frogman

I am looking for an older sedan to buy as a seconde car. The vehicle will be driven short distances during the week to and from work and maybe out to dinner on the weekends.

I am looking to spend 5K so that limits me to a mid to late 80's sedan.

I am not sure which way to go either the 300D or 300E. I am concerned with longevity and reliability. I do not mind spend money on good preventative maintenance.

I need advice concerning pro and cons of each model and things to look for when buying one of these older models.

Thank You

george

davis449

In my opinion the pre 2000 models are the best to buy and the late 80´s models will certainly stand up to a lot of miles. My aunt had an 1987 260E and she drove is 280,000 miles before she got rid of it. The only reason she got rid of it was becuase she really wanted a new car, it was in almost perfect condition. If I were you I would go with the 300E. I saw one rolling around yesterday, looked like an older model and it was in very good condition and it was very comparable to my C 280.

mleskovar

"I am concerned with longevity and reliability."
Go for the diesel. Maintenance records are very important to see with the diesel. Is diesel readily available to you?

davis449

I will agree with mleskovar on the diesel longevity thing, but I, personally, would go with the gasoline powered one just because performance is better, and you'll probably thank yourself for it later when you actually have to get on it in traffic. Also, my aunt's was a gasoline powered late 80's Mercedes and like said, it went 280,000 with ease.