Mercedes 190E 2.5 16V - Buy It While You Still Can

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Number 27

Number 27

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 382
@andrewnevermind4902
@andrewnevermind4902 11 күн бұрын
Cars were once awesome.
@trwsandford
@trwsandford 11 күн бұрын
Yes they were
@malcolmhardwick4258
@malcolmhardwick4258 10 күн бұрын
And easy to work on !
@slacko1971
@slacko1971 10 күн бұрын
Instantly recognised with a soul. Every manufacture was making at least one special model. Now we have plastic fantastic garbage.
@robby12320
@robby12320 10 күн бұрын
Cars now are quieter, more comfortable and safer. Don't care about anything else really.
@davem9204
@davem9204 10 күн бұрын
@@robby12320 Not so sure about the safety.
@darrenprior6339
@darrenprior6339 9 күн бұрын
Has to be one of the most beautifully proportioned 3 box sedan designs ever penned. And still looks as modern today as it did when it drove off the showroom floor.
@davidsherrick824
@davidsherrick824 10 күн бұрын
It's much better looking than a new smaller Mercedes-Benz. Timeless style that will look crisp 20 years from now.
@Speedy636Germany
@Speedy636Germany 11 күн бұрын
Back in the day when Merc built cars with terrific design!
@MrLg55555
@MrLg55555 10 күн бұрын
Back in the day when the Sierra Cosworth kicked the Mercedes and BMW rivals clean down the road... They were never even competitors...
@martinsvensson6884
@martinsvensson6884 10 күн бұрын
@@MrLg55555 No it didnt lol. And the Ford was a tin can in comparison. The verdict in one review against the 2.3 -16 was that the Sierra was faster on paper but the MB easier to drive fast with. MB won that test..
@jstdrv
@jstdrv 10 күн бұрын
@@MrLg55555 well it had a turbo engine and was way faster than the others, thats why it was banned. The 190 EVO2 won the 93 season.
@MrLg55555
@MrLg55555 10 күн бұрын
@@martinsvensson6884, one journalists opinion... The Sierra Cosworth, be it 2wd or 4wd, was streets ahead in the handling department and outright top speed...
@martinsvensson6884
@martinsvensson6884 10 күн бұрын
@@MrLg55555 It obviously wasnt lol :)
@andykumi
@andykumi 10 күн бұрын
I miss my manual 2.3-16 so much. 17 years as a daily driver and weekend toy, I shed a tear when it was sold due to financial circumstances. The faster I went, the better it felt; on a tight, twisty mountain road, it felt like I was dancing with the car. Apart from the advantages over the M3 already mentioned, they were also available as RHD whereas the M3 was only ever LHD. Oh, and I never had any trouble with the gear shift, maybe that one needs a bit of tweaking.
@jerrygaldblum
@jerrygaldblum 10 күн бұрын
LHD is a deal breaker, why I passed on the mk1 M3 decades ago when they cheapish.
@sltillim
@sltillim 11 күн бұрын
My step-dad had a grey market 2.3 euro car in California when i was a kid. Only distinguishable by the lack of brake light in the center of the rear wing. metallic dark charcoal paint, checkered cloth interior and the dogleg manual. It was a real screamer and very comfortable!
@preppen78
@preppen78 11 күн бұрын
We had a white 2.3, also manual. Tail-happy and fun in the winters. I always thought of it as a mid-sized car, but nowadays it would go as a small, very lightweight car.
@jeffhildreth9244
@jeffhildreth9244 10 күн бұрын
Also distinguishable from horrendously sloppy with dangerous USA "conversions". Not the same quality as a proper USA import. Cheapskates bought these. Impossible to make those meet standards and everyone knew it. Too many mechanical failures, accidents, and deaths as a result. Full disclosure.. District Manager M-B of No America Western Region early to late 80s. I was assigned responsibility of weeding out and suing grey marketers.
@TheMadProfessor72
@TheMadProfessor72 11 күн бұрын
I had one back in 2000, what an amazing car! Dog leg box (a first for me), enough power to dazzle me, great handling and amazing looking.
@Number27
@Number27 11 күн бұрын
Thanks for sharing! Yes, great cars to own!!
@malcolmhardwick4258
@malcolmhardwick4258 10 күн бұрын
Always a good day when you see one of these on the road !
@iainstewart6200
@iainstewart6200 11 күн бұрын
Back in the day I owned both the 2.5 16v manual and the E30 M3 simultaneously. I found the M3 to be more fun to drive hard, hampered only by L.HD, but the Merc' was on a different planet for conveying 4 people in comfort over distances. Both great cars just in different ways.
