Thanks everyone for the comments. The thoughts expressed are exactly what i was looking for-and cannot be found just by googling which provides laudatory press reviews and minimal carping. I did however learn a couple of things. First, although the E350 coupe is very nice looking, it is really more of a C platform car-the ultimate Pretenz Benz. Second, I saw many instances where dealers were charging upwards of $300 for the urea refill. Third, I learned that Mercedes leases are for 2 years with a max mileage of 10K/year. This is why you will see so many CPO cars with 15-18K on the clock. It seems that there is a good amount of negotiating room for these cars. Fourth, those run flats are a deal breaker for me. The cost for a replacement is about $650/tire and the biggest problem is availability of the size that you need in the location where you need it. Last, MB is coming out with an E250 Blue Tec in the fall with 4 cylinders.

I did not intend to retire the 87-although the molting paint causes my wife to implore me to do so. It will remain my DD for the foreseeable future. I do not want a Nav system since I can read both road signs and maps and have a good sense of direction. Not to mention that I generally have been down the roads that i travel before. My wife has even forced me to ask for directions.

I was looking for a replacement of the 740IL both to do the long drives to CA which I found to be so enjoyable in a big, fast luxobarge. I will be retiring in a couple of years and wanted a car with less maintenance needs than either the 98 or the 87. I know that AdBlue can be refilled as a DIY task but the maintenance schedule at dealer prices seems intimidating.

I would sure like to hear from vstech how/what/where the appearance update can be accomplished-short of a $100K run through the Vintage Center in SoCal.

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87 300D 265Kmi
Factory rebuilt crate 603.96x engine at 200K