MotorWeek | Retro Review: '86 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.3-16

[@tommydogsdad]

My friends grandmother bought a new one in 1985. It was bright red with brown interior. It was just gorgeous and such a classy car. They had a cell phone in it as well and I remember thinking, "they must be RICH!"

[@1SaG]

I never cared all that much for the 190's design back when it first appeared, but... man... this thing has aged like fine wine.

[@jwatwater]

That burgundy 190 in the start of the video is beautiful! Those clean lines and that color, wow! They sure don't make them like they use to. At least they're bringing back some of the colors so we have more than 7 shades of silver... except for Audi.

[@Slacksfifth]

Love the u.s spec headlights. But agree with you on the body lines of the w201.

[@rangerpru]

timeless design

[@PresidentCamacho2024]

until you see the interior :D

[@hardcorehardo]

@@PresidentCamacho2024 I actually think it's the other way round the interior looks more modern than the outside

[@fayobam_mech_tronics]

Interior looks good but age poorly

[@stevienicks3777]

Actually the interior (minus the dash to some degree) is one of the first cars to represent modern interior design. Look at other interiors from this era - THEY didnt age well. In fact, I would say the rear seats are better than most modern cars unless you reeeeeally want to stuff a third person in the back.

[@basshead.]

+Stevie Nicks The Porsche 928 interior looks better.

[@noneofyourbuisness7]

Still such a fine looking car

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

yes, this and the W124 are my favourite Mercedes of all time. You still see them around now.

[@Kref3]

Not with these terrible US spec sealed beam lamps

[@gxdjoeybaby07]

that mono-wiper makes the car! =)

[@danieljohnson395]

True!!

[@hardcorehardo]

Duh many Mercs of that era have them

[@akishot6735]

@@hardcorehardo Don't act like that! I have also gotten ultra defensive of older Mercedes, but duh does not make people listen to you.

[@akishot6735]

@helicopter weewee duh times infinity divided by 0

[@akishot6735]

@helicopter weewee yeah duh

[@ShadEllis]

I had a "grey market" 190E 2.3-16 back in the '90s. Wish I still had it!! I could drift thru every intersection in Boise!!! It was a euro car imported by a racing company. The euro motor sure felt like a lot of power back then!!

[@beatingyou01]

+Shad I just bought an '84 euro import. The higher compression of the euro motor DOES feel like a lot of power, even compared to modern day vehicles!

[@raymondturner6784]

I brought my from Germany years ago. It's sitting outside of Parma close to Boise. I've moved to Florida, but the car is still there.

[@miguelestela6681]

The single wiper arm that has a unique pivot mechanism is one of the best designed & engineered in the industry that maximizes the sweep area. This design lasted only through the 90's. MB introduced a new mechanism design for dual wiper arms where the passenger arm extends a bit further out when in motion. This started with the S-Class. This design is still in use not only by MB, but by Lexus as well.

[@rars0n]

That's a lot of horsepower for a 2.3L 4-banger in 1986. For comparison, Porsche's 2.5L 944 engine only made 150 hp (although it had only 8 valves). Gotta love Cosworth.

[@ButchE30M3S14]

Adam Baldwin The BMW E30 M3 made 200hp in '86 so kinda wiped the floor with the Merc, both on road and the track :-)

[@jeldibyegti3790]

ButchE30M3S14 Thank you for your unbiased unfanboy like comment

[@ButchE30M3S14]

JeldibyeGTI Prove me wrong.

[@jeldibyegti3790]

Just enjoy both? Seriously, I own more e30’s than I care to admit, but the fanboyism around The E30 M3 is a bit much sometimes, hence the overinflated prices.

[@ButchE30M3S14]

JeldibyeGTI jealousy is a nasty trade buddy...

[@Marshal_Dunnik]

One of the greatest sounding 4 cylinder engines ever made

[@johncollins7423]

Damn right! I also found it to be fun as HELL to throw into curves. It'd eat them up & keep asking for more. There's a stretch of roadway in the Pisgah National Forest that begins in Brevard, NC. You enter the forest there & go up to a recreation area called "Pink Beds". A nice, curvy piece of roadway right there. If you ever get the chance, TRY IT! Another great road is "The Tail Of The Dragon", on U.S. 129 in Western North Carolina. It has 318 turns in that 11-mile stretch!

