Hi, I'm new to the Forum. I have a few questions, all related to a decision I have to make about whether to keep my Mercedes or sell it. I have a 1994 E-320 Sedan, which I got as a gift less than two years ago. When I got it, the car had 92,000 miles on it and was very well maintained. The previous owner averaged about $2000 a year on maintenance, alot of that through the dealership. In the last year and a half, I've spent $4000 on maintenance, some at a private garage and some at a dealership. Most of the maintenance cost has been parts (e.g., $1,000 for a new wire harness). The car now has about $115,000 miles on it. It is running very well, and I'd like to keep it (since I've been told that the '94 E-320 was a very good model and I could probably get another 150,000 or more miles out of it). However, I can't afford to spend $2,000 to $3,000 a year on maintenance costs. My questions are:

1. Is $2,000 to $3,000 per year on maintenance and up-keep considered typical for a car of this age and mileage, including yearly mileage of 15,000 miles.

2. Is there any way to reduce maintenance costs (e.g., buying parts online and having a private mechanic install them)? ['m not especially handy and couldn't do the maintenance myself.]

3. Although not a big consideration, the gas costs also factor into the decision. The owners manual requires at least 91 octane gas. I'm wondering if using a lower octane gas would harm the car.

Thanks so much for any answers you can provide.