@ninjambita5090
@ninjambita5090 9 күн бұрын
Great comparison
@Jack-it6qt
@Jack-it6qt 10 күн бұрын
One of the best looking hot mercs ever made.
@aubreyhaines7282
@aubreyhaines7282 11 күн бұрын
Most beautiful Mercedes for me 🎉
@schrodingerscat8621
@schrodingerscat8621 10 күн бұрын
I purchased 3 Cosworths about 10 years ago before people caught on what a great car they are. I still have two of them in my possession, best track car I've ever owned
@thea.m.p.co.467
@thea.m.p.co.467 8 күн бұрын
Lucky and wise!
@howardmckenna
@howardmckenna 11 күн бұрын
My mates dad (when I was a kid) had a regular 190e. Even though it was a fairly low spec car, I remember being incredibly impressed with it's feeling of solidity.
@bondjamesbond9041
@bondjamesbond9041 10 күн бұрын
Love the 190 Merc. This was the era when Mercs were well engineered and built. (unlike the the rubbish MB's that are built today.)
@StarHorseLover200
@StarHorseLover200 10 күн бұрын
Yet another brilliant review. Thank you very much for sharing.
@ryanmccormick2150
@ryanmccormick2150 10 күн бұрын
What a fantastic looking car! I love older boxier cars, just looks so cool to me Jack 😀
@Number27
@Number27 7 күн бұрын
Agreed buddy!! Hope you’re keeping well.. I’m skiing ⛷️ this week with my pops
@ryanmccormick2150
@ryanmccormick2150 7 күн бұрын
@Number27 I'm fine, Jack thanks for asking! Enjoy skiing with your dad.....sounds fantastic buddy 😀
@makhilambakhwa
@makhilambakhwa 9 күн бұрын
I love your videos cos you show everything car the engine interiors I do really enjoy the whole, watching from Botswana 🇧🇼
@Number27
@Number27 9 күн бұрын
Thanks for watching! Big 👋 to Botswana!!
@lorddoobsworth144
@lorddoobsworth144 10 күн бұрын
Im thinking the reason some modern cars are so stiffly sprung is simply because they're so heavy so the hard springs and dampers are needed to support all of that weight and still be able to handle well. I tune cars on Gran Turismo too so you should definitely listen to me.
@thea.m.p.co.467
@thea.m.p.co.467 8 күн бұрын
As a fellow GT Tuner for 27 years, I concur - listen to this man!
@lorddoobsworth144
@lorddoobsworth144 8 күн бұрын
@ 🤣
@grantkim1397
@grantkim1397 9 күн бұрын
The way you explain things is amazing. Thank you for bringing this world to us.
@stevenmann9769
@stevenmann9769 10 күн бұрын
Had a 2.3 16v and it was a fantastic car. Manual too.
@AllAhabNoMoby
@AllAhabNoMoby 10 күн бұрын
I owned a late 2.3 16v. One of the nicest cars I've ever owned.
@SLAmey-mu9hd
@SLAmey-mu9hd 7 күн бұрын
Another enthusiastic and, informative review. The 190 still looks so perfect after all these years.
@weztward
@weztward 10 күн бұрын
I had the 190E 2.6 for 10 years of fault free motoring and still miss it's ability to effortlessly cover distance. The build quality back then was the best. Thank you for the video.
@genzigzag
@genzigzag 10 күн бұрын
The 190 along with W124 500e are my all time favorite Merc's.
@melvinburwell8202
@melvinburwell8202 10 күн бұрын
These cars were another love of mine . Cool. Definitely a buy. King of the track at the time. Smaller wing than some. Lovely. 👍💜❤️🔥🤑🤑😎
@olliesgrandad
@olliesgrandad 10 күн бұрын
My first Mercedes was a 1990 190e 2.0 manual. What a wonderful car. So well built and a joy to drive on long journeys. I regularly drove from Gloucester to Leeds and back in a day and because it was manual I could achieve around 40mpg at motorway speeds. Later I owned an ultra low mileage 1992 300ce -again a 'Properr' Mercedes before the bean counters spoilt things. Wonderful cars.....
@rainbowwarrior2635
@rainbowwarrior2635 3 күн бұрын
Wow 40mpg is great. A lot of people would talk about the old days of Mercedes but the truth is the 2006 W211 E320 CDI is the absolute height of engineering mercedes ever achieved. That is not only the best car Mercedes ever made, it may be the best car ever made, certainly it is the best most ever made for a car. I get 40mpg pretty easily, I have hit 49.3mpg. It's got a lot of muscle and these motors last well over a million miles and are capable of big power. The chassis look like a creme puffs so people don't take it as seriously as earlier cars but the truth is they're made out of aluminum which virtually eliminates rust, It's like a Delorean. Really the OM648 is one of the hottest motors to come out of europe or anywhere.