[@anthonye3680]

The k20 or the motor in the s2000 have more better sound.. but for the 80s your right

[@MichaelAChang]

I once drove a 190E 2.6; felt like it was on rails and one of my all-time favorite cars.

[@spire107]

MichaelAChang I've got a 2.6 with a 5 speed manual. I've never driven a 2.3-16, but part of me wonders if I would prefer the 2.6.

[@michaelchang2930]

spire107 I've never had the pleasure of driving the 2.3, but the 2.6 kicks butt and my guess is there's probably not much difference between the two in driving dynamics.

[@a..c1241]

@@michaelchang2930 Our family owned a 2.6 when I was young and I had a chance to drive a couple 2.3-16s. I would agree that the 2.6 was probably the better car for most people, but all of those modifications in the 2.3-16 did transform the dynamics.

[@raymondturner6784]

I took mine around Nurburgring. That was the closest I've even been to being on a rollercoaster.

[@EDHBlvd]

These are legends. Would love to own one some day.

[@aquateen77723]

One of the best cars ever produced. The M3 overshadowed the 190e, but the Merc has the cooler back story with A. Senna. Thanks for uploading this game-changing icon!

[@raymondturner6784]

To me the M3 being a 2 door with a straight 6 was an entirely different class. No 4 door 4 cylinder BMW could touch this car. BMW got lucky. Everything I ever read on the original M3 said they built them to compete with the 190E. It's nice to have a benchmark set years in advance. BMW built good cars, but at that time I think Benz did better. Now, I wouldn't buy either one.

[@FELIPE8226M]

@@raymondturner6784 The e30 M3 was a naturally aspirated 4cyl with 200hp

[@thetreblerebel]

I love the flared wheel wells and rear wing. Looks good

[@bumblebee__]

that Cosworth 16v sounds absolutely divine. Close friend owns one, and I wish I owned it, and he will never let it go.

[@e-boy2252]

Truly a work of art

[@johnnymason2460]

This car is the reason BMW created the M3 in the first place. The C36 AMG was the successor to the 190E 2.3-16.

[@Neuwerks]

Happy to have had one for nearly 14 years now. It is not screamer, but the driving dynamics are quite good and still a joy to drive.

[@Ara198826]

my favorite cars of all times even today's

[@CarlsCustomCreations]

I love it. I think adding a small turbo would be a lot of fun. I also like the big steering wheel. Reminds me of the good ole days.

[@bensamonte7174]

Loved this Model back then. This is the car that introduced me to the Brand- The time when MB's were built to a Standard and not planned Obsolescence , my 2 cents.. :)

[@christophercolumbus8944]

what do you think of the 300E? from 80s

[@furiousgtz]

I love this Retro Reviews. Thank you MW!

[@robertdavis32]

Next they should upload the 300E review that would make my day

[@ShipWreckAndHaloFan]

"As you would expect from Mercedes-Benz, it's all functional" Hahahahahah if they could say this again today.

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

4:32 "...that's excellent"

[@basvanbeers3515]

Shut up and take my money! It went downhill after this and the w126 and w126.

[@Porsche996driver]

Saw those race in the late '80s DTM at Hockenheim. Exceptional cars & tech for the time.

[@Gunzee]

These mercs are so well built that a friends '91 is not only her daily driver since' 97/98 but it's very smooth. The gear change is a bit clunky, but my w202/c class had the feel. You can technically argue the 190 continued production up until 2000. It's one hell of a design, the manual versions are very different to the automatics.

[@thumperjdm]

@4:11 Was this filmed in Beijing? Can't see through the smog! 😷

[@ryansrides9714]

Great video, gorgeous Mercedes!! Thank you motor week

[@kungfuninja55]

Hey MW, any chance you could put up a review of a W124 / E Class review? Like a 300E or something.

[@hpwan2]

+Axel Trainwagon +1

[@Bangabalunga]

500E please

[@ftffighter]

Well hello to you too John Davis!!!

[@mrpoohbearlvr]

Boy that is when Mercedes was still a GREAT luxury car .i loved driving that car. It was amazing!!! And it just smoked the tires every-time I touched the gas:) And that 1 huge wiper ,cleaned the windshield every-time!!

[@JC-cm9bn]

One of the best gas powered Mercedes ever built, however W123 series diesels are still my favorite tractor with a car body 😉👍

[@jdubskiwright2380]

This car will always be desirable and sought after it's a true classic benz..it was also called the best sedan in the world

[@generalzod7959]

Back when Mercedes where still ultra-reliable and not overloaded with computers and cheap (yet criminally overpriced) plastic parts. I'd never consider a German car today.

