Should I buy this car?

[ckissick]

The wife wants a Mercedes. There's a 2000 MB S-430, with 173K miles. Condition is like new. $3500. Is this a reliable model?

[HardDrive]

Maintenance records? Parts will be $$$.

[Chocaholic]

Exactly. Check with Dennis (speeder). He knows these cars better than almost anyone.

[LWJ]

3500? Don't bother changing oil. That is cheap. (Or, you could look after it and drive it for another 100k)

[McLovin]

I might look shiny, but I can assure you that after traveling 173,000 miles over the past 18 years, mechanically it is far from "like new condition."

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by McLovin

I might look shiny, but I can assure you that after traveling 173,000 miles over the past 18 years, mechanically it is far from "like new condition."

No doubt but back then MB were still making decent cars & at $3,500 there's not a lot invested. (That's not to imply there's anything wrong with the current line up)

For me, these care make a lot of sense. They're cheap, well built and when they break you can actually fix them.
But they only make sense of you're going to DIY most of the maintenance & repairs.

Having said all that I have no idea about the newer V8. I know the M119 is very good but no idea about the M113.

[1990C4S]

Wasn't that the era of terrible paint/rust issues?

[greglepore]

The car before, w140, is more desirable than the w220. Air suspension etc. Expensive and not as well made.

That said, its a lot of car fr 3500.

[slow&rusty]

Originally Posted by greglepore

The car before, w140, is more desirable than the w220. Air suspension etc. Expensive and not as well made.

That said, its a lot of car fr 3500.

Perfectly summarized.
W220 is a sadly unloved S Class.

[SpyderMike]

Maybe it is just me, and the fact that I have worked on only two Mercedes (1989 W124 and 2007 W203 models), but I find that brand to be severely over engineered (read - overly complicated leading to overpriced). You gotta help family though, right?

[sugarwood]

Which Mercedes models considered reliable tanks vs. unreliable crap? ('70-today)

[hcoles]

If you like to DIY and this is considered to be a reliable model and all checks out and you don't mind being worried all the time about it - you will probably be OK and not have to sink a fortune to keep it running. That's a good amount of miles for a car in general. Of course you will find stories of people driving Mercs for 300k miles. You might be better off getting a 3 year old preowned with a big fat warranty.

[greglepore]

To elaborate a bit. I've had 4 Mercedes in the last 15 yrs (E320, S420, S600, SL600). All were wonderful cars in their own way. None were what the average person would consider "reliable". All were remarkably "reliable" for their age and mileage, but so is the modern Lexus, even Subaru (sorta) and Honda (forgetting the V6 tranny).

The deal is this-the basic engine is really pretty good. The ancillary's are excellent, but anything fails with enough miles. Radiators have plastic end caps, everybody's puke with enough miles. Airshocks? 100k is excellent, 1k/corner to fix. Window regulators? All the German ones break, eventually. Yada...

Its a ton of car for 3500. If you are a "car person" and have something else to drive (we've got multiple vehicles per person), its certainly better than a modern C class. But, the annual cost of operation approaches a C class lease and with that you get new car reliability and warranty. You pays your money and takes your choice.

Even as a "car guy" I wouldn't do it with a W220. It was the first post merger vehicle, and Mercedes was struggling in that era to compete with content as found in Lexus, Infinity etal. They lost their focus. They were stung by the incredible w140 predecessor, which cost a billion dollars (!) in 1990 money to develop and sold for 100k in 1990 dollars. I suspect Mercedes lost money on every one they sold in the US market. They were near perfect, but austere. An acquired taste. So, the 220 was an ok car, but not worth the giant hassle that owning an obsolete luxobarge is, unless its really special.

I put a 6k engine in my last w140, that I bought for 5k, because it was my lifetime car until a texting 16 yr old totaled it. I felt like I was bumped by a shopping cart. Bought a 600 coupe, which I'll keep until they bury me in it or someone else destroys it. But your wife? Nah. Unless she's ok with random failures and 3-5k in annual repairs. Yes, a lot of car for 3500. But they are where 944's were 8-10 years ago. Lots of undermaintained inexpensive cars. For the brave only. If your brave enough, a great bargain.

[sc_rufctr]