The Volvo parts I've bought tended to cost more than Mercedes parts. But the Volvo is simpler in many ways and needs parts less often.

I find the Volvo to be more crudely engineered and I don't look forward to working on it. The Mercedes is (usually) a pleasure to work on in comparison.

Regarding the tie rods, the rubber steering rack boots often fall apart and then the inner tie rod ends are destroyed shortly thereafter due to dirt. If you see torn rack boots then count on replacing the tie rod ends (and the rack boots).

The B230 engine is reliable and durable (I've had two 240 wagons, my first had over 270,000 miles and still never used any oil between changes).

My '87 wagon was $800 and needed $175 worth of suspension and brake work. The wagons are usually more popular than sedans, so you should be able to get the sedan you posted for a low, low price considering the amount of work needed (or look for one that needs less done to it).

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1989 250TD Wagon 5-speed, 160,000mi ::: Dark gray metallic / black cloth
1984 190D-2.2 5-speed, 287,000mi ::: Silver-blue metallic / black MB-tex ::: SOLD