[@jonathanmoga5188]

You can still find a few gems today. But you need to be mindful in what trim you buy

[@rtoma1974]

@HeavyDutyTraining Triggered much?

[@cherkas009]

It’s a publicly traded company they only make about the same profit as a Toyota on a percentage basis for the price

[@lm1584]

These cars had electrical issues with the early model computers. Buying an S class used today is a huge liability, but there are definitely models that can be very reliable for German - the 2005 CLK55 for eg. has an awesome, but simple engine and transmission.

[@somegoodfella]

What about a Golf GTI?

[@MichaelandCathy1999]

Beautiful Classic Sedan! And built Teutonic Tough. Quality on wheels. You don’t see any of these little rockets anymore here in Montreal,Canada. I guess the winters were too tough, especially with the salt/corrosion problems we natives face. A real shame. But you can still find the 2.3 Kompressor, if you look hard.

[@yuriypodgorniak2728]

Wow low 16s on the quarter mile ❤️ plus very good brakes very impressive ❤️

[@Clearanceman2]

The "baby benz." This was back when "16 valve" was a big deal. I remember the mainstream Japanese cars advertising 16 valves well into the 90s.

[@shtech99]

Some manufacturers did that even later, I know Renault put '16v' decals on their cars until around 2008.

[@joe6096]

These are highly sought after today. The European version is labeled a Mercedes-Cosworth 2.3, affectionately known there as a "Cozzy". Fantastic cars. Love the dogleg gear shift. Notice at the end of the video they lay rubber in first AND second gears!! This was when Mercedes really let their F1 research and investment trickle on through their production cars right from the factory. Now they just send them to AMG to get souped up.

[@bluebear6570]

Only in the UK it was sold as Mercedes-Cosworth 2.3. In continental Europe, it was labeled 190 E 2.3-16

[@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary]

Had a couple Mercedes, but always wanted one of these. Beautiful car!

[@TomK-ti8kp]

Most american magazines got a 0-60 time closer to 7.3-7.5 seconds, even with the reduced hp figure and the awkward 1-2 shift. Must’ve been the wet track conditions. This is the first Mercedes that motorweek seemed to really like. It was a generational shift from the old 2-valve diesels with swing arm axles, to a new twin-cam digital age engine with multilink suspension that’s still used today. It still looked old even for the time, but it was all space age tech under the skin.

[@kimchipig]

One of Bruno Sacco's favourite and best designs.

[@z28camaro79]

One of my dream cars.

[@BolianAdmiral]

Please, please, PLEASE upload the Retro Review of the 1986 Mercedes 300 Series!!! I would LOVE to see that!

[@ralfebarros]

Congratulations on the excellence of this channel. I would like to review Mercedes ML 430 road test "m is for more" displayed in 1997 .

[@stanviers8792]

What a car.....!

[@McBeamer94]

A 4-cylinder, even a high-performance/high-tech one, simply has no place in such an expensive car. 190s already had a 2.6 Inline-6 available back then, so it wouldn't even be a stretch fitting it in the engine bay and sending it to Cosworth for the same high-performance treatment. After all, the 2.3 also started out as a humble 8-valve unit and ended up being a 2.5 16-valver in the later 190 2.5-16 model.

[@landyachtfan79]

YES!!!! This was the first Motorweek Road test I ever saw!!!!!! I would LOVE to see the Cavalier Z24 & Sprint Plus tests, Pat Goss's diagnostic machine segment, & Beth Nardone's (DAMN, she was hot!!!!!!) 480ES report.

[@robertmacabagdal9585]

I still want this Cosworth

[@mustafawali4488]

Beautiful car

[@bodyloverz30]

When my grandmother bought her 560 SEL in 1986; she said the dealership referred to the 190, as "the poor person's Mercedes".

[@peenusweenus3169]

Let me guess they drove slow, heavy, never running "proper mercedes"

[@BrendanMacWade]

One of the highest output four-bangers of the 1980s.

[@spire107]

Pole Privé private pole dancing lessons London You do realize that the first VTEC four cylinder was in the 89 Integra XSI and only made 160hp, right?

[@scott9050]

Brendan A. MacWade High output G.M. Quad 4 put out 190 hp.

[@snatchclap]

Brendan A. MacWade Porsche's 944S made 187hp and the later 944S2 made 208hp.

