Hi,

I am currently looking to 'downsize' my current car (Saab) to something older......have just bought my first house!!!!!

I am looking at various options - basically I need something roomy (2 dogs) and reliable. I have always liked the 300TE line of wagons and as an '89 can be picked up for less than $CDN 7,000 they fit in my price bracket.

As I know it, Mercedes cars are expensive to fix when they break, but this is offset by the great engineering and reliability, so that over time, the running costs are generally not that much greater than e.g. a Ford.....true?

What I am after is any advice concerning the purchase of an ageing 300TE (with ~ 150,000 miles). What are the strongpoints of this car? what are the weak points? Is there anything I should especially look out for during an inspection / road test?

What are typical running costs (excl. insurance)? What $$ are you looking at for common replacement parts e.g. exhaust, alternator etc.

I am fairly handy with a wrench - how easy are these cars to work on?

Any tips for a source of discount spares (in Canada??).

Any information gratefully received!

Cheers,

Quentin