I have a choice of 3 cars: 96 c220 with 57000, 97 c280 with 104000, and a 96 c220 with 137000. Which one should I choose? Is any one of them more likely to be prone to problems? Are there any issues with any of these? Is 137,000 too much for a c280? Will I have too spend some money on a soft rebuild or something like it? Is 57,000 on a 96 c220 a sign that the car had problems and just wasn't driven enough because it was in shops or is it bad to have a car with that low miles because it was probably sitting around for too long- not too good for the car. I am 20 years old and am in college, so I don't have a lot of money to spend on repairs. Need something thats reliable. Are these cars reliable in general? About how much should I expect to spend on maintenance/ repairs in a year? All 3 are at an auction so I can't ask owners any questions since I don't know who the owners are. Help me make a wise decision... Thanks guys... Any input would be appreciated1

 

I would not tell you to not buy any them they should all be fine but if ur worried about costs a Mercedes is not for you. I am also 20 and in college but i am able to spend money freely not that Mercedes need fixing alot but parts arent cheap and if u cant do it yourself labor is certainly not cheap. And since you did not give the price of any of them i cant really give u an opinon. But assuming there prices are closely aligned with there mileage differences get the c280 for the more options and the 6-cly power. Yes a Mercedes is very reliable 220 or 280 but so is a Honda or Toyota and they will be priced a whole lot less.

 

Remember that mileage is always relative to how well the car was maintained. You cannot assume that because the mileage is low, that the car had problems and was not driven. I just bought my 1995 C280 with 188,000 miles on it from a dealer auction. Buy any car from an auction is a real risk because as you said, you do not know the history of the car. But for me, the price I got the car for was worth the risk. I go to auctions regularly and have seen cars with 300,00+ miles drive better than newer cars with 30,000. Remember, maintenece is always the key factor. Drive the car, test it out, examine the fuilds and body then make your judgement.

 

I always say that the Mercedes is the J. Lo of the auto industry. It is the best, requires the best, and takes some money to maintain.

 

They are both right. That is y i say that if u will be straped for money maybe u should buy a Benz later in life. And also please dont be buying the Benz just as a status symbol by it cause it is an engineering masterpiece. Another rule is a cheap Benz in the begining maybe more costly in the future but i that is true with any brand.

 

... and has a big ***?

 

I guess that all depends on the model. lol