msholit

Hi, new to this forum..Im trying to get a good grasp of what the different models are and how they differ, but all this info has my head spinning. So maybe someone can help me out?

Im looking at getting a w124 as my next car....im looking at 300 and 320 series....but from what i have read so far is that the 92 and 93 model years have different engines?

how do the 92 and 93 model years differ ? including engine/tran and body interior specs? is one more desireable/better than the other?

also, ive been considering the 280, what year did they first come out? and how do you think it compares to the 300/320 series?

thanx for any help.

airshelby

Check out www.wikipedia.org Search for w124 or w202. That is where I learned a lot about the differences.

ZorroAMG

the 300 is slow, 280 is BRUTAL.

get a 300 or 320 at LEAST.

92 300E had 3.0L inline SOHC M103 12 Valve engine 177 HP

93 300E and 94-95 E320 had DOHC M104 24 Valve engine 215HP

90-93 have nice boddy cladding with old grille and headlights, 94-95 have same cladding but updated grille, hood, headlights, tail lights and trunk trim pieces..

good luck

Payson

Nowadays discard directly a 300e, too basic for actual performance...
Between the two M104 engines both are 6 cylinders in line (280 & 320)
Depending on your requirements, but both will suite quite fine your expectatives, both engines are exactly the same, but changing engine displacement (cc). I would go for the 320, there´s a lot of weight to move and fuel economy is almost the same...

Payson

xudeck

Yeah don't go for a 300E !! Its wayyyy too slow !! And don't get anything prior to 90 or 91. Whenever they started putting the lower body claddings. They are expensive to buy new and hard to find used and you will want them to update the looks of your car.

I hear the M103 engine is the better one, but M104 is newer , so thats up to you !!

CLJ

300E slow?? Come on its not sports car fast but 0-60 in 8 seconds isn't bad!

I’m assuming here you are talking about the 300E, E320 & E280, but essentially they are all the same car, however the difference between the 92 & 93 models lies pretty much only in the engine, which is roughly an extra 28%HP gain (for the CIS-E or 16% for the HFM-SFI) over the same sized M103 engine, an optional 5 speed auto and exterior updates to the grill + lights, boot lid and bumpers. The interiors remain virtually the same. I think most people would agree the 93 models are more desirable (you can tell if it’s a 93-95 model because the E is at the front of the model numbers, not at the end). Oh and the E280 came out in 93.

RogerJones

From my own experience, the M104 is definitely the superior unit -- smoother, quieter, more powerful, more torque lower down the range. But the M103 is a great engine nevertheless. Both engines leak.

ZorroAMG

93 is still a 300E....they changed the engine but not the badging...new badging came with the new grille and lights in 1994

EDIT: in north america at least...

msholit

so whats the difference between a 320 and 280? is the performance difference easily noticeable?

when you say brutal, you mean the 280 is alot stronger?

what i really want is something dependable and possibly be on par with a nissan sr20de engine at the least.

thanks

shdoug

194 HP in the 280, 217 in the 320- so not a huge difference. Be aware that there is a difference in trim level between the 2 cars. The 280 typically had pleather seats (Tex), no memory driver's seat, no telescoping steering wheel, and were without some other features. I'm not sure if these were not options on the 280 or if they are just not typical. Both engines are 24 valve with stepped-variable valve timing, and the length of piston travel (displacement) is the only significant difference. I think they were both plagued with the same issues such as the biodegradable wiring harness, head gasket oil leak, and many others.

The 300E ('92 was the last year in spite of the badge), from what I've read, is a more bulletproof engine but less powerful and has the mechanical rather than electronic fuel injection system which tends to be hard to get perfect idling and starting from. The 300E is just an older, more simple platform and is the original W124. I would steer clear of the 280 just because you will get fewer features and will pay about the same as you would for an E320 or 300E. You can buy these cars all day long on E-Bay in good condition for $3,000-$4,000. You may as well get the newer E320 or E420 (V-8) and get the biggest bang for your buck. Look at the engine wiring harness and make sure reverse engages promptly and the transmission fluid is clean. These cars like to lose reverse with very little warning except slow or rough engagement.

RogerJones

The 280 (104.942) delivers 270 Nm at 3750 rpm, the 320 (104.992) 315 Nm (310 Nm under US spec.). Hence, that's 16.7% more torque, enough to be noticeable. I don't have the torque curves, but I believe that of the 320 to be flatter and giving more lower down. That's consistent with the reports I've seen of the 280 needing more revs to perform and therefore suiting drivers who like a revvy engine, and it's a difference I notice between my 103 (see below) and 104 engines.

The 280 gets to 100 kph (62 mph) in 8.8 secs and the 320 in 7.9 secs (sedan/saloon figures). The tops speeds are 225 and 230 kph respectively.

The 300 (103.98x) figures are 255 Nm at 4400, 177 bhp, 220 kph, 8.5 secs 0--100 kph.

All figures from the Technical data passenger cars: October 1993 official MB handbook.

ZorroAMG

my 1990 300E does 235 km/h.....


Uh...so I've heard....

neanderthal

the M104 is more complex than the m103. even the wiring and fuel injection systems are more complex.

for someone (like me) who does a lot of thier own maintenance, the simpler car is the better one.

also, the M103 is the smoother engine. it doesnt have a variable intake or variable valves. there is no step in power "when the cams come on" or when it "switches" to the high rpm intake. its a smooth progression of power all the way to the redline, except it tapers off a little at the end. there is a definite step on the M104s.


i also prefer the MBtex interior as it holds up much much much better than the leather interior.

im basically the only person who drives my car so i dont care about the telescoping steering and memory seats; they stay in one position all the time. i live in southern california so i dont need headlamp washers.
i have the upgraded stereo (six speakers) i have the (1990 and later) model lower cladding. the only thing i dont have in my 1990 300E 2.6 that i would like is a five speed; auto or manual.

msholit

wow thanks for all the info...ive always wanted those headlight wipers..so to me its crucial...

is the 300 or 320 more reliable? and are there any common failures/recalls to look out for?

when i go car shopping, what are the important things to look out for?

I also plan on transferring my soundsystem to this car, does anyone know how many amps the alternators put out for both the 300 and 320? any options to put a higher amperage alt from a bigger series engine?

electrical parts cost compared to say a toyota?

i dont know if im recalling correctly, but do these cars have electrical assist steering? if so what hapens when the fuse blows? amperage consumption of steering system? reliability of elect steering system?

thanx!

shdoug

Steering is mechanical. On the E320 watch out for the engine wiring harness. On both look out for slow reverse engagement, but this is more noticeable in the winter. Look for oil leaks by the right rear and right front of the head. That's a head gasket leak, but not necessarily a big problem. Check out Dave's site.

http://www.davebarnhart.com/mb300e/Buying.htm

msholit

gotcha...thank you very much

Saijin_Naib

91 300ce is m104 24v and I love my CE No big problems yet :knocks on wood: