Some people really know what they are looking at and can drive a car round the block, be 95% sure of what the car is and accept the last 5% of unknown.

Apparently the call after 15 min car lot guy was not specifically told that " I will be driving the car for 1 + hour and taking it to my mechanic for a pre purchase inspection, do you agree to this? " otherwise he would not have called in 15 min and made such a fuss.

I get the impression our guy is expecting way too much for the type of car / price point he is after. In that case buying a CPO from a MB dealer is the best bet. Sure, deals can be happened upon but that will take some time and work.

I don't think I'm asking too much. Decent car in decent shape. Traction control that doesn't try to kill me while driving to and from the house. (I live down several miles of gravel and most of the time because of all the tractor trailer rigs going up and down it, it's wash boarded really really badly) Reasonably mechanically sound. I don't mind fixing a few things, but don't want to have to rebuild the entire front end for example...

As for the seller, I guess he wasn't listening, but he kept on saying 'yes, yes, yes' Also, as the lot was right smack in the center of the city, it wasn't going to be easy to get a proper try with the car... For anyone... Especially in rush hour traffic... As for taking the car for a mechanical inspection, I didn't. I went to a body shop. When I stopped to wash the windows at the truck stop, some water splashed on the front fender, and revealed 2 different colors of paint, one color crudely applied with a brush. This was after he tried to sell me on the idea that the paint was perfect....

As for expecting too much or wrong price point, there are only 4 used e class wagons for sale in the province at this time. I looked at all of them. There are a few R classes, but I don't really like them.

__________________
All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing.

Too many people tip toe through life, never attempting or doing anything great, hoping to make it safely to death... Bob Proctor

'95 S320 LWB
'87 300SDL
'04 E500 wagon 4matic

So, I bought the rebuilt 2004 e500 wagon. so far so good. On the highway, it's clocking better fuel mileage than my s320.

__________________
All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing.

Too many people tip toe through life, never attempting or doing anything great, hoping to make it safely to death... Bob Proctor

'95 S320 LWB
'87 300SDL
'04 E500 wagon 4matic

Good choice.

__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words

2017-05-26_06-01-32 by wolverine00089, on Flickr

__________________
All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing.

Too many people tip toe through life, never attempting or doing anything great, hoping to make it safely to death... Bob Proctor

'95 S320 LWB
'87 300SDL
'04 E500 wagon 4matic