Geeky knows his stuff. His post reminded me that I'm seeing a bit of seepage from the valve cover gaskets on my car. Just noticed it at the last service. Not a problem yet, but will need some attention in the future.

The 210 isn't as rust resistant as the 124, that's for sure. Just make sure you're looking at Texas cars and there's no issue. Not like it's hard to buy a used MB in Dallas.

The V6 would be a bit easier to work on, but I don't expect the difference is all that large. Plugs and such would be the same on V6 & V8 - a bit tight, but not too bad. The V6 has about a foot of open space between the serpentine belt and the radiator; I expect the V8 is a bit tighter but don't know how much.

The 163 is the same basic drivetrain as the 210 4matic cars. There are probably detail differences in the engine/transmission, but it's essentially the same setup. Don't tell me you're gonna buy an ML?!?