Thanks for the info guys.... seems the three problems I first mentioned on the 300E - 320E are going to be there period, and will have to deal with unless I can negotiate an extended warranty from the dealer. No sence paying $1K-$2K for one of those warranties, I might as well spend the money on the repairs myself.

As for the bmw 328(not the 5 series ), it seems to have just minor problems comapared to the MB's. Someone mentioned "if the water pump goes out on the bmw...." well, if it goes out on any car in Florida, it will be toast ....that would be a preventive maintainance issue.

Why does the MB seem so inferior in quality than the 328? I always thought MB was the best built car, period, but having to put $1K++ anually doesnt sound like a good car. As for the head gasket, for example, I have never had to change a head gasket on an american car at 100K miles. How can the crappy american cars not have that problem, yet MB did? Crappy engineering?
And the 328 is a lower level car vs the E class?? I was reading a consumer car guide book from 1995, and they were NOT recommending the E class back then neither. It said unreliable..... Yet they were recommending the 328....guess they knew something back then.

Ideas? thanks