German here. When they introduced these first in the 80ies, there were a few significant problems which actually hurt Daimler Benz's reputation. The glued in windshields would crack in winter and the one arm wiper just couldn't cope with heavy rain sufficiently. Because almost each and every cab driver in Germany drove these everybody soon knew about it. So they were pretty upfront in solving the issues and it became the reliable car people know and love it for today.
Are you truly German? can you really trace your roots back a few generations? if so that's amazing...I'm German " a real German" I have an Italian last name..my grandfather changed his name in 1945 in order to obtain documents to escape to Argentina for his part in the Bergen Belsen concentration camp ...he lived there for over 40 years before he passed... seems all the real Germans were either killed/executed or escaped Germany.
Totally forgot about the useless single wiper on my moms car. It was either too slow to keep up or it would constantly leave horrible streaks so yiu could see thru them. And they were not cheap to replace at the dealer.
And less about the sheer number or size of screens bolted to the dash, half-baked tech that will put you through a brick wall or someone's house because it failed, or 700 horsepower that can never be used legally on city streets. Luxury is also about feel and presence - two things this E-class has in spades.
I really appreciate the segment of just the sounds of interacting with the car. Competent door closes, proud mechanical latching switches, the tape deck waking up to task. Just wonderful.
Back when seeing the 3 pointed star hood ornament in front of you meant you bought something over-engineered and not something over marketed. Buying one of these made you proud because of what you bought and not how much you had to pay for it
If you wanted to drive a flashy car full of gadgets, you bought a Cadillac. If you want something that feels as solid as a battleship while being just understated enough, you bought a Mercedes-Benz. MB lost their way when they started chasing flash and gadgets too.
@@EvoraGT430 my high school German teacher told me a phrase that sticks with me to this day. "German cars are known for longevity, not reliability." Not as trouble-free as say a Japanese vehicle, but every bit as mechanically stout. It does seem like every Mercedes of this era I see today has at least a quarter million miles on it, though.
I had one as well. Loved it, it was so comfortable and fun to drive. Yet a blown head gasket led to a cracked block, led to too many American dollars to get it fixed. The E Series was really great, but still the bottom of the barrel in Mercedes quality, even at the time.
So the inverse of a Tesla then? Naah, Teslas are mostly fine, at least if you compare with how bad the build quality used to be back pre-1989 of anything not Japanese and not Merc/Rolls.
This takes me back. My dad bought a 1985 300D from Stuttgart and had it shipped to the US. I remember how understated and refined that car was. We had it for over 20 years until my mom was T-boned at an intersection while driving it. She was fine, but the car was totaled. Maybe one day I'll find a W124 of my own.
Now this was a special episode for me. My very first car was a 1989 W124 300E that I had inherited from my grandfather. I loved going on long trips from CT to RI with him, talking and joking the whole way. He knew how much I loved that car so when he found himself unable to drive any more he passed it to me. Easily one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. The nostalgia all came flooding back to me watching this. Thank you, Mr. Regular!
I'm so glad to hear your grandfather recognized when he needed to hang up the key, but passed it onto you; so you could enjoy this masterpiece of engineering.
I hear you. Some cars certainly do contain the stories of our lives. I purchased my ‘89 M103 twin of this car in 2001 with 30km now at 340km impeccably maintained all the way with most of those put on commuting back to our small rural town several times weekly to be around for my dear old late mother on her journey through alzheimers. The memories of all those wonderfully uncharted day drives out and about exploring often down unfamiliar back roads stopping somewhere for coffee and cake are priceless. These W124’s are in a class of their own. Mines foe life.
Dear RCR, I am a 27 year old male at a really difficult time in my life. I would like to thank you for bringing continuous joy and valid entertainment in my life. I am usually a ghost around these parts, and do not comment, share, like, subscribe. But the constant delivery of absolutely 10/10 content. I will try not to dissect a frog here, but the humour of RCR is so refined, yet then switched to such perverse and vulgar stuff that it gives just the right amount of ecstasy when watching. You just cannot stop but think how all of that is part of life. Everything from quoting literature to experiencing a person that can be recognised just by RCR doing a voice with a side narrative. And don't get me started on how much better I understand cars since I started watching. And the cars! Every single detail is relatable on some level. Well done, RCR. I hope you love what you doing and continue to do so. Without constraints, onward my brothers.
