E30 M3 Vs Mercedes 190 Cosworth

[evostormm]

Performance Car (now departed) magazine road tested a Sport Evo against an Evo 2 and gave the nod to the BMW. The Mercedes was said to have better high speed stability though.

[steerfromtherear]

The Merc was the best built car of the 80's...

As far as interior trim quality goes there is very little to tell them apart. Take it from someone who has owned 190's and e30's.
The rear door card on the 190's go floppy and kinda come unstuck which I think the fronts can do as well at the bottom.

The trim build is very similar dash is the same hard wearing plastics in both. Switches and buttons are all very similar although I would be surpised to find a Merc 190 switch not working wheras the same I couldn't say about an e30.

It is fair to say 190e's and w124's (300e's etc) etc mercs of that era are considered to be last of the proper built mercs. When everything was over engineered, why use glue when a 12mm bolt will do

[evostormm]

Respect...the 500e is semtex on wheels!

But your right the Merc is much more understated...and subtle...all some chav needs to do is go and get a 16v kit and stick it on a 1.8 190e...but thats not the point...
point is MB back in those days very subtle about there styling...

I would hardly call the Mercedes Evo 2 styling understated. What's with that 'look at me'' rear spoiler ?

And I don't think the E30 interior can be fairly called ''tacky''. Quite the opposite in fact. It set the standard in its day for form and function and there are many cars new cars now that do not have as good an interior.

[m3ben05]

Read the whole of the thread mate, hes not talking about the evo 2, hes talking about the cosworth

[evostormm]

Read the whole of the thread mate, hes not talking about the evo 2, hes talking about the cosworth

OK I wasn't clear on that as no mention at the beginning as to a 2.3 only.

[78dude]

If you go to the Scottish Museum of Transport in Glasgow you would find a black MetroCab with one million miles on the clock. Good for a taxi but my question is.... How many times have they changed the propshaft on it? How many times have they needed to repalce the engine and the rear diff? If you go to the German Museum of Transport in Berlin you would find a beige MB 250 D W124 with 1.5 million miles on the clock with a small taxi sign on the roof.... For me its just one of 1000s great taxis from MB who still have the same automatic gearbox with extreamly hig milage. MBs from the 80s are very good, or maybe the best car the man have made on 4 wheels in the world. In countrys where car tax are higer than here in the UK you will find out that hell of alot of MB have survived, and not with out a reason. You can go to Kasakstan and you will find a 30 year old Merc still in use.

BMW have alot more performance, but if you compear quality between a middle age Merc and BMW I have no doubt to say it is the MB who is a clear winner. Still In Glasgow I can see a few W123 in use, and then we are talking about a old car!
But to see two nice cars as a Beemer and a Merc standing beside each other is to see two German girls have lesbian sex!

[zakh]

lol...i think your right 78dude...i think we can safely say that both are great cars...and afterall the MB is a four door...its all about what floats your boat...both cars are great...afterall it was the 190e that inspired the E30...so you could say those two lesbian's were in a bed for a long time! lol...

(can i even make such a comment!??)

True the door cards are a pain, ive seen a few with this very same problem...

Just came back from test driving an auto cossie...im very surprised as to how good it was...i test drove the manual too a few days ago, i found it to be clunky and notchy...

[Simon]

Just to add my experiences, I know a guy who has a 2.3 cosworth merc (as pictured with my car on page 2) and it's pretty well kept, it still has rust issues, rust along the sills coming from behind the skirts, front and rear, rust on the front and rear arches, and also some around the number plate, and this is the only what's visible. So, as for the comments the merc doesn't rust, it's not quite true!

As for the interior, quality is pretty similar, but the merc (in my opinion of course!) is garrish, and it feels like you sit on the merc, but sit in the M3.

As for performance, haven't driven them back to back, but we have had a little dabble, and the M3 had a slight edge on the merc.

All that said, I'd still love one to sit in the garage along side my M3, ur quattro, delta integrale evo, and 3 door cosworth!