@dindinbre
@dindinbre 11 күн бұрын
My uncle had a 190e in dark blue, almost black color (still has it, but it's sitting in garage, off the road for 20 years). What a car it was, it had the 16V spoilers and stuff, but it was just an ordinary 2.0 8v engine. I have fond memories of it and it's one of the main reasons why I love older cars.
@richyclubsport5155
@richyclubsport5155 11 күн бұрын
I sold mine in the 80s to buy a house, it had been modified by Hass Motorsport, with an Evo body kit, and i had it featured in a couple of magazines. Always missed it. Absolutely fantastic to drive and own.
@the5th2000
@the5th2000 11 күн бұрын
Saw one the other day drive past me, twice! Very rare where I live. Super cool car
@Mushama8520
@Mushama8520 11 күн бұрын
Tak!
@Number27
@Number27 7 күн бұрын
Thank you and glad you enjoyed the video!!
@costelloandsilke7321
@costelloandsilke7321 10 күн бұрын
Great to see another 190 video, Jack. I owned a 190E W201 for 20 years - absolutely fabulous car. If one thing that let it down was that the eight valve M102 engine is a bit of a nail. I never got to drive the Cosworth, but from your and all other the comments about relative lack of torque, I have to give a shout out to the W201 with the M103 2.6 engine. It's a lovely engine and possibly the sweet spot in the range. They got damned in the UK press back in the day because they were a fair bit more expensive and not much more powerful on paper. And that was back in an era when the press was obsessed by BHP versus torque.
@chalachin4452
@chalachin4452 11 күн бұрын
You are absolutely spot on. The engine is perfectly match to this chassis, just enough power to carve beautiful lines. It has the most neutral suspension hence you can throw it into any corner without fear of it swapping ends. I restored one several years ago and repainted it Ferrari Rossa Corsa red. Back then you can still buy new door panels, shifter boot and other interior pieces from parts supplier.
@rienkhoek4169
@rienkhoek4169 10 күн бұрын
Bedankt
@Number27
@Number27 7 күн бұрын
That’s super kind, thank you Rienk!!
@dappergent9422
@dappergent9422 11 күн бұрын
Another favourite of mine, but out of my reach. I was lucky enough to own a 2.6 190E what a machine. Over-engineered is not an understatement. The seats, the ergonomics, the dashboard design, all absolutely spot on.
@SimonWallwork
@SimonWallwork 10 күн бұрын
These were great cars, and still are.
@dorkomatic
@dorkomatic 10 күн бұрын
THIS is probably my dream car. (My old bog-standard 190E was the best car I've ever owned.)
@simonelliott5956
@simonelliott5956 10 күн бұрын
Drove a few of these back in the day, preferred the 2.5 to the 2.3 but both were good cars, the 190 build quality was exceptional at the time too.
@jeffhildreth9244
@jeffhildreth9244 10 күн бұрын
The 190 build quality was atrocious. Trash. the typical buyer was a yuppie. For another few grand you could buy a real M-B. Full disclosure.. M-B of No America District Manager Western Region.
@roberthart3131
@roberthart3131 10 күн бұрын
Even the base 190's are still great cars
@eminzide
@eminzide 10 күн бұрын
driven a friend's normal 190E but later converted with the 2.3-16 Cossie engine with 4-speed auto..... love the induction sound!.... and it feels faster than my dad's W124 300E
@hardwick1999
@hardwick1999 10 күн бұрын
Hi jack thanks to you and the owner for a great review. I live in Tasmania did a search for one here. Only found one manual 2.3 142000miles. £7600 . You guys are lucky to have access to these cars over there. Saying that they don't rust here. No salt on the roads😁
@2702simmo
@2702simmo 9 күн бұрын
I’d love one and in that colour The interior looks so cool too
@Sean-f1j3k
@Sean-f1j3k 10 күн бұрын
190 comments as i went to give my thumbs up. Lovely car great review as always 😎
@sebastiend.5335
@sebastiend.5335 11 күн бұрын
My mate had got both an Evolution I and an Evo II. They are in excellent condition and he still drives them regularly. I'd go for this 'regular' 2.5 any day of the week! Greetings from the Netherlands
@makavelimusolini1036
@makavelimusolini1036 8 күн бұрын
Dad had an evo1 back in the 80's. Loved that car.
