I've cross posted this to the classics group, as apparently some insurers will do classic insurance on them now (not sure if they meet my definition of a classic just yet though).
I've seen what looks like a very original and, more importantly, 'bling free' example, and as I'm hankering after a sensible six pot again, I'm considering one of these as my little bit of 'something for the weekend, sir'.
The price seems very good too, and I was just wondering if these are as worthy as their reputation appears to be.
Actually, I'd rather have a 190E 2.6 than a 2.3 Cosworth one. 190Es are a good car, apart from a tendency for the heater fans to pack in, and the occasional track control arm bush to fail, they're brilliant and they drive well
Ignore Steve, he likes Alfa 33s.
Buy the Merc. They're great, the bits are cheap, and it'll always be worth more than the equivalent (and vastly inferior) BMW.
In news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de, JackH decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows
Nothing is rubbish about 190E 2.6s. They're excellent cars, they've not got the pub manager / bookie / utter wanker / wannabe bling 50 yr old character stain of the BMW, they're better built, drive as well, are better on fuel, cheaper to fix, cheaper to insure, and are made to a standard BMW will never match. A 190E 2.6 is unlikely to have been bought new by a "yuppie" (remember them?), is likely to have been better maintained, not seen as many council estates, not driven as hard as a 525 and will have been looked after for the early part of its life. Not many early 90's BMWs had the same care.
Admittedly Merc build quality has slipped in recent years, but it's still light years ahead of anything BMW ever churned out. When the 190E was being built is was still true that if you bought a Merc it'd probably outlast you.
I like Mercedes, BMWs are highly overhyped. BMWs are a more sporting drive initially, true, but if you take the time to learn how to hustle a Mercedes you'll find out they're pretty damn good as well.
I'll never buy another BMW, I've owned a few and every one of them has been a nightmare. I've had BMW company cars, and they've been unreliable and badly built. The company I work for hires BMWs to companies on long term hire and they're dreadful - 52 plate 320s needing gearboxes at 60k miles,
318s needing cylinder heads.. We've also got C200 Mercs that have done 80k and have never needed anything but routine maintenance.
To be honest, I'm not really a fan of either marque. Especially the later stuff - Mercedes lost it with the C-class not long after BMW cocked everything up with the E36.
If I were spending my money on a BMW, it'd have to be an E28 (I think, the shark nosed one) 525e or M5. If buying a Merc, I'd have to go for the 70s E-class (or whatever it was called).
Of course, I'd take a nice Audi over any of the above. I have a real soft spot for the 80s 200 Avant Quattro Turbo :-)
The 525e? The auto only, detuned, 2.7 one? I used to know a bloke who had probably the only one of those in the country that wasn't a total pikey poverty spec one. I had a 528iSE. That was probably the only half reliable BMW I've ever known.
As for the 70's E class.. You mean like a 240D or something (W123), or something like my old Supertanker (W126)
You just don't like reliability do you???? I have to say though, I have a soft spot for the 200 Avant Quattro Turbo.. and I know where there is one...
That's the one, 90mph cruising at something like 1.9k rpm :-)
Could never be an only car, but as a continental mile-muncher, I don't think there's much to beat them. Bloody economical, too.
W123 shape. I know it's probably the most taxi-esque of the lot, but it's a real classic shape, and they're stupidly cheap to maintain - everything, including panels is generally available off the shef at GSF.
Well, yeah, but given the performance potential it's not a bad gamble to take. I particularly like the interior, boxy, well made and with proper non-glossy wood in all the right places.
They have Ladas as taxis in the former Soviet Union...
FWIW, yes I'd like another 5 series... this particular 190E, is just under £700, with loads of history etc., and whilst it's not the E class diesel or
540i I'd really like, it has struck me, given I can have it on classic insurance, as a sensible second string to my bow of cars, the other one being a crap diesel for work etc.
Not if your main use is rush hour commuting, they are not! I know someone who had one, and he couldn't believe how much petrol he was putting in the thing, even though he had it regularly serviced and it sailed through the MOT emissions tests. He changed it for an Audi, which was much more economical over the same journeys.
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