All things W124 :-)

[W124]

Hi people

 

In this day and age when COEs are higher than a Boeing 747 can climb, I would like to recommend a car

that is cheap (about $25k)

that is durable (some have their COEs renewed till about 2019)

that is reliable (mileage about 400,000km and still going strong)

that is maintenance-friendly (parts can be as cheap as or even cheaper than some Japanese cars)

 

It is a Mercedes Benz built between 1987 and 1995, Mercedes Benz cars are classified by their chassis ID, and this one is known as the W124 following the first 4 letters of their chassis designator

 

Available in 2.0l onwards, road tax is on the high side (about 1.8k a year)

Fuel consumption varies from 8 - 9 km/l

Road handling is very stable, very comfortable, very spacious, very safe so it's suitable for young families with young children and a tight budget

 

Main appeal is the low price tag and the prestige of Mercedes Benz

 

Sometimes people forget the good things in hand and then they progress to buy other cars - and after a while, a tinge of regret creeps in ha ha

 

Oh well, hope some fellow W124 owner is able to share his experience here with me

I have owned my 1991 W124 8v 200E for 7 years now, fully paid up, drives it daily to work without much problems - towed once in 2005 when I first bought it, and then recently in 2012 towed again due to an alternator (my itchy backside wanted to try out a recon alternator)

After the towing, the new alternator cost me $400 plus installation and then it's back to my best workhorse running its daily routine again :-)

[Detach8]

It's a good car, but some I was looking @ in the used car market looks really beat up. It's hard to find a good one. I would consider if I find a good one. No matter how reliable the car was MADE it still largely depends on how it has been treated throughout its life. A bad owner will get you a bad car, and although parts are cheap, they will probably start breaking here and there once in a while -- pretty unavoidable for old cars.

[Hamburger]

used to drive one W124 16V. Traded in for a toyota MPV due to family size.

 

It will always remain a gem in my memories

 

frankly i dont mind buying a used one but its not easy to find one in good condition. Will choose a 124 anytime over the big small eyes.

[Davidklt]

No car nowadays can match the satisfying door shut "thunk" of Mercedes made in that era.

[Briansoh]

Yes most are into their 3-400k km mark by now. You will need to know about basic car maintenance and set aside some cash (4-5K) for repairs initially. I think this is what puts people off as they dont want the hassle of repairing the car and those looking for cheap rides do not have the cash to set aside for hefty repairs. Its easier to pay 7-800/mth in installment rather than 5k at one shot to repair the car. Also people who are looking for cheap cars wouldnt have the 20-30k in cash to drop on the car and would have to take a very expensive 5-7% loan. So all of a sudden, the installment plus repairs dont look so good after all even though the car is cheap. Nonetheless, this is a bloody awesome car. Have owned mine for 5 years, never needed a tow as the car heals itself magically for you to drive to the mechanic, fully paid since day 1, extremely comfortable and very solid. Real luxury monitoring for small peanuts. Cant get anything better than this for 3-4k/yr depreciation

.

[W124]

Well, not really...like I just mentioned in another thread

One of our W124 Singapore members on Facebook is selling his and it's not one of those you need to plonk a lot more cash to do up - now only $25.8k and he's no dealer

 

You could take a look if you guys are interested and arrange for a test drive if you're serious about getting one

He just wants to finance his dream car purchase ha ha

 

I think the best thing is to buy direct from an owner...and we have an active support group right here in Singapore

It helps cos we're mostly having the same issues (we have very close ties with a fellow group of W124s in Malaysia) so there's a lot of issues, discussion and information available online

 

Even if you bought a lemon, the W124 is highly repairable (for that luxurious feeling and ride comfort)...the initial investment will pay off in the long run. Oh and just by way of example, I bought a used (not recon) aircon compressor from the scrapyard, plus installation total about $350 including purchase, and that was like 7 years ago. Is that considered expensive?

[Fastfive1]

About our previous conversation, I still prefer the 16V anytime.

