A Tough Act To Follow: 1989 Mercedes-Benz 300E-24 Review

Introduction

Cold, yet beautiful. Just like snow

Sometimes, a car manufacturer ends up releasing a model so good, it makes it difficult for them to make its successor even better. In this case, the W124-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class have always been known to cast a shadow over its W210 successor. It is a common fact that the W124-generation E-Class - as well as other Mercedes-Benz models of the same era - were the last of the "over-engineered" Mercedes-Benz cars.

This particular car is the 300E-24. This model is quite rare in Malaysia, as most W124 E-Classes sold here are the 230E and 260E. The "-24" denotes the amount of valves in this engine, whereas 300 refers to the fact that this car is powered by a 3.0-litre engine. It's a lot simpler that way, isn't it?

The Heart of the W124

It's a smooth, high-revving engine.

The engine in question is the M104. It is driven by a timing chain, features dual-overhead camshafts and 4-valves per cylinder. It produces 220 horsepower and 265 N.m of torque. Mated to a four-speed automatic, this allows the 300E-24 to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in under 8 seconds and hit a top speed of around 220 km/h. On paper, that's pretty brisk. In reality, it didn't feel like it.

Automatic transmissions have come a long way

The four-speed auto gearbox is slow, and can take a while to respond to kick-downs. It's also very clunky. Sometimes, when you engage from N to D, there will be a massive jolt as the gearbox engages 'Drive', and you can feel every gear change - which goes to show how far automatic gearboxes have come. The engine needs to be revved out to get the most out of it, which is fine by me, because it revs all the way to 7,000 rpm and it sounds glorious. It's also very smooth - the byproduct of a straight-six engine.

Driving the W124

Open the door, and you'll be greeted with a very inviting cabin

To truly enjoy the W124, you should take it easy, and just cruise along the road. There, that's when the star really starts to shine. It's very relaxing, the seats are very plush - just like the armchair you'll often find your dad relaxing on when at home - the ride is comfortable, despite the fact that this particular car is fitted with 17" rims and low profile tires. You can really travel for thousands of miles in it and it'll feel like you just drove to the shops nearby your house to buy some groceries. It is, without doubt, the ultimate cruiser.

The steering is a nice thing to hold

Despite the fact that it is mostly a cruiser, it can handle corners very well. The steering may not offer a lot of feedback, but when tackling a corner, the steering weights up beautifully. It is easy to make precise adjustments with the steering input, helping the driver to place the car on the road easily and effectively. It corners rather flat, too. But because the car's been fitted with lowering springs, I can't comment much on that. It is a handy modification, though, as it improves handling without sacrificing ride quality - although this depends on the aftermarket spring of choice.

Peculiarities of the W124

The driver side mirror

First of all, the passenger side mirror is a square whereas the the driver side mirror is rectangular. This is because the designer, Bruno Sacco, found out that drivers tend to scratch the passenger side mirror, so he shortened it and make it taller in order to compensate. It may seem odd at first, but after driving it, it feels natural. Besides, drivers use the driver side mirror for overtaking more than the passenger side mirror. 

The passenger side mirror

Another peculiarity of the W124 is the throttle pedal operation. While most cars feature linear throttle pedal, the W124's throttle pedal felt like it is stuck.

If you've never driven an old Mercedes-Benz before, you would think the throttle pedal has an old spring in it or the carpeting has somehow made its way into between the throttle pedal and the side of the pedal because of the amount of force required to operate the throttle pedal. However, it's actually normal and once you got the hang of it, it works just fine.

Finally, my number one favorite has to be the wiper. It's called the "mono-wiper", and the reason behind its design is to cover more area, and is more effective compared to a conventional two-blade wiper setup. Just watching it in action when it rains is such a treat. It also served an aerodynamic advantage, as it cuts through the wind at high speed.

However, they were complex in terms of construction, finding wiper blades proved to be difficult, expensive to manufacture and apparently when the wipers operate at high-speed mode, the car will rock slightly - although I've never noticed this so far - which is why Mercedes-Benz ditched it in favour of the conventional two-blade wiper system in the W211. Shame, really.

Summing it up

It certainly is a tough act to follow

To summarise, the W124 300E-24 is a car that can be thrashed around like a sports car, but prefers to be taken easy. The high-revving inline-six engine loves to be revved, but it offers some decent performance to get it going. The 4-speed auto serves as a reminder as to how far automatic transmissions have come. It is a reminder that cars have indeed come from a long way, and will continue to evolve as technology progresses.

It has been said that for the new-generation of Mercedes-Benz cars, they've been cutting corners in order to make profit - which is why the newer Mercedes-Benz cars are riddled with problems. While I can't verify that fact, one thing for certain is that this W124 E-Class has stood the test of time well.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 3.0 DOHC Inline-6 24-valve Mercedes-Benz M104

Horsepower: 220hp at 6,400 RPM

Torque: 265N.m. at 4,600 RPM

Transmission: 4-speed automatic 4G-TRONIC

Fuel tank capacity: 70 litres

Suspension: MacPherson strut (front), multi-link axle (rear)
Brakes: Ventilated discs (front), solid discs (rear)
Tires: 225/45ZR17 (Kumho Ecsta HS51)