Pack was good value as included uprated suspension and reinforced rear seat, central auto locking so no runners and easy clean seats and floor coverings. Also included the wiring, mounting points and sender unit for the meter and roof light wiring along with provision for the two way radio, larger amp/hr battery and higher output alternator.
@@tonys1636 Yes, you're right about the extras, Mercs of this period were very basic as standard but beautifully engineered. I'm not sure the taxi pack was something that was available in the UK, which rather makes sense as the regulations governing taxis are different in each country and can vary from area to area inside countries, but it certainly makes sense of them to offer that on German vehicles as they have probably built up intimate knowledge, over the years of Mercs being used as taxis there, of what the needs are for that. It certainly sounds like a very good value option indeed as an awful lot of the cost of having a vehicle fitted to taxi spec is labour in dismantling the vehicle and fitting the necessary items, so having them fitted in the factory kicks those labour costs right into touch...
In Belgium too. I remember a taxi one that took me from the airport to a training course there back in 1995. Loved it & made me want to buy a Mercedes later on.
I just bought a 1990 300TE in March 2021 here in the US and have been daily driving it since. Very comfortable and rides great. It was in great shape when I received it, but I have been enjoying working on it and making small improvements and minor repairs along the way. Wanted a classic that felt special, but that wasn't so nice I felt guilty driving. Recommend highly to any enthusiast willing to put in a little time and money to keep them on the road.
This is still a real Mercedes! It appeals more to me then newer ones. Its just so understated and classy.
That interior would not look too out of place today, still looks so fresh.... Cracking review as usual.
Had one of these in Hong Kong for 2.5 years, a 1990 300TE in a rare colour 441 impala brown metallic and a palomino interior, only sold it last July due to relocation to UK. The 3.0 I6 M103 had considerably more grunt than the 260E, especially low-down torque. It was, as you put it, “wafty” on stock suspension and wheels, but I soon found upgrades by fitting H&R lowering springs (wagon-specific items as the rear axle has self-levelling), thinner 8mm spring shims, 17-inch Autostrada Modena (Ferrari F40 lookalike) wheels (staggered, 8.5J fronts and 9.5J rears), and Goodyear F1A3 tires. Dampers were untouched as the last owner replaced them. The waftiness was gone with surprisingly little tradeoff in ride comfort, probably a testament to the sophisticated multi-link rear setup. It still didn’t enjoy being hustled into corners too rapidly, but actually it could carry quite some speed into them, a trait that could hardly be matched by most other executive cars of the era. I’ve heard that the multilink rear had actually taken a whopping Dm 2mil to develop for the 190E, which had exceeded that of the entire BMW E30 project.
The sluggish performance on your test vehicle was likely partially due to the auto ‘box being left in “E” mode. There should be a toggle switch right next to the gear selector that would allow either “S” or “E” be selected, in the latter case the 4-speed transmission would start off in 2nd gear from a standstill.
There's no 280TE I'm afraid, the facelifted wagon with the DOHC M104 I6 engine started with the E280T and went up to the E320T. That’s never been a problem for myself as I much prefer the pre-facelift cars due to styling (mostly the front grille and headlight treatment), and the use of normal plastics (as opposed to biodegradable items) on the wiring loom.
Those looked huge back in the day but it's actually narrower than my wifes 2016 Corsa... Incredible how cars have grown and you don't notice it at first.
Picked up a '95 E280 on Christmas Eve. M104 straight 6, 24v 193 bhp. 143 mph. Beautiful to drive with zero rust ..a bit thirsty but @ 30p /liter here I don't care lol. One of the best cars i have owned, it may well become No 1. Good review new sub.edit Sept 2021 143k no issues running great!
I adore the W124, arguably MB’s best over engineered car. I had a 1992 300E back in the early 2000’s and gravely regret selling it... thanks Matt, this bought back fantastic memories.