[@rars0n]

+snatchclap The S2 also had 3L of displacement. The original 2.5L 944 engine made less horsepower than this 2.3L.

[@snatchclap]

Adam Baldwin I know, more low end torque and power.

[@CEOkiller]

She sure seems to like fondling that steering wheel...

[@theKevronHarris]

+CEOkiller Maybe she was thinking that the steering wheel has a comfortable feel!!

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

...and 6:03 the gear knob knob style...

[@stevienicks3777]

She really likes the thick ones :-P

[@billyjack5957]

@@stevienicks3777 Her nickname is handy J

[@kimjong-un4411]

Don’t you mean her name is Handra?

[@babooseven]

I used to really look forward to watching this show when I was a kid.

[@TheJohnlyh]

Drove one a few years back, the unusually large steering wheel felt pretty odd at first. The ride was really comfortable compared to my w204 with 18'

[@SuperNorstShow]

Had a regular 190e and it was the best car I ever owned.

[@Twobarpsi]

I need to add this to my collection!

[@discoverlight]

Hello, and welcome again to Mhotehr Wheek.

[@wholespeed]

Road testing in a cloud. Gotta love those Mid-Atlantic weather conditions.

[@MerlinOpeth]

Had a 190 4 cylinder for a lil bit. Great car , just had to pour gas into the carb to get her started on cold days.

[@Kuessemir]

I had an 8 valve 1990 190e with parchment interior, zebrawood interior and a burgundy exterior with gold pinstripes. it was a class act and rode beautifully, and even though it was only the 8 valve, that thing could move when you needed it to. I never had a problem with the fuel injection system or the early Bosch ABS system but thank god, if I had it would have been easier to buy my way into the Rothschild family than have it repaired properly.

[@mikee6220]

I miss mine so much

[@blitzkrieg459]

My dad had one, but he had to sell it because he couldn't afford a new radiator at the time to fix it. I liked that car, classic.

[@rueben44]

I have had 3 different E classes and 1 S but I always wanted a 190 D with a manual.

[@ausundvorbei1]

i loved my 190D automatic, was stillgoinstrong to Nougchout/Mauretanie countin 780000km . bonne chance dmillionaire depuit 2013. ASayara AlJamila

[@LGaragem]

I have a 190 D 2.0 4-speed manual. Very slow, but I love it!

[@bilalahmed2123]

Beautiful car !

[@zoka3593]

the ol schol Benz-Oz are TOP of the line

[@nobodyspecial313]

These cars have such an iconic look. Too bad the US didn't get the faster Euro spec models. 8.9 seconds 0-60 would barely outrun anything in the current generation.

[@cardinaloflannagancr8929]

Unfortunately not sure how much good that would have done. It would have required 91-93 with 10.5 compression even when it was only .20 more per gallon people still griped.

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

Adjusted for inflation, that's $86,000!!!! If you spec out a 2020 C63 AMG S with all the options its about the same price, but you get 500+hp of twin turbo V8 under the hood in a much roomier car. Still though I love the 190e, buddy had one in high school, diesel, 5 speed, mb-tex vinyl, 300,000 miles on it and it drove/ran like a new car, still felt tight as a drum, didn't squeak/rattle. The door thunk is hilariously solid for a car that is about the same size as a 90's Civic.

[@carluvrsd9374]

Wow, that girl really likes that car. ;-)

[@threeer02]

Gads, I still love this car...

[@JT13800]

Yes a W124 😇☺

[@FrightfulAccountant]

The US headlights kinda ruin the fron of the car :o

[@lorencooper6043]

FrightfulAccountant yeah I agree, I like the w123 look but w124 is a awesome body though

[@jannevaatainen]

Yes, looks weird. Why they made the change?

[@schwanzelstock1071]

FrightfulAccountant The 190 2.3 did over 150 mph. Those headlights do ruin the looks. It might have to do with stupid emission laws. The wing original wing needs to be fitted in Germany. It isn't road legal without it.

[@cnd380sec]

They certainly do ruin the front. Hideous, ugly lights.

[@nkt1]

I wonder why this car had them, since sealed beams were not mandatory from 1983 onwards.

[@averadin]

God, these videos are amazing!! Any chance there's a 90 - 94 Subaru legacy review?

[@herrgolf]

3lixer Yes, especially one of the turbocharged variants.

