Hi everyone, looks like a great site with good people and lots of quality info.

I'm new to Mercedes, in the last few months have picked up a 94 E320 wagon, and a 95 E320 Cabriolet. Got rid of the family Dodge Durango.

I like the old mopars, and have a 49 Dodge street rod and a 70 Cuda that I am restoring.

I am looking for a 3rd family vehicle, one my 16 year old daughter can learn to drive, but will also be my driver sometimes.

I have been looking for a clean early 90s 300E or CE for us but NICE ones are very hard to find around here, at least for a reasonable price. Now I am starting to look at maybe a BMW, like the 525 late 80s, early 90s.

My question is this, especially for those of you that are familiar with both, but I welcome any and all input:

1. Should I stick to MB since that is what I now have and am getting familiar with? What are all the pros/cons?

2. Which are the most dependable/reliable cheapest to maintain of the W124s, specifically the 300E class? I do know I want to stick with the 6 cyl, just wondering the pros/cons of the different year models from 86 to 95.

3. If I were to consider a BMW, which years specifically of the 525 are the best?

Just from browsing here the last week or so, I have seen a couple of people comment they came over from BMW. I'm curious as to why...

This got a little long, thanks again for any advice.

Gerry

welcome Gerry, is your daughter a responsible person?

i don't when she knows you are looking. is she resp. when she thinks you are not looking?

Welcome Gerry!

Well the 300E is a nice car. My parents own a 1994 E320 and it's really reliable. Sturdy automobiles. I don't know alot about the BMW. I just always see them on the side of the road with their hoods up alot.

Yes, I would say she is very responsible, typical oldest child, from all indications we have so far-school, work, helping around the house, etc.

Well, the first year or so will be pretty much all supervised driving.

We initially were going to get a 92-96 Honda Accord, they are supposed to be extremely reliable and decently priced, but now we have "discovered" the Mercedes, and the safety of the bigger, more solid vehicle is a big factor.

We are willing to spend the extra for upkeep of the cars, and besides, I will be driving it myself. It will be a while before she is let loose on her own.

well if she's a resonsible person, then it's worth the extra expense for a benz over say, a 79 chevy 4x4. from one who lost his shirt when his eldest totalled a nearly new $30,000 vehicle (showing off for friends), the youngster's character is a consideration.

fortunately, i learned my lesson in time for the second oldest......

Thanks for the input, guys.
Anybody else?

Find her a nice decent old early 80's 300 D (diesel). It'll be a solid, bullet proof car for her. They're fairly cheap to run if you can find one that's been well taken care of, and will run & run & run. Fast enough to keep up with traffic, but hard to get into trouble with.
I don't know Bimmers very well, but work with a couple guys that just bought some. They both bought early 90's 3-hundred series(325?). Both have well over 100K miles, and seem to be good solid cars with lots of life left in them. Not sure what the one guy paid, but the other paid around $7K for his. While I'm not a Bimmer fan, I'd give these years/model a look-see if I needed another car in that price range.

__________________
past MB rides:
'68 220D
'68 220D(another one)
'67 230
'84 SD
Current rides:
'06 Lexus RX330
'93 Ford F-250
'96 Corvette
'99 Polaris 700 RMK sled
2011 Polaris Assault
'86 Yamaha TT350(good 'ol thumper)

In which direction are you leaning?

I like the E300s. A diesel 6 cylinder, non turbo but fast enough to not really need one. Relatively bullet proof. Early ones are in the $8/13000 range. Solid as a tank. Though nothing is idiot proof and you say that your daughter is reliable. Mine was too and still totalled a 220D. Didn't get a scratch on her. The car protected her. Stick to a Benz, whatever you do. IMHO.

__________________
N. Hodges
1994 S350
1987 300 SDL (for sale)

One nice thing about having all MBs is that you don't have to keep track of as many different parts - they all come from the same place(s), and, assuming you stay within an engine range, you can swap parts/filters back and forth. Helps keep inventory costs down.

The early W124s are the simplest (and lightest) ones in the model line, and I would almost go so far as to call them austere in terms of features, especially by modern standards. On the flip side, while there are fewer things to go wrong, because of their age, the early models will probably have more things on the verge of wearing out. If you're planning to stick w/ MB, I'd probably recommend getting another 94-95 E320, since you have two of them already.

Of course, if you want to drive something different for a change, maybe you should get a BMW.

Right now I'm leaning toward a 94-95 E320 4dr.
However, I am going to test drive a couple of 95 525 BMWs to see how I like them.