thanks David,

yeah, i'm going through a mix of excitement and apprehension. i haven't bought a used car in a long time. the last time was a saab for my wife. that car was just about as old as this one but boy, what a huge difference quality-wise. also, this is going to be my main driver so i want to set it up as best i can. the transmission i actually am glad about. it does appear to have been replaced under warranty - easily a $2k job which was what the work order showed. if that's all MB will charge me then i might as well have them do it. come to think of it, i don't feel a switch, maybe they forgot to put one in :p when they replaced the tranny?

cheers