Fahrgewehr2......what I was referring to was not what you are thinking, because I agree with you. What I meant was that if one of the "non-essential" features fails it is not something that needs to be repaired in order to drive and enjoy the car. I would assume that most people who want to own one of these fine cars would eventually get these items fixed in order to keep it in semi-pristine condition.
There are systems, however, that areessential such as ASR, self-leveling suspension, etc, that MUST be addressed for the car to function, and that is what I meant by risk tolerance!
If MB would have had Lexus design and supply the electronics on the W140 the car would last for 30-40 years!

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1996 SL320 97K miles
1996 C220 130k miles
1992 500SEL 170k miles <---sold
1986 300E 216k miles <---sold