Hi,

I'm looking for a solid, reliable drive for my daughter. The two cars I'm trying to decide between are...

'86 Burgundy 300E with 90K, re-painted 2 yrs ago (nice job was done - original paint faded in the NC sun) and meticulously maintained by an older retired gentleman (original owner).

VS.

'91 Rosewood 300E with 144K, that was hit in the rear but "appears" to be perfectly repaired - no history known.

Pricing is the same, $7,500.00.

The '86 has had A/C hoses replaced, a new radiator, valve seals -- on top of what appears to be an excellent service history. I think I might even feel guilty buying this car - the owner won't have it to tinker with anymore. Everytime I talk to the him, he tells me something new he did to improve the car, i.e. "the battery was a little weak so I replaced it yesterday", or "the temp on the car seemed to be running a little too cool, so I'm going to replace the thermostat tomorrow". Each time a repair is made, it is performed by the same independent Mercedes tech that has been looking after the car for the past 10 years.

On the other hand, I really know very little about the '91. The car looks and runs great. The interior is spotless - which leads me to believe the car was probably not totally abused. :^)

Anyway, I just thought I'd see what we had for opinions out there.

I've also toyed with the notion of a '95 C280, but it was more money and, IMHO, not what Mercedes has built its reputation on. (Although, my daughter would probably prefer the newer, updated look of the 280). I also like the idea of wrapping as much steel around my sweetheart as possible! :^D

Thanks in advance for the feedback!!


Paul