Prices for early W211 have finally come down!
 

In 2019 you could get a dead W211 for $3000, now you can get a fair car for $3000 and a nice one for $4000, and $5000 gets you a pampered example.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/516653942310311/

E500 Wagon for $4000
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/389037611746193/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/516377775631722/

Been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Just remember the old words of wisdom...."There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes."

There's a reason they are so cheap.

That E500 wagon just from a quick glance, was neglected. Rear wiper blade disintegrating, interior filthy (not even basic cleaning for the pictures?!) air suspension is sagging in the photos. Looks like a car someone did no work on and is trying to unload on the next guy. They are not cheap to fix.

The E350 could be a good car, but 187k miles is a high starting point especially at 5,500....they tend to need a lot of maintenance between 150-190k, suspension, drive-line bearings and flex discs, 4matic CV axle boots (especially front).....and the M272 motor isn't exactly "bulletproof" compared to the M112 that preceded it. If everything is maintained and its got service records, it would be a decent deal.

Understandable, you saw between the lines better than I did

Gawd those things are money pits.

Airmatic, SBC, 722.9 transmission front pump, Front/Rear SAMs...

I had an 05 wagon that I removed the rear air bags and put the Arnott spring kit on. Best thing you can do if you want to run one cheap.

We just got back from a 1400 mile desert camping trip in our 04 E320 wagon. It cost $3000 a year ago and I put another $1000 into it. Shortly after buying it MBUSA replaced the fuel tank and all related components free of charge under the extended warranty. It can do 80-90mph all day with all our gear and I'm not tired after a 5 hour drive. It's our favorite car for anything more than an hour away.
https://imgur.com/a/UYFVQpC
We also have a C320 wagon which is just as good, quicker, better handling but the interior is much smaller. I mostly use it for shorter trips and canyon runs.
I fully support your right to that opinion no matter how wrong it is .
Do not buy an 06 E350 ever under any circumstances.
M272 balance shaft failure
Of the 3 ads you posted the E500 is by far the best choice despite the collapsed airmatic suspension. The m113 is easy to diy with fewer failure points. Airmatic can be swapped for coils. The V8/4matic fuel economy sucks but still cheaper than maintaining a 350 of any year.

The balance shaft issue extended a ways into the 2007 model year also. My dad's is a 2007 and it had the problem.

SBC is covered by warranty for now.....but eventually it can become a good sized expense once thats gone, but not unreasonable.

Airmatic is nice, in my opinion worth the cost to keep it going properly.

C320 wagons are awesome unless you live where there's ANY salt. Someone around the corner from me has a C320 wagon and its rusting to pieces. The 2004+ ones were much better in terms of corrosion protection but they fitted the anemic 2.6 liter M112 to those, so they're pretty gutless especially with 4matic....which most were....and the MPG is astonishingly bad. My enormous Metris van averages 23.5mpg city, the C240 wagon got about 18.5....and was 1,400 lbs lighter....

S203/W203 Still remains one of my favorite MB platforms though. Solid and fun to drive.

Prices definitely down in my area. Got my 04 E320 wagon in 2017 for $5200, estate sale, stack of dealer records from new, but had been sitting couple years. Quite a few false codes first few months, but only initial repairs were replacing air pump and some breather hoses. Over time, have done ball joints, brakes and shocks. Records show lower ball joints failed every 50-60 thousand miles so will be ongoing repair. Mine is 2 wheel drive, didn't have airmatic, just rear air springs. When they failed, I did coil spring conversion. Wagon did 31mpg from Stayton(near Salem OR) to Spokane, WA this Summer. So near diesel economy. Early on, dealer replaced fuel tank assy under warranty and did SBS repair. 1 bad electronic glitch in Sept. Driving at night 60 mph, on cruise, dialog box pops up "SRS malfunction", everything shut off(including lights), lights came back on while coasting to shoulder. Switch off, pray, back on and normal start, uneventful drive home. Mercedes service writer tells me "they all can do that once in a while, you should just sell your old cars and buy a new one". Not very likely, but not complaining, as this glitch led me to purchase a really nice 300SD for fail safe backup.

The full malfunction you experienced is likely a failing "gateway computer". I believe replacement by a dealer is about $750 or so, but will prevent further problems. If it goes completely the electrical system on the car will turn off but the engine/trans will likely continue operating (poorly) until the next time you shut off the car....not sure if the cooling system/fan keeps working either, probably better to not drive it that way unless its at higher speeds where ram-air effect is sufficient....

I have a high regard for my 211, 2008 e350 even at 145,000 miles. If I needed one now I'd try to get it with under 100k miles, but honestly, in good shape, these cars are a delight to drive especially on the highway. I would consider giving up on her if the engine failed, but I will keep it going for almost everything else. What else drives so well that costs under $10k? Rusty or dirty or any observable leaks? Run don't walk away.
I recently got a 99 210 with 50k miles and in great shape. I had to put a few thousand in it; tires, brakes, a few bushings. But I have a great car for under $10k. I think the same would apply to a 211.
I will comment though that there isn't much help here on the forum with 211 issues. I suppose there will be with time.

I've gotten a couple of fantastic deals.

06 CDI in 2015 for $8000....06 CDI in 2018 for $4000. Both around 140k miles, both in perfect condition.

Yeah, it's just hard to imagine how to get more automotive bang for the buck.

I've been on the fence about a 05-06 CDI.....once I retire my E320 I may obtain one. For daily driver it doesn't have the capabilties of my GLK though. I have a high/large loading height which is great when transporting equipment, and its much more capable in bad weather than a W211 with RWD, though with the right tires they do pretty well.

This happened to my son. Water intrusion (I suspect from incorrect windshield replacement before I got it) caused water to drip onto the Central Gateway below the drivers side dash.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/400578-w211-can-bus-problems.html

Sadly everything is on a network on these cars (and all the new ones too). There are two major electrical switching nodes for the body electrical systems, called the front and rear SAM modules. Everything on the car gets told to operate by CAN bus messages. If something disrupts the communication (like the CAN bus shorts) then the whole car shuts down.

I wish. They are great cars in between the major repairs though.

I've experienced everything I posted in a 2005 CLS55, except for the 722.9 transmission problems, that I had on a 2003 SL500. And I have a lot of other friends experience them too on their 211's.

Get an appropriate scan tool and learn to use it. These cars are a piece of cake with the right tools and knowledge. A bad SAM or CGW is about 5 minutes of diagnostic work and 30 minutes to replace. The modules are all over eBay for $50 or less.