I just gave some advice to a friend, and I'd welcome anybody's thoughts on it. She's in the middle of a divorce, not a car person, not certain of her cash position going forward. The lease on her Audi A4 wagon is up in a couple of months, and she's asked me for advice on a replacement. She likes German cars, but her big points were that it had to be relatively inexpensive and have a warranty - i.e. she's afraid of unexpected, potentially large expenses. I initially suggested looking at leasing a VW - Rabbit, Jetta, Passat, based on how much she wanted to spend. I think they're decent cars, they "feel" German, and you can usually get good lease deals on them.

She called last night saying that a friend of the family died and left a '94 E320with 42k miles, California car, pristine and perfectly maintained. She originally said they wanted $6k for it, now they're saying that was a mistake, the actual price is $10k. I haven't shopped these for a while, but it seemed to me that $6k was an excellent deal, $10k is fully priced and more. I'm aware of the gasket leak and wire harness issues, are there any other endemic problems with these cars? I'm concerned that while she would be getting a great car, it's not the right choice for someone who doesn't work on their own car, isn't that familiar with cars, and is concerned about unexpected repair bills. I think they're very durable and well made, but little things do pop up, and at 12-13 years old age-related issues are likely to start rearing their head. I'd send her to Enrique at MR MB Motors in LA, which would at least obviate the "ruthless mechanic screwing over unknowing woman" issue, but I still don't think it's the right car for her in her situation. Anybody agree or disagree?

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81 300SD
08 MDX Tech
93 525i

05 F650GS