@gregchristofi1318
@gregchristofi1318 11 күн бұрын
Great review Jack.. came very close to buying one of these back in 1995 as a second more practical car over the 964. Ended up with a 405 Mi16. Safe to say that is no longer around but have a feeling I would still have the Merc if I'd made the right decision back then 🙂
@eastleycabs
@eastleycabs 11 күн бұрын
Don’t underplay how good a 405 mi16 is. Especially the earlier 1.9 version. A very well balanced and capable car.
@dangerotterisrea
@dangerotterisrea 11 күн бұрын
The 405 mi16 was a beast but most of them died😢
@wertywerrtyson5529
@wertywerrtyson5529 11 күн бұрын
I used to think these rectangular lights felt so old and ugly in the early 00s but now it looks amazing compared to modern cars.
@BEGGARWOOD1
@BEGGARWOOD1 10 күн бұрын
I think most Mercedes design gets better with age ❤
@madfly8082
@madfly8082 10 күн бұрын
​@@BEGGARWOOD1not the W210 E class though
@GT380man
@GT380man 10 күн бұрын
A Swedish engineering student had a new one of these, with a body kit, dark grey metallic, when I was a university in 1988, I think. It was the best looking car around. Hewn from solid look about it. Well matched to the Viking driver!
@StevenHoman
@StevenHoman 10 күн бұрын
The ones which are not garbage, from our roads, are expensive in Australia. This model has held its appeal for me, certainly. Very understated. The model was of the golden age for Mercedes, when engineering was key, and not the present range built by accountants, who rely on this era's legendary status. Further, any lack of torque is unlikely to be dreadfully missed, for who in their right mind will be towing a caravan with one? For its time, the dash and instrumentation present an easy modern layout, which loses nothing to recent vehicles, except perhaps for Sat-Nav? The last of the Merc's with Teutonic build quality.
@MonkeywoodGarage
@MonkeywoodGarage 8 күн бұрын
the 190E is probably my alltime favourite car (well without going supercar F40 level) ... but just love that boxy shape of the 190E, perfect lines!
@motoktm3042
@motoktm3042 5 күн бұрын
80's and 90's cars, please come back 😔
@PeterMorrow-x3c
@PeterMorrow-x3c 10 күн бұрын
Absolutely love these, when I was a teenager the people who owned the local car wash at the top of my road had a metallic red one. Lusted after that car as a kid, still love them now. My mates dad a bmw m3 with a mental bodykit and I use to rub him that the Mercedes was still better
@User58747
@User58747 11 күн бұрын
Love BMWs and Mercs from the 80s - it was their Golden Years.
@siorusbzns654
@siorusbzns654 11 күн бұрын
From (very) roughly the mid '50s through to about 2005, Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW built easily the best cars in the world. At their very best, cars like the 16v, the 450SEL 6.9, the E28 and E34 M5, the 928, so on, were so much better than what the rest of the world was capable of that they might as well have been UFOs. In some respects, they're still better than anything that came after them.
@bernardwarr4187
@bernardwarr4187 10 күн бұрын
Personally I would say the high point of BMW come after Mercedes, 80’s to 90’s although many good cars before then too. But around 2000 for BMW
@Apollodoros76
@Apollodoros76 10 күн бұрын
Valutata nel 2025 il valore aggiunto della mitica 190 2.5-16 è proprio l'aspetto da sleeper, se non fosse per il discutibile alettone, che però è in pieno stile fine '80. Grazie Jack per le splendide auto che porti sul canale, e un saluto da Milano
@BarbaricAvatar
@BarbaricAvatar 11 күн бұрын
8 days non-stop on an oval: I can't think of a driving experience any drearier! It says more about the driver than the car!
@timonsolus
@timonsolus 10 күн бұрын
Deadly dull with no other cars on the track, for sure
@tonycascajo629
@tonycascajo629 8 күн бұрын
When you don’t get the point, say nothing.
@martintownley5803
@martintownley5803 6 күн бұрын
They did something similar but not quite as long with the original 90’s Honda Fireblade
@christophecamus3295
@christophecamus3295 7 күн бұрын
Great review of a legendary car❤❤❤❤❤
@jgg02
@jgg02 10 күн бұрын
I love this era of cars, if possible I would also love to see you review an Alfa 75 too (any model, but the V6 would be superb). The Mercedes wasn't my favorite "back then" when it competed with the M3, but now... I think I would prefer it.
