Owner Review: 1992 Mercedes-Benz W124 220E - Don’t skip leg day to drive it
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Basic information about my car
About the car
This is literally my third time with a W124, the first being a 300E-24 that I wrote a review of a while back. My second W124 is a 1990 260E Malaysian model which I’ll get to in my next review.
While the 300E-24 was a UK Import, this 1992 Mercedes-Benz 220E is a Japanese import. Proof of it can be found with the original owner’s manual which is in Japanese, as well as Japanese characters and the sticker of “MERCEDES-BENZ JAPAN CO. LTD” found in the driver-side door jamb and compared to my 260E, it has higher specification with electrically adjustable front seats, cruise control, and digital temperature gauge.
How did I end up with it?
The car belonged to one of my dad’s contacts and he has long admired the car. Each time he asked the owner if it’s for sale, the owner said no. Years after, on the 5th of November 2020, the car was advertised on Mudah for sale and upon seeing it, my dad immediately dumped a deposit on it within 5 minutes. The crazy thing is, he had just picked up a Camry XV20 for only two days before the 220E was up for grabs. Long story short, I now have two W124s in my possession.
The owner let my dad have the 220E for RM5,000 which sounds like an absolute steal. Is it a bargain, though? On the surface of things, it appears like a daylight robbery. The body is straight, and the floor underneath is devoid of rust and holes – making my 220E quite possibly one of the rarest W124s in Malaysia. But does the driving experience match up to my expectations? Read on to find out.
What is it like to drive?
The first thing that stood out immediately the second I got into the 220E for the first time is the throttle pedal. Stepping on it feels like trying to push a door that has been wedged in tight with your foot to open it. It feels unconventionally stiff – even more so than the 300E-24. Weirdly, the 260E I drove, which uses a similar floor-hinged throttle pedal setup, is much lighter to use. I also got to sample a W124 E280 and the pedal was lighter too. I asked my friend about it and he attributed that the cable routing could have contributed to this strange throttle pedal feel, and different engines contributed to the different feel. At least that’s what I’ve been told, anyway.
Get past that, however, the 220E surprises you with a good amount of shove. It has a nice amount of pull from low to mid-range RPM. It doesn’t rev high nor is it light, but for driving around in town, I’d describe it as “not bad.” It’s powered by the M111 2.2-litre DOHC 16-valve engine producing 150 horsepower and210 N.m of torque. Of course, being a four-cylinder, it is not as smooth as the M103 and M104 sixes in the 260E and 300E-24 respectively, but it’s by no means unbearable. The four-speed automatic is a typical Mercedes-Benz affair, too. You can feel a very slight jolt when the gears change. It is just another day of driving an old Benz that I’ve since been accustomed to, having grown up in old Benzes. However, the gearbox starts in first gear, whereas the older 4-speed autos tend to start in second gear unless you’re in S mode and you give pedal to the metal. It also doesn’t have the S and E mode like some or most W124s here. It has enough performance to overtake most cars on our roads.
Handling is very much similar to the 300E-24, exhibiting a very neutral handling characteristic on the limit with a biased tendency for understeer. This is partly contributed by the rear suspension design of the W124, of which there are 10 separate arms arranged in a multi-link setup which makes it extremely complicated, but the trade-off is the ride and handling that not a lot of modern cars of its size can match. However, the steering feels heavier than I remember, but that just gives me the confidence to push the thing around bends and travel at high speeds on the highway. I suspect that the bushings and other relevant components such as the couplings could do with a replacement, though - definitely something for me to add in my to-do list for this car . I am not interested in fitting 17” rims or whatnot as my dad and I have agreed to preserve its originality.
Really, the best way to enjoy the 220E is to go on the highway, switch on the cruise control (yes it still works beautifully), blast to the likes of Hall & Oates, Laura Brannigan, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and other 1980s hits straight out of GTA: Vice City and just vibe.
Pros:
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The engine is rather punchy
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Handles well for a big old boat
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Rides very well and is well-insulated, making it an epic cruiser
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The cruise control WORKS!
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It’s reasonably economical
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The seats are extremely COZY, just like your home sofa
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It has reverse sensors from the factory. HAH! (Most W124s don’t have this from the factory)
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It’s a Mercedes-Benz. The instant wow factor for when you’re on a date 😉
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I’m sure I don’t need to say anything about the legendary build quality, right?
Cons:
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The engine – being a 4-cylinder – is not that smooth
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It looks like an uncle’s car (I’m personally fine with it)
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It’s actually kind of cramped in the rear
Rating:
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Total Score: 4/5
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Performance: 4/5
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Quality: 5/5
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Features: 5/5
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Fuel economy: 4/5
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Space: 3/5
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Ride Comfort: 5/5
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Price and cost: 5/5
Summing it up
Going back to my initial question: has my 1992 Mercedes-Benz 220E live up to my expectations? Is it a genuine daylight robbery? The answer, I can say with absolute confidence, is a big fat YES! Sure, there are things that needed TLC, but it isn’t something that affects the drivability of the 220E. The bigger, six-cylinder engines in the higher rung of the W124 range may be smoother, but for daily driving, the 220E is more than enough. This is definitely a car worth keeping for a very long time and preserving.
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Peter Teng
2
17 Dec
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Kulasinggam Jeganathan
1
17 Dec
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Glehyn Rothwell
2
17 Dec
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alpha A
1
Oh man, you took photos of your benz while sitting in another benz. How can I acquire achievements like you haha
17 Dec
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Arief Fisal
8
17 Dec
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