[singpilot]

I bought a '00 C230K for my S/O. It was used, had 77k on it, and with the exception of a problem we inheirited (fixed by the seller) it has been flawless. It has 175k on it now. Paid $4500 for it, was a great move. The problem was a light miss at idle and a dead cyl in any hot ambient temp. My independant guy said the coils (buried in the head valley under a cover) take the heat badly (this had been a Palm Springs car). It cost the seller $190 for the parts, and an hour of my guys time ($95.).

The seller told me it was why he had sold the car. We change oil (syn)religiously, and I follow the rest of the maint. sched as well. Does 21MPG at 80 on the freeway, and 17-ish around town.

When she's happy, I am happy. She has been taking my Prius lately, mainly because of the mileage it gets when the fuel was $3. there for a while. It is 71 miles each way when she has to go in (2 days a week).

I have had a string of older (pre 1986) MB's. All great as well.

Obviously YMMV.