I have a ‘95 E300 Diesel. The W124 was my dream car since I was 5, and the ‘95 E300 Diesel was my dream spec since I was 10 when it came out in mid ‘94. I bought it in 2005, and In my dream spec except it was black on black MB Tex, and I wanted it in hunter green and tan mb Tex. But every option I wanted save the trip computer- auto climate, folding headrest, heated seats, power seats, headlamp wipers, Bose sound, cruise control, folding armrest front and rear, full power windows, power mirrors, even the sunroof. It was my daily driver until late 2012, and is still running and driving although it could use some work. They don’t come better.
I was a passenger in a W124 taxi in Ukraine last year with the same year and engine and the owner told me the cylinder head had not even come off in 800K KM’s of driving.
I just got my hands on a 1989 version of this in near mint condition. Your description of how it drives is absolutely spot on.
Bomb proof. A *real* Merc.
Thanks for posting, Matt.
I AGREE but both of mine are 230te estates which i love as well!
One of the best MB cars. I knew a guy who had a 300TE and put over 300,000 miles on it in three years. It still drove like new. Don't think there was a 280, it went from the 260 to the 300.
A W124 280E was available, though it was for the sedan and estate version in model year 1993 only and it superseded the 260E (there was no 260TE or CE).
Someone just sent me a link to a 280 manual estate...now Im torn - do I pay my tax bill or get the Merc?
@@furiousdriving Sorry, is that rhetorical?
@@grayfool obviously yes. The Merc is the only choice!
The 6-cyl cars were the 260E, 300E and 300E-24 (4 valve). In 1993 those engines were replaced by the 4 valve 280E and 320E. Renamed to E280 and E320 in 1994.
Amazing to see that despite the mileage it looks like almost new! Most US E-class models had more standard equipment, but because this models was so fresh, well manufactured, and with the 3 litre (and later 3.2 litre V6 if I'm not mistaken), sprightly, others had to catch up as well.
This is basic as it has no cruise control, this was standard on US imports.
Handling and especially ride quality made this E-class a standout. And why it sold for so long and sold so well, nothing could come close!
And the year this manufactured, or maybe 1993, came to the S-class, and I remember how advanced that was.
I also spied a SAAB 9-5 in the background!
Brilliant review!
Most of german cars in europe are low spec junk with diesel engines. These are the kind of things that happens when poor people want to buy things they can't afford.
Uk/Euro cars came with almost nothing as standard, you had to spec everything an none of it was cheap!
@@furiousdriving Yes, it was just market strategy. Mercedes in the USA was supposed to be just luxury cars so they had all the options included. They didn't tell you it was a common taxi car in Europe
Nice Review, I love my W124. It's a 1990 260E I bought for £1500 9 years ago.Took it for it's MOT test the other day and it passed first time. Easy cars to work on for a DIY'er and amazingly well built, made to stand the test of time!
I remember my Grandad having one of those parked outside his house. I got all excited then learned he'd picked it up from the dealer for his boss. The single wiper amazed me.
"The single wiper amazed me"
Hubnut. Is that you?
@@benholroyd5221 No but I am subbed to him so there you go.
@@mickles1975 you may also appreciate Hoovies Garage latest countach vid. Weird single arm double wiper thing going on.
@@benholroyd5221 🤭😅
The W124 are the last of the Mercedes that were built to last forever. The 260E is a rare beast, most of them were sold with diesel engines, known for their extreme longevity. They were immensely popular in NL once they were over 25 years old because then they were exempt from road tax (which is €2000 = £1800 a year for a W124 300D). When in 2014 the law changed to 40 years, they seem to have disappeared overnight...
2000 euros for car tax...!? I thought in the Uk it was bad ...!
@@michaeljose8122 tax is basically calculated on weight (100 kg brackets) and fuel. Diesels without DPF are hit extra hard. A 1000 kg petrol engined car will cost you €400 a year.
