I just bought a 92 W140 with the 603 engine about a month ago, 154k miles, needing some maintenance and repairs. I too had read all the hate and discontent regarding the 3.4L engine but I did it anyway. That said, I didn't pay as much as the one you're looking at mostly because the owner knew there were some suspension issues etc. that needed to be dealt with. I bought it also knowing that it has some hvac issues and likely a problem evap unit.

The car doesn't use oil and I've driven it about 300 miles now just for enjoyment...mostly in town. It did need front suspension work and still needs more before I can have it aligned reliably. It also had leaky injector return lines and some leaky valves on the IP, which I think now have been resolved.

Something about the car has made me want one for years. So when I finally saw one in my area for sale I decided that it ought to be mine.

That said, I have religiously driven VW TDI / diesel cars for over a decade, and the mpg of those vehicles is great. I took the 97 Jetta TDI to Chicago and back last summer and got 53mpg running at 70mph+, often over 75. The benz, no matter how comfortable, will not do this...but I wanted it anyway.

my .02

steve a

__________________
Steve A
92 W140 OM603
97 VW Jetta TDI
90 Passat variant TDI 6 speed MT
94 Chevy K1500 6.5TD
05 E320 CDI
+ others