They've already started to show up around me. A chum of mine was offered a '92 or '93 300SE for $2800...

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

I'll agreee that the '96 and up are the way to go if you really want a W140. Wiring harness quality was improved and as the years went on, the evaporators were updated from the factory so the chance of needing replacement is far less. I had a '95 S420 that I purchased from a customer of mine which, while had been excellently maintained, still required fairly hefty infusions of cash at times. I do like them, however and have tossed the idea around of getting an S600 (because if you're going to pay W140 maintenance costs, you might as well go for it all and get the V12!). And believe it or not, the V12s are extremely stout engines. I've never seen one with major mechanical issues, they're just never stressed. However, with the 600, your best bet is to find a mint '92 which has seen the proper updates (evap, wiring harness, etc..). They have the highest horsepower ratings (408hp) versus 402 for '93 and 389 for subsequent years.

But generally speaking, getting into W140 ownership is akin to

__________________
Regards,
Aaron

I have seen a lot of auction cars. Not really my forte'. Even at the dealer auctions you don't get a lot of time with the car if your even lucky enough to get it out on the road. I have seen and driven a lot of used cars and easily get annoyed by owner neglect.

I recently saw a beautiful low mileage Ferrari Mondial in a rare Azure Blue that I would have loved to buy. When I saw the previous owner had used duct tape on the top and was using bungee cords to hold one of the latches in place I could not even consider the car anymore. If you can't afford a $1800 convertible top you probably can't afford the $12K service appointment either. Other than the top the car was perfect but the make shift repairs spoke volumes about the original owner's care of the car.

Its not a Chevy but a Mercedes.

As we all know, the worst thing is a cheap Mercedes.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

Not always. The condition of a car has nothing to do with its price. I have bought mint condition cars from older people who just want to get rid of the cars quickly because of a death in the family. I have also looked at cars that were priced extremely high and that were in extremely poor condition mechanically but had a nice spit and polish job and presented well.

My, my, my. Thanks for all of the replies. I was not expecting so many differnet responses.

Not to sound standoffish, but one that has be baffled is the one about the negatice comments on the "blue" interior. I think it is a matter of personal taste and not a reason to discard or degrade this car. I actually really like the interior color on this car, but it would be nice if it were a slightly darker shade of blue. My current Mercedes has blue interior and I like it very much. I do not think the interior color would stop me from buying it. If that were the case, I would never had mentioned the car here.

Funny- I have heard the statement- "cheap Mercedes is the worst Mercedes". Not always true. I paid only $1000 for mine about a year ago (including delivery) and have had no major issues and it has never left me stranded (knock on wood). Occasional stalling when hot, but it always restarts and I have been told it was a vacuum issue. Tranny is still strong and engine still runs well, despite 267K miles. This 96' is priced at $12K and while that may be pocket change to some "money fortunate" people here, it is not pocket change to me and I would have to have the car financed.

At any rate, from what I have gathered, it seems like the 1996 and newer models up to 1999 seem to be decent cars now.

I am still undecided though, because there are other cars I am considering (brand new and used), but saw this MB and thought it looked nice and priced decent. I thought that service records and current maintainence was a plus. BTW - I looked it up on KBB and PPV (private party value) for that car is $9700, so the $12K price does seem rather steep. I like to get cars for at least the PPV and not the retail value.

Thanks again in advance. The advice was most appreciated. I will keep you posted.

You're right - you should buy what you like especially if you're going to keep it a while. But blue interior does have a resale implication. It's virtually extinct (or perhaps actually extinct) in new cars for a reason - it's not very popular.

If I were you, I would avoid Mercedes altogether. I had a gas one some years ago, a 1988 300 CE. Great looking car, but too many problems, and at low miles. At just 85k, the transmission seal went ($500), the oil seals were leaking ($600), the a/c didn't work, etc. I swore I would never have another gas Mercedes, leaving the window open for a diesel, which I'd alway heard good things about.

I recently bought a 1991 300d. Of course, the a/c didn't work, a nice $1200 repair problem that I was able to fix myself with a lot of work. Then the
O-rings to the injector pump leaked which caused me a lot of problems getting fixed, but I almost didn't mind that repair, it's just something that needs to be done, and the car is 15 years old. I went to have the car aligned last week, turns out it can't be done until the center link is repaired, $280. The mechanic told me Mercedes cause CONSTANT problems. I asked, "What kind"? He says, just like the ones you're having. Soon, it'll probably need new tie rod ends, then he named a few other parts. I asked him about the brake squeal, he said Mercedes and Volvo specialize in brake squeal, and have brake and rotor problems (they can only turn the rotors one time I think, before needing to replace them).

The power steering unit leaks. I think a seal kit is about $400 to have installed, or I can have just the one culprit seal fixed for about $200. The radio's and speakers are absolute garbage and need replaced. The car is on it's THIRD dampner and tensioner. At 90k???

