Indeed.
Update: Today I personally inspected[1] a 1992 300D (not sure of any sub-models, but it had a turbo). 198k miles, but according to the wear on the mats and pedals, it looks to be almost entirely highway miles.
Current owner says he bought it from a woman who used it almost entirely for highway driving back in 2001, and intended to ship it down to Uruguay, where he lives for a few months out of the year (gas is expensive and diesel is cheap there). Turns out that shipping is quite expensive, and one would need to pay an import tax based on the Uruguayan sale price, which is nearly double that here in the US.
According to him, he's only put about 3k miles on it since he bought it, as he drives a Volkswagen around a lot more. Car's been garaged with a cover for all that time. He says the previous owner also kept it garaged.
Body is in incredible condition, with only a few very minor dents (but no associated paint scratching or cracking -- no signs of impact either) and scuffs on the plastic of the bumper. Far less than I'd expect for a
13 year old car.Interior looks really great too. Only problems I noted here were that the ABS light was on (seller said he'd investigate and have it repaired if necessary before the sale), and a small crack in the fake-wood trim right by the ignition, as if someone missed the keyhole with the key. As long as the ABS works, the little plastic bit doesn't concern me much. Hardly a deal-breaker -- are these pieces available on eBay? Could one just secure them with adhesive after removing the old one? All electrical, rubber, and other parts I could readily access look to be great. Lights are bright, with no flickering. Everything looks solid. The only odd things was that the oil-pressure gauge kept going between 1 and 3 depending on if I was pushing on the gas or not (is that normal?) and that the temperature gauge seemed a bit low, (~60C), even after 15 minutes on a test drive.
Engine looks to be incredibly good. No signs of being steam-cleaned, or otherwise made to appear better than it is. Normal grit and grime from an engine compartment is present, but things look clean. Hoses are supple, engine sounds good (though has a sort of metallic ticking noise when running, which I believe is normal for diesels). Transmission was smooth, and handled cruising (with and without cruise control, which worked) and strong, higher-rev acceleration on onramps. I didn't want to goose this guy's engine too hard, as it /is/ his car, but it seems to have sufficient performance for my need. He also had European-style headlights (which I like better) installed fairly recently, for reasons unknown. My friend says that it may appear that the hood had been repainted at some time, possibly by the previous owner [he made no mention of there being any trouble with the hood, even when asked specifically about any front damage]. No big deal, as it's a really professional job, if it was in fact repainted.
Externally, the tires and wheels look great -- plenty of tread, and it's the eight-hole wheels, which look really good on this car and color (dark grey finish, with lighter gray interior). Very professional looking. Suspension seems to work well -- one hardly notices cornering, and speed bumps feel smooth and barely noticeable. Definitely has a luxury car feel to it.
The guy wants $8,500, but he said he's willing to deal, and is willing for my mechanic to examine it. I can probably talk him down to $5-6k, which seems a bit more reasonable.
I like to consult with my father as a mentor in things involving Large Sums of Money. He says that having 198k on it is too much, and that it's going to fall apart at the seams. I didn't get a feeling for that at all
-- everything seemed to be in top-notch working order. It sure looks that with regular maintenance the car could definitely make it another
200k, but I'll leave that to the qualified judgement of my mechanic, who has a great knack for estimating such things.Then again, my dad says that if someone offered him the exact same Toyota Avalon he owns today, with 100k miles, service records, service performed at regular intervals, he wouldn't take it simply because of the miles on it, even if offered for a reasonable price. My folks are very much in the "buy something new" category, and rarely if ever buy used anything.
As an econ major way back in college, and as a marketer for 27 years, I trust my dad (and my mother, who also was an econ major and a VP at a major bank for several years) with financial information and decisions. Neither of them are remotely mechanically inclined, and certainly not familiar with cars. Thus, they tend to immediately reject things they don't understand.
It's my impression that Mercedes diesel engines can run in excess of
400k if maintained regularly. This car appears to be an exceptionally high-quality vehicle (and I like the 1992 body more than the 1980s-type bodies), even with 198k miles on the clock.I have a few pictures, and can make them available upon request.
Any comments, anything in particular for to be concerned about with the
1992 series of diesels? This one has a distinctive luxury-car feel about it, and seems to be running well.Thanks again to all for your help.
[1] And brought a friend who's more knowledgeable about such things. Two pairs of eyes, and all...