I should have put in the original post that I would be taking my daughter to school 4 of 5 days. Kind of negates the motorbike or bicycle. I would ride in summer, when she is at home with her mother.
I kind of like the idea of an inexpensive (not cheap) MB diesel that I can drive on vacations and weekends and use my Nissan hardbody for daily commuting.

Exactly. Preserve the Benz for pleasure use and let the Japanese appliance take the abuse.