Owner Review: A Car Built to Last a Lifetime - My 1990 Mercedes-Benz 260E

Why did I buy this Mercedes-Benz 260E?

My previous car was a Mercedes-Benz W123 230E, pictured below; the older generation predecessor of this W124 E-Class. I bought my current W124 in 2013, 7 years ago. The car was owned by a family friend who had it since new. It had 90k original kilometers on the meter and was in pristine condition, even after 23 years. The first owner had rarely used the car as he has a few other cars at home and invited me to test drive the car. Just 30 seconds into the test drive, I bought the car.

Everything was working perfectly, the engine was extremely smooth and quiet, the level of comfort you experience from inside is even better than brand new cars today. Today at 230K kilometers on the odometer, it still performs just as well. In 2013 I paid RM13,500 for it, worth every cent paid as the car was in immaculate condition with no repairs needed, and after 7 years of ownership, I can still sell it for the same RM13,500 I paid for it. And when I say no repairs were needed, I really mean no repairs. Even the mechanics were amazed when I sent the car for a full inspection. They couldn’t find anything wrong or even any wear and tear parts that needed replacement. In these 7 years, only the tyres and battery were changed, and some polishing done to the paint as well as very minor wear and tear parts.

Old Merc enthusiasts would know that these things were built to last forever. Fun fact: it was one of the first cars in the world to have ABS. There’s always a nostalgic feeling, bringing you back to the era of the 1980s and 1990s whenever you step into a car like this. I’m all about comfort, and that’s why I picked this car. This unit was locally assembled in Malaysia.

My experience after 7 years

The engine still runs as good as new, smooth and quiet. No major issues experienced, only minor wear and tear parts replaced. Very cheap to maintain, almost zero depreciation, very reasonable fuel economy. It was previously a daily driver and now used for Sunday drives as I find it not so convenient to be driven daily, considering the lack of modern features such as reverse sensors and reverse camera, which makes parking a little difficult due to the length of the car and the fact that parking spaces are getting smaller and smaller.

Driving experience

Not the most fun to drive, to be honest, but extremely comfortable. Smooth and linear acceleration, nothing fast. Handling is quite poor as well as suspension is quite soft. If you’re into comfort then this is a car to enjoy. Everything is laid back and relaxing.

Ratings

Performance         2/5

Quality                  5/5

Features                1/5

Space                    3/5

Ride comfort         5/5

Fuel economy       3/5

Price and cost       5/5