Faults:

There has been plenty to repair on this car as it was previously not well taken care of. I have replaced serpentine belt, water pump, tensioner, radiator, brakes, clutch slave cylinder, head gasket, timing chain, rails, tensioner, sun roof switch, door hinges and more I'm sure I can't remember.

General Comments:

This car is a head turner even today. The body is timeless with the factory body kit, and relevant even in these times.

As to performance, there is little left to be desired here. For a 4cyl car it is very fast, will smoke tires in 1st, and bark loudly in 2nd and 3rd.. All the while averaging about 16MPG overall. Hitting up to 18-20 driving civil.

The cockpit is comfortable and cozy without feeling being inside of a tuna can, rides well and pretty darn quiet overall. Do know that it is a sporty luxury ride though and not that pillow ride of say a Lincoln.

Handling is great in the dry, but this is no car to be jumping around turns or corners in the rain. The rear end will come around on you with little notice, though easily corrected.

Overall a timeless classic that is pretty darn solid and moderate to maintain. I had a lot of issues early because of previous poor maintenance. Once I got through the fixes, it became pure fun!

Faults:

Nothing special, only minor faults.

Driver seat have started to wear badly.

Changed brake discs and clips at 160000 km.

Ventilation motor repaired twice.

General Comments:

What to say about this car that have not been sad already here. It is one over engineered well built Mercedes.

My 190D is now 21 year old, but it drives and is more reliable than most of the new cars on the marker. With power steering, ABS and A/C it has everything you need to have a comfortable ride in city or on long journeys.

The only thing that could be better is leg space in back and the quality of ventilation motor.

The 2.0 Diesel engine with 75 HP feels underpowered in this car, I drove one 2.5 Turbo diesel and that is the real thing. I have driven a 2.3 16V gasoline version and fell in love with it, I'm looking to buy one, but they are rare here in Montenegro.

But the good thing about this 2.0 diesel engine is low fuel consumption, 8l/100km in city and 6l/100km in open road.

I'm really happy with this car and I hope it will serve me well for a long time. I plan to buy a newer Mercedes C-Class soon, but I will never sell my 190D, Maybe one day like a old timer :)

Faults:

Sunroof driving cable needs replacement.

Had to replace alternator.

General Comments:

This car is a dream to drive for its age.

It is not overpowered, but does very well both in the city and on the freeway.

Quite economic (10l/100km in the city)

Materials used inside are high quality. after 21 years the inside of my mercedes is close to pristine.

Very good paint job - still looking good for age.

It is very easy to get your hands on parts for the 190s as there are still so many around.

Faults:

Zinc plated studs for the valve cover have stripped out.

The Magnesium valve cover has been slowly flaking.

Dashboard is cracking.

Hat rack is warping.

Engine occasionally stops in hot, humid weather when letting off the throttle abruptly due to faults in the Bosch KE-Jetronic mfi system.

Master cylinder is leaking into the cockpit.

After 20 years, all the rubber begins to need replacing. This includes brake lines, suspension bushings, weatherstripping, and water hoses.

Alternator died.

The stopwatch LCD screen is bleeding.

General Comments:

All in all this is a fairly well developed automobile. For a twenty year old, high performance sports sedan it is very reliable despite the large list of failures I have recorded. The car is very comfortable yet it likes to get up and go when you ask it to and can even handle better than many modern cars. I would have to say that the biggest disappointment is the lack in power. This engine, if outfitted with electronic fuel injection would be much more powerful and fuel efficient. 2.3-16 is a definite future collector's item with a rich racing pedigree. If you don't mind the high price of upkeep and the necessity of having a garage, then this would be a great piece of automotive history to own.