@paulknight1332
@paulknight1332 11 күн бұрын
Such a great looking car all these years later, I have a soft spot for black Mercedes Benz cars and would love to have one of these in my stable too. I think there is a big difference between a BMW enthusiast and those who prefer MB, if you know, you know...
@lawrencefarrell2134
@lawrencefarrell2134 11 күн бұрын
so pleased you got to eventually experience the manual cossie, I contacted you a couple of years ago after letting my vehicle go after 25 years of ownership due to emigrating, and I would love to have another one.
@Mastermind12358
@Mastermind12358 10 күн бұрын
This thing is glorious. It did 50.000km on the Nardo ring in only 201 hours. Averaging 250km/h but spending most of the time doing 270km/h since it had to stop for oil, tire, wheel and driver changes before continuing on spending a whole week at redline rpm's
@simonhodgetts6530
@simonhodgetts6530 10 күн бұрын
Absolutely fantastic cars……I keep looking at 190s as a daily. I think they’re great. Definitely peak Mercedes for me.
@felawes
@felawes 10 күн бұрын
As a stockbroker in the City, I had a 2.3 16 as a company car in 1987.
@GT380man
@GT380man 10 күн бұрын
That makes two of working for outright criminal organizations. I was in Big Pharma. I’m no longer proud of it.
@michaelpegasiou4531
@michaelpegasiou4531 10 күн бұрын
I drove a manual the same back in the 90s and I loved it,the gearbox was fine I think that one has issues.
@nickgould9981
@nickgould9981 11 күн бұрын
My wife had one, it was a great car and such fun on a damp road
@nelsonserrate9281
@nelsonserrate9281 10 күн бұрын
I’ve been longing for one of these for many years. Any chance Johnny would sell? I live in Germany and they’re unattainable here. Money wise. The fact that this one is a left hand drive makes me all the more excited. My wife didn’t want me to send this but I’ll ask for forgiveness rather than permission of it happened. 😂 Great work my friend. Keep the videos coming.
@siorusbzns654
@siorusbzns654 10 күн бұрын
You might consider importing a 2.3-16 from the US. The values here have gone up but they haven't gone absolutely crazy yet.
@thatcheapguy525
@thatcheapguy525 10 күн бұрын
Jack, I can't remember you throwing a car around so much. we had one of these at TWR back in 1985 under lock and key in the garage area of the engine shop unit. don't know what the back story was on that actual car but it was clearly being kept out of the way.
@ltsa8925
@ltsa8925 11 күн бұрын
It was great performance sedan, owned two of them. Only issue was idling speed hard to get it properly, parts is hard to find right now, plus not many mechanic really know the Cosworth engine work. Sold mine before covid, still a very nice memory from the 16V engine and the 5 speed gear box.
@TheInstructor66
@TheInstructor66 10 күн бұрын
The wiper on the 190 must be Hubnut’s dream-wiper.
@doolar
@doolar 10 күн бұрын
The self levelling rear suspension was thought of by Mercedes as a handling improvement, because it keeps the rear suspension and ride height at an optimal level. The same setup is standard on the 500E for the same reason. It’s a fully mechanical and hydraulic system, that keeps the rear level. It’s got a bit of play in the levelling valve, so it does not react on small changes. When correctly adjusted and fully working, it is engineered to keep the car a little lower when fully loaded, for handling purposes, apart from that it keeps the car level with a small variance on full or empty gas tank. It is actually not that complicated, and not difficult to maintain, there are no electronics, no micro switches, just mechanical and hydraulic parts. If the struts/rams are good, it is often the gas spheres that go bust, and they are not expensive nor hard to replace. Change the fluid every now and then, and the system will last a very long time. The big one are when the struts/rams needs to be replaced (just as any other shock absorber they wont last forever), and they are quite expensive, and possibly NLA. I own a 1993 500E and have the same system fully working, and it is doing so very well. The system was also standard on all S124 (the estates), but for that application of course to better cope with cargo capacity while keeping the handling optimal. If anyone read this long you probably guessed that I’m fond of the self-levelling suspension, and I think it’s a shame to remove it.
@benofbrown
@benofbrown 10 күн бұрын
Sounds similar to the system in my Bentley Turbo R, I'm also a fan of self-levelling suspension
@siorusbzns654
@siorusbzns654 10 күн бұрын
@ It is indeed! Bentley, Rolls, Mercedes, and BMW all licensed the technology from Citroen. The companies all developed their own variants independently from that license, but they have a common ancestor in the DS.
