Tom W: My current MB experience is in the W210 chassis.
What am saying is that you do not need to have a summer oil and a winter oil. There is an oil that meets that temperature band. We need not be afraid to try new things. I understand the feeling: I have done it this way for years, why change now.

RickJordan: We all think that all MB filters are either Mann or Hengst. Well, add Bosch to the list. You can never be sure. The cost of filter has increased in the last year. The increase interval (white net) filter will cost you $15 even from Phil and its $20-$22 from dealer. The regular filter is still about $6-$8. I only use the more expensive increase interval filter at least for the simple reason that MB knows something that I may not know.
Yes synthetic oil have been around at least 20+ years and I know of a highly regarded off highway diesel engine manufacturer that has used it at least that long. Some manufacturers just take that long to warm to a good idea. It is generally acceptable in the engine engineering circles that synthetic is superior to dino.. The higher engine efficiency demands due to emission control and higher thermal load just require the use of synthetic oil. Even older cars can benefit. I switched all my cars to synthetic.

86560SEL: The dirtiest and oldest oil I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.You can’t tell the condition of an oil by its color. Most spent synthetic oil are darker than the average dino oil. Hole in a filter is bad news. I am not sure the replacement purolator filter is any better than the fram.