In 2013 this was my first car as an 18 year old. I had a wagon in pearl grey. Lichen on the roof, 320 thousand kilometres and a/c never worked. But it was built like a German panzer. Cannot believe I don’t have it anymore, I’ve never recover from its departure. This video has unlocked so many memories. Thank you
Finally a Mercedes-Benz after 6 years. This amazing W124 is one of the best cars ever made. ❤ Those ASMR bits are the same familiar sounds as my old SL.
@@BYLRPhil they never did a video on a C Class. I’ve seen about every video they’ve made. They DID do a video on the last car phone. It was on a W203 C Class.
For me, the mid 1970s to mid 1990s was Mercedes-Benz at its absolute best: When they built their cars to a standard, not a price, and they stood the test of time.
My grandfather, whom recently passed away bless his soul, always spoke of the olden days of being a big shot with an 80's Mercedes.. He'd give his friends lifts to work, and life was so good behind the wheel that he wouldn't even charge them for the fuel. This will forever be my perception of Mercedes, success incarnated.
And in Germany of course! Till the late 2000s you saw them everywhere with 500k km and no problems but rust. The engine and transmission outlives the body by 3 times!
I've always perceived this generation of Mercedes as being hewn from granit, edificial even. But featured here it looks so elegant and sleek. I absolutely love this example. I sincerely hope he takes the same excellent care of it as the previous guardians did.
I remember all those perfect sounds of quality from back in the day. It shaped my perceptions and still does. My friends Dad had a few of these when I was a teen, twenties. A 380 and a 420 SEL.
Hard to know exactly how much work that first owner did. Mercedes owners of that era had their cars worked on by guys named Johan at dealers or specialty garages. They only used genuine Mercedes parts, which were/are readily available because so many of these were built, so just looking at the parts wouldn't tell you much beyond the first owner being a typical one. The US only got the nice versions (at high prices), not the cheap taxi specials.
I have owned 7 Mercedes since 1984. The first one was a 1984 W123 300D, 4 speed manual transmission. I bought it in Germany and imported to San Francisco. What an amazing machine. Next was a 1987 300E, then a 1988 300E. The 1988 was the exact color combination of yours, the paint is called Desert Taupe. Then I bought a 1990 C124 300CE, and still own this classic coupe. Then I bought a 1998 W210 E320, followed by a 2000 E430 and a 2001 E430 Sport. I still own both E430’s. I have driven these cars over 1.2 million miles total. The W 210’s were not quite the quality of the W124, but they still feel quite modern and the V8 in the E430 is amazing. But my favorite is the 1990 300CE which is now becoming collectible. Sadly, newer Mercedes remind me more of Hyundais these days.
This video is such a coincidence. A high-school friend of mine inherited a 1995 W124 200E with a 5 speed manual from his grandfather which I had the chance to drive last week. It broke me. My dinky 2017 Fiesta 1.25L 5-speed feels inadequate. I want one. I want a W124. I want it badly.
My first car was 1988/1989 300E. My brother got it for my grandfather, and then I had got it 2006. What a car! It was definitely starting to show its age, but the 6cyl on that car could last for ages. One of the issues I remember was the concern overheating, I would run the heat at a stand still in the summer, and keep the sunroof open. So much nostalgia!
I had the same problem in a much worse car! Congratulations for having such an amazing car as a starter! My first car was a Opel Corsa B with a 3 cylinder 1.0 gasoline engine which rattled like an old diesel. At standstill it got so hot that I had to put to heater to full power and the blower to the highest level, while I was sitting in a traffic jam in the summer heat without any air conditioning.. only two front windows I could lower. Damn was I sweating but it still was my first taste of freedom and got me reliably everywhere I wanted!
