Newbie from Lake District, why buy a 190E?

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Newbie from Lake District, why buy a 190E?; Thinking of switching allegiance!
Topic Started: Sun Aug 6, 2006 8:55 am (618 Views)
dobbie82	Sun Aug 6, 2006 8:55 am Post #1
Newbie Posts: 1 Group: Members Member #441 Joined: August 6, 2006	Hello, I am looking into the possibility of buying a 190, having had four BMW e30's, I am quite used to having to source parts from scrappy's or expensive from dealers. What would you say to persuade me to switch to mercs? They dont seem as common as e30's, low milers are rare and when you do find them they are far more expensive. what is the best to go for? i am 23, so probably a 1.8 is all i can afford to insure? what insurance group are they? thanks for reading my waffle! dobbie



shrekky	Sun Aug 6, 2006 9:21 am Post #2
Member Posts: 3,918 Group: Members Member #223 Joined: March 23, 2006	dobbie82 Aug 6 2006, 09:55 AM They dont seem as common as e30's welcome to the site bud..............i think you answered your own question ..........for me i just love everything about them,the way they look,the way they drive.......once you drive one,you'll be hooked ..........and sorry i dont know what insurance group they are but i think you'll be surprised as there are a few younger people got 2.0l and bigger models



Conrad	Sun Aug 6, 2006 10:37 am Post #3
Gunman of the apocalypse Posts: 5,388 Group: Members Member #34 Joined: November 11, 2005	Speak to Neil (Nelly on here) - he's an E30 man. As for insurance, they're not bad at all. I'm 19, 1 years NCB and Pass Plus as well - my 2.0 cost me �650 TPFT this year and the 2.5-16v cost me �1600 fully comp.



seolio	Sun Aug 6, 2006 11:01 am Post #4
Member Posts: 830 Group: Members Member #343 Joined: June 12, 2006	I think you may be able to afford a 2.0 definitely. I am running a 2.0 190E and am 18! Paying �900 a year Fully Comp on insurance with Barclays. Maybe you could take a look at a 2.0 as they are not that bad on fuel either.



merc190uk	Sun Aug 6, 2006 1:54 pm Post #5
Steve Posts: 7,525 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: November 1, 2005	hi mate and welcome to the forum. i used to won a 325i and loved it to bits but the mercs just have that edge when it comes to style and class. e30 nice car /friends say "nice car" 190 posh car/ friends say "how can you afford a merc !!" says it all. plus questioned as to what you drive. yeah i drive a beemer or yeah i drive a merc but ignoring all that waffle they are very good cars and as reliable if not more so than the bm's not as many in the breakers tho as there is bmws at the moment but they are out there. and i would get a 2.0, insurance about the same as the 1.8 and the 2.0 has better mpg. plus 122bhp or there is the 2.6 160bhp or the 2.3 and 2.5 16vs 185-205 bhp



victorroy	Sun Aug 6, 2006 4:51 pm Post #6
Newbie Posts: 5 Group: Members Member #444 Joined: August 6, 2006	i'm not sure how your insurance is in the UK, but i live in louisville kentucky, US. I am 17 and recently had a big jeep "total" my 190 2.6. I'm not sure what my insurance is now, but before the accident it was 700$ per bi-yearly, and that was with a '89 volvo 240 attached. having driven both, i would higly recommend the 190, compared to the volvo it is/was way more reliable, a better performer and just generally much more becomming.



Huddy	Sun Aug 6, 2006 9:04 pm Post #7
Member Posts: 281 Group: Members Member #167 Joined: January 30, 2006	Get a quote for a 2.6 - you might be pleasantly suprised when it comes in at very little more than the 2.0.



joburger	Mon Aug 7, 2006 8:04 am Post #8
Member Posts: 940 Group: Members Member #203 Joined: March 8, 2006	I used to have an E30 2 door 316i when I was 18. Nice cars, but the Merc is far superior when it comes to build quality I feel, especially the interior. They both handle very well and like you say, the Benz is something a little bit different. Another + is that if you look long enough and hard enough, you will probably find one with only 1 or 2 previous owners and in original condition. These cars were expensive new, so chances are if you can find one with only one or two owners and with FSH, it will be in very very good nick and won't have been abused. Check out some old folks homes. :ph43r: You might find a nice car at a nice price.



