E320 nuf said.
Seriously though going from say a V8 Chevy to a 560SEL is a big jump. Completely different animals and you have to adjust your idea of what expensive is.
See with an American car you say "my god that starter was $150"
With a MB you say "holly crap that starter was only $200! What a deal!"
Now practice!
Don't bash the S though, once you dance with the devil the E just wont do.
A 420SEL is also a good choice, just have someone who knows them very well inspect it before buying. You can have one that looks good and drives decent enough but still needs $3k+ in defered maintaince.