Having owned several of these over the years, the Mercedes 190 2.5-16v and 2.3-16v are cars I can heartily recommend. They are fast, reliable, and handle extremely well (especially if they still have the original suspension.)

Mercedes introduced the 190E 16 valvers originally with the intention of homologating a production car to enter rallys. Under the rules at the time, a certain number of road going production cars had to be produced to allow entry into international competition. This was born the 190 2.3-16v, which was a detuned version of the rally car. For the first time in Mercedes’ history, the engine was built outside their own plant. Mercedes went to British based Cosworth engineering, who cast special cylinder heads allowing 4 valves per cylinder.

Bad timing for Mercedes, because Audi introduced the four-wheel-drive, turbo charged Quattro shortly afterwards, which wiped the floor with the competition, including Mercedes. They did continue to race them in European touring car championships, but were never competitive in rallys.

Their loss – our gain. What you have in both models is a de-tuned racing car that bears only a superficial relation to the basic 190. Seriously – these are nothing like the basic models. Getting out of a standard 2.6 liter and into one of these is like switching from a tractor to a Ferrari. And to my American friends who insist that bigger cars are safer because you can fit dozens of children in them - this car will only hold 4 people. It has Recaro racing seats fitted front and rear.

I have owned two 2.5 versions, and one 2.3 and I have found them consistently reliable, fast and fun to drive. You do need to ascertain whether an older model car like this has been raced or not. A lot of them ended up on a track. The best way is to only buy one with a full service history. Failing that, check whether the sump plug has been drilled. If it has, this is a dead giveaway.

The only real issues they have is timing chains. If you buy a used Mercedes 190E 2.5-16v you must make sure the timing chain has been replaced with a new one. If you cannot do that – fit a replacement. It is a pain in the ass job – I know, I have changed one, but if you do not want a destroyed engine, it is vital. The suspension is occasionally an issue. The original models were fitted with a Limited Slip Diff and self-leveling suspension. The Sometimes owners replace this with standard shocks. It is not a terrible ride, but will make a difference to the handling. These cars are fantastic value for money when you consider the level of performance, and I would not hesitate to buy another one if the chance arose.