Skid Row Joe:
I really should have said I *think* I found your car on Autotrader – my bad. (There’s one listed that seemed like a match to your description.) I would think that I should have learned to *never* make assumptions by now. (!) And your car sounds like a really nice one - - - one that I would have liked to find if I went the w210 route. (I wish that I could have read your descriptive CL ad – perhaps you could PM it to me?) (And that’s a great family history with the diesels, BTW.)
The allure of a newer car is very seductive. I first started thinking about a really good w210 (inexpensive, but a psychological slush fund for repairs should be added to the initial cost) - then I find myself thinking about an ’05-06 CDI (mid-teens in $$$), then a ’07-08 Blutec (low 20’s) and now I’m up to 30K+ for a 2011 off-lease car. A slippery slope indeed.
And then there’s the pragmatic evaluation laid out by Barry12345, who absolutely hit the subject straight on the nail head.
Skid Row Joe said:
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The biggest problem on these newer post '95 MB diesels, is that they all seem to have weak points or computer/lighting/brake system glitches that can rear their ugly heads, costing the owner up to thousands of dollars a year to fix - to keep them on-the-road.
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To me, spending $20K to $40K on a used MB diesel, is not something I want to do anytime soon. Color me undecided and tight-fisted wanting to hold back at this point.
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I think you may be preaching to the choir - I'm feeling the same way & questioning the rationality of my motivation.
I did read about the 2014 4-banger diesel E coming soon. THAT car sounds like it could be real winner, if not a game changer in the Class. But I wouldn’t be buying one until they start coming off-lease in 2-3 years. That puts it at 2017. So maybe my interim car would only need to last 3-4 years, instead of worrying about one lasting to 300,000+ miles. Perhaps the plan is starting to gel…
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Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+
Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.