From the test drive i had, the dealer provided me with the receipt that the 8V engine had been fully overhauled 3 months ago.

I honestly doubt my car has been overhauled based on whatever service records i had from the dealer.

My 16V still feels more responsive than the 8V.

Besides as I've mentioned a few times, I actually managed to stretch the car's engine oil til 60k km and after servicing it feels the same.

My point here is that my engine has been through a really hard life due to my busy schedule hence waiting til 60k km to service my car and yet it feels better than the 8V.

Getting W124 was for the practicality especially the huge boot.

Getting the 8V would be a downgrade for me as it is an older car with less power.

[Fastfive1]

double post.

Edited November 19, 2012 by Fastfive1

[Fastfive1]

Well a little history of my 93 W124.

Got it in 2010.

Spent a few grand on getting the suspension, engine mounts, ball joints, tie rods, brake disc and pads, rubber door lining and tyres changed.

Spent 500 bucks on getting rid of the crappy malaysian made blaupunkt speakers and replacing them with some Rockford ones and a new pioneer headunit.

Interestingly, the owner's book came with the original blaupunkt owner's manual for the radio and the CD changer.

FC is amazingly good for an old car. I'm getting 10km/l

It's got a huge trunk which enable me to put luggage bags in without any problem.

I like the heavy feel of the worm steering system.

It can do tight turns easily which is probably attributed to the suspension geometry present in all w124s.

The W124 brakes are better than what you can find on most modern B&B japanese cars.

Parts are very cheap. Comparable to Japanese cars.

Yeah people associate the car with prestige and affluence......those who have obviously never owned german cars or been in one.

My colleagues were like wow! when they saw my W124. I'm like meh whatever.

 

What i dislike.

First thing that annoyed me when i got the car was the right wing mirror which gives a really crappy view of the blindspot. I changed it to a wide angled mirror which has a blindspot line. Don't know why most people who own the W124 don't think of going on ebay and getting that mirror instead of using those round circular convex mirrors which i find absolutely useless. There's a W124 parked at the serangoon central carpark with 2 of those on the left wing mirror. You kidding me??

 

Second thing is the lack of power at low RPM. Not much i can do about it other than dumping a 2JZ in it.

 

Third, the fact that there is hardly any cosmetic modification that can be done to the car.

[Leiquiz]

hi bros,

Just like to share my 'love affair' with the W124

 

I have been attracted to the W124 for quite a while (since I read about it almost 2 years ago) and my heart always skips a beat when I read such reviews like these or see one for sale!

 

However, much as $ is not an issue, I like to share some of my current hesitation in getting one.

I am a relatively new car owner, having owned my current jap ride for the past 5 years with min. issues. It has been serving me well especially when I need it to be reliable on a daily basis as I clock almost 100km per day. The thought of owning one of the best Mercs ever built almost always cause my heart to flutter but after numerous reading of the reviews etc, there seen to be quite a lot of things to be done to get the W124 into decent shape. Much as I have collected various contacts for repair and maintenance, I am still very noob about the various technical issues/engine stuff etc. As such, it will still require quite a fair bit of time and alot of trust in the workshops to get the car into shape.

 

I am still considering getting a W124 (like the one from the owner shared here) but until I can overcome my hesitation, i will still be sitting on the fence. Sigh!:(

[Hamburger]

this i agree. W124 side mirrors is a big joke. It is so flat you cant see anything near your blind spot

[Fastfive1]

hi bros,

Just like to share my 'love affair' with the W124

 

I have been attracted to the W124 for quite a while (since I read about it almost 2 years ago) and my heart always skips a beat when I read such reviews like these or see one for sale!

 

However, much as $ is not an issue, I like to share some of my current hesitation in getting one.

