Eliot

Honestly I love primitive. If it has to have a computer I want it be an abacus.

The W124s are at the edge of this. The early M103 powered sedans have the most basic EFI which by modern standards might as well be an abacus. The V8s are more complex with a drive by wire throttle which I find nuisance but oh well. Everything else though is delightfully simple, proven design. Independent multilink suspension from the early eighties for example. That actually isn't standard, despite its age, even now. Mustangs for example have a live rear axle. The quality of the metal in the W124 is exceptional, its actually aircraft grade with bolts stress tested to two tons of force. The cabin fittings are cleanly built and on my cars 12 birthday show little age. There aren't little bits and pieces falling off.

patrick_y

Agreed, those new cars with all those electronics are prone to failure. I have had nightmares in my sleep of my car just simply falling apart.

The W124 is simply the most reliable car ever built.

It may not be the "best" since some of the newer cars are a bit more fun and interesting to drive. But the W124 is perhaps the most reliable Mercedes-Benz vehicle ever built.

Has anyone seen the Fifth Gear video demonstrating the W124 build quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bIV_hHPAFQ

The W124, simple, no frills, safe, and comfortable. Just the way a car should be.

crr1612

i wouldnt say no frills i have seatbelt extenders, vacuum powered back head rests, power everything.....id say we have just the right amount of frill

patrick_y

Vacuum powered rear headrests? You've got me stumped there.

White_Knuckles

Yeah, I have those. The Vac sucks childrens heads into 'em so they don't annoy the driver. Works great, wish I had the "dome of silence" option.

ZedStyle

that option was only available on 92 onwards euro models, unless you were lucky enough to get a grey market vehicle

shadowgriffen

they also had a catheter option, but that was only availabe in Germany

Sojo300E

wow... i just saw the youtube link. i guess my engine IS bombproof. haha. i love my 124. my parents want me to sell it though seeing that they just got a 04 s430.

n8nod9it

W124 is not a sensational car in the whole, but it takes what it has and does it really well. Impressive as the new models, imports may be...my MB still gets heads turning and offers me a safe, and smooth ride to where i'm going. These were well built machines for German standards and a cult vehicle to boot. They aren't much to brag about compared to a 400hp Nissan but who cares when you're car is 13 years old or older and it still takes a nice shine after a wash.

Bigpete123

The w124 isn't the most reliable mercedes ever built... the 240d or any of those older diesels were the most reliable.

I agree completely with what neanderthal had to say. It's simply the best balance of all measurements of quality and aesthetic appeal. At about 200k, my 124 has been giving me tons of trouble... but to be fair, most cars at 200k are (as mentioned earlier) being crushed in a junk yard. And I don't see the newer Mercs making it to 200k without an unreasonable investment in repairs...

Aesthetically, this car is very timeless. A few updates (color matched lower paneling/bumper impact strips, euro headlights, paint the grill black, lower a little with new rims) and most people would think you just bought a $30k used Mercedes. The interior holds up extremely well... I have asked people how old they think my car is and they often think it's 9-10 years new than it is. That tells you something...

Look at a well-maintained stock w210 next to a well-maintained w124 and the 124 will look newer.

alright, I'm done.

weisdaclick

Wow, I didn't realise there was so much W124 stuff on you tube.

This video series http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bIV_hHPAFQ is pretty dumb I think, I've never been much of a fan of 5th gear anyway.

I don't see the point of hitting a car with a baseball bat, or chucking dynamite under the bonnet, what does that prove?

Has anyone seen this W124 video - supposedly with a 6.0 Supercharged lump?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=L8FlJQWxbTM


My own W124 has not been that reliable, I bought the car at 58,000 miles and have added another 60,000 in the last 5 years.

In that time I have had a nightmare with cutting out - found to be the OVP relay, changed a wheel bearing, water pump, fan clutch, rear screen and a couple of other minor things.

I think my head gasket is leaking quite a bit of oil externally now, not bad I suppose but not that good either, I've had more reliable VW's in the past.

shdoug

You know, what's sad is the fact that apparently the W124 is the "Most Reliable" car MB ever produced. Yet, A Ford Taurus would have fewer problems costing less $$$ to repair in 120,000 miles than the Benz! True, it's not even 1/8 of the car, but if we're talking reliability... I think it would be difficult to find an American car (impossible to find an Asian car) that is LESS reliable than the W124, in terms of spending money on repairs. The American cars will leave you stranded, but at least it's infrequent and it's not $500 just to touch it.

For example, Tauruses don't usually need a head gasket unless they were overheated. Wiring problems are seldom. A relative of mine has a '92 Taurus that has needed a couple motor mounts, a $200 radiator, and I think maybe some tranny work. It was never flushed! There have never been any electrical problems, the AC is perfect, the engine doesn't leak a drop, come on! Do the Germans have an endless supply of money to fix their cars constantly, or are they punishing us for WWII? I don't think you could FIT $10,000 worth of repairs to the average American car in 10 years even if you abused it. True, they are disposable but if I have to spend 10-15,000 every 10 years to replace everything, what's the difference?

The W124 is a tank, and a very unique car; built very solidly and smart. A few shoddy parts that eminently fail on almost every W124 (head gasket, wiring harness, transmission, evaporator) totalling about $4500 ruin it for me. There's plenty of other things to fail in between major repairs, too. I don't consider it reliable when it costs an arm and a leg to repair, and requires about $2000 per year to keep it up, unless you want to dedicate your weekends to DIY repairs. Choose one: Family vs. W124

Sorry, just the way I see it.

shadowgriffen

If one is pretty handy with a wrench I think half the troubles go away, but that's just my opinion.

weisdaclick

I agree with you in the main, there are inexcusable faults with the car (wiring, rear screens, and, not to forget RUST).