But that wasn't so bad if we didn't also have the most expensive petrol in the world. Filled up the Volvo for €1.54 per litre today at a local automated filling station. Diesel is cheaper at €1.25 per litre. (At motorway services you pay 20c per litre more)
As you were saying that the car changed to 2nd, mercedes gearboxes uses 2nd gear if you accelerate normally, only shifts to 1st if you stab the throttle
My father had one like that is the same color. It was a 1992 model with a 2.5L, 5 cylinder diesel engine. It was a breeze to drive and built to last....indeed it was over-engineered.
Wow this car is unbelievably clean!! Nice to see one with the cloth interior too, which looks great and is probably very comfy. I've never seen a W124 IRL that didn't have MB-TEX or leather!
I recall that, about a year after the 124 was announced, hosts of German taxi drivers turned up at Stuttgart to complain about a diminution of quality (particularly the interior) compared to the 123. M-B took notice and this and the W201 became their last over-engineered cars. This one looks like the nicest car you've ever tested.
Mind you, the W201 was released well before the W124
Yes I heard the same thing regarding German taxi drivers and their W124 Mercedes. It wasn’t the overall quality that was the problem, but some electrical issues concerning Bosch. The W124 is every bit an over-engineered Mercedes.
Yes you can just compare the inside of the doors on a w123 vs w124. Its some nice padded material in the w123... w124 feels like almost some cheap plastic in comparison..
Coorrrr! Still a dream car of mine, such an over engineered, tank of a car!
For more rapid acceleration from a standstill, move the shift selector to L for a snappy first gear start; then to progress to and hold 2nd, shift to 3 BUT then immediately back to L. Once 2nd gear has revved out, then shift to 3, and onto D.
Wow! Prestine example! I can vouch that these make incredible daily drivers! So ahead of their time! My daily is a 1991 300D 5-speed manual.
That dashboard has such a clean design... love it.
best dashboard from the 80s apart from Alfas.
Yes - very smart. The dials seem very clear too. I've heard Mercs from this era have so many smart yet simple features on them. Rather than over-computerised complexity
What a car!! Beautiful in every aspect, then so well manteined is a pleasure to see
Back in the late 90s/early 2000s, I was the proud owner of a G-plate 300TE Estate version W124. I retro fitted the rear facing children seats (a fourth child required it!) and drove it for 100k miles. Apart from a broken hose that left me at the roadside, and a malfunctioning window, I never had any problems! A brilliant car.
To raise the rear headrests you just pull them up manually with your hands until it locks. The button on the dash releases the catch and the spring loading drops them back down.
Manually? With your hands?
Sorry.
@@benholroyd5221 If the chauffeur isn't quick enough, one can call the footman to raise them. ;-)
@@benholroyd5221 It makes perfect sense. Each passenger can raise the headrest if he or she pleases so. The button is there for the driver to lower them, and give you full vision when backing up, when the passengers have gotten out.
@@CreRay manually suggests 'with your hands' thus my comment
@@benholroyd5221 Yes, raising with your hands. What's wrong with that?
The button for the headrests lowers them, you have to manually fold them back up. And a verry good reason for the rear seats not folding is that the fuel tank is located behind the rear seats
You forget just how advanced and ahead of their time Mercedes have been and still are , knockout quality when well maintained. Nice review Matt 👌🏻
They rot out like queens
The rear headrests are simply pulled up and click into place. Operating the centre console switch releases the clip and the headrests fall back down. Simple but effective.
I am using everyday my W124 230E 1990 automatic with lowered body sportline and so far 311000 km on.
Despite the very obvious similarities between items like the instrument panel and dash switches in the W123 and W124, just about everything in the W124 was new for that car. This was back when M-B made beautifully engineered but pretty basic in standard form cars and the changes made between the outgoing and incoming models weren't massive wholesale changes for the sake of doing it, they were gentle improvements and upgrades on what had gone before, which was already pretty damn good...
