Hey dont feel so bad toward Mercedes..... I mean ok the parts may cost a fortune and all that but think of the safety...im from Australia and a couple of months ago a man was driving his 1998 E320 and a semi-trailer fell on top of it. The car was a total wreck but he walked out of it with a cut up hands. I wouldnt compromise my life for the price of parts thats for sure. Same thing happened to my dad, he was driving his 1987 W124 230TE and someone ran through red lights straight into the side and the whole car was a write off. My dad got out without injury and not even the glass broke. Im sorry, your opinion might differ alot but thats what I think. Id pay!

Christian

1989 300TE
1997 C200 Elegance
2000 S430

I agree with some of the posts about the 140...I have a 1992 model and between me and the original owner I think every part just about has been replaced.....many of them more than once
Some people don't understand that the 140 is a very different animal than the 126 or 124...would say it is about 3 times the cost to repair...especially whn you already know you will be visiting the shop more often ....in regard to the japanese cars..I have owned a few....almost no problems....but somewhat boring cars.....I have actually heard that the Q45's and LS400's were good long term cars in terms or repair...but like any car with a ton of electronic gizmos...when it breaks get your wallet out!!

but to the the credit of the 140....the ride,comfort and quality of interior materials is unreal...when its good ..its very very good.....but when its bad....open your wallet and say "ahhhh"

Warren
1992 300SD 126K
Columbus Ohio

Owning any Mercedes can get to be expensive as time goes on, especially one that comes with a history of poor maintenance. The more hands the car passes through the greater the probablility it was abused. But even a well maintained car can need a new parts, especially ones that are subject to wear during operation or are sensitive to the effects of aging, like plastics and rubber.

I joined the Mercedes-Benz Club of America to get the discounts on labor and parts from the local dealer. I have a couple of old cars that, even with a one or two owner history and good attention to maintenance, need a little refreshing on a regular basis. I have also learned to enjoy exploring the limits of durability with these cars, which my wife sometimes thinks is a mental disorder. I have also learned to do much of the work that requires no more than pretty standard tools myself.

As for the MBCA, the discounts are definitely worth the price of admission. I get up to 20% off most parts and 10 to 15% off most labor. On your $250 valve that covers more than the tax! Doing the work your self also saves a chunk of change.

Owning these cars on a regular income is part of the common theme on this and the Diesel car forum. It requires taking a little bit of a risk with a car that has had one or more previous owners. This forum offers ways to learn about any prospective buys to help reduce the risks of buying a lemon, and there are lots of people with lots of personal experience to help you through the selection process. I only wish I had known of such a resource when I bought my 350SD in 1995.

But the reward for taking that risk is driving a vehicle steeped with the safety features as Christian noted above, and the ride and handling others have noted. Successfully managing that risk allows you to own an expensive car without being part of the upper crust of the social structure or suffering the expenses they pay to own these cars. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

I agree with your post Jim....a couple of points though...It seems that the newer cars (last 10 years or so) are being "turned" more often...no doubt due to the popularity of leasing.....this couple with some that are a little nervous about owning one of these cars out of warranty creates some churn in ownership,and also creates quite a market for 3-4 year old used cars with low mileage
I guess one could argue that a car that was leased may not have been taken care of as well as one that was purchased as the original owner didn't care about the car long term......but some cars early 140's,3.5 litre diesels(double whammy for me) inherently had some problems....my car for example....one owner,non-lease vehicle,sold and serviced at the same MB dealership...in other words a perfect example of what I was looking for....I followed this same rule with the other 2 MB's I have owned and it worked well for me.....
but due to problems with the car...repair bills have hit about the $23-24,000(90% warranty) in the last 2.5 years...and my tech at the dealer has stated that all of the repairs are not unusual for a 140 ...it will be interesting to see in the next 5-10 years what will occur interms of maintenance as the newer cars are much more complex and expensive to repair

Warren
1992 300SD 126K
Columbus Ohio