My trusty 1990 W124 E class 230 TE auto estate is starting to get a bit tired. I live in Jersey and it has now done 185k miles which is huge for here. We use it for usual shopping, taking daughter to swimming etc etc, (about 4.5k miles a year) but also going to Alps skiing a few times in the winter (has set of winter tyres, hence the miles). and a small amount of towing a hillclimb sports car. I am sadly realising that it is going rusty (doesn't look it but its there in hidden awkward places) which is the main problem plus the front suspension is a bit slack, and i feel it is not really that safe any more. It does have ABS, but no airbags at all, but compared to a more modern car iIt is built like a tank, but rust sort of negates that.
So thinking of a replacement, we have about 5k to 8k to spend, maybe a little more but not much. My wife will only drive an auto, and likes that you can see all the corners of the merc and it is narrow. I need it to tow the small trailer with a very very light sports car on it (my 230 te has an extra auto box cooler). It needs to be happy going long distances with lots (ish) of kit. I love the quietness of the 230 and its quality feel even now it is old. We have thought about a last of series w124 which would be a 1995 one as i do all the maintenance on mine as its easy to work on, but its finding one, seen two of them and they were much lower miles than mine, but mechanically were not very good. So it will have to be something more modern, but what? suggestions would be great
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It's got to be a Subaru, how about an Outback or a Forester?
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Have you tried www.w124.co.uk/ - they seem to have sold quite a few 124s in your price range.
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If the front suspension is a bit slack, why not get the bushes and shocks changed instead of buying a new car?
You could get the rust and a mechanical overhaul done for less than 5k unless the rust is structural.
The W124 is capable of double the mileage you have on yours and you know the car well - if you can spare the cash, I would seriously consider restoring your current car. You could even have the engine reconditioned if you wanted to be sure.
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Yes, and cars where you can do your own maintenance are fewer and fewer these days.
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I agree with the above: stick with the angel you know.
Where are those rust spots? Any risk to structure? Apart from the front end, what else is making the car feel tired?
As has been suggested, you can get the front end fixed and, depending where and how extensive the rust is, you may be able to get that fixed for well under four figures, including a replacement panel of two (I've just checked into replacement cost of the W124 front wings and they (OEM) are £160 + VAT each). Just don't go to a main dealer: find a good independent mechanic and a bodyshop where the guvnah greets you in overalls, not a suit.
After the repairs, you could also think about replacing some key components to refresh the ride quality and smoothness. Check out the springs, replace both main dampers and engine dampers, replace engine and gearbox mounts, etc. -- none of it outrageously costly, especially sourcing from GSF or Euro Car Parts (their OEM parts have a zero as the last digit of the part number).
Get a professional valet to do a truly deep clean of the inside as well as the outside. Spruce up the radiator grille with replacement chrome strips and badge (£20+ the lot).
Renew your well founded faith in a truly great car and take it onwards to the mileage it deserves. It's barely in middle age yet. And you can continue to enjoy the satisfaction of working on it yourself.
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It amazes me how often people think that because their car feels tired, its getting to the end of its life - its usually just a case of changing some of those parts which after 15 years will be a bit slack and it feels as good as new again, especially if its as good a car as the W124 is.
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It's not always because the car is tired, the owner is sometimes tired of the car. and fancies a change :)
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Maybe but the OP suggests it is the cars condition that has brought the issue up, not a desire to have a change - infact the OP seems to rather like the car judging by how they speak of it.
Suggestions for reconditioning the car centre around that very point.
If they had said there were bored of the car, fair enough, but they didnt.
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I had a conversation with a car sales guy who told me that most of his customers changed because they were bored with the current car, not because it was unreliable, too small or any other practical reason.
Keeping a good, reliable car as described, but re-building key sub-systems such as the front suspension seems a good idea. The only thing he can't do is add airbags/other safety, which he does mention in his post as being a consideration.
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Thank you for all your suggestions, yes i do really like the 230te, it does everything we want, just lacks a bit in safety features due to its age. (did they do a NCAP? type crash test on a w124? if they did how did the body shell stand up?) Speed when overtaking is also an issue, as its rather heavy and only 136bhp when new, but you just have to adapt to that. I think i will take to an independent specialist i know and get him to give the car a once over on a ramp to assess the rust and have a good poke about. The odd feeling at the front is probably the anti roll bar bushes which will be cheap to do plus the front shocks, however the rear shocks are horribly expensive. In the meantime a1992 300te has just appeared in the local paper for reasonable money (and very low miles, 70k) so i may go and have a look at it this weekend.
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I have some crash test information on a 1990 200 saloon - basically even back them Mercedes were designing in safety structures designed to evenly distribute the force of an impact.
The body structure remained intact and all doors could be opened.
The steering wheel has an impact pad which is to protect you if you head hits it so make sure your driving position is set to make best use of this.
There was very slight movement of the facia and pedals. The seatbelt pretentioners are apparently somewhat over-zelous - if you have these, you could renew them as obviously they are getting old now.
In 1990, the saloon was considered second only to the BMW 5-Series for impact protection and both cars were rated above a Volvo 740, all of which in the offset crash test at 34mph, you would get out without serious injury.
To answer you question directly, the bodyshell stands up very well for such an old car.
You say the rear shocks are expensive, but buying another car is surely more expensive still? Decent W124's cost many thousands and for good reason - people want them.
You could try upping the power a little, maybe someone here has suggestions on that front?
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Grrrr . . . just typed this and then lost it because I was then forced to log in.
Rear Bilsteins for my W126 last year from Euro Car Parts: 42% of the MB dealer price. Front Bilsteins: 37% of the dealer price. Front anti-rollbar bushes about £6.50 each. The old ones were Boge; who knows who makes the new ones -- Bilstein, quite likely.
Safety features? I'm glad two of my MBs have no airbags. Primary safety feature: it's a car that encourages you do drive like the responsible adult you are. Secondary safety feature: it's built like the proverbial brick out-house.
Crash tests:
www.whnet.com/4x4/W210_crashtest.html
It says W210, but there's a W124 on the page too.
Also:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp2N0gce0-k
but not W124.
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I'd try to keep a grip of your w124... I bought a E280 estate, 147k on the clock a year ago for £1600, it was immaculate inside and out and have put 13000 miles on it with only routine servicing. Its a gem of a car with fantastic quality. I'm 23 and some image fussy girlfriends don't like it because its 'old' and they want the apparent kudos of being seen in a new/ish car, however, you seem to have no problem with the charm and class of the car so don't change it for the sake of change. If yours is really tired, then wait for a late one at the right price, I got my dual airbag (if thats a worry) model for two fifths of nothing, so I would avoid paying the, in my view, silly prices of an aforementioned specialist - even if the cars are mint.
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