[Simon]

Just came back from test driving an auto cossie...im very surprised as to how good it was...i test drove the manual too a few days ago, i found it to be clunky and notchy...

Oh, and the autos are very gay! It's a sports car, it's supposed to be notchy, just like the engine is rattly and noisy!

[zakh]

I just found the auto be a bit faster too? Does that make sense!?? Kickdown was lethal...

But i think we can safely say that these two cars were the best these two great marques had to offer!

[m3ben05]

without a doubt, neither company has made a better car since (except maybe the new CSL)

[maxfield]

CLK DTM thats a road car aint it?

[bigpimpin]

I owned a 2.5 cossie around 6 years ago and loved it !

Never driven an M3 but I found the handling and performance pretty damn good.
The guy I bought it from took me and a mate out for a spin in it and overtook a car mid drift on a sharp bend......I knew him and knew he was a shit hot driver and was pretty successful at karting at the time but my mate shat himself, he just though he was a nutter!

As for prices, I paid £12.5k, sold it 18 months later for £4.5k and it was mint.

[m3ben05]

lol, ok, if were talking crazy £250,000 cars then yes - the clk dtm is almost certainly a better car than an e30 m3!

[e30bmlover]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GENUINE-MERCEDES- ... dZViewItem
now this is a nice car!!!(sorry mods should be in the ebay section, thought it was relevant to this thread)

[maxfield]

Nice car but still would rather have an M3.

[m3ben05]

Stunning car - the only 190 i would consider buying.

Might see if he fancies a px

[e30bmlover]

for what????????? your m3?

[m3ben05]

was half joking but yea the M3

I think the evoII's are amazing cars, iv been for a ride in one and i was very impressed.

Not sure if i could live with that rear wing tho

[jonb]

I have owned the MB 2.3 16v (Cossie) for 2 years and absolutely loved it.

twas a quick old motor that.

[zakh]

thats not an original evo II
so bewarned!

[m3ben05]

oh yea your right

Didnt really read the ad - just looked at the nice pics and read the part about the milage

[zakh]

Mileage may be original...the centre console is the old version...where the wood is...it has the older switches!

[e30bmlover]

i think they look proper mafia type cars, you know the shits hit the fan when one of those rolls up.......... evil. i love it!

[e30bmlover]

my favorite pic of the evolution 2 mercedes cosworth.........

[m3ben05]

they look so much better in real life (like the M3's do)

such a beast

[e30bmlover]

i dont understand how people can go and buy these cars outright, they are allot of money. dont get me wrong im on decent money but i suppose people borrow?

[m3ben05]

how do you mean? When they were new or now?

[maxfield]

THing is these wont depricieate so you will alwyas get your money back. But i suppose spending lots o money on cars is better than drugs beer gambling etc

[e30bmlover]

new or now.... for a decent m3 ur looking at 10,000. i dont know many people with that kind of money sitting in the bank.

[m3ben05]

New cars - I dont see how people can buy a 45k M3 outright. Im guessing most get loans/ finance. Saying that my girlfriends dad just bought a brand new 911 turbo outright!

Old cars - If you want it enough you will save to buy it. I knew from the age of 13 that the only car i really wanted was an M3. As soon as i could i got one - to hell with the insurance!!

[maxfield]

My dad had an audi loan with the audi s4. and has got a loan for the Z4 alpina aswell.
Ben i think your obsessed as i am with M3s i will own one, one day

[e30bmlover]

New cars - I dont see how people can buy a 45k M3 outright. Im guessing most get loans/ finance. Saying that my girlfriends dad just bought a brand new 911 turbo outright!

lucky for some!!!!!!! i wouldnt be able to sleep at night if i owe that much on finance. i dont have finance.

[m3ben05]

will own one, one day

I dont doubt it mate - you sound exactly the same as i was when i was younger!

Keep saving and if you want it enough you will get there.