Finally!!!! BMW E30 M3 Vs Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3

[dougie30]

The m3 is so much cooler in so many ways

[Mr_Tripp]

"That cars shifter is kinda awful, and this one is FROM THE GODS!"

[CrusherCurtis]

He's basically saying, the 190 isn't as good as the M3, BUT it's the cooler car!"

This is exactly what I took away from it.

[Kovs]

I've driven both and owned a Cossie for a short period of time. If you haven't driven the Cosworth, you owe it to yourself to drive one - it is an epic drive. Maybe because I've been around e30s forever, it also feels more special behind the wheel. That said, they are both great cars with different strengths and weaknesses.

As for the cooler car? When was the last time you saw a Cossie on the road? There's a subtleness to the Benz that's missing in the E30.... It's not screaming "look at me" but it is a very purposeful car that the true enthusiast will appreciate.

[reelizmpro]

I've driven both and owned a Cossie for a short period of time. If you haven't driven the Cosworth, you owe it to yourself to drive one - it is an epic drive. Maybe because I've been around e30s forever, it also feels more special behind the wheel. That said, they are both great cars with different strengths and weaknesses.

As for the cooler car? When was the last time you saw a Cossie on the road? There's a subtleness to the Benz that's missing in the E30.... It's not screaming "look at me" but it is a very purposeful car that the true enthusiast will appreciate.

Oddly enough they do pop up on craigslist quite often, which is interesting since the car is more rare and there's one always parked at my local KFC as well. I do like the 190 2.3_16, I think it looks great with a nice sporty interior but admit I have never driven one. The owners I did know have since sold the car, which is a common theme for some reason. I will find an owner and maybe switch cars for the day just for fun but understand, the specs of the car don't add up to much fun compared to the M3 and many people feel the stock M3 is slow as shit. So a 3000 lbs 190 with a 167HP 2.3_16 4 cylinder? I don't get it but perhaps it's the experience as a whole?

[apm]

Seriously what's not too like about the 16V? I've own this one for about 5 years and loving every minute of it!

Handles awesome and I'm sure it can do well on track too. Although my suspension is not stock. I own both M3 and 190e right now and I alternate them as DD for the summer.





I will bring this old merc at the PNW meet on Aug 18th if someone wants to check it out and take it for a spin.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=255770

[MikeDE]

As a daily, I would go with the Benz. I have an m42 already and why would I subject myself to the s14's even more severe vibration and buzziness if I didn't have to? Because racecar.

[Kovs]

Oddly enough they do pop up on craigslist quite often, which is interesting since the car is more rare and there's one always parked at my local KFC as well. I do like the 190 2.3_16, I think it looks great with a nice sporty interior but admit I have never driven one. The owners I did know have since sold the car, which is a common theme for some reason. I will find an owner and maybe switch cars for the day just for fun but understand, the specs of the car don't add up to much fun compared to the M3 and many people feel the stock M3 is slow as shit. So a 3000 lbs 190 with a 167HP 2.3_16 4 cylinder? I don't get it but perhaps it's the experience as a whole?

I think you're last sentence summarized it perfectly.... the Cosworth is definitely brilliant when taken as a whole experience. And let's face it, neither E30 M3 nor 190 Cosworth are fast compared to modern machinery anyway. A stock RAV4 V6 will smoke both cars in 0 -60 and 1/4 mile times. But I wouldn't call a RAV4 "fun". I can tell you this: I've never felt more compelled to utterly beat the crap out of a car everytime I drove it then when I owned my Cossie.

You should definitely swap cars and see what you think! I'm not saying the driving experience is world's apart, quite similar actually; it was just certain elements that made the Benz feel more special to me. The dogleg box for example, once you learn its finnicky gate, is wicked fun and something that was missing in a US E30 M3. And putting a lap timer in a pedestrian looking sedan intended for the street shows you that the MB boys do have a sense of humor. Not that mine actually worked....

[Alpina]

Any 80's, early 90's car that raced in DTM is cool in my book.

W201... is/WAS the most succesful racing car on the Nürburgring.. in the DTM class back in the days,,

AMG tweaked out 382 horses out of the 2.5-16 engine ... really impressive

But the S14 was a LOT MORE reliable ,,

[Alpina]

Cosmetic,, the 190 2.5-16 was made in 3 different styles......

1)



2) EVO I


3) EVO II


FANTASTIC cars

There is one 1994 EVO II for sale in Germany... driven 2270 miles /3650 km and the price is 130.000 $

[Bimmerguy91]

I met a guy who owned a Mercedes restoration shop (rancho-Merced) and he had a cosworth along with a bunch of classic Mercedes a few gullwings including the first gullwing ever made. It was awesome to get to see his collection and go through his shop