This whole video just resonates with me especially the "sometimes the car chooses you" bit. While nowhere near as faauuuncy as a Mercedes, I recently managed to get my hands on a near pristine 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera with 16k miles on it. Wasn't even close to what I was looking for (mainly tried finding a small truck or van) but it just so happened to show up at a lot not even 5 minutes from my house. It was love at first sight. The 90s nostalgia is so thick in this car and I get thumbs up from older dudes and young kids alike. It's not fast but it's comfy as hell like driving a couch!
There was a magical time when you weren't just buying a car or brand in general. You were buying confidence. You bought it. And it will work. There wasn't even a question wether it will work, you just knew it would. You bought it, and it works exactly as you wanted it to work. You don't ask questions, you don't hire a specialist to look at it, you already know it works before you even saw it. Confidence. Trust. Those times are gone.
Anything sounds substantial. Every push of a button sounds as if you just made an important decision, every door seems to fit perfectly like a glove and closes like a vault door, even after all those years.
My dad owned one of these back in the day in China of all places. A self-made man himself this review made me really REALLY nostalgic recalling faint childhood memories being around one of these vehicles. Thanks, RCR, I didmt expect it but this was a pretty special episode for me personally.
I daily a 94 E320 Wagon with 224k miles, most of the front bumper missing and damage on both passenger doors and I think it's the greatest car I have ever owned. There is something truly magnificent about these old Benz and I hope this isn't my last one. Excellent video as always.
A W124 coupe was my college car back in the 2010s. Loved it literally to pieces. I stored it first winter I had it and walked everywhere in the snow because of Northern salt. But, the damage from previous winters had already done the damage. At 310k miles, the issues were adding up and the rust was eating into it. I was the 7th owner of a car not well looked after before me. But it never let me down. ... *Logs onto craigslist*
Excellent monologue and an eerily familiar owner. A standout episode not because of sublime and farcical commentary, but due to a sober and stoic review of a monument to engineering. Thank you.
Ah, my first car! 280E love the sound of that 6cyl, and actually got me driving below the speed limit more often than not because its just that subtle and relaxing. wonderful car, wonderful memories
Hey RCR, just wanted to say ive been watching your show for around 2 years now, I've watched almost all your episodes and watch every new episodes every monday, I don't have a sob story or anything much to catch most peoples attention, but me and my SO would just love to wish you a wonderful day, to many other monday lunch breaks ❤
The sequence with all of the operational sounds with the closeup audio focus was extremely satisfying.....just like your narratives MR. REGULAR.....thank you for all of your amazing videos
The one and only car that can compete with my E39. I drove a lot of different W124s back in the day when I was a taxi driver, one of the best cars ever made!
Incredible that this thing looks that good after 220k+ miles! I have a 1992 W140 300SE with the 3.2 M104 engine and 722.3 transmission. The Mercs from this era are just built incredibly well! Edit: I think the W124 in the video has the 2.6 M103 given the engine bay shot. The 2.8 was the later M104 model.
Ah, German engineering before the bean counters got to it, built to last. Also the cupholder thing I chuckled at, a Swedish friend of mine put it thusly: "The German idea is that the car is for DRIVING and nothing else,"
My uncle bought a 1989 300 SEL new. Rode in it many times, and only got to drive it once before he got rid of it. The only analogy I can provide is that it was like driving a car that was carved entirely from a single block of steel. Solid as fsck.
Been subscribed for a while now. Good to see Mr. RCR bringing more of himself into the content. You’ve evolved but the premise, which is what worked from the beginning is still there. Well done.
MAN is that a gorgeous car, amazing condition. Mercedes had some pretty amazing stuff, but it's crazy that this and the new G-Wagon even come from the same manufacturer. This is the very antithesis of those trucks.
I bought a 1990 300E shortly after being injured on the job in the most Jersey way possible - falling into a pothole while pulling pallets. Having only owned manual vehicles, I had to go auto for the first time. I started as a sailor, and I’ve been a laborer for most of my adult life. The part of the video when you say “You deserve the money your earn,” brought me to tears. It was inexpensive when I bought the vehicle in 2014 at about $9000, but the vehicle really was a means to an end for me. It allowed me to heal and deal with a life changing workplace injury. It was not an ostentatious purchase, but it still had that “Wow!” effect to random people that don’t even care about cars. For anyone who wants to own one of these, I find Kent Bergsma's channel Mercedes Source to be an essential resource for keeping the car alive. One of my fondest memories was seeing my best friend’s German mother and Austrian father see the car for the first time. They just wanted to open every door, look at every angle, and were just in awe. These really are a testament to engineering standards, and not planned obsolescence, which is now the unfortunate modern standard. (I work in a modern auto factory in the US. It's shocking, especially from a military background.) Thank you for this channel and all of its content. Keep up the great work.
