My mom had a '95 or '96 C220 that she bought new, and kept until it had about 160,000 miles, when she traded it in on an E430.

It was a fantastically reliable car. Drove like a tank, nearly as much interior room as a 300E.

The only repair that I recall it needed was an idle control valve. The dealer charged her about $1,200 to replace it.

What is also advantageous to the C220 is that it still used the simple and durable 4 speed transmission.

The '97 C230 got the new 5 speed auto in 1997, and it went through a ton of updates over the next 2-3 years, and the 5 speed is very expensive to rebuild.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".