@rainbowwarrior2635
@rainbowwarrior2635 3 күн бұрын
The 500E is nice but what I am finding out that it's the M104 motor that is really the hot one. In stock form they're nice but when people turbo those, that is one of the hottest motors ever. The inline 6 are really the ones. Particually when you have a combination of inline 6, DOHC 4 valves per cylinder, and then turbocharged and then when you get direct injection. The OM648 is really the best one because it gives you all of those traits on pump gas with high fuel economy with a variable geometry turbo that give instant throttle respond at low speeds. So much muscle, so low down, yet flexible and high revving, Really when it comes to Mercedes the inline 6 are really what's up.
@Tatarus31
@Tatarus31 3 күн бұрын
Thanks!
@jacobwhite1360
@jacobwhite1360 10 күн бұрын
Breaks my heart that I saw one of these absolute beauties rotting under a tree in Shoreham with undergrowth growing though a hole in the windshield just sat in someone's drive
@johngribble6500
@johngribble6500 10 күн бұрын
Another excellent review near where I live someone has about 4 of them just rotting away !!
@siorusbzns654
@siorusbzns654 11 күн бұрын
These things date from when Mercedes built unquestionably, unreservedly, and by a very large margin, the absolute best cars in the world, and it shows in every inch of the car. I took a pass on a 2.3-16 a few years ago in the US due to having too many cars, kinda wish I'd picked it up anyway. They're engineered and built to a much higher standard of quality than the E30, they're a nicer place to be, and specifically the 16v cars I think drive better than E30s. None of which is to say the E30 is bad; the E30s were world-class cars in their own right and I like them a lot. It's more a statement of just _how much better_ Mercedes was at what they did than the rest of the industry was.
@eduardhenny1
@eduardhenny1 11 күн бұрын
Had a E with v6 , worst engine even and car was awfull. Now Honda and Toyota
@papa_pt
@papa_pt 11 күн бұрын
I think Jason claimed on the related Hagerty vid that they spent MUCH more just on the rear suspension of this car, than BMW did on e30 project in total
@siorusbzns654
@siorusbzns654 11 күн бұрын
@@eduardhenny1 The only objectively bad (read: unreliable) V6 I'm aware of from Merc is the early M272, which hails from the absolute nadir of MB quality around 2007. They had metallurgical issues with the balance shaft sprockets on the timing set. And it was, indeed, a relatively big and expensive issue, albeit one that tended to occur at fairly high miles relative to mechanical failures in other engines from the same time period like GM's 3.6 V6. The same cars that got the M272 also had issues with the transmission control modules and valve bodies. Relative to all the cars ever built by everyone, they're still pretty robust, but they're not anything like as good as Mercedes was 40 years ago. Now, the M112 that preceded it is one of the best engines ever put in a production car by anyone, at any point in history. You would be hard pressed to find anything from the US or Japan that could match it for durability, even among Toyota and Honda products. It has essentially no reliability issues and no engineering oversights to speak of. As far as Toyota and Honda go, Toyota has built reliable cars for a long time; most of them, historically, just drove like absolute garbage (not all of them ofc, the mk4 supra, the celica gt-four, so on are legendary for good reason). They've gotten much better about that since Akio Toyoda took over and some of their stuff in the last 15-20 years has been genuinely phenomenal. The 2GR-FSE is probably the best all-around V6 of all time, and the GS and IS are both fantastic cars to drive. Honda, on the other hand, hasn't really built good or reliable cars in about 15 years now. They're still better than the dregs of the industry--Ford, GM, Chrysler, the Korean twins--but they're not anything like what Hondas were in the 1990s. I can't in good conscience recommend their newer products to most people. At this point, in 2025, for most normal people on normal budgets buying new cars, the only brands I recommend are Toyota and Mazda, with conditional recommendations for VW and Subaru if you're willing to trade some degree of reliability for some of the other features you can get from those brands, e.g. an exceptional AWD system in the case of Subaru or a car that drives better and has a nicer interior than it really should for as cheap as it is in the case of VWs. Mercedes still makes fine stuff, but you have to accept that they aren't building what they built 40 years ago. They still drive well, but the cars are engineered to be leased, cpo'd, and then scrapped. Know that going in, accept them for what they are, and they're still, in many ways that matter like ergonomics, safety, performance, so on, better cars than most of the rest of the industry. But they're not at all what this 190E was.
