Recommendations for reliable years, etc.
 

Hi all - forum newbie here. I have my third kid on the way and need to pick up a sedan with room for 3 car seats across the back. I'm looking for a used S-class for its combination of relative technological advancement, style (of course) and comfort. One big area I need more information on is reliability (and to a lesser extent, cost of parts). My budget is somewhere under $10k, either for a decent rolling model or one that could be brought up to decent shape with some post-purchase work. I already have another daily driver that won't fit all the seats, so this would be more of an on-demand car and one that I would likely do most of the maintenance on (middlin' shadetree mechanic). Anyone have input on specific years to avoid/covet? Any lessons-learned stories or links also appreciated!

On a more practical note, are there S-class years that either don't have a 3rd center seatbelt or have a center bolster that's too high to be used with a car seat?

Thanks,
ski