My car is fantastic. Its taken me thousands of miles without a hiccup. Never left me stranded and with regular maintenance it has proven to be the most reliable car I've ever had. However, lately, it has started to nickle and dime me more than I'd like to admit. In this case, as many of you may know, its not really nickles and dimes.

It runs great, mechanically it is pretty much perfect. It could use new injectors since at 160k its still using its originals, and its about due for an oil change. Its electronics and convenience features are where I'm beginning to have problems. I have about 5000 dollars into it within the last year alone, making it mechanically sound and aesthetically pleasing. But I don't want another year of 5000 dollar maintenance. I'm beginning to think its time for a new car.

The way I see it, with a substantial down payment, which I could make, and a reasonable car payment it could be cheaper than what I'm putting into my current 24 year old vehicle.

Do I keep putting money into this car, only to have to turn around and do the same thing months later? Or do I say enough is enough and cut my losses? I love the car and wouldn't trade it in. I wouldn't get out of it what I think I deserve. For a 23 year old car with full documented maintenance and original window sticker I feel I really have something special.

What do you all think?

__________________
1963 Ford F100 - Cummins Swap?
1985 Mercedes 300SD - 210K
1992 Ford Festiva - 92K
2001 Ninja 250 - 8K

I'm going to let you dwell on your thought then look at the wonderful depreciation of a new car, the maintenance of a new car, and insurance of a new car..

get back with me when you see

No, not a new car. A used car, but a newer used car. 2000+

A car where everything WORKS!

__________________
1963 Ford F100 - Cummins Swap?
1985 Mercedes 300SD - 210K
1992 Ford Festiva - 92K
2001 Ninja 250 - 8K

For a while. then it won`t be nickle and dimes. the newer ones will have to be taken in to be plugged in the diagnostic computers for big bucks.

The newer they are, the more complicated. there goes your DIY.

As the don said, insurance, deperciation, maintenance also higher registration and monthly payments.



Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Why 2000+? The best Mercedes was being made until 1995 (124)
Where everything works depends more on the driver than the age of the car.
There are 25 yo cars where everything works and 2000 cars where everything is frustrating (even more in a brand new car because the car is new)

1998 + E320's are awesome buys. The V6 is Mercedes most trouble free engine, IMHO, to date. There do not seem to be any mechanical weaknesses, other than the harmonic balancer, and the goo building up under the oil cap because of the PCV design. Just KEEP YOUR OIL CLEAN, and they will never stop going. My dad has over 170K on his E320 4-matic. These cars are just SO underrated...You'd swear, with their track record, they were built in Japan.

__________________
1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

Plenty of problems with the W210 chassis:

Window Regulators
Fuel level sending unit
Cracked Dash Boards
Melted Plastic Bulb Holders
EIS Problems
A/C Evap Temperature malfunction
Transmission Rebuild/Limp Home Mode
Seats Rock back and forth
Rust
Windshield Washer heater coil malfunction (mixes coolant with windshield washer fluid)
Crank Pullies

Some other stuff as well, these cars require expensive maintenance and SDS....I don't think any Mercedes is "cheap" to own...You are better off getting a Honda/Toyota/Nissan. You can get maintenance done for cheap, and they are reliable.

__________________
2005 SL65
1999 E300
1995 E300
1994 SL320
1988 560SL
1987 300TD
1982 300D
1955 300SL

It's shouldn't take more than 1 or 2 $5000 years to get it up to snuff, then you will only have to put oil in it for several years. Hang in there...

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Exactly. Thats how it went with my SD.....the first few years I repaired a ton of stuff.....but in the past 2 years I've done little to nothing. Under $500 a year in maintenance.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Tell us what big dollar items you have put into your car (I'm assuming the '84 SD?) in the last year. Did you do those jobs yourself or pay someone to do them? An old Mercedes can be very expensive to own if several big items all need work at the same time and even more so if you have to pay shop labor plus list price for the parts. If you can do the work (or even some of it) yourself it's not so bad.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

I came to the same conclusion when I just got tired of spending money on my old car, and working on it, mostly working on it. Now Joe gets to pick up $$$ where I left off.

That new car or in my case truck scent is sure nice...no oil leaks...no wrenching...no repairs...4 year 50k mile warranty so if it breaks its the dealers problem...

Sure it costs a bit, but its not to bad if you keep it for 100k miles... some of us can write a lot of it off. Plus insted of spending my weekends under a greasy old car or fixing window regulators...I think I'll go sailing and maybe take up golf again. My free time has been liberated!

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I wouldn't let the car go ... if you can afford to do so, your best bet would be to buy a newer, more maintenance-free car but keep your MB as a strictly hobby car. That way you can repair/restore it as time and money allows. Of course, this would require some means and a place to store the car, and that may not be an option for everyone. But personally, I'd never advise someone to get rid of a car they love. You can't get it back (well, not usually). To me -- and admittedly I'm in a fairly fortunate position financially -- enough is never enough. Maybe I'll have to put it on the shelf at some point, but I don't think I could ever just give it up completely.

__________________
1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Depreciation I agree, maintenance? Psh alot less then what youd have to do to your W123 or W126. Most new cars just need oil and air filter changes, you wont need to do a tune-up til you hit 100K. Insurance thats negligible, full coverage on a old car will be around the same as a new car. New car's have more saftey features that give you a break on insurance costs, old cars (lets say for example a W123) doesnt have air bags, ABS, EBD, traction control, etc so full coverage is going to be more money.



There will be less of a need to do DIY work on a new/newer car. As i said most new cars dont need full tune-up until 100K. And what diagnostic computer work costs big bucks? An OBDII scanner is around $50?




I agree completely Why waste a nice sunny weekend under a old car when i could be carving corners on my sport bike

__________________
Current:
05 E320 CDI
07 GL320 CDI
08 Sprinter
05 Dodge Cummins
01 Dodge Cummins

Previous
2004 E55 AMG
2002 C32 AMG (#2)
1995 E300
1978 300D
1987 300D
2002 C32 AMG(blown motor :[
1981 300SD
1983 300SD
1987 300SDL
2002 Jetta TDI
1996 S420
1995 S500
1993 190E 2.6
1992 190E 2.3
1985 190E 2.3 5-Speed

You always have a car payment, if you drive. You are either buying parts for an used car or putting cash into a new one. It takes money to get from a to b (the faster you get there, the more it costs.) I would rather put parts into a good reliable vehicle I can work on and can withstand a pretty heavy impact. Remember, all cars are used once they drive off the lot.

__________________
Dave
1983 300D Daily Driver

It has to be, at least, a part-time hobby or its just not worth it.

__________________