This summer I've been on the hunt for another car to put in my driveway. It has become a hobby of mine to search Craigslist to find the bottom of the barrel listings that the used car market has to offer. I pay particular close attention to Geo Metros, Ford Crown Victorias and also the legendary sedans and diesel-engined vehicles that were produced by Mercedes when the brand was known for exceptional engineering and enduring quality. These are all vehicles that I am open to adding to my life for various reasons, as you can see from the eclectic nature of my tastes, I am a car enthusiast who appreciates every end of the spectrum that automotive engineering has to offer.

I already have two amazing hybrid vehicles in my driveway from Japanese manufacturers. If I want reliability and efficiency, I have it.
So, this summer I began looking for something else. I felt like either a diesel engine or a V8 would hit the spot, I was also willing to settle for something in a convertible configuration - so to expand my horizons I also began monitoring listings for Mercedes coupes and convertibles, ideally one with a diesel engine that would check off all of my boxes of curiosity.
This summer, I found that the Ford Crown Victoria market was saturated with semi-refurbished auction-bought Crown Vics from resellers who have had the same listings for their overpriced Crown Vics up for somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 months to a year.
I saw that the rise in fuel prices put the cost of Geo Metros well beyond their value.


Rather than being a victim of the circumstances derived by market conditions I decided to look into purchasing my dream car. The Mercedes S-Class sedan, particularly the W220 generation. I saw that this vehicle is very much within my grasp.

"They're cheap, but they're expensive"- San Francisco 7-Eleven clerk on NYE 2018 ... in reference to a small package of Tate's Cookies


It's official, after 28 years of life on this planet, I am officially a Benz owner. A W220 S500 in the very same color as the one that fascinated me so very much when I saw on the showroom floor of the Kia dealership that my father was getting his car serviced at. The Kia was under it's famous 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty . . and my father was making great use of it, but in the meanwhile I would be exploring the showroom floor annoying the sales representatives to let me into the black Mercedes S500


Well I've finally caught up with my dream car . . . 20 years later. The price I got it for shall not be repeated at this time. too many prejudices and connotations to go along with that so I will just keep it like this . . I am happy with my purchase and have already gotten great enjoyment in the vehicle as I near my first 500 miles in it within 3 days of purchase (much more costly to drive than my other vehicles, but much more comfortable)

Anyway . . I digress. I came back to the computer a few times while typing that so I don't expect that blurb to make it past the editors room but long story short I will be using my new ownership status as an opportunity explore my enthusiasm for the vehicle while also experimenting with automotive journalism and automotive media. I've started the page BargainBinBenz on both YouTube and Instagram to document the experience. In the meanwhile I will also be utilizing this forum for all of the wisdom and insights available on the W220 S-Class. Keeping this vehicle on the road will take diligence and responsibility, but it will be a valuable experience and rewarding process.

Thank you for your time
@BargainBinBenz