Depending on reasonable availability where you live. A Mercedes mechanic highly recommended the straight six cdi diesel engined cars of the 2005-2006 years only. He worked in a Mercedes dealership. He said their five speed automatics where also good.


Those cars were moderate with needed service issues. Compared with a lot of others he thought. I have never drove one but imagine they are reasonably refined,give good fuel milage, powerful,with lower engine noise. Plus you have a better chance of finding lower milage examples.


People that have or owned them can correct his opinion or verify it. Most the members that have been on site for years are kind of unaware just how old some of the earlier cars are now. Yes we know in the back of our minds. In general a car more than twenty five years old is considered an antique vehicle. As just a general rule or yardstick.


We also live in a world that is what it is. If my parent was just getting by for example. I would not encourage their acquisition of one of these cars. If they had repaired their own cars or had some financial room is another story. To buy one and only have paid for service engaged. Could be shocking to them.


If you are not prepared to meet the majority of these cars service needs yourself. Or have a really good connection to get good work done cheap. At todays costs they might not be the best ideal.


Really though with the older iron it can also be you are limited to what you can find. For example if I wanted a really decent 123 model at this time it might be quite a chore to find one.


In my geographical area the gap of wanting a certain model and actually locating one I find acceptable is probably continuing to grow. That Mercedes mechanic might have been on the money. Decent more current ones are not falling out of trees but they are out there.