I am new to the forum and to MBs in general. I am looking for my first one and need some advice. BTW, the model names are confusing as hell at first, but I am catching on I think. I'd like to get my feet wet before I decide to jump in, so I am probably looking towards late 80s/early to mid 90s, probably some with an inline 6 and less than $10k. I am seeing a lot of cars in that range with a ton of miles!
I've only owned American cars and they don't last that long, so it makes me nervous. I know they are supposed to run forever, but are they really as good as people say? Would an early 90s E be ok, say if it even had 150K on it? Most cars I've had are at the end of their usable life at 150K. I know, depends if it's taken care of, etc. I saw something that said either look for something with low mileage or something with 120K that has had typical 100K work done. Is this good wisdom? Sorry for the length; any help is appreciated.

I will repeat to you the expert advice I was given by the forum members when I started looking for my new Mercedes.

Above all else, make sure the maintainance book is available. Look yourself at the book to make sure the scheduled maintainance was performed on time and by a competent mechanic.

I cannot stress this enough!

Assuming that the vehicle has been serviced as specified, then mileage is not that important. The conventional wisdom is that a very low mileage, older Mercedes is worse than a high mileage one. The thinking is that "these cars were designed and built to be used . . . not to sit around all the time."

That said . . . each model has it "weak" points. It is wise to ask the previous owner (PO as it is refered to in posts in this forum) to look at repair receipts for work done. For example . . . the W124 chassis with the M103 engine has weak valve guide seals. Find out if these have been replaced, and when they were replaced. It is much worse to purchase a W124 with 120,000 or 130,000 miles without the valve guide seals ever being replaced than it is to purchase the same car with 180,000 miles that has had the seals replaced, (all other things being equal between the two cars).

Start to determine which model of Mercedes Benz you desire. It is good that, in general, most Mercedes models had a 7-10 year run. This widens your choice of available cars. For example, if you decide to get a W123 240D, you can choose from a 1977 model up to a 1985 model. The car was basically the same during the whole production run, (I admit that there were minor improvements during the run).

When you have narrowed down your model of choice to several, search and read this forum and its archives and you will learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of any particular model. It has been stated over and over again . . . "it is better to pay more up front and get best looking, well maintained car you can afford" as opposed to trying to get a bargain in the hopes of "restoring" a particular Mercedes to former glory. Old, neglected Mercedes Benz automobiles are like yachts, "a hole in the ocean that the owner dumps money into". You will not come out ahead in the long run.

Again . . . get a well maintained auto, and look yourself at the book. Don't take the sellers word that it has been maintained. Run away as fast as you can from used car dealerships! For some reason, you will never see the maintainance book. They always have "lost" them, or "never received them".

No book . . . no purchase!

Welcome to the forum. You will find that just about everybody is very helpful and supportive. Good luck.

Forgive me . . . if I may add . . . No automobile, even a Mercedes Benz, will run forever. But, with proper maintainance, 500,000 miles on a W123 diesel is quite common and not unheard of. With most MBs, you will wear out the interior before you wear out the engine. The usual killers are rust, neglect, and poor maintainance.

On model numbers . . . you say you are catching on and that you are thinking about a car prior to the mid '90s. In the mid '90s, MB changed their naming scheme to be more confusing than previous to the mid '90s.

In general, the numbers indicate the engine size in deciliters, rounded to the nearest 10s of cubic deciliters. So, a 240D is approximately 2400 cubic centimeters, or 2.4 cubic liters. There are exceptions to this, such as the early '70s 280SE series. They were sold with a 2.8 litre six-cylinder engine, a 3.5 litre 8-cylinger, or a 4.5 litre 8-cylinder engine. In that case, you will see on the trunk lid "280SE" on the left side (as viewed from the rear) and "3.5" or "4.5" on the right side, (the 6-cylinder did not have a number on the trunk lid).

The letters, and this is where I need a little help, describe the engine "extras". Such as 300D is a 3.0 litre Diesel. A 280CE is a 2.8 litre fuel injected coupe, (E being the initial letter of the German spelling for injection). When you see a "L" in the model number, it means it is a "stretch" body version of the car, or "long" wheelbase. Not sure what the "S" stands for. I only know it is the "big" model, (or super luxury??? model).

Hopes this helps. There are others on this forum who know a whole lot more than I do and can help you with further questions. Good luck.

Very thorough advice; thanks. I know nothing runs forever, but to me 500,000 miles is forever since I do about 10K per year!
There is a lot of info on the forum, but I'm not finding near as much stuff on the net for MBs as for some other marques. Are there any buyer's guides on the net or print that you can point me towards? Thanks.

Sorry. None that I know of. Other members???