@bumpyroad3251
@bumpyroad3251 11 күн бұрын
M3 E30 is a much better handling car and feels a lot more sporty and lighter than the Mercedes. I would take a M3 E30 over the Benz16v every day of the week
@siorusbzns654
@siorusbzns654 11 күн бұрын
@@papa_pt Correct. And this is something I try to get a lot of BMW people to understand. Daimler was a much, much larger company than BMW. They had a great deal more money to throw at R&D and QC than BMW did. Compared to absolutely any other company in the world, BMW built just phenomenally good cars. But Mercedes had a very similar ethos in terms of placing a lot of emphasis on engineering quality, build quality, so forth, and they had a lot more money to throw at doing that than BMW did. The result was pretty much inevitable. BMW built better driver's cars in a lot of cases than MB did, but as all-around vehicles? They couldn't match Mercedes. Not for a lack of talent, but for a lack of resources.
@f.k.3762
@f.k.3762 11 күн бұрын
Great video! Manual boxes from this era of Benz were infamous and no match for BMWs or even "lesser" brands
@darrellcoutinho805
@darrellcoutinho805 11 күн бұрын
Yes, Mercedes was never able to match the M3's gearchange. It's the same gearbox, but the MB linkage is truly awful
@Tarek_ElMaddah
@Tarek_ElMaddah 8 күн бұрын
My childhood dream car.
@warrenmintz5227
@warrenmintz5227 8 күн бұрын
The Evo 2 version has been one of my favorites for a long time.
@Buck3366
@Buck3366 10 күн бұрын
Regarding the rear seats I know you could option ,and I did have them in mine, a Recaro seat package in the first gen Leon Cupra R. The optional rears came with far bigger side bolstering and elongated thigh area to hold rear passengers in better. Practicality aside, it always makes me smile when cars have winged, bucket type front seats yet the rear passengers can fly about on flat benches in your rear view mirror like a highly strung dog on a wet floor.
@P.Galore
@P.Galore 11 күн бұрын
I restored several 190e - 6 actually - between 2010 and 2020, including one of the limited edition final run 1993 cars that had the suspension tuning of the Cosworth. The 190e may be the best Mercedes ever made. They do EVERYTHING better than you expect and build quality is exceptional. They are near impossible to find now in any configuration under 100k miles. I kick myself for selling the last one.
@Motoicon
@Motoicon 8 күн бұрын
I found a 1992 Automatic one owner very clean with 96k miles for $6k US. Really dislike that light gold exterior with a somewhat light-yellow interior color. About an hour away from me but hesitant since it's an Auto and the color combo. U think this color combo slams the value?
@jwhoekendijk
@jwhoekendijk 7 күн бұрын
You got the steering wheel on the right side😂😂. Greetings JW from Holland
@eric-wb7gj
@eric-wb7gj 11 күн бұрын
TY J! 🙏🙏
@raymondkoledoye9941
@raymondkoledoye9941 11 күн бұрын
The Mercedes 190E is one of my favourite car for now and the only one reason why I love the 190E is because of Legendry F1 driver Ayrton Senna who is behind the wheel of the Mercedes 190E in race of Champions in 1984 and he won the race. Also the 190E was racing in DTM from 1980s and 1990s and the rival of the E30 M3 in the race track and that's why the reason why i love the Mercedes 190E. Also the Mercedes 190E Evolution 2 that car will change my life forever.
@Lukey-jy4ez
@Lukey-jy4ez 10 күн бұрын
Great video 👍🏻
@TheBTG88
@TheBTG88 10 күн бұрын
The Saab 9000 Talladega track durability testing was far more impressive than what Mercedes did for this car. Non-stop (except for oil, tire and driver changes) for 21 days, 100,000 km at an average of 220 kph!
@user-ih7gc7dt9l
@user-ih7gc7dt9l 10 күн бұрын
I shook my fist in the air happily when you said it’s a manual!
@GT380man
@GT380man 10 күн бұрын
Autos in the 80s weren’t very good. Mind you, that odd gate looked darn awkward.
@kramnam4716
@kramnam4716 10 күн бұрын
Had one lovely dog leg manual. Rock steady on the “autobahn “ at 120. Also had the 190 2.6 which was actually a better all rounder
@kjell1448
@kjell1448 9 күн бұрын
Got a w124 200D, love it. But.. iam sad about how the gasoline prices will skyrocket within a few years.
@receptayyip1410
@receptayyip1410 8 күн бұрын
Use waste oil. It's a Diesel! 👍🏻
@paulk1702
@paulk1702 10 күн бұрын
Informative and entertaining upload, as always. BHP/torque almost laughable by today's standards. Power to weight: same. But this is one of those cars that you 'had to be there at the time' to fully appreciate its reputation. Just look at those seats! Why more manufacturers don't do 'profiled' rear seats, is beyond me.