I am a relatively new car owner, having owned my current jap ride for the past 5 years with min. issues. It has been serving me well especially when I need it to be reliable on a daily basis as I clock almost 100km per day. The thought of owning one of the best Mercs ever built almost always cause my heart to flutter but after numerous reading of the reviews etc, there seen to be quite a lot of things to be done to get the W124 into decent shape. Much as I have collected various contacts for repair and maintenance, I am still very noob about the various technical issues/engine stuff etc. As such, it will still require quite a fair bit of time and alot of trust in the workshops to get the car into shape.

 

I am still considering getting a W124 (like the one from the owner shared here) but until I can overcome my hesitation, i will still be sitting on the fence. Sigh!:(

 

If you like the car, then get it.

Since money's not an issue, then you should have no problem getting one for around 25k.

Worse comes to worse, sell it.

You probably won't lose much.

To repair the car, just go to a workshop, ask them where the problem lies, get the parts yourself from the stockist and get the workshop to fit it for you.

Most of the time the wear and tear items would be pretty obvious, ie suspension and brakes.

[Fastfive1]

this i agree. W124 side mirrors is a big joke. It is so flat you cant see anything near your blind spot

 

Which makes me wonder why people don't replace the entire glass with one that is convex or is aspherical... makes life so much easier instead of attaching useless mirrors which could actually screw up your judgement.

Then again, this is common with most japanese cars and the sonata taxis (just look at the number of mirrors on taxis. How many do you possibly need?)

Some sonata cabs have a small circular convex mirror on their mirror with a bigger one mounted just above the actual wing mirror.

How many god damn mirrors do these taxi drivers need?

 

[W124]

The thought of owning one of the best Mercs ever built almost always cause my heart to flutter but after numerous reading of the reviews etc, there seen to be quite a lot of things to be done to get the W124 into decent shape. Much as I have collected various contacts for repair and maintenance, I am still very noob about the various technical issues/engine stuff etc. As such, it will still require quite a fair bit of time and alot of trust in the workshops to get the car into shape.

 

I am still considering getting a W124 (like the one from the owner shared here) but until I can overcome my hesitation, i will still be sitting on the fence. Sigh!:(

Bro understand your hesitation but as long as you know another owner has been using it as a daily ride; it attests to the reliability and there's hardly any cause for concern. The part about time spent in the workshop to get into shape only applies to a dealer car.

Besides that, I don't understand your hang up about trusting the workshop. Why would you bring your car to a workshop if you don't trust them ha ha? Even agents' workshops have reliability issues, including Borneo Motors, Tan Chong and even C&C...I'm sure they also have manpower issues just like everyone else

A lot of your decision to buy a W124 from an owner must rest on the test drive and external inspection. You could bring it to a mechanic to check but there's no getting away from having a mechanic you trust (old car or new car)

Many members are willing to share their trusted workshops with you (over on Facebook of course) so there's no shortage if you need one...dun wait too long or you'll forever be sitting on the fence and not in your dream car (Fence no need COE ha ha)

[fesa7044]

About our previous conversation, I still prefer the 16V anytime.

From the test drive i had, the dealer provided me with the receipt that the 8V engine had been fully overhauled 3 months ago.

I honestly doubt my car has been overhauled based on whatever service records i had from the dealer.

My 16V still feels more responsive than the 8V.

Besides as I've mentioned a few times, I actually managed to stretch the car's engine oil til 60k km and after servicing it feels the same.

My point here is that my engine has been through a really hard life due to my busy schedule hence waiting til 60k km to service my car and yet it feels better than the 8V.

Getting W124 was for the practicality especially the huge boot.

Getting the 8V would be a downgrade for me as it is an older car with less power.

Reckon stretching to 60k is a bit of a gamble,I Wun take.

many wshop do speedy oil change,places like AutoBaccs close quite late & for various Budget level.

Its NOT can feel or cannot feel ,MB a premium Brand,veri comfortable,the feel is onli minor.

its juzz dun make sense to me.

8v 16v definitely the new ones better,it realli boils down to Budget realli.

I owns a E250(212)which have more than 200 horses under my bonnet!

When I go for a test drive ,I will able to feel a huge difference in power but surprising NO.

