Good Morning All,

Obviously (by the name) you can see that I do not currently own a Mercedes Benz. I am a Volvo owner. However, Volvo quality has declined significantly over the last decade and they are now owned by the Chinese. For these reasons I will not buy anymore Volvos.

I would like to spend no more than $25,000 on a new (to me) car. I was hoping some of the members of this forum could advise which of the Mercedes models would be good purchases. Reliability and maintenance costs are far more important to me than options and style (remember I drive a Volvo). The car must be a sedan but I have no other requirements.

I am an Engineer and I do work on my own vehicles when possible.

I would like to hear from the mechanics out there.

Thanks in advance.

CT

 

I read your message and thought to myself.... I think i can guide this person in the right direction.I have been a Technician for many years,I have worked at VW,Toyota,Oldsmobile,and Best of All.... Ford.I understand you are looking to purchase a Mercedes Benz and not a Ford.I own both because from a Mechanics perspective i have a pretty good idea of what is quality and what is not.If you are looking for a Mercedes Benz that is made of quality and will give you years of reliable service,then i can make only a suggestion,based on my knowledge and likes.Example;i recently purchased a 1991 Mercedes Benz 350 SDL.This was the last year of this particular sedan bodystyle,and in my opinion,"The Last of the Well Built German Automobiles".This car is very simple,and very dependable.Very few electronics.Just the basics.It is a Turbo-Diesel,so it will get good fuel mileage,with low maintenance.You should get approx.300k-500k from the engine, before any major repairs have to be done,providing that all the service intervals are adhered to.I can go on and on,so i will stop here.If you have any questions or disagreements,please feel free to contact me. Cheers M8