I want to ask you one question.... why do you want to complicate your life?
Buy Japanese, they're nearly problem free. If you need the 3 pointed star, buy one and glue it to the hood of your Toyota Avalon. And the repair prices are less for the few times they do need repaired. A Honda Accord, Camry, Acura TL, etc., they wouldn't even be squeaking at 90k. I'm assuming with the exception of a required timing belt change and other normal maintenence, those Jap cars wouldn't have cost a dime in repair costs at 15 years and 90k.

I admit, my Benz gives a nice quiet ride (when on the hwy, around town it's a bit annoying being that it's a diesel), and I certaily enjoy 36 mpg out of such a heavy car, but I get really bent out of shape when it causes me repair problems ..... at only 90k miles. Age causes some problems, dryrotted seals, but not things like a/c problems and tie rod ends, etc. There's just no excuse for such things, from a company that advertises their cars as "legendary". Legendary cars are the ones on the roads, not the ones in the shop.

For now, I'll keep my 300d and muddle my way through a few more problems, but if causes me too many more, it's back to Jap for me.

1991 300d, 93k

I have this debate daily with a friend who drives three Japanese wagons. He buys them with high miles and puts money into them. Then he puts in 2K stereos on top of the 4k to 5k in replacements to get them running right. He loves them and they're good cars but my 1988 300 CE moves better and handles better at speed and has better balance. I appreciate the debate but for me there is no contest. I prefer the German design over the Japanese design. The Japanese designs are at best watered down copies of the Mercedes designs. And this is true for many cars. I have yet to put money into the big gas guzzling coupe I bought with 110k on the clock for 2 grand. It runs really well. Tie rod ends are cheap by the way. Even the good ones from Lemforder. Some seals are not a big deal, are they? Mine leak but they dont drip. And most parts can be sourced for a deal at places like Arizona ********. Front end alignment is always an issue. It's because of how people drive a Mercedes and on what types of roads they're punching it. My opinion is such that all Japanese touring cars are good drivers and last for a long time but they never have the style, road feel, durability or power on tap driving experience that Mercedes delivers every time. Of course the high-end Japanese sports coupes are now really great but they're still crap/Jap cars. I'll stick with the other marques, the ones from Germany. Mercedes is tops in my book. Really, tie rods are not costly and they are important. Same goes for motor mounts, spark plugs, sub frame bushings, fuel pumps, etc. Cheap parts I'll be replacing on the 300CE soon. Decent stereo coming up too. Thanks for sharing about Japanese dependability.

__________________
1988 300CE 120K RIP(Midnight Blue/Parchment)
1987 300E 202K (Arctic White/Palomino)


Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons. It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth. ~Song of The Open Road

My Volvo 240 has blue interior.... Looks great on the car and a number of them were made with blue interior..... Its a non issue on the 240.....

On the 140 blue is an issue..... If you plan on keeping the car any amount of time its likely you will need interior parts and even buying new its difficult to locate the uncommon colors..... There are not many 140's with blue interior and you won't be able to locate many used parts..... In some cases as the car ages dealers only stock the most popular colored interior parts and the uncommon ones have to be special ordered if you can get the part at all.....

Color is very important for resale to a number of buyers...... Nobody goes out of their way to find a white car with a blue interior... But you do get a number of buyers that look for black and tan or silver and gray color combinations...... With someone looking for a specific color combination you have additional negotiation leverage and can get a better deal since their pool of acceptable cars is smaller than someone who does not care about the color.....

If you enjoy driving cheaply made tin cans with plastic and cloth interiors more power to you. What exactly are you trying to accomplish by posting? Does getting revenge on Mercedes Benz make you feel better about your bad purchacing decision?

Not everyone has the same situation that you do and some people value different things in their cars. If you value reliability and cost the most your probably better off in a mass market commodity car.

I don't know about the newer Mercedes-Benz, but on the older ones the blue dashboards seemed to crack at a higher rate than the black. I have no clue why but the dash on my old 300SD (blue) cracked in several places. My brother's (same year, same model, but black) that sat next to it in the gararge didn't . That would be my only consideration.

__________________
Old age and treachery will allways overcome youth and skill!

1993 S500
1984 380SL

The guy is smoking something good for $12,500. W140's resale is in the pits thats a $7k-$8k car. I have seen two very mint W140's sell in the past year for under $12k, on had 100k on it and was cherry, the other had 70k on it and was an 8 out of 10 car in all respects.

No offense but knowing you, a W140 would not be a good buy.

I don't care what the blue book says, W140 resale is in the pits. One of the above cars was a 1995 S420 with 100k miles on it. This car was on its second owner, black on black, stamped book from day one. No expense spared perfect car. The currant owner put $3k into the body to remove every little door dent and chip, in all respects this car was flawless. First owner was a 70 year old MBCA member.

He listed the car last fall for $12,500. It sold 10 months later for $10k. As he said no one was interested.

I have seen similer things happen to several W140's in my area, its a buyers market.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The plus side of a buyers market is one can almost purchase the cream of the W140 crop for $15k-$18k.

Don't worry though, XJ8's lose value faster! W220's on the other hand seem to be holding there value a bit better. You still can't get a nice W220 for less than $20k, at least I havn't seen one.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200