I put all my kids in 240 or 300ds. I have five kids. All except the youngest lovely daughter were in some kind of accident (knock on wood). Two were rear ended in 240ds (totalled) with minor injury or none. Both cars we repaired and put back in service.

Any car you buy used might fail your loved one sometime. We live in Lafayette Indiana no hot bed or crime so getting stranded is just an inconvenience.

I never wanted my kids in too valuable a car especially when they first started to drive because I figured they would get into an accident.

Having five there was never an option to put them in a valuable newer car anyway. Who could afford that?

I would rather have them in a benz that might break down from time to time (they very seldom did, and usually it was from leaving the lights on or something that they would have done with a new car) than a newer rice burner.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.