Quote:
Originally Posted by Diseasel300
"Alabama Trash Can" refers to the ML series, mainly the first generation. They were the first vehicle produced at the then-new Alabama factory and had comically bad build quality compared to what MB was producing elsewhere. They're considered a "garbage" car, hence the name "Alabama Trash Can". RUN, don't walk away from those cars.
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Yes that was my point about the W163. No disrespect to the user, but to the vehicle itself. One of the many dark reminders of the Daimler-Chrysler marriage from the 90s.
The W164 is much better. I have one that just turned 155k and got my mileage award in the mail last week. My older son drives it and aside from a few cheap interior pieces it’s going strong.
The W166 is basically a W212 interior on an SUV body with the proper build/finish quality. My wife drives this one and it’s doing great with 65k miles.
All that said, there is a thriving market here in the urban south where the 15-20 year old MBs get their final owner from a BHPH lot. Typically these are lower income folks who are motivated to buy an MB for the image, and fail to realize that proper maintenance is necessary. Taking it to quick lube once every 2 years won’t cut it.