Hello all - I have been lurking here for several weeks while I educate myself about the Mercedes w124 series vehicles. Having spent HOURS on the brickboard diagnosing my Volvo issues, this site seems to be more DIY friendly than some of the other more "elitist" Benz enthusiast forums.

I am looking to upgrade from my 14 year "relationship" with the Volvo 240 series ('84 wagon: 340k miles and a '93 wagon: 175k miles), to a late model ('93-'95) w124 wagon with less than 150k miles. I have done nearly everything that could be done by myself on the Volvos and am pretty comfortable with troubleshooting their quirks, and do all my own basic maintenance. It seems as though the w124 platform is the last of the more basic designs and this is what is appealing to me about this particular series.

I'm wondering what I might be getting myself into by stepping into the MB world as far as ongoing maintenance and cost of parts. I am looking at low miles, well maintained vehicles and know to look out for the common problems (head gasket, wiring harness, etc.) so I feel pretty good about eliminating 90% of the cars available. I am interested in the M104 engines more than the M103. I would have any car that I'm considering inspected by a MB mechanic.

So my questions are these: really, how much more complicated are the w124 cars than the 240? Are the parts that much more costly? I am not one to require that every doo-dad on the vehicle be working at all times, but I'm not interested in spending all my spare time tweaking on another car. I would also NEVER be taking the car to a dealer for service, but rather an independent mechanic for things I couldn't handle myself.

The Volvos, while durable, are not nearly as infallible as their reputation would have you believe. There are continuous little issues and I've been left stranded more than once due to failed relays, or some other "small" but debilitating problem. And one big one - the transaxle on our '93 seized while doing 60mph in traffic... that will get your attention!

This MB would be my wifes daily driver and our "road trip" car, traveling from Texas to the Pacific NW and upper Midwest a few times a year. We love the ride, quietness and general "vibe" of the 124's we have driven and hope that we're not just asking for more trouble. I am posting this here as it seems there is some crossover in the Volvo/MB worlds.

Any opinions and thoughts are much appreciated.

Craig in Austin