Opinion sought

Buy the Toyota, you'll have more than enough to do without messing about with the troubles of an old car.

Old cars are cheap for a reason - they need work and that means either your time (DIY) or your money - there's no free lunch.

Yes, they are reliable if well maintained, but you can't expect it to be trouble free with the age you are looking at. They do drive very nice and the diesel engine is know for its longevity if it has been maintained.

I had much rather drive an older Mercedes and deal with the quirks than a Toyota, but that's my personal opinion.

The problem is I yawn when I look at Toyota cars... you're likely correct though.

I would really like a diesel, though there are few newer substitutes on the market. I really detest VW I have owned 2 both were terrible so that is out of the question. Plus, I am 6'4" and need a roomy car. There sure is a lot of room in the 300D.

Don't worry, when the baby arrives you'll be yawning at the Benz too ;)

Ximinez

A child-seat does take up one passenger space, no matter how roomy. But the wife says she feels safer that the family is in a Mercedes rather than a Toyota. So that was one consideration for getting an older MB.

One "advantage" is that they also usually don't have airbags, which aren't so good with child-seats.

*DO* get it checked by an independent workshop before deciding. I'm sure the others here would be happy to recommend one in your area.

Which part of Canada are you in? Diesels are much harder to start in the cold if not in tip-top condition. Also, the heating systems may act up at that age.

It is rear-wheel drive, and most Toyotas front-wheel drive, like the Escort, so depends who is driving, and whether the different handling will cause a problem.

Cheers, WS

I think this is flawed thinking. The used car in question has an excellent probability of having a very good longevity factor. If you buy a new car, you have higher insurance costs, and you are either paying more interest to finance the car or you are not getting a return on your investments if you were to pay cash.

New cars are not maintenance free, especially the Japanese cars. When you look at the amount scheduled maintenance costs (timing belts every70k miles etc.) you would probably spend less to maintain the Benz diesel than you would for the beer can.

Most Canadian cars. gas or diesel, come with engine block heater that they must plug in during the winter... otherwise, they just can't start it.

If you are serious about MB, then I highly recommend you have that car inspected by MB specialist BEFORE you buy it.

Check all service record... make sure all the fuel lines are all changed... Tranny is very important... if they changed it not too long ago, it is a plus only if it is running properly... responsive and all.

I own a W124 and I love it. I am still working out the quirks... but I am almost there. Diesel engine is more reliable and less maintenance than gas... The W124 are probably one of the most reliable of all MB series... good balance of electronics and not overloaded with complexities... simple basic car.

I'm with TG on this one. The car under consideration is 16-20 years old with 135K KM on it. At that age and mileage, you can expect considerably more maintenance issues than you would have with a new Toyota. If you buy it with that understanding and are prepared to deal with it as necessary, they can be a good purchase. A good example is buying one as a second car.

However if you don't have the time or skill to do some of the repairs yourself, can't be without the car while it's being repaired somewhere else, don't have a second car, etc. then this type of car may not be for you.

Also, the issues of diesels in cold temps is a valid one. Depending on how the car is being used, the need for a block heater in winter may rule it out. .

I live in Vancouver so cold is never a problem.

I bought the 2002 E-320 from a dealer in Spokane, WA. They provided a CarFax on the car. Even if your seller doesn't offer one you can get one free CarFax report from:

I bought one after 50 years of wondering should I or not. I guess I did the right thing, this 2002 is the epitimy of design and reliability as far as I'm concerned.

PLUS, MB's warrantee and road service is the best I've ever heard of.

James

Thanks for the help The best car for me would be the wagon though these seem to be very scarce. At this point it is between a 1997 Toyota Rav4, and a 1991 Mercedes 300D. Or something else???

I wish I could source a MB 300TD wagon here in Vancouver (with moderately low Km.

I have a 2005 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4X4 TRD offroad for my other vehicle so if the MB went to the shop there would be a substitute.

Was the W124 available in Canada?

The 1991 300D is a W124.

Yes, W124 was available in Canada. Just keep looking until you found one. I don't know the consequences of bringing US car into Canada.

If the car is more than (I believe but not totally sure) 20 years old then you just drive it across the border more or less.

cheers

ps it may be 25 years old

I *thought* I saw the reference here before, and googled. Here it is from Richard Sexton's site:

15 years. Which is just about right for a 1990-1991 W124 :-)

IMO, plenty of nice 300D (not wagons?) to be found in the US too.

Cheers, WS

Whoops,

Don't forget to read the other links too:

http://buy> Guenter Scholz wrote:

We have 6 of these old benzes and I second that.

cp