I picked up my '86 190d 2.5 NA for $550. Including the car, taxes, plates (temp and perminent) safety and repairs, I am it about $700. It was at a side of the road dealer, no car over $1500. Found it on Kijiji for $1000. I got him initially down to $600 by email, so I went to look at it. Offered him $500, we agreed on $550. Drove it home on a 10 day temp plate, worked on it for a week straight, a couple of hours a day. New exhaust was in the trunk when I bought it. Patched the floors with some free tin I found. Changed 2 tie rod ends. Exorcised the electrical gremlins from the dash. Thats it. The single most expensive thing I did to it was install leather cupholders, a $32 investment. That may have brought me slightly over $700.

I am so happy with the car, I am selling what was my daily driver, a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire.

My wife drives the new car, a 2006 Ford FiveHundred. The monthly payments on it are as much as my 190 was paid in full!

I have since found a B-100 supplier, offering it cheaper than diesel. Now I have also found a steady source of WVO! Cost of ownership is plummeting!

So, yes! there is such thing as a cheap Mercedes Diesel. I'm driving one. And, It came from a used car dealer!

Search Craigslist, Kijiji, and offer on every diesel car 60% of what they are asking. You will get a lot of nasty replies, lots of sarcastic emails and flat out "NO's" 'but, you may get a "Yes". You don't know these people, you will probably never know them and they will not know you. You won't even ever see them. You have nothing to loose by lowballing them. Just keep it above a repectable 60% offer