I always say W124 is a great starting place to start your Euro car collection. it's not too complex, nor too expensive to maintain. used to own 5 of these! and still have 2 in great condition
Thank you for recording all the nice sounds this car makes since the video becomes that much more enjoyable. What a great looking car indeed & I'm glad the owner has had several enjoyable road trips in it.
Very very well done, explaining the 300E. I love these and I want one. Nearly 300K and it looks like that. Wow! That is a very well cared for car. A prime example of Mercedes Benz in its peak. My family had a 240D years ago. Acceleration was measured in days, but once you got to speed it didn't matter. It was the cheapest Mercedes at the time but it was still engineered and built incredibly well. The doors sounded exactly like that, the switches, exactly the same. 65 MPH had that engine screaming but man it was comfortable.
I’ve had the same reaction to the power antenna on my 91 MR2. Young car people are so infatuated by pop up headlights and power antennas. It’s crazy to think that we all tried to get rid of the pop up headlights and antenna when I had my other MR2 20 years ago.
I remember the days when taxi drivers in my country drove these old Mercedes models. They were comfy, there was radio chatter instead of generic robot voices and touch screens... and they would actually know all the streets in your town.
I got my first Guide de l'Auto in 1996 as a kid. Will forever remember the E class that followed this one. Thanks for this piece of perspective, great car Daniel.
While not from the heyday, my friend recently got a 2002/3 S Class Mercedes from his uncle. It was and is not in the best condition, but the level of comfort and ride smoothness cannot be compared. I love my 07 Accord EX, and I'm glad my dad sold it to me for pennies in the dollar, but even the worst of Mercedes is still something of elegance and beauty. I can only imagine what this company was like in its hey day. With this video, I feel just that much closer. Lovely storytelling Mr Regular, I hope you keep making touching videos like this for many years to come, and I hope that man can enjoy his car for many years to come.
Every sound that car makes is satisfying and like new, every switch has a tactile click, every latch closes with an assuring sound and no difficulty, the dials are smooth and perfect. Hard to believe it is a '92 with well over 200k on it. Thanks for just letting the owner explain this car, this is a vehicle that deserves a full biography.
Hello Mr Regular, Thank you for this wonderful channel and the years of dedication that it's taken to come to this. You've taken off and are now one of the most successful car review channels on the RU-vids
From the days of Matt Farah at Tuned, Marty and Moog from MCM or every other grease monkey in their garage making videos about cars. Doug DeMiro, Jay Leno (albeit he has a legacy show from the cable monsters. You have a channel that really highlights the good the bad and the ugly of Regular Cars
God, my old (much more used up) Benz has those same switches and dials and trunk release. I really do get it. The vinyl has been baked by years of California sun, the paint is so far away from perfect, someone GLUED THE REAR WINDOWS SHUT so I had to go back and repair them, but I get it. Every button is so nice, even after 500k. The headrests can be positioned directly in between your neck and head. The hood closes with a solid Thunk. So do the doors. The ride, even with decades old components, is so smooth. Driving a classic Benz is satisfaction incarnate. I don't feel important driving around, necessarily, but I do feel cared for. It's the feeling of wearing a nice button up and leather shoes to go shopping. It's the feeling of going to your favorite restaurant with your favorite people. It's the feeling of a quality haircut, a clean shave, and your favorite aftershave. Driving a classic Benz makes you feel like you're presenting the best version of yourself, and it makes you feel like the most honest version of yourself IS the best version of yourself. Thank you for this video, Mr. Regular and Roman. It's helped remind me why I love my car while I'm in the middle of some truly obnoxious repairs.
