first mercedes

The one and only owner should have all the service records and these should come with the car if you buy it. At 7.5K mile oil change interval

- if that's what it is - there should be 20 oil and filter changes - are there? Do a similar check with the transmission.

You basically want to determine if the car was maintained as it should have been, for the basic components will last a long time IF, BUT ONLY IF, they're properly maintained.

If you buy a M-B, find an independent shop to maintain it or learn enough about the car to DIY. Don't take it to a dealer for they always want to sell you something - repair a small oil leak etc. And always, always ask the cost before authorizing work or you'll learn first hand the cost of owning a M-B.

Repairs come in bunches so keep a $2K repair reserve on hand.

Good luck with your quest.

P.S. Look at a few E320s - 24 valve six - unless you really want the extra power of a V-8.

I dunno. My worst car has all the reocrds going back to day 1. In a week of reading them I found all sorts of interesting (not) stuff.

My best car came with no records. But I had somebody who REALLY KNEW that model look at it and they said it was a good one.

Records don't mean a whole lot to me.

I agree that condition is more important then documentation. However, for people that don't feel competent or comfortable evaluating the condition themselves, record do give an indication of how a vehicle was looked after...

Marty

Not mine. Superb records. Lousy car.