In summer of 2002, John decided to purchase a Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6. Having driven BMWs (among other cars) for much of his driving life, he thought that moving up to the brand that was considered ‘the best’ German luxury car was something he deserved. And of course, I encouraged him.
His 190E was quite breathtaking when I first saw it: A nice shiny black with contrasting grey rocker panels, it was one of the best examples of the marque’s very Teutonic 1980s design language and representative of the time when MB really did make the best cars anywhere and didn’t have to be competitive with any other brands on price. They simply were the best mass-market cars, and were priced accordingly for those who could afford to pay.
The way it drove and handled was also a revelation for such a small vehicle. The handling was sporty and well controlled, and the ride was firm but not uncomfortable. At least some of the credit for this has to go to the fine multilink rear suspension (quite revolutionary when Mercedes pioneered it in this vehicle, soon to be spread among all its other cars) but as well to the firm-but-comfortable seats, which in John’s 190 were covered in light grey M-B Tex (the Mercedes trademarked perforated vinyl which wears like an armour plate).
The 190E, as many have said, may have been amongst the last Mercedes that was designed and engineered to go 500,000 kms with only minimal wear and tear. It truly felt like a little tank; when one closed the small doors they shut with a satisfying thud and you could hear little of the world outside.
Many have said that the base 2.3 litre engine of this car was a bit wanting when it came to performance. The 2.6 litre inline six always proved to be more than capable of quickly accelerating to triple-digit speeds in perfect quietude.
Sensible HVAC controls, cassette holders and stock radio.
In the time that he had it, his 190E was the ‘fun car’ that we took on day trips or weekends away. I remember tooling around the wineries of Prince Edward County (about two hours from our home) or going to Ottawa (about an hour away). We never had any problems with it, mechanical or otherwise.
Small car, big trunk!
However, after having it for about a year and a half, John began to get restless. The 190E had opened his eyes to the engineering excellence that Mercedes-Benz was capable of, but he confessed that he’d always dreamed about having one of their SL-class convertibles.
He soon found one that he wanted, and spent the next six months having it restored. He didn’t really have the garage space for three vehicles (even if he only used two of them occasionally), so the 190E was put up for sale.
I still remember the older Jewish couple who ended up buying it. They showed up in a rather weather-beaten cream coloured 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3 and fell in love with John’s. “It’s in such good shape,” they exclaimed. “These really are the best Mercedes they ever made!”
Glad that it had found a good home, John turned his attention to his new acquisition.
I have one of these and they are built like tanks. The seats are the best of any car I’ve driven. The engine is just about the smoothest inline-6 ever made. Love the oversized sunroof and that suspension system which makes you feel like you are skiing on freshly packed powder.
The car has all of the classic Mercedes touches like cladding on the outside, yellow fog lights, ribbed taillights, grip-style door handles, single oscillating wiper, gated shifter, Zebrano wood interior trim and a dash and door panels that look like they’re straight out of a W126. It doesn’t get more 80s than a 190E.
The transmission can be a bit jerky. The fuel injection has a bugaboo that no one has been able to fix despite replacing many parts. It always seems to have a new oil leak.
But when you’re cruising down the freeway with that jumbo sunroof all the way back and the A/C going it’s a great place to be. The ride is like an S-Class and there is so much glass. When you get back into town you marvel at the tight turning circle and narrow width which makes it easy to park.
A great, but not cheap, daily driver that very few people notice or appreciate. In many ways the polar opposite of my Cadillac Brougham.
Love the color on yours. Mine is that awful Smoke Silver that they might as well call Beige.
Funny that around here (Europe), most 190’s have no wood, no AC, no airbag…
Most of them here are taxi-spec with a diesel. Slow with a capital S, but slowly they go to seven digit mileages (well, kilometrages)
When you say slow with a capital S you could also say “All requests for acceleration must be submitted in writing.”
HA! I literally cracked myself laughing with that one. Awesome!
That said, these cars with a 2.5 Turbo or a 2.6 must be zippy little sedans, and reliable as heck.
The US versions, especially the 2.6, came with much better equipment than the European versions. It was also much more expensive here than in Europe. In 1987, the 190 2.6 had a starting price of $30,300. That’s $65,000 in today’s dollars!
Later versions were a little bit cheaper, but it was always a pricey car considering its size.
I don’t think I’m fully understanding the HVAC here; the fan slider and temp dial appear logical, but the rest not so much… I’m assuming the “zero” is off, but what is the divided rectangle to the left?
I believe that is for the dash panel vents.
My old classmate had a 190E for her graduation presentation in the early 1990s. She asked me the same question as well…
The horizontal buttons (from left to right):
Defrost
Defog
Heating and cooling
Normal heating
Normal cooling or fresh air ventilation
Off (Air supply off)
The vertical buttons (from top to bottom):
Dehumidifier
Normal A/C
Econ (Recirc)
Dehumidifier? That’s not one I’m used to seeing, but I see how it could be useful.
1993 must have been the last year for the 190E before it was replaced by the C-class, I assume? Probably looked a little long in the tooth at the time (having debuted in 1985? was it) but now it looks like a classic Mercedes, whereas the 1st-gen C-class is much more forgettable. I’ve never driven or even been a passenger in a Benz of this era–need to correct that sometime.
The W201 (190-series) was introduced in 1982, nicknamed the “Baby-Benz”. It had only two direct competitors: the BMW 3-series and the Audi 80 (the 1986 B3, that is).
It was what we call a D-segment sedan now. Much more expensive than the mainstream D-segment models in those days. But the Benz had a much lower depreciation too. And it lasted at least 2 to 3 times as long.
It was highly successful. A fully loaded Ford Scorpio (fill in any other E-segment model by a mainstream brand) or the smaller and less luxurious W201 ? The Benz please; generally cars aren’t bought “by the pound” here.