It has to be said that the 260E is probably the hidden gem of the range. In the UK people often want to go for the top of the range if they're looking for a large engine example of a car, so the 300E in petrol form, which had a larger displacement form of the same basic block as this car, but came with twin-cam heads. With the miles and age you often get timing chain and sprocket issues that can cause problems with the camshafts on the 300E. The single cam 2.6, however, really doesn't have those issues and is actually a smoother engine than that in the 300 while really not being appreciably slower on the road. The big bonus is that, as it's a 6 but not the 300, the 260 is pretty much ignored in the UK making it a lot cheaper. And, although Mercs were known for timing chain issues, the W123 230E was known to need a timing chain "about every 100,000 miles," Merc had been badly stung by that issue and had redesigned the chains for the engines in the W124 so it's really not unusual for a 260E, given decent maintenance, to go 500,000 miles before any more serious attention might be needed to the engine. They're lovely to drive and, being thoroughly engineered cars, unlike more modern Mercs, they're pretty easy to work on once you've got your head around the fact that the engineers did some things in ways that don't, at first glance, make logical sense. You also need very few special tools to do even very in-depth work on them, though there are countless specialists selling various special tools that can make life a lot easier. Even these really aren't expensive, especially if you've had to go to a manufacturer to buy a special tool for a job on a lesser car, which is a massive advantage to having a car with such a massive specialist industry around it...
You could get the 4-matic in the UK, but only on the 300E. A schoolfriend of mine's dad bough a 300TE 4-matic brand new after rolling his Toyota Supra into a field on a winter's day. It's fair to say that it was a great car for them, but the 4-matics could get temperamental with age and miles. The 4-matic was very expensive in the UK, and never available with the 24v engine, so they are extremely rare in the UK so it's no great surprise a lot of people won't have ever seen one here. My friend's dad's car cost over £35,000 in 1988, which was a whole lot of money then as there were plenty of places in the UK that you could buy a house for that then...
Friends dad's car cost the same...insane. light green metallic, got stolen in 1989...apparently likely shipped to Africa...probably still going!
260E and 300E is exactly the same engine. Just different bore. Maybe you're thinking of the 300E -24..
I've only heard of problems with some earlier MB engines using the single chain.
Love these, Amazing cars and still relatively affordable.
@UCKeSCYpJ0JCyNsXjjpfDfJg well, in dealerships and rarer top of the range cars, but privately sold are much less. You can find good cars, well equipped but not necessarily top of the range, for around £5-£7k and thats how much you pay these days for many 80’s Classics in good condition with no work needed. In fact, right now there’s a 300ce coupe in good condition on Car and Classic for £6.5k. If that’s not relatively affordable for this type of car, I don’t know what is.
There is a button in the centre consul to drop the rear head rests to aid visibility when reversing my old c class had one
Yes, mine had that, but you had to get in the back and manually reinstate them. Unless I was doing it wrong!
No that's right!
@@cornishrider 👍
Yep, they continued it with subsequent models, my W211 had it & my current W219 has it. And as Sean said, the switch drops them but you physically have to put them back up yourself.
Had one back in 1988, the same 260E It was such a good car. The last well made merc in my opinion. Later ('90) I had a 230E which just wasn't as good. The ones without the plastic cowling on the doors were better made than the ones with those moldings. The 260 was so good to drive, and in the wet on a roundabout you could hang out the rear at 45° from direction and it was so controlable. I miss that car, Top build and capable.
Looks brand new! Thanks for always sharing pristine examples of old cars that seem 100% stock.
The rear headrests drop when you press the button but you have to manually click them back up again. :)
The 300 had 188bhp, the 260 166bhp.
The gearbox pulls away in second gear, unless you pre select first or floor it away from a standstill. On a steep hill start the gearbox will select first automatically.