andycowman	Mon Aug 7, 2006 8:47 am Post #9
Member Posts: 654 Group: Members Member #434 Joined: July 31, 2006	I am 22 in the UK and my insurance was �400 for my 2.0 190E fully comp and i couldnt use my 4 years no claims as that was active on my landrover so I used norwich union with some accelerated 1yrs no claims thingy. Even if you buy a a merc that needs a bit of work its not a problem if you're reasonably useful with some tools and a haynes manual. They are beautifully made and every comes apart and goes together easily. Just watch rust on the sills, espeically at the back under where the passengers sit. Always check there on an old one. If its cheap with a few engine problems that you think you can fix then go for it new parts from GSF are cheap and I have never had a problem with them Andy



kepla	Mon Aug 7, 2006 9:09 am Post #10
Newbie Posts: 42 Group: Members Member #152 Joined: January 24, 2006	Spend some time shopping around for insurance and you might have a pleasant surprise ! Some ins companies will allow you 'classic' insurance, which brings the price down a lot, though some might tell you to wait till you are 25. You might not find the 1.8 too lacking in performance compared to a BMW 316, though it is a little heavier. The 2.0 will probably cost nothing different to insure. Reasons to have one ? It all depends on what you like in a car. They have more of a quiet understated 'class' than the up-front in-your-face boy-racer image of a beemer and they don't come with rules forcing you to overtake on the wrong side either ! They are somewhat more comfortable and easier to live with on a 'daily use' basis - and a lot less likely to attract thieves. The legendary Mercedes build quality is just as obvious in the 190 as it is in an S-class, though some things seem a little 'over-engineered' at first and can be a bit of a puzzle the first time you try to get to them, once you get used to the way the car is put together you really appreciate it ! For example: an oil and filter change CAN be done without even lifting the car off the ground and only takes about 10 minutes or so ! The fuel injection is mechanical, not electronic, so mostly can be fixed 'at home'. If you are buying one, then the usual advice applies - look at plenty of them and buy the best one you can possibly afford.



Rich27	Wed Aug 9, 2006 5:56 pm Post #11
If it has tits or an engine it will be trouble Posts: 13,272 Group: Members Member #348 Joined: June 15, 2006	I came from a 318 Touring and the Merc is just built better, the BMW was a great car never refusing to start and not shy with the power, however the problems I had were BMW drivers seats wear out, The central locking going crazy (yep I could only unlock it from the boot) the BMW stereo working when it wanted to, niggly faults I could live with till a pikey in a Transit killed it. But the Merc is just nicer. I got my 2.0 190e for just shy of �800, 12 month MOT, Fully stamped service book, all the old MOT`s and 105 K on the clock. Try elephant.co.uk for a quote



claireclk	Wed Aug 9, 2006 6:33 pm Post #12
Member Posts: 162 Group: Members Member #445 Joined: August 6, 2006	hi ya dobbie, whatever you do get a black merc, dont listen to them on here with their white ones lol , i use to have a M3 evolution, but whilst out one day saw the 190 e , i dont know what it is about the mercs, but they just stand out from the crowd, and theres nothing like driving around with that star on the bonnet, if you can have the 2.0, just be prepared to have people staring at your car as you drive by



dave_irl	Wed Aug 9, 2006 6:44 pm Post #13
I love offset. Posts: 8,729 Group: Admin Member #6 Joined: November 2, 2005	Welcome dobbie, enough reasons have been given on why you should buy one, just go out and test drive one somewhere! E30's are nice dont get me wrong, my mate has 2 and they are lovely lovely cars, but after 4 of them you should definitely try a W201 PS dont bother with a 1.8, go 2.0E at least or bigger Have fun!



Snake	Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:48 am Post #14
Old free and tattooed Posts: 6,542 Group: Members Member #5 Joined: November 2, 2005	Just do it,you know it makes sense.



DeeBee	Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:23 am Post #15
Newbie Posts: 47 Group: Members Member #298 Joined: May 18, 2006	I got my 1.8 190E after owning a 316i for a couple of years, and ran them both for a year. Both are great cars but the respect you get from folk in the Merc is totally different than in th BMW. People stop in the street to say "nice car mate", old women watch over your car for you in supermarket carparks (thats did actually happen) and other drivers stop to let you out of side roads. So if you wanna feel important get a Merc but be prepared for the paparatzi, I can't park up and eat my fish and chips in piece without being surrounded by groups of folk taking pics on their mobiles. :lol:



NEIL	Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:28 pm Post #16
Fewer Posts than Kenny Posts: 16,161 Group: Members Member #63 Joined: November 18, 2005	all sound advice, nothing much to add from me. definitely get a quote on a 2.6, and if you're used to E30s the 1.8 will definitely be too tame. plenty of clean 2.0s about...



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