joekitch

i know that, for example, the bmw e46 and e39 are pretty much known back to front at this point, any electrical gremlin has well known fixes that usually dont involve a dealer. the internal programming is also well known so anything that would normally require dealers for their software can be done DIY.
there are also DIY fixes to just about everything.

is the w211 the same?
or do most w211 owners just run to the dealer at the slightest squeak?
i'm big on maintaining my stuff and i'm interested in an 05 or 06 e500, or possibly e320 cdi....but not if it cant maintain it

Plutoe

I would go for the E320 CDI, all you have to do is read a one page front, large font description of the cars systems/functions and diagnostics and you will be able to accomplish everything---reading your post, I'm guessing all you will need to do that is maybe twelve minutes!!

joekitch

err, i doubt i can fix any potential problem and do all possible maintenance from a single page of information. maybe if it was an electric golf cart

65aircooled

Go for it! I own a 2005 E320 CDI and do my own maintenance. I don't find it to be intimidating and if you know your way around the tool chest (which you seem to) then you won't wave a problem. Do read about the SBC brakes (up to 2006) on the w211 CDI so it does not get you by surprise after the purchase. If it fails after the extended 10 year warranty, it could get very expensive. I knew about it when I bought mine, I decided it was not enough to shy me away from the CDI, and that's what I craved. My second option was a bluetec but I still favor the straigth 6/5 speed over the V6/7 speed.
If/when buying, pay atention to the High Pressure fuel pump located at the very front of the engine. They tend to develop a leak, it is a cheap fix but quite a PITA to get to despite its location. Sniff around the engine bay for diesel and look closely for damp areas around/under the pump. Seems like a fairly common problem that is shared with CUMMINS and DURAMAX which use the same pump.
Other than that, front lower ball joints also seem to been a fairly common issue.
I don't know/havent read much about electrical gremlins. The EGR valve (I believe a 2005 only) tends to get filled with soot and fails, throwing the car into limp mode. Soem people get it replaced with the updated version and get the computer software updated (dealwer only) I took it appart and cleaned/lubed it and it is working fine.
All of the above issues except for the SBC which I still have a year left on the warranty I had to tend to with my car, the worst being the HP pump which took me about 3 1/2- 4 hrs from start to finish and I was really taking my time.
The car is very confortable and rides nice, a bit "floaty" for my taste but that can be fixed with HD shocks. The torque is amazing, and despite the normal diesel lag, I find this car to have too much power, which is extremely enjoyable

beemer guy

Maybe I'm just showing my age...

..but it cracks me up a little when I read a post like the OP here, who does bother to capitalize DIY but doesn't bother to capitalize the first word in a sentence, or use apostrophes. I wonder if it's just those young folks being used to their phone's autocorrect feature, and then when they have to use a big-boy keyboard, all bets are off.

sorry.

Anywho, to answer the question, I'd suggest that there will be more information and assistance available for the gas engine cars rather than the diesel, simply because there are so many more of them. From what little I've seen in my research and short ownership experience, it seems like there is less information available on the Mercedes than the BMW simply because they seem to be a bit more reliable and have fewer "they all do that" issues.