In terms of technical perfection and manufacturing quality this is the best Merc ever. Maybe this and the W116 s-class of the 1970s. Great review! The rear headrests: you just pull them out manually until they click in position. If you want to fold down, you press a button at the dashboard to do that. Same idea as with the electric passenger mirror: You only need to fold up the headrests when someone is sitting there. So that person can pull it up manually, right? :p
Oh and 5-speed auto was only introduced in the very late 280 and 320 engines. All others had the 4-speed auto. It's super short geared and lacks torque converter. So 5-speed auto is much more modern. But the old 4-speeds are bulletproof and 5-speeds, if they go wrong, hard to impossible to repair to perfect working order ...
My mom had a H registration 260E when I was a kid. It was a beautiful red metallic with cream leather interior. I remember it being so solid in the way you'd shut the doors. We've had lots of cars in the family since but nothing has felt like the old Mercedes
A very Hubnut approved car I feel, Headlamp washers/ Wiper and that Windscreen wiper is Genius in its self.
IIRC, the 5-speed auto was an option (fairly expensive) on the W124 in the early nineties, and only became the standard auto box for the last two model years on the larger engined cars
Matt, great to see a 124 on the channel, espcially a rare 260 which was only available as a saloon and that one was after the thin side rubbing strips but before the moulded in grill. I love my 124 230 estate, again very solid no squeeks or ratles 1989 showing 158k but the odo had stopped for 10 years before i got it fixed. Feels like it will go on for ever!
It probably will go on forever, just keep it rust proofed!
That 260 is in stunning condition. Still a fairly modern chassis with multi-link IRS. Shame the values on nice ones with a/c and the good engines have gone through the roof now.
One of the greatest saloons ever created, especially the 260E. Absolutely love them.
لماذا هذا الطراز بالذات اريد اعرف السبب 260 انني امتلك مثلها
Either whoever owns that car has taken excellent care of it, or its just W124 quality aging like a fine wine. I had to stop and check the odo because it really doesnt look like it has 93k miles on it.
Extra points to the owner for not changing the cassette deck for some horrible 2000s Pioneer headunit.
Also, probably some of W124s that were in the UK didnt get scrapped, they just immigrated east. Some say that they file the VINs and pull the door locks for weight reduction
I have been looking for over a year now and just bought a genuine 74.000 miler one owner from new spare wheel and jack never used no rust garaged all its life even the wiper stalk is still the black it should be other than faded grey not even a fly or any dust on radiator grid all nuts bolts hoses and hydraulic pipes are as if just rolled of production line
Straight six 320e the Wright engine when you ecelerate it feels like you are sucking in the road in front of you at 0 to 60 in 5 seconds it's said to be as fast as the porche but the car is like I dreamt I found a w124 30yrs old that has only done 100 mile from new because that's the way it feels drives and looks but in this case my dream came true I woke up and found it
Carpets and boot carpets as new
It's a dream and drives like a dream.
This is a great motorcar! Only the cloth upholstery is letting it down for me. It needs the Pullman velours 😁
ooh velour would make it!
Love these cars, have had a 260e saloon, 230e coupe manual and a couple of 300td estates. All seriously well built cars. The kids found the seats in the boot of the estates particularly entertaining.
All of them had well over 100k miles and were solid as a rock.
Found myself trawling the ads for another one recently..... 6 cylinder petrol would be the choice this time:)
I have the privilege of owning a pristine 1995 E300 D. The naturally aspirated OM606 is such a jewel of an engine and contributes to the overall bulletproof feel of this car. Love old school yet modern enough for today. W124 is a great classic. Very nice video btw. Keep em coming!
My first car. Was so slow with out turbo.....it lost speed on mountains was very hard to build speed again, great car thou.
My Dad bought one of these when I was 5 in 1995 it was a 94 Model E320. He will never get rid of it. Only has 87k today & Still Garage Kept. My Mom had a 94 C220 also and that was My First Car in 2004 & I still own it with 167k on it. Neither one of those cars never had any problems! I drove the C220 to Los Angeles from North Carolina in 2008 to attend college. This Generation 190, 260 300E, C & S-Class were the last cars Mercedes didn’t have a build budget for. After 2000 they got cheaper & more complicated
In 190e guise the 2.6 was pretty fast been a bit lighter, I sold mine cheap and prices shot up
Thats usually what I do (E30, classic Range Rover..)