The biggest issue with ppl who first drive the early 124 is the stiff accelerator pedal & more than usual free play.

I'm changing the accelerator cable & adjusting the free play as we speak,so watch dis space?

Yup,the 8v feels alrite ,with 100 horses & a little bit.

when I pick up the car from the dealer,tot I will b horn by other road users but surprise surprise I can keep up with traffic & perhaps a bit more.

Its not for everyone ,definitely not for a first time user & I dun recommend dat for the Budget conscious either.

More for a leg into the world of classic & especially for the love of mercedes Benz.

U gotta set aside 4-5k on TOP of what u paying to sort it out ,dun wait for it to happen,its a 30yrs car man for crying out loud.

Its a piece of sophisticated machinery,the last of the overengineer car.

Its especially dis era where The best or nothing war cry sounds louder than ever.

As my dad used to say dey dun make car like dis anymore.

[Ct3833]

hi bros,

Just like to share my 'love affair' with the W124

 

I have been attracted to the W124 for quite a while (since I read about it almost 2 years ago) and my heart always skips a beat when I read such reviews like these or see one for sale!

 

However, much as $ is not an issue, I like to share some of my current hesitation in getting one.

I am a relatively new car owner, having owned my current jap ride for the past 5 years with min. issues. It has been serving me well especially when I need it to be reliable on a daily basis as I clock almost 100km per day. The thought of owning one of the best Mercs ever built almost always cause my heart to flutter but after numerous reading of the reviews etc, there seen to be quite a lot of things to be done to get the W124 into decent shape. Much as I have collected various contacts for repair and maintenance, I am still very noob about the various technical issues/engine stuff etc. As such, it will still require quite a fair bit of time and alot of trust in the workshops to get the car into shape.

 

I am still considering getting a W124 (like the one from the owner shared here) but until I can overcome my hesitation, i will still be sitting on the fence. Sigh!:(

Hi,

not that W124 is not so unreliable, but if you need a reliable ride daily for 100km, W124 may not be  a car that you want to rely on.  Since money is not an issue, you may want to keep one as your second car instead and drive it alternate day or even less. For a car that is at this age, at times a problem diagnostic may not be immediate, it may take a few rounds to nail some root cause, or may have to leave a car in the workshop for a few days for problem isolation. Though this may not happen frequently but  a consideration if you need a reliable 100km ride per day . I could be wrong. 

[Davidklt]

The best "feature of the W124 is not even a feature. The acoustic quality of the rear door shut is so satisfying.

Edited December 1, 2018 by Davidtkl

[t0y0ta]

Reckon stretching to 60k is a bit of a gamble,I Wun take.

many wshop do speedy oil change,places like AutoBaccs close quite late & for various Budget level.

Its NOT can feel or cannot feel ,MB a premium Brand,veri comfortable,the feel is onli minor.

its juzz dun make sense to me.

8v 16v definitely the new ones better,it realli boils down to Budget realli.

I owns a E250(212)which have more than 200 horses under my bonnet!

When I go for a test drive ,I will able to feel a huge difference in power but surprising NO.

The biggest issue with ppl who first drive the early 124 is the stiff accelerator pedal & more than usual free play.

I'm changing the accelerator cable & adjusting the free play as we speak,so watch dis space?

Yup,the 8v feels alrite ,with 100 horses & a little bit.

when I pick up the car from the dealer,tot I will b horn by other road users but surprise surprise I can keep up with traffic & perhaps a bit more.

Its not for everyone ,definitely not for a first time user & I dun recommend dat for the Budget conscious either.

More for a leg into the world of classic & especially for the love of mercedes Benz.

U gotta set aside 4-5k on TOP of what u paying to sort it out ,dun wait for it to happen,its a 30yrs car man for crying out loud.

Its a piece of sophisticated machinery,the last of the overengineer car.

Its especially dis era where The best or nothing war cry sounds louder than ever.

As my dad used to say dey dun make car like dis anymore.

 

Can write proper English? easier to decipher... sorry