Many here are more familiar with their W210 Wagons than me, but here's my perspective of the buying process.

Compared to sedans, wagons are typically beat up. On average, they show nowhere near the pride of ownership that sedans do. Expect to find stains, dents, scratches, and just general thrashing that comes from buying a kid/dog/stuff hauler. My experience - it took 2 months of looking, to find one I found acceptable - and there are tons of them for sale around me. Were I not looking for a 4-Matic, the search might have been quicker. The 2WD models outnumber them about 4 to 1 around here.

Yes, I'm picky...which combined with the average wagon condition, added significantly to the wait when buying used. But I think being so, paid off in the long run.

First - I'd avoid non-MBZ dealers and lease backs like the plague, as you typically can't get service records on these vehicles. This eliminates more than half the available cars around here. And while you might occasionally find a Starmark wagon at an MBZ dealer that has been gone through top to bottom, you'll pay a huge premium for it.

Folks here stress how important good service records are, and I'm glad I took that advice. They not only give you specific information on whether known issues were addressed, but they are a key indicator of how well the vehicle was maintained over it's entire life. Was maintenance done on time and properly? Or were there near zero records done for the first few years, only to be followed up with numerous visits to fix neglected issues? Even when complete records are found, inspect them carefully - two 2000+ cars I looked at, had been serviced at generic auto repair centers, and had their factory installed and mandated synthetic oil replaced with dino. Of course, the owners were quite happy to wait 10K miles between changes, as that's what the reset display was telling them.

And finally...I know it's been stated before, but the absolute best thing you can do, is get a pre-purchase inspection at a qualified independent. Around here, the dealers won't even do them.

First car I looked at that passed the documentation check, was taken to my mechanic. Records looked great, drove like a dream. Mechanic hooked it up to his scanner, and got nothing - the CEL was burnt out or disabled, and the diagnostic system was fried. Buying that car would have resulted in a very rude and expensive surprise at SMOG time.

In short...if your schedule allows, just take your time, and wait for the right one. There are great cars, and great deals to be had...if one has a little patience. You just gotta wade through a bunch of crap to find the right one.