LaSing

Hi all,

I am interested to buy a W124 series. At this present juncture, I do not know which model to get e.g. the 200, 260, 280 etc. Could some of you kindly advice me which is the favoured model and share with me on the reasons why? And also I would appreciate if you all could let me know what common/potential problems would I be facing as an owner of a secondhand W124. I just joined this forum and I really hope you guys could help me out. Thanks in advance!

mhorn

First off, what country are you in? I would personally opt for a 6 cylinder car if you have the money. I have always heard that the 4 cylinders are a bit underpowered but I confess I've never actually driven one. I think that the M103 engines are the best built motor for the money that mercedes ever made. They are very reliable and parts are reasonable.
I don't know if this is true overseas, but in the U.S. all mercedes have the Vehicle Identification Number printed on a sticker on every major body panel, like the doors, trunk and hood. If the car has been wrecked and thus one of those panels replaced, it will have a different sticker that says "Replacement" instead of the VIN number. There are lots of post here on what to look for when buying a used W124. good luck.

Dunkie

Go for a diesel man, my 300D is awesome!

Holson

I like both the V8 models (500E is dreamy, and 400E is not bad )
But, otherwise I like the turbodiesel 124s!

farooq

300e and 320e..

ample of power reasonable fuel consumption otherwise if u dont care abt fuel go higher

LaSing

Thanks for all ur advices. Actually I'm looking at something below 3000cc. Any recommendations? I've decide on W124 but I dunno which one to get. Any particular issues / problems that I need to lookout for when I go for my 'shopping'?

Brian Felts

I have a 1995 E 320 and I love it. I had a 740IL BMW and would not go back for anything. I feel our cars have an excellent balance of power and function.



Brian

mike690003

I had a 1987 300E, and the only real hell it gave me was:

water pump
alternator
a/c compressor
transmission
fuel pump and relay
center muffler
fan clutch
OVP relay
electric auxilary fan

the rest were either cosmetic repairs, or regular maintenance items:
plugs
wires
fuel filter
coolant
and other minors


I would say, from experience that the key to scoring a good car is its maintenance records. I learned this the hard way. How do you know the way the car was treated over the last 12+ years? The maintenance records. If there are no records, be wary, a long road of repairs is most likely in the future.

mhorn

If you have to get something under 3 liters, then I guess that rules out an E320 or 300E. I would go for the 280E then. I had a 190E with the 2.6 liter and I now drive a W124 300E. I just can't imagine the little 2.6 liter from my old 190E car powering a W124. The W124 is a much bigger, heavier vehicle. I just don't think the 2.6 liter engine would be powerful enough. So go with the 2.8 liter 280E if it has to be under 3 liters. A 300E with the 3 liter engine would be better though. As far as things to look for, the radiators are prone to fail after a while, wiring harness can be an issue on the M104 engines. Do a search on this forum and you'll get a ton of info back. Definately look at the maintenance books. I have found that these cars tend to be either very well cared for and thus in excellent condition, or they have been severly abused and truned into a pile of junk. So look at the overall shape of the car, that will tell you a lot about the running condition of the vehicle. People who take care of the exterior/interior of their vehicle tend to take care of the mechanical aspect of the car as well. So if the car has torn seats and stained carpet, but the seller swears he changed the oil every 3,000 miles, look elsewhere.

Holson

I agree

We owned a 230E with a 5-speed manual gearbox in Indonesia. That miserable 2.3L M102 totally ruined the experience of driving a W124 I think. The chassis was great but the engine was so rough and sounded so unhappy (the car was well maintained too).

I guess I would either go for the 280E (in some markets they are marketed as such), or E280s. The 2.8L M104 should be plenty powerful and smooth too.

Otherwise, i like the 2.5 Turbodiesel powered 300D 2.5s. That's a really nice 124 I think.

LaSing

thanks guys. i'll be looking for the E280 then.