- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.6i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
121kW, 260Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 11.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
NA
- Ancap Safety
NA
1992 Mercedes-Benz E300: owner review
It was spring of 2020, and I had just purchased myself an 2000 Alfa Romeo Spider with the incredible ambition that I would drive it until kingdom came; rain, hail or shine.
Owner: Jim Domingo
- Robust and built to no cost
- Engine is silky smooth and makes a terrific noise
- Suspension Tuning is supreme
- Elegant and ageless styling inside and out
- Fuel Consumption
- Maintenance is costly
- Transmission can be slow
It was spring of 2020, and I had just purchased myself an 2000 Alfa Romeo Spider with the incredible ambition that I would drive it until kingdom came; rain, hail or shine. I utterly loved it throughout the summer where we luckily had around 3 months of minimal restrictions and I daily drove the Alfa, whether it be to the local Woolies, or down to Sorrento for the Christmas/NY break.
I pegged around 7000km from October 2020 to March 2021 and to my surprise, it performed without fault. It was only until it was in the middle of an interrupted VAFA footy season, when one of my mates asked 'your turn for a lift?'
This time the trip would be all the way to St Bernards, which is around a 45 minute hike from the Eastern Suburbs. It was also getting perilously close to freezing on those cold Melbourne winters, and I looked at the Alfa and thought to myself that this wouldn't work.
So here I was, in lockdown, scouring endless YouTube videos and reading reviews of what would make an ideal daily driver - although I did intend to keep the Alfa, probably on charge for the meantime. I needed a car I could park at the station (when I go to work), go to footy trainings, go to the shops, and see me through 80% of the year's activities.
Although I am 22 years old, I will concede that I have the taste of a 89 year old man, hence my left-field car choices. Initially, I was set on a manual car, however after watching a YouTube video on the Mercedes 500E, I remembered that I've always fancied a Golden Era Mercedes. So here I was, scouring car adverts, luckily enough finding my car in Brighton; a 1992 Mercedes W124 300E with a crisp 272,000km on the clock. After a thorough look around the car and test drive, I came to the conclusion that the head gasket was leaking - so naturally, I proceeded to buy it anyway. Because what's a classic car without any leaks, hey?
Although the head gasket leak was immense (I lost about a quart of oil per 100km), the car itself was otherwise mechanically sound. There were a few niggles here and there, but all would be fixed in due course.
My experience currently with the Merc has culminated in a cool $3500 bill for new valve stem seals, rings, valve cover gasket, head gasket and re-machining the head. Although expensive, it has provided me with the peace of mind that the engine should see me out, however to add insult to injury, another $200 was spent on a Neutral Safety Position switch, which meant I could only start the car in Neutral and not Park. $3700 later and the Merc was in prime health.
So how does the car fare as an actual car? Well in short, terrific. Let's start with the looks. Bruno Sacco was in charge of penning most of the Golden Era Mercs throughout the 80's and 90's, and I believe his crowning achievement was the R129 SL. However, that being said I do also think the Paul Bracq era Mercedes do deserve their spot in the limelight also, as I believe the Pagoda's are desperately pretty.
To me, design and styling are two completely separate items. To me, the 300E is exceptionally well designed and to this day, despite the box-on-wheels shape, it still has one of the lowest drag coefficient of any cars on sale. Furthermore, the asymmetrical mirror also adds to the W124 over-engineered nature, with the passenger side mirror being a different shape to the driver's, being significantly taller to help with parallel parking and spotting kerbs. Genius!
With respect to styling, do I think it's elegant and classy? Yes.
Do I think it's beautiful like a Maserati Quattraporte 5 Sport GTS? No.
I do think the styling is representative of the country it was from, and it's apparent that it isn't styled with the same passion or verve as anything from Italy or as outrightly handsome as an E38 7 Series.
In regards to its performance, the Merc uses the long lived M103 3.0-litre straight 6 engine, and makes do with a single cam paired with a 4-speed auto. It's a trusty engine, and head gaskets aside, is very reliable. It develops 140kW and 260Nm of torque - both respectable without being outstanding. A rocketship it is not, however there's something deeply enjoyable about how velvety smooth and buttery the M103 is. Furthermore, the noise it makes is also fantastic - it sounds mechanical and sophisticated.
Conversely, the Merc does eat fuel like there's no tomorrow. On the most recent servo visit I found that it had travelled 411km in a car with a 70-litre tank (and I filled up 62 litres). However, the engine is paired with the 4-speed automatic, which can get caught out of gear and sometimes refuses to kick down. Although 80% of the time it's traditional 80's and 90's-era slushbox: smooth enough but with a slight thud to remind you that you've changed gear.
The crowning jewel of this car is it's suspension tuning. It is supremely comfortable and the ride is exceptionally well-controlled. It irons out any bumps on the road, is plush without being wallowy, and controlled without being firm - just what I desired from a daily driver.
The interior is classic German saloon, understated, elegant and beautifully built, apart from the cracked wood on my transmission tunnel. Every button has a heft and satisfying click to it and the cliché bank vault door thud is prevalent every time you get in and out of the car. The mono-wiper still amazes me to this day, while the seats are comfortable without being terribly supportive, and the lack of a singular cup holder is admittedly annoying.
Technology compared to the cars of today is minimal; it has an air conditioner, a radio and that's about it. But to be fair, these are all that I really use anyway. The foot-operated park brake I could do without, as well as the aftermarket radio. If anyone knows where I could get and install a period correct Becker it'd be much appreciated!
An ambitious daily driver it may be, however I'm sticking with my guns on this - although there are minor things that need attention. The cruise control doesn't work, the central air vents blow out weaker air than the side vents and my intake pipe to the air filter has cracked and I've been told they're terribly hard to get ahold of. So if anyone knows where to get ahold of any of these to be fixed/repaired, let me know!
All in all, I adore the Merc. It oozes quality and there's a deep joy using things that you know were well engineered. To sum it up, it's a reassuring drive. Hopefully now, with the initial financial outlay to get the car mechanically sound, it can finally get a good run of reliable kilometres.
Owner: Jim Domingo
MORE: Everything Mercedes-Benz