Hi. I am looking at a '94 wagon, 190,000 miles, pristine condition (so the guy says), everything in working order, just had the a/c redone and a tuneup, asking $6000.

I have no problem paying a little more for pristine but how much longer, if taken care of, will the engine last? I'm not a DIY'er but keep on top of maintenance.

The guy says the car was driven back and forth from Florida to NJ and was always garaged and maintained well by a mechanic. I'm sure the lady dumped it when she heard how much the air cost to fix.

This will be a second car for me and will be garaged and loved on, but is it the best choice for me if it is taken care of? I used to have a '95 wagon and got so frustrated because it was always in the shop and then I hear about people with very little problems. So far, it has been my FAVORITE car ever owned and am constantly thinking of getting another one.

What do you think? I don't know how long a typical engine like this lasts and probably a majority of the miles were highway. The interior looks flawless.

thanks for any advice --- Lance

If the head gasket, evaporator, and wire harness have all been up-graded , good car..if not , don't buy it.
Have someone look at it and check all the codes ..specially if it has ASR [ not preferred]

I agree with Art, make sure the wiring harness, evaporator and head gasket have been addressed. My initial reaction is the price seems at least $1500 high. I see several nice wagons, mainly 94's and 95's, for $4500 in the Midwest. I also know of one 1994 with 108,000 miles that changed hands for $3500. Be patient and negotiate well.

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1994 E420, 1994 E320CE, 1994 E320TE and 1991 300SE

I have a 94 E320 wagon--just turned 200,000 miles. I plan to drive it for another 100,000 miles..... For 6K the one you are considering should be flawless. One more expensive item to check on is the throttle actuator--probably about $900 to have a remanufactured one installed. A few other less expensive common failure items to check on are rear suspension accumulators, engine motor mounts, and climate control blower motor. Each of these items would probably be in the $400 range if you have a shop do them. On a 190,000 mile car, you can expect these items will need to be addressed if they haven't been already.

With the excellent help of this forum, (MB DOC, Arthur Dalton, David Poole....and lots of others) I have been able to handle all maintenance and repair on my 94 E320 wagon DIY. If you are not the DIY type, this can still be a great car but it will cost more in maintenance than a comparable Honda, Toyota or Nissan. For me, the look and performance of this wagon is well worth it.

Let us know how it turns out.

J. M. van Swaay

I am going to go look at it today and will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for all of your suggestions.