[@ChrisShepley]

And you can actually push it on real roads and still have fun. Try to push a current sport sedan on the road and expect to lose your license.

[@izzatfauzimustafa6535]

Well-proportioned boxy design. Not too much edges, not too bland.

[@MrTipperX]

The US market headlight units really spoil the looks of this modern classic.

[@nehuge]

Yes, the afterthought U.S. headlights ruined the W124 and the W126 too.

[@svenlabots1869]

Here in Belgium you're still the tough bastard in town if you own one of these. Very sought after...😉

[@gerrardvomnachtflohmarkt9693]

5:51 The true reason of the oversized steering wheel was that the 190 didn't come with power steering as standard when introduced in late 1982. 😂

[@djkenny1202]

I know there is MK2 Jetta GLI review, by any chance was there any reviews of the GTI 16v? Can we see the Sprint Plus and Cavalier Z24 videos too?

[@gerardpritchard657]

What a cool car!

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

Yeah it sucks we didn't get the Evolution version :(

[@stevienicks3777]

Oh no problem, you only need about $200k to buy one :-)

[@boss12]

The BMW M3’s nemesis.

[@mikethebeginner]

Hard to believe those numbers were impressive back then! I remember those days though.

[@scriptedhuman]

Ah yes, back in the good old days when a 16 second quarter mile was considered sporty.

[@RoaldRoberts]

"Pat Goss tells us all about Diagnostic Machines"?? I wanna see that! Which episode is this from?

[@samuelskillern7365]

This is the car I would've been nagging my mom to get 30 years ago. She drives a 2014 Lexus GS F-Sport now. It's a really beautiful sporst-sedan and is in full "Stealth-Mode" due to it being all black.

[@CarburetedKilos]

great car, great video. thanks, mate.

[@ralphlouismendoza1977]

Voltmeter and oil gauges again?

[@DolleHengst]

Way slower and less hp then the Euro versions. They had 185 hp and and did 0-62 in about 7.5 seconds

[@skylinefever]

+DolleHengst 1. Some engines had to be altered to pass California smog. 2. All engines had to run on 91 or lower octane since 1971. 3. Sometimes extra safety devices are required in the USA. Typically that means lower compression ratios and extra backpressure causing devices in the exhaust system.

[@85corolla]

+Skyline Fever There were about 1500 euro greymarket 16v sold to the US before 1986. They perform noticeably faster and the interiors look better too. I own one.

[@AutobahnVault]

Thanks to different gear ratios, the US model accelerated from 0 to 60 just as fast as the Euro car.

[@mathewbsaenz]

Motorweek, it's there anyway you could upload the segment with the volvo 480? I would love to see what you guys thought of it.

[@braddietzmusic2429]

Still a great car.

[@buttholeChecker]

I drive a 190e aint got no time for a Caddy... Comptons most wanted circa 1991.

[@incyphe]

$78,000 in today's money! More money than C63AMG!

[@TeeroyHammermill]

incyphe Yea!! This thing was waaaay overpriced!!

[@bingoberra18]

incyphe Shows that there are rarely a good time to buy a new car.

[@osemethompson6396]

+incyphe What if the quality/durability is better than the C63AMG. If you travel across the world there are still many 190e Mercedes on the road.

[@AnthonyJSollitto]

Great review, any luck with more German sports sedan reviews like the second generation 5 series?

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

4:32 "...that's excellent"

[@silweragentum739]

How do they measure horsepower? Thus at least gave 190hp here as it was a contender to the first BMW M3 E30

[@mikael16v]

Yes, in U.S. there were only the 2.5 16 ? - I think not only the Evolution Models, the "normal" 2.5 16 ? And the 2.3 16 Cars have a complete "Cosworth-Cyl-Head - 16Valve" and the Cars run after 30 Years very well. The Technic is well. In daily use i drive a 2.3 16 H-Shift (with the 1.Gear left down - typical for Sport and Racingcars in the 70s and 80s), futhermore i owned more 190 Sportcars.

[@mindspinn311]

Cooler than E30. Yup I said it.

[@upeedinalamb5297]

What road was this filmed on?

[@joshthemediocre7824]

I have a 190E in Silver, Red, black, and a few of them in White but they're all Hot Wheels. :)

[@Land_Cruiser_40]

It is rumored that Martin Brundle thought of this Mercedes as the finest rwd chassis he's even driven. Cheers

[@juancarloscarballo7993]

How much does it cost now a days?