looking at buying a second car for six people; already own an odyssey. perhaps we should buy a used pilot, but I’ve always wanted a mercedes wagon. this one has 130,000 miles on it, has had one owner, and for $4,000, I am tempted. anyone own one and have an opinion you’d like to share? thanks.
can you afford (money and downtime) to repair it? That’s the big question. Mercedes aren’t going to be cheap to repair, and one that old is going to break. If this is a second car, and you’ll have the ability to plunk down some change to repair it, and you really like the car, then I’d go for it. If this is going to need to be dependable transportation that has to be cheap to maintain and fix, then I’d give up on Mercedes altogether.
For a hobby car, sure. For a car to carry 6 people any distance, I’m just happy not to be one of them!
1989 safety (even MB safety) is not 2000+ safety.
And I can’t imagine 6 people being comfortable.
Buy a used Pilot. Or another Odyssey. You’ll be much better off.
I had a great 1973 MB 280SEL 4.5 that looked like a cold war staff car. Keep in mind cars of this era have no ABS, airbags, ESP, traction control, etc. They are fun weekend cars to go cruising with friends but are NOT daily drivers.
These cars are much simpler than their modern Mercedes counterparts and somewhat easier to maintain. The price for this one, in my opinion, is too high, though. The straight 6 engine is reliable and the car is comfortable on long trips. Parts can be expensive. I know someone with a 1992 300TE with 240,000 miles and few repairs.
I have been driving a 1992 300E (sedan version of the same car) for 14 years now, and overall it’s been a good car. Two other relatives who used to have 300E’s of similar years have also had great service from them. If you choose to proceed, make sure that you 1. Get a pre-purchase inspection and 2. Find a good independent MB mechanic.
If your budget is $4000, that won’t buy a Pilot that you would want to own. I mention this because you offered a price for the Benz. You can buy a newer Mercedes, but just be aware that it will have to be several years older than a Pilot to match the price. That means age and mileage related maintenance and repairs will happen sooner on the Benz.