I'll admit my car isn't a daily driver and we do have a Honda as commuter. We actually bought the Honda for that exact purpose......and to haul our dog and other stuff around.
I also think it's foolish to spend a ton of money on a vehicle and use it as a daily commute, takes years of ownership to change what is owed vs what the vehicle is worth.
But I wouldn't hesitate to by a W124 wagon in good condition as a daily commuter, again I would be VERY particular about previous history and overall vehicle condition. I would also stay away from the first couple years of production as they're always troublesome. I've also learned
to stay away from modifications to vehicles as I've found they typically make servicing more frequent and costly.
I've owned an MB Lemon ('84 190E) which spent months on end at the dealer getting serviced for something and finally traded it in. But the problems I had with that car are related to:
1. First year that model was made.
2. No knowledge of previous maintenance
3. Vehicle was in accident
4. Vehicle had spun mileage (showed 60K actually had 150k!)
Taking all those factors into account I still had that car for 6 years of teenage driving.
The car held up well and when I factored all expenses it ended up costing the same as buying a new Camry or similar but was much more fun to own! I will admit the times it was in the shop were very frustrating and I had to scramble to find a vehicle.
Maybe an MB isn't the right vehicle at the moment and a Lexus is a better fit. In the future when you can have a couple of vehicles around I think you would be hardpressed to find anything more fun to own, drive and maintain......excluding exotics