The ultimate Jilly Cooper-set estate of the '80s, the 4-matic combined all the solid middle-class values of the W124 series (one of the best-made Mercedes ever) with the ability to pull a horsebox out of a muddy field in Gloucestershire. Mercs' 'Vier-matic' system sensed torque drop and automatically sent power to the wheel that needed it most. Powered by the 190bhp 3 litre straight-six, it was capable of 136mph combined with purposeful acceleration. Most 4-matics had all the options: there was no point in skimping if you were already paying £6,000 over the price of a standard 300TE. Around 15,000 were built, but few made it to the UK, where the 4-matic system has a reputation for being expensive to fix if it goes wrong.
|
