What would you be afraid of? (Benz content)

2000 Mercedes Benz E320W for sale. Car is in great condition. 150,000 miles for $2,900 Contact via email.

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Electrical doodads and if it's AWD the transmission.

Zee Germans!

So the rwd autos hold up?

I'm trying to get certain facts straight in my head:

What cars will likely leave you stranded vs. what cars have niggling things that break ie: power seats, sunroof etc that are more inconveniences than total breakdowns.

Keep in mind a daily drive a '95 F150 and have replaced a rear gas tank, two calipers/rotors/flexible lines, water pump (twice), starter, shocks, drivers shock-spring tower etc.

I don't think of this truck as unreliable and these trucks are known to have a great reputation for longevity.

Replacing window regulators, fixing a sunroof, replacing a few sensors here and there means nothing to me. What DOES are things like Subaru head gaskets, Saturn Vue autos and Land Rover HG issues.

You know, "gotta call a flatbed" stuff.

Not sure if the rwd trans is as robust as an AW4 (Cherokee) but when I look used I try to avoid AWD since it's usually a big money repair compared to 2wd.

I read a few online reviews and there were a few complaints about the transmissions but a LOT about electrical faults and failures.

I gotcha. I have pretty much the same mindset; it doesn't have to be perfect but it needs to be functional and mechanically durable.

In reply to The_Jed:

You get it!

To most non-car people, fading paint or flimsy floor mats give the car an "unreliable" rating.

That's why I come here. I couldn't care less about a sunroof that needs to be fixed. Hell, my power locks don't work, it's got some clunks in the front end, paints fading on the Flareside bed, it's got some rust and my wing window is stuck shut.

To me that's all part of doing business.

Even used transmissions for the W210 Mercs cost the same as my E4OD, calipers and rotors same thing.

So whos got any real experience with cost of ownership with these beauties?

We love BMWs here yet all I hear about is VANOS, bushings, entire cooling systems needing replacement, rear subframe cracking etc.

Take this with a grain of salt naturally, but here in Germany, I see WAY more older Mercedes (W124/W201/W210) than the same vintage BMWs (E34/E39/E36/E46)on the road. And no, I'm not including taxis.

That car should be ok, I didn't look where it was for sale but the spring perches are known to rust OFF on the front of those in salty conditions. Mechanically they are stout, switch gear is flimsy and the interior is kinda crappy after awhile. Not a big deal in my opinion. Mine had the rack replaced THREE times under warranty (thank god for warranty) not sure if those are still an issue. MB sells a kit to install new spring perches...

My W210 was almost completely trouble-free to 200k. Then the vacuum started acting up. Everything on those cars is vacuum operated; the door locks, climate control... There is a manifold under the dash and it develops leaks. When that happens you'll get random hot/cold air from vents when you don't expect it, and when it gets really bad the door locks won't work. Only way to fix it is to pull the dash. There really is no way to get to it otherwise.

The duovalve is another thing that goes bad. Its what controls hot water flow to the heater. When it goes, its super simple to replace, but not as cheap as a little electric valve should be. I forget, but somewhere $150-200 I think.

Transmissions are expensive to fix and really hard to get right. Just go used.

Otherwise, the W210 IMHO is the last really awesome, bulletproof merc out there.

The 722.6 trans that thing has is a great trans...up to 150k miles, then it's all worn out. I rebuilt my own and my wife banned me from doing so again. Really the only weak point in the trans is the electrical plug leaks often. The 112 motor it's still great, only real issues with it are plugged passages (sai, egr, breather, and oil return from the head). Motors are $500 cheap. There are basically no good used trans available in my opinion. Brake light switches and abs modules fail. Most of the things that break can be fixed with junkyard parts.