@TheEnhancedMan
@TheEnhancedMan 10 күн бұрын
Great you finally did it justice with manual! Talking of revisits, if you're ever interested doing a Ferrari 348 again, I've got one with 100kg shaved off.
@DougMen1
@DougMen1 10 күн бұрын
Cars like this, the BMW, the Celica GT and MR2, and similar, make much more sense to me than the Ferraris, Lambos, Maseratis, etc., because they are more reliable, less costly to maintain, and can be used as a daily driver, while those can't, and you really can't use all the power those cars have unless you're on the Autobahn or a track anyway, and you have to be wealthy enough to have a daily driver too. That's why Jags and even Aston Martins are more appealing to me too.
@GM-fh5jp
@GM-fh5jp 10 күн бұрын
Celica GT4 and JDM MR2 Turbo, both using the famous 3S GTE engine make for great collector cars to be driven. Toyota s always start and they are fun cars to drive at speeds that don't wreck your license.
@erikschuddeboom3223
@erikschuddeboom3223 11 күн бұрын
There used to be a few around in Montreal when they were well under $10,000 but not anymore.
@Number27
@Number27 11 күн бұрын
Yes.. if only they were still that cheap!! Still good value compared to M3s though
@erikschuddeboom3223
@erikschuddeboom3223 11 күн бұрын
@@Number27I looked at a 2.6 manual sport too, more relaxed for sure, but same sport interior.
@Alan_Mac
@Alan_Mac 10 күн бұрын
@4:12 "I don't know how much larger the standard steering wheel would have been"? I had a bog standard 2.0 190E in the late 80s and the answer is "nautically larger". I nicknamed it The Black Pig - after Cpt Pugwash - as it felt more like sitting at the helm of a boat rather than driving a car. BUT even the 'cooking' 190E had impeccable road manners. I put 95K miles on mine (company car, natch) in less than 2 years and it was an amazing repmobile and always felt bulletproof and wafted me around the motorways of (mostly) England in great comfort. I replaced it with a Rover 827 SLi which, in terms of fit and finish, was a serious downgrade but the Honda V6 engine was extraordinarily sweet and the Rover chassis was very pliant. Would love you to find one in decent one to review.
@GT380man
@GT380man 10 күн бұрын
I thought that Rover was a very good looking vehicle.
@butterfliesandtape
@butterfliesandtape 11 күн бұрын
The only Merc for me from that era would have to be the 500E. The ultimate 90s Q -car 😊
@slacko1971
@slacko1971 10 күн бұрын
I adore the 500E or is it the E500?
@bernardwarr4187
@bernardwarr4187 10 күн бұрын
I love mine. 500E on till late 93 than E500 I think. Bigger grill on 500E
@nigeltrigger4499
@nigeltrigger4499 10 күн бұрын
A mate of mine had one who had previously owned a Sierra Cosworth - first thing he said when he gave me a lift in the 190 was "It's not as quick as the Sierra".
@johnsmithmaps
@johnsmithmaps 10 күн бұрын
The car I always wanted, in the end could only afford the Ford cosworth impressive, but missing that cache ...
@TheStigsAustrianCousin
@TheStigsAustrianCousin 11 күн бұрын
An extremely beautiful car!
@dj6757
@dj6757 10 күн бұрын
Had one was amazing
@J0uwMoeder
@J0uwMoeder 6 күн бұрын
If a gearbox is not as smooth as it could be, like you mentioned, maybe don't try to skip a gear while downshifting (6:20). Older cars with a bit of wear on them don't particularly like that.
@clockdva20
@clockdva20 10 күн бұрын
I still see quite a few Standard 190's running around in Hamburg. In fact there is a Guy who runs a budget Hire car service , Rent an Oldie. Running old late 80's and 90's Merc's not sure he is running a 190 series , more like the 200 and 300 series both in Saloon and Estate versions. My Brother in Law loves hiring them out instead of any of the modern cars available from other services. I like the standard looks of the 190E 2.5 16 very much a wolve in sheep's clothing back in its day unlike the M3 back then. Of course the 190 Evo that followed was anything but subtle compared. I still prefer a performance car that looks standard from the outside, over the like of the Modern in your face AMG series of cars or M Series BMW's loud and brash.
@yokosomike
@yokosomike 9 күн бұрын
My favorite part of the car is the single windshield wiper.
@noway9991
@noway9991 14 сағат бұрын
does have a nice sound
@benstone5038
@benstone5038 9 күн бұрын
I own a manual 2.3-16 RHD and probably will till the day I die :) Mine has ASD also, thrown on at the end of the run '88 :)
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