I like to know some info about Mercedes maintenance costs and the ups and downs of owning a Mercedes.
Which Mercedes Class is good?
I really like this car.
http://fortbendtoyota.com/Vehicle.aspx?v=2805103
I know Max will know all this info.
Well MB is a peculiar car brand... they had horrific quality issues from the late 90s to the mid 00s.
I personally wouldn't own a MB from 98-05.
Now the new C class is nice, but not as nice as the competition esp when it comes to the interior. It looks awefully cheap.
The C350 has about 270hp if memory serves me right... so it trails behind the Lexus IS350, the G37 Infiniti and the BMW 335i.... by quite a margin.
Yet it is also fairly cheap 2nd hand... and has an awesome 7 speed automatic! I wouldn't buy one new... but a slightly used one is a pretty good deal. That cars engine/transmission should be easily good for 150k miles and if you maintain it well, well past that. Even given the MB quality issues (in the past) their engines/transmissions are/were very solid.
I would shy away from SLs, they are the best deal on any used car out there... 120-140k car can be had for 30-40k with less than 50k miles....
#1 thing to watch out for is the suspension or as MB calls it ABC (active body control)
Very prone to failing even early on (20-30k miles) and a trip to the dealer will cost you at least 1k any time you go in, and 2-3k if they actually fix something of "value".
If I was shopping for a good MB used car, I would get a E63AMG, even though an E55 is faster it is also more prone to issues.
Also the S class is dirt cheap and the "lower end models" S430 or S500 don't have ABC. They are an amazing value...