The W201 Mercedes-Benz was introduced in 1982 where it was sold as a compact offering on the bottom end of Mercedes' luxury sedan lineup. Over the years it has gained a reputation for being sturdy and reliable (and expensive to repair), but not sporty with the exception of the Cosworth version. However, there was a special edition in the final two years of production known as the 2.6 Sportline that offered a sport surprise to about 700 buyers when new. Find this 1993 Mercedes-Benz 190e 2.6 Sportline W201 offered for $6,400 in Danvers, MA via craigslist. Tip from tinyfrogs.
The 2.6 Sportline augmented the basic W201 with a tuned suspension (including lowered ride height, beefier anti-roll bars, Bilstein shocks), a quick ratio steering box, leather sport seats, and limited choice of colors. Power came from the M103 inline-6 rated at 160 horsepower and mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
I own a 1991 190E 2.6 with the slush box and find it an ideal size for living in a large city. It has a very solid feel, a decent footprint and good highway cruising speed and feel. I hate the slush box which usually starts in 2nd and acts like a 3-speed. It is impossible to drive on snowy icy roads unless you have excellant snow tires. I would love to try one with a sport suspension and 5-speed manual.
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