The question you really have to ask is : "What is the maintenance cost of the W202 at 100K, 150K, 200K miles.

The majority of the W124's that you feel are expensive to maintain are well above the 100K mileage mark.....

Your cost of $100.00 in 12K miles is not enough to even meet the service requirements established by Mercedes.

__________________
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...c/GOWIDE-1.jpg
1971 280SL ROADSTER
1988 300CE TWIN TURBO WIDEBODY
1994 E320 CABRIOLET
1999 C43 AMG
2005 G55K AMG
2008 CLK63 AMG BLACK SERIES

I had a 1988 300TE for 240,000 miles. In over 40 years of car ownership it was the worst car I ever owned, but I was in so far I kept hoping it would get better. My wife finally demeanded that we get rid of it. Nothing I experienced was out of the ordinary from my observation of this forum since it came online.

I have two C280's - a 1995 and a 2000 and my son has a 1999 C43. The 1995 is 1,200 miles short of 200,000; the 2000 has 102,000. The C43 has only 42,000. My experience is that the 202 is generally much more reliable than the 124. However, the W202 C280 up through 1997 has the M104 engine with all the usual problems (harness, headgasket, water pumps, belt tensioners, etc.). Also, the W202 went through a lot of changes through the model run, engines, transmissions, electronic systems, etc. Therefore among W202 models there is a wide variation in potential and actual problems.

One other observation - the W202 is much easier to work on than the W124. I do all my own work, so I think I can speak with some credibility.

with the w124, assuming you have a car that you or the prior owner had completed the wiring harness and head gasket replacement for the DOHC cars (I assume- correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume once these 2 items are fixed, they are more or less upgraded and fixed for good), would it be an above average reliable car (factoring in age and mileage)?

If so, it seems to me being someone interested in a used w124, that if I found a car that had these 2 items fixed, it should be a solidly built overall relable car, barring any "normal" things for a car so old (things like HVAC control, power antenna, radio included as potential issues down the road). I may be off base as I'm new to the w124 wrold, but this is my observation from here and in reading the mercedes buyers guide (forget the authors name right now, but it seems to be a popular book)...

w124 is nothing but problems once it's past the 150K mile mark. what's worse is that normal shops who are used to working on domestic or japanese cars don't want to deal with the mercedes even for simple issues like a/c etc. the cost becomes quite an issue after a while. I suggest stick to the newer models, buy the most expensive car that fits your budget with the lowest mileage.
good luck.

__________________
Whether you think you can or cannot, Either way you're right!. by Henry Ford.

Well DIY prevents MB dealers from getting their greedy little paws on my dough.


I do a lot of PM to my car and it's what i've spent.

I guess that's a shocker to most of the W124 owners.