A few points though, I have owned my W124 for 5 and a half years. After that amount of time I usually change cars (an expensive business) but now I have no need, my W124 is (almost) as good as new and drives perfectly.

Old MB's are always worth something and 124 values will bottom out then stay steady then start to rise. If you have a half decent one you'll do well out of it. I reckon if I sell mine today it would have depreciated £750 a year, if I keep it long enough that figure will be £0. This is in a country where the average car depreciates £2,500 a year.

My W124 is a 3.2 Coupe - a 217 bhp 149 mph car. Its bound to cost more to maintain than something slower (this doesn't excuse shoddy wiring and rust though).

Its unfair to compare maintenance costs of an imported car to a home grown one. You can run an MB very cheaply - in Germany.

I can't see how you're spending $2000 a year on maintenance. You must be going to MB for everything or have been plain unlucky.

Hakk403

My w124 is a 3.2 sedan, 155-mph car. Do you know how the top speed of these cars is limited, is it just aerodynamics and power or were they chipped? Maybe my speedo was off by a bit.

I love the W124, I don't think I will EVER sell mine.

weisdaclick

I would agree with that one. I seem to remember the listed top speed for a UK car was 149.

I'm not sure what octane gas you are using but I would say 155 is quite optimistic - unless you ditched the cat somewhere along the way.

I took mine to 125 - the front end gets a bit light at that speed so I went no further.

I hired a Ford Mondeo diesel for a company trip, one night in the pouring rain I took it up to 135 - solid as a rock. That would be suicidal in my 320CE.

PaulX608

Another nice thing about the v8. No light front end. According the all the info I've found, mine is electronically limited to 150. Had it to 130 countless times, solid as a rock.

weisdaclick

Tell the truth, would you be slightly annoyed if a Ford diesel came past you at that speed?

ZedStyle

it sounds like you're basing your whole argument off of one ford taurus.
first off, a taurus cost about a third of the price of a w124 when new back in 92. of course the benz will cost more to repair, if you go out today and buy a new e class and a new ford taurus, and the same thing goes wrong with both of them, which will be cheaper to fix? you have to pay to play.
second of all, how many old ford tauruses do you see on the road? not too many. there is no way in hell that i believe any american car built in 1992 is more reliable than a w124. the particular car you're talking about may run like a champ, but in my experience it's the exception to the rule.
as a matter of fact, those old tauruses were notorious for the trans going out, and also the head gaskets, a/c, wiring problems, etc, etc. you can look it up if you don't believe me. they are in no way whatsoever more reliable than a w124. part for part a repair will cost less on a taurus, but that's because it's a ford, not a mercedes.
finally,



or

neanderthal

my car has cost me an avg of $65 a month since i bought it including the purchase price. and i havent owned it for even 4 years yet. hardly taking food out the kids mouths.

im not going to argue that repairing stuff is expensive. if you wait till you need it repaired then you get what you deserve. maintenance (prevention) is far cheaper than repair. you pay to play, dont wanna pay, end up paying. simple as that.

those of us with half a brain will look for a used car thats had a lot of recent work done to them. buy it and run it into the ground knowing that the previous owners repairs should be good for another 200000 miles.

zed said it
[echo]id rather drive my 1990 benz than any generation taurus. ill dare you to compare the interiors of said vehicles. then count the number of said taurii on the road as a percentage of thier overall new car sales numbers and compare to the mercedes. i see more old 124s on the freeway between san francisco and los angeles than any other car that is over ten years old. most people who drive that ten year old japanese or american car rent a car to drive long distances. we just drive.[/zed echo]

shdoug

Point taken. The pictures say it all...But, hey! That thing still has the original hubcaps and it's only $1000!!!

I mentioned the Taurus at 120,000 miles. After that, it's done. But up until that point, they are usually a fairly inexpensive car to run. I realize we are talking about about 2 completely different classes of transportation, of course. The Taurus may be a bad example, but it just seems like all European cars are so freaking expensive to run and full of problems that could have been avoided. They are also amazing during the brief periods between repairs. I loved my '85 Volvo turbo, but there was ALWAYS something wrong with it. Fix one thing and something else breaks.

shdoug

I'm not arguing, but it's interesting to note that here where I live, I still see tons of rusty but trusty Taurii (why do I keep going back to this POS as an example?) on the roads all over the city, but there are only a handful of W124s here. Five years ago they were everywhere. Now, I see 1 or 2 a month if I'm lucky. Part of this could be the prevalent Midwest "Buy American" attitude. I'm surprised at the number of people who have never even considered buying anything but a Chevy, no matter how many problems they have. Strange...

crr1612

my friends taurus crapped out at 100k for no known reason...it was a 99. anyway, everything about it is just so bland and boring. plus my 89 benzo had more luxuries and class than his 99. people are still surprised when they get into my car and it hands them the seatbelt. ive actually convinced some of my friends with newer cars to join the benz team. most recently, my friend is giving up his 97 eclipse for a 190e. even tho these newer cars may claim to be more reliable, the old mercedes engines will get more mileage in the long run, not to mention the look is timeless

ksing44

Mine too. It feels great at 110, but after 120 it starts to feel a bit light. It might feel better now with the slightly lower stiffer springs, firmer shocks, and bigger tires, but I'm just gonna keep it at 110. I was surprised actually, considering all the talk about the autobahn.

weisdaclick

You know the comprison between the Taurus and W124 is quite interesting.

I would have thought that you couldn't give a 1992 Taurus away, but take a look at this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-...spagenameZWDVW


Now take a look at this W124:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...spagenameZWDVW



The values of the two cars are startlingly similar.


Something VERY wrong there (for Mercedes).