The taillights were built for when it snows you can still see the taillights without having to wipe them off
The smaller size square mirror was fitted on the passenger side door so that, if you parked your W124 in a narrow lane or on the sidewalk in a small medieval European village, you could get the passenger side of the car an inch or two closer to the side of a building without the mirror scraping against the wall, and you could then also manually fold the driver's door mirror against the glass as well, allowing other cars to still get past your parked W124 more easily (remember, this was long before power-fold side mirrors were even thought of by any car manufacturers).
The footbreak is one thing I like with older Mercedes. It's out of the way and works good without taking up lots of space in the central console. Even my 2013 GLK has one, as did my 1970 w115 I once had. Not that I ever use the parking break, but for condition it for the yearly inspection.
I don't get the "run out of road" when doing a 0-60. The engine actually has a quite sporty character, it pulls well enough at low revs and very smoothly so, but there's a surprising amount of power above 4500-5000. Absolutely no slouch! As one commenter already noted, with 'normal' throttle it accelerates from standstill in 2nd gear, also adding to the somewhat lazy impression that the car gives. Try a kick down and you'll see that the automatic takes it up nicely to the redline and does not waste the engines performance.
I personally think they are fantastic cars and would still love to own one, especially a nice 260E like this one! Engine and gearbox suit me perfectly. Did quite a bit of driving in a 200T back in the day, and loved it. It belonged to the director of our company and we got to drive it as a colleague had crashed our Nissan Vanette. Talk about a nice upgrade! Also one of the first cars I drove after getting my license which makes it even more special.
quite rare in 260 form, most went for the 220/230 or 300/320. Oh and 4matic w124's were availiable in the uk for a while.
The iconic beige Stuttgartner taxis were the first to adopt fleetwide ABS, and accidents and fender benders went down for about six weeks. Then all the taxi drivers had found the new limits of ABS and accidents went back to the pre-ABS usual.
I love the clean multi-tone with wood trim interior of the W124 late 80s and early 90s. When they made proper MB with distinct quality and class.
Had a 260E on a G plate (89) around 92/93. Same colour scheme, grey leather seats. Best car I ever owned. Had to let it go, as I then had a company car. 😢 been looking for another one last couple of years. Did Matt make a mistake on the engine size? My 260 was 2599cc (not 2.3, as (I think)) Matt said.
I had a great 300E W124-it was such a joy to drive-the ride was the best I’ve ever experienced, combined with decent handling. Such an elegant, intelligent design-and she lasted our family for 28 years. Am now in a W211. Btw, also owned a Volvo 245DL from new-we all called it “The Lorry”, that’s how awful it was-the 300E is nothing like a lorry.
Yes, the one I’ve been waiting for and I wasn’t disappointed. Great video. Maybe the W140 is on the cards in the near future also?
Had two saloons, a coupe and an estate version. Great cars.
Another great video, Matt. Thank you.
Beautiful, clean design, reliable, comfortable, perfect for daily use... The 124 has to be one of the best cars ever made. Wouldn't mind having one :)
Matt, a great review. I concur that these w124s are perfect 'semi classic' daily drivers. I am on my third w124.
I occasionally make a mistake and think "an LS/A8/XJ would be better". But these mercs are just perfect dailies.
If this video does well, you are welcome to come and drive my last of the run E320 - very well equipped, the bigger engine, and only 80k miles. Might be an interesting follow up (as I say if there is interesting in this video and COVID goes away!).
All the best.
I had a 92 300e bronze in colour and dark burgundy leather fanatic car I feel the last proper built Merc
One of the best Mercs ever made. I love these cars they are so solid and feel like they are built from solid granite. This car is also well priced on the website you mentioned. Sadly Mercedes no longer build well made reliable cars. That title has fallen on to Lexus. Great review thanks.
Such a classy, handsome pinnacle of engineering - why is everything new about profit now? Those middle sunvisors were fitted to my friends D-reg Renault 25 back in the day lol. Great review Matt!
My grandad had a 25, Im surprised I didnt notice the visor in that. Too distracted by the talking dashboard?
B5 a4 had it too. I never noticed until a friend was fiddling in the car. Another thing I miss was the blue tint on the windscreen in many 90s cars.
What such a good model the W124 was. The styling and the 80s look really make it a good looking car for me. If you showed me one of these and a W123 i wouldn't be able to choose one. I remember these being used as taxis everywhere and no wonder, they just wafted along and very hard to be beaten for ride and comfort. Great video as always.
They were everywhere until not long ago and suddenly vanished, great cars
My 1st car was a 1977 W123 230 (rare in the US). Now that I'm able to have a project car, I have a W124 300E (not super common here in the US). It's the most reliable vehicle in my driveway with 226k miles and counting. Thank you for these, but please get that W123 back on the road!
Lovely!
I wanted my late dad to get one of these secondhand but he was fearful about how much how much spare parts would cost. Not that you need many provided it was a cherished example. His last car was a W169.
I knew a hard working Asian gentleman in the late 80s . He had a 1984 Ford Granada 2.8 Ghia X then a 1988 Granada Mk3 Scorpio both really lovely opulent cars with V6 Autos. Basically the best car that the local Ford dealer could supply. After that he moved up to one of these Mercedes but it was a 4 cylinder car I think and it probably still cost more than a Granada. Might have been a 230, was that a straight six?
The handling and aerodynamics of these was wonderful. I confess 🤫, I used to watch those wipers for ages in traffic or at Pelican Crossing. Simply the coolest wipers ever
Hi i had an e230 - the 2.3 litre 4 cylinder variant of this car.
@@michaeljose8122 it doesn't really replace a Cologne V6 2.8 or 2.9 but the rest of the car, the interior the suspension, the feel of the switchgear, the easy handling chassis, the imperceptible gearchange, the hewn from solid feeling. It is simply the best. Nothing wrong with the Granada. It's quiet, comfortable, powerful, roomy, well specced and agile. I it's just not a Mercedes.
Last of the great engineered Mercedes.
...there will be no more, the manufacturer would be against himself :(
I love my W124 250D.
My Grandad had a green 1990 W124 200E with the rare 4 speed manual gearbox and beige cloth interior
The Last QUALITY build MB, looked after these last a Long Long time, personally i like the silver and black, looks good ( i have a silver and black car ) this car is in beautiful condition!!
Mercedes Benz 260E classic from 1992 good condition and well restored love the alloys
No blanking plates - just individually cut wood trim to match the switch/option count 👍
Great car. Wafting cruisers suit auto gearboxes. My dad had a E250 diesel (no turbo) with a manual gearbox and that' becomes an interesting dance on 4 pedals at tee junction on a hill (US style foot operated parking brake, no hill start assist)! You might not be an automatic gearbox fan but there was a reason that many were ordered as autos.
A whole batch in metallic dark blue or white W124s were ordered by Gledhillls of Ossett W.Yorkshire from India where German parts were shipped for CKD assembly to avoid taxes for sales in that part market. This meant the W124s was being registered in the UK (after headlight light and speedo conversions) long after the W124 had stopped being sold at main agent dealerships in the UK. Did any one else get one of these last batch of slow high quality taxi spec leather seats and air con manual gearbox E250 diesel W124s?
Having driven for a living in an urban environment it was always an auto for me, spending half the working day in heavy traffic a manual was a pain in the leg and the left arm, the days of the Oxford/Cambridge as a taxi were torture.
A design classic 👌 ; inside and out : probably the last real Mercedes . Fantastic video again.
Perfect design, so understated and clean
"furiosdriving"
proceeds to make an extremely calm review and test drive =P