I have a 300CE!!!!1988.

http://www.peachparts.com/300e.htm

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88 300CE 300,000kms
Black Pearl, Burgandy Leather
Euro Lights.
Its for sale. Its SOLD

Tailgunn,

Given your cirteria of late '80s to mid '90s and ~$10K, you'd probably want to have a look at the following:

W124 300-series (now known as the E-CLass)
This series was available in 4-door saloon, 2-door pillarless coupe, and 5-door stationwagon configurations with engines ranging from a 3L diesel to a 5.0L V-8.

W201 190-series (replaced by the C-Class in 1994)
These cars were only available in a 4-door saloon configuration and had engines ranging from a 2.3L four-cylinder to a 2.6L inline six.

Both cars are rock-solid and, as posted by volosong, with the proper maintenance can easily surpass 200,000 miles.
the 300series is a better car for a family as the rear seat in the 190 is a little clausterphobic, but the 190 is a great commuter car and the perfect size for the city.

I haven't found a site that gives an extensive comparison of MB modesl (save the corporate site which doesn't give you much) so, you're probably going to have to put some time into searching and asking questions. There are a lot of people on this site and others who have a lot of experience and knowledge, so feel free to take advantage of the opportunity to ask away.

Cheers!

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'94 W124.036 249/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'93 W124.036 199/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs, up in flames...LITERALLY!
'93 W124.036 481/040 leder; euro delivery; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'88 R107.048 441/409 leder; Euro lights
'87 W201.034 199/040 leder; Euro lights; EvoII brakes; 8x16 EvoIs - soon: 500E rear brakes
'70 R113.044 050/526; factory alloys; Euro lights

Thanks yhliem; I'd like to put a babyseat in the back for occasional use, so I guess the 300E would be the better choice... limeyb, I see you have 300K miles on yours; did you put them all on yourself? How has the car been for you? A lot of repairs or not? I get the feeling you reccomend it. Thanks.

Not all my miles but with service history I still feel very comfortable with the car. I have a friend in Holiday FLA. who is interested in my car and if I do not sell it before May I will drive the car down there without hesitation. I have nothing but good things about the 103 engine. I used to work in a MB dealership in the UK and the/my Mechanics love them too. Good luck in your search. If you find your ideal car take it into a stealership and have it checked to StarMark standard. In Canada it costs about $115.00 This is the test the dealer gives his cars before he can retail them.

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88 300CE 300,000kms
Black Pearl, Burgandy Leather
Euro Lights.
Its for sale. Its SOLD

Limeyb, your car looks like it's in good shape for that many miles. I don't think I would consider buying a car with such high mileage but just out of curiosity what are you asking?
I also have a Harley and I thought only Harley owners used the term stealership. It's nice to know we're not alone!
This is off topic, but do you know the origin of the term limey? Both sides of my family are of Scottish descent (Gunn/Keith) and I've always wondered about it. Thanks.

Looking for $9000 US $12000 CDN. see my profile.
I understand the term limey comes from WW1 the British had lemons on the front line (for health reasons) I THINK. The "b" is all about a lady who used to live next door and would use my back yard as a shortcut. One night I put our wooden picnic table there and she ran into it. After the crash we heard "that limey bastard" and it fits so I stuck with it.

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88 300CE 300,000kms
Black Pearl, Burgandy Leather
Euro Lights.
Its for sale. Its SOLD

I see; very interesting. Good luck selling the car. I am also still considering a bmw, so I am now going to start a thread regarding the quality of bmw v. mb. Hope I don't start a war.

I think after doing quite a bit of searching on this site that I'm just going to avoid MB altogether. I am a DIYer but it sounds like that can still burn a hole in your wallet. Unless I come across the perfect situation, such as cost, records, extraordinary maintenance and a good ppi, I think I'll look for something else and just lust after a Benz.
It really bums me out that MBs quality has sunk to such low levels. I guess I'll be back after I get my PhD and wads of cash to toss around. Thanks for all the advice. I'll probably still lurk though...

Just a note re BMW a local BMW master mechanic who works at the BMW dealer drives a 300E with mega miles. He told me benz bits are dirt cheap compared to BMW (Breaks My Wallet) He finds them easier to work on and loves the driving experience with the old benz. Loves to park under his dealer principals window too

I am sure there are many people out there who will tell you what BMW stands for, heres one from my years in the UK
Break My Window. This maybe a new string....

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88 300CE 300,000kms
Black Pearl, Burgandy Leather
Euro Lights.
Its for sale. Its SOLD

oi ve... just when I think I'm out, they suck me back in... I'm not necessarily headed for a bmw either but that's an interesting ancecdote about the beemer tech. I think between the two I'd still go for the benz, but for a benz the situation would have to be perfect. I picked up an issue of Merc Enthusiast over the weekend and there was an article about AMG 124s, and there was a gorgeous cranberry-type color 300E. It made me want one; I hate to say it.
I should just act like a responsible adult and get a fwd/awd honda or toyota... maybe an audi. Or maybe I'll just start taking the metro to work and forget the whole thing... my wife can haul me around in her minivan.