The 1997 C280 is a great vehicle.

The one you describe is worth about $4,000. To help you figure out if you want to get into the Mercedes world, pay a knowledgeable Mercedes technician to inspect the car in question and make a list of repairs you can expect over the next few years. It will look like this:

Head gasket - $1,500
Tranny - $1,500
Exhaust - $1,500
ACC - $1,500
Suspension - $1,500

Make those investments, and you've got yourself a rock solid, if somewhat staid, driver. You could reasonably expect to have her on the road for decades.

While it won't deliver nearly the fuel economy, I personally like the M104 over the M111 (and even the M112).

If you’re not into maintaining it yourself, expect annual upkeep costs (above and beyond the items lists above) of approximately $1,000.

__________________
Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230