Compression Ignition: 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190D W201

There are only a few things slower on the road than a non-turbo diesel Mercedes-Benz sedan from the 80s-- old ladies with walkers that have tennis balls mounted on the bottom, the movement of the earth's crust, fast growing weeds, and stock VW Beetles.  It isn't to say the Benz is a bad vehicle, but your skills at merging and the time-compression effect of impending death will both be tested on a regular basis.  Find this 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190D offered for $6,000 in Central NJ via craigslist.  Tip from Carter.

Pick Your Poison: 1980, 1986, 1990, 2005 Mercedes-Benz Diesel

Imagine for a minute that you've got about five large to spend on a daily driver.  You need a car that will get you to your destination with minimal fuss, and maximum class, -- and you don't really care about speed.  Forget the used and abused Japanese late models that litter craigslist and instead buy a used Mercedes-Benz with compression ignition.  The only question is, how old?

Just BeCos: 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190e Cosworth W201

Most cars at this price point are far from perfect and are far from done despite most seller claims. Buy and finish quickly is the siren song of the seller. Fall for the puffery and claims in any sales pitch at your own peril. While there are exceptions and great deals out there if you know what you are doing most cars for sale are for sale for a reason. Sellers truthfully admitting faults in their cars and posting pictures is refreshing. This Mercedes 190e Cosworth has no illusions of grandeur, but may be the quickest way to play Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft driver. Find this 1986 Mercedes 190e Cosworth for $5,800 on Cragslist in Stockton California.

Hund Bein: 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16v Cosworth W201

If you believe the self-effacing prose from automotive pundits like Jack Baruth you might get the impression that old cars are terrible and rebuilding a suspension will cost you $12,000 (Canadian dollars maybe?) and the car will still be terrible.  On the opposite side of the racetrack you'll find forum posts describing a similar experience to the hoots and cheers of a crowd of fan boys.  The truth probably lives somewhere in the middle, but you'll have to do it yourself to know for sure.  Pickup this 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190e 2.3-16v Cosworth for $5,000 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

Choo Choo: 2001 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG

Why is the W201 generation Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG so cheap?  Sure, this next one comes with a salvaged title and a mysterious SRS light illuminated on the dashboard, but this is a monster V8 powered sedan with AMG street cred and pre-Daimler-Chrysler build quality.  How can this be cheaper than a used Honda Prelude?  Find this 2001 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG here on eBay bidding for $2,900 with 1 day to go located in Portland, OR.

One of 700: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 190e 2.6 Sportline W201

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.

10k: Hot Dog Leg: 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V Cosworth

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V was the first salvo fired from the cannons at Stuttgart in its luxury sedan wars with Munich.  BMW's E30 generation M3 was actually second to market with a 2.3 liter high revving motorsports engine pushing out around 190 horsepower mated to a dog-leg 5-speed.  For some reason the E30s are worth their weight in gold these days, but the 190E is still budget friendly...fine by me.  Find this 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V Cosworth here on eBay offered for $9,850 buy-it-now or make-offer, located in Elkton, FL.

10k: Seller Submission: 1986 Mercedes-Benz W201 190E 2.3-16V Cosworth

The poet and father of Greek tragedy Aeschylus once wrote: "It is an ill thing to be the first to bring news of ill."  Is it a leap of logic to expect that being the first to bring good news is therefore a good thing?  What if that news is the birth of German factory authorized sport sedans, specifically the first Mercedes-Benz 190 2.3-16V Cosworth to arrive in North America?  Find this 1986 Mercedes-Benz W201 190E 2.3-16V currently bidding on ebay for $5,200 with 4 days to go, located in Long Beach, CA.  Seller submission from Mimo K who has also listed the car on craigslist.

5k: W201nderful: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E W201

The Mercedes-Benz 190E was the prequel to the extremely successful (and lucrative for the parent company) C-Class.  With the W201 chassis Mercedes-Benz created a product positioned below its E & S class sedans (taking a shot directly at BMW's 3-series sporty/cheap luxury segment) and when new it was picked up by young urban professionals by the boatload.  Find this 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E W201 for sale in Montgomeryville, PA for $3,500 via craigslist.  Tip from David K.

5k: 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V W201 Cosworth

The Mercedes-Benz W201 chassis was another evolution of Mercedes low end luxury sedans, known today as the C-Class.  Mercedes was anxious to do well in touring car racing, so they built a road version with a hopped-up engine and sold it around the world for homologation purposes.  The 190E 2.3-16V Cosworth model actually beat the infamous E30 M3 to the market but today is a much thriftier alternative.  Find this 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V W201 Cosworth for sale in Metairie, Jefferson Parish, LA via craigslist.  Tip from Joshua T.

5k: 2JZ-G190E: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E W201 w/ Supra I-6 Swap

The Mercedes-Benz W201 generation 190E was the predecessor to the people's Mercedes - the C-class.  We've featured 2.3-16V  Cosworth powered 190Es in the past, but with a maximum of 185 horsepower, they are a bit pokey.  Today's 190E isn't slow because it has been given an injection of Japanese spice into its plate of schlachtschüssel.  Find this 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E W201 w/ Supra I-6 offered for $6,500 via craigslist.

1k: Bariobahn Cruiser: 1987 Mercedes 190E W201

The Mercedes 190E was the luxury sedan predecessor of the C Class from Daimler-Benz, built in epic quantities (almost 2 million) from 1982-1993.  The entry level luxury cruiser was only available as a 4-door sedan and the only convertible versions you will see are home-built hack-jobs parked in the seedier parts of town.  This isn't a problem for the DT driver with a sense of adventure, a GPS and up-to-date shots.  Find this 1987 Mercedes 190E W201 for sale near downtown San Diego for $900 via craigslist. Tip from Cory.

10k: Dog Leg: 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V 5-spd W201

The Mercedes-Benz W201 190E spawned a unique motorsports inspired version, the 2.3-16V Cosworth edition that featured a unique body kit, tuned M102 engine and dog-leg pattern 5-speed gearbox.  It was a legitimate competitor to the BMW E30 M3 and Audi Quattro, but today isn't particularly pricey for whatever reason.  Find this 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V 5-spd W201 for sale in New York, NY currently bidding on ebay for $4,999 reserve-not-met (and $14,500 BIN) with 4 days to go.

5k: Unsold Adams: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E W201 w/2jZ swap

The Mercedes-Benz W201 chassis was a compact luxury sedan from Germany and wasn't very sporty unless equipped in the 2.3-16V version with dog-leg manual gearbox.  A gearhead could swap a different drivetrain into the W201, but we don't stumble upon them very often, so it is surprising to find this one.  This 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E W201 is powered by a Toyota 2JZ and 5-spd manual transmission swap and for sale in Reading, PA for $5,000 via craigslist.

5k: Wedding Cake: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E W201; 26k miles

The Mercedes-Benz W201 chassis was the first compact luxury car from Mercedes and was positioned to compete with BMW 3-series and Audi 4000.  The W201 was marketed as the 190E in the USA and received a sophisticated 5-link rear suspension and lots of other high end goodies.  The 190 sold well in its 10 years of production and by the time the last one rolled off the assembly line in 1993 Mercedes had sold 1.8 million worldwide.  Find this 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E with low miles (26k!) for sale in Paterson, NJ for $7,999 buy-it-now via ebay.