So my trusty Kia finally died recently, gents. Now in the market

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>>14842944
>kia
>trusty

And to answer your question, it all depends on how mechanically independent you are. Mercedes past warranty require TLC, as I'm sure you know.

>>14842950

I work in an aircraft hangar, so I can make use of that to do simpler mechanical jobs. What sort of problems are common in these cars?

There's also a 2004 Subaru TS wagon for somewhat cheaper. Mileage is a little higher. Any thoughts?

I cave a W124 with the same M111 engine.
Its not fast, but its reliable.

At that age, brake pads/rotors and shocks will likely soon need to be replaced if they haven't already.

They're good reliable cars. All they need is regular maintenance.
Brakes are very easy to do in these cars. So are shocks.

If you are in Northen Europe, check for rust. They rust usually under the plastic panel things on the sides of the doors, and near the radio antenna, and under the aftermarket chrome trim if it has any.
The underside is well protected by a plastic tray.

>>14842944
W124 and 126 are the last good (affordable) Mercedes. The recent ones are good too but are much more expensive. Mercedes quality took a dive from 97 to the mid-late 00s

>>14842944
Rust. Rust fucking everywhere.

>>14842944
Good experience with W202 Kompressors, they'll do you good. Just be careful when buying from a place that snows unless you're looking for a beater

>>14844547
Never had a problem with my OM648 W211 except for the oil cooler seals leaking oil into radiator.

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I'm looking at the ad... its a 1997 and should be facelifted, but only the interior is. The outside is pre-facelift

>>14842985
NA market ones are better than the EU ones, as they were not given the water based paint that was the biggest cause of the rust problems that these suffer from. Still, rust can be an issue at that age, and it typically begins in certain places

>front bumper
Check where the front bumper meets the wheelarches
>hood
Check around the area where grille meets hood
>wheelarches
All of it
>side
Around the small trimpieces, door edges and around doorhandles. Also check the top of the roofline for clear coat flaking
>rear hatch
Around the plastic trim piece that houses the license plate lights, the lower edge of the hatch itself and around the key cylinder
>boot
The entire floor of the boot, and especially around the battery and under it

Not that many common issues caused by wrong design. If its a 1997 then it will not have the shitty eco wiring a lot of these were given, so that should be safe. Watch out for rotted hoses, rotted vacuum tubes and similar things.

The underside of a 1997 is usually quite well protected from rust due to good coating and plastic protection for the canals, but even so I'd suggest checking the control arms for cracks and rust

All in all, they are good cars. The engine in it is a reliable engine that'll last you a long time with proper service, from the ad I found it looks quite clean although being a low options model.

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>>14842944
i bought a W124 (2,5 Liter Diesel) about 4 months ago and did more than 5000 kilometers with it until now. i bought it for 1800€.

had 309000 when i bought it, at ~314000 now. i dont know about the "newer" ones and not about the gas ones either, but seeing youre from the states i think a W124 would be a good choice since they are insanely reliable and i can do 170 km/h (GPS) with mine too.

i use 6.5 liters of diesel for 100 kilometers when i commute with 100-140 kmh, and 7.2 liters when i do a median of 150-170.

so yeah id not but this one, id get an a little older diesel one. pic related, what mine looks like.

>>14844606
Mighty I need to ask...

My SLK's gearbox started slipping today so I took it in for a checkup....My question is:

Once the gearbox starts slipping for whatever reason is it possible for it to come out without needing a rebuild? What are my chances it just needs its ATF replaced and it'll be good to go?

>>14844669
If it's slipping, fluid changing won't do a thing, that means something somewhere is bad, be is clutches/bands inside the transmission, or the torque converter if automatic, bad solenoids, plugged up galleys etc. Once a trans has issues, chances are it's time for a rebuild and not worth risking a possible temporary fix.

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>>14844669
The general thing is that the longer the problem goes on for the more wear you'll put on it. If it has just started and it goes away with no issue after having the fluid replaced then its probably gone alright, but there is no guarantee.

Hell, might not even be the missing fluid. Could be a clogged filter, bad electrical connectors and so on.

How many miles/kilometres?
Also, have you checked the dipstick? Not sure if yours has it as I haven't done anything outside of brakes and rust on an SLK, but if it does then it'll have one like pic related. Mind you, these are one-time use only so that the dealerships could tell if someone had been fucking around with their gearbox themselves and trying to claim warranty

>>14844752
No dipstick,apparently it was made during a time were Mercedes said it would be good for the life of the car.

Car currently has 155000km and everything else is going strong,just the slipping while hot that suddenly happened today.

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>>14844642
>i can do 170 km/h (GPS) with mine too.
I've done close to 200 km/h in mine and the engine was absolutely screaming but, it felt like it had some power left. Took half a minute to get there from 80km/h if not more.

I think 80-90km/h is the ideal cruising speed. Maybe yours is geared differently.

I've driven a W124 with OM605 aswell, and its supposed to be faster but I didn't feel much of a difference.

>>14844814
i drive the 5 speed manual if that makes any difference. i dont like getting him higher than 165-170, the engine gets loud then.

>>14842944
>Buying anything post obdii from mercedes
It's like you want to get analed.

Get a cheap LS400 and call it a day or get an older Mercedes like the W124.

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>>14844821
5 speed for me too.
I know the engine can handle sustained high revs but I prefer to keep it around 2k rpm for better fuel economy.

I've never driven an automatic. But from what I've been told they basically only use three gears. First gear is only used if you floor the pedal from dead stop.

Previous picture is the strut mount. Broke in two after hitting a speed bump. Didn't even notice until a week later.
This one is the seat removed for a good cleaning. Found plenty of change under there.

>>14844896
>I know the engine can handle sustained high revs
so you think driving with 150 constantly is not a prob?

>gents
>classier

May I suggest a p71, milord?

>>14844911
Definitely not. It can handle 150km/h all day
150km/h is precisely where 4th gear tops out at almost 5k rpm, so 5th gear will still have a lot to go.

If you shift into 5th at 150km/h you'll probably be somewhere around 3k rpm.

>>14844814
>>14844990
those are truly glorious cars arent they. i bought mine not really thinking much about it but i started to really love that car.

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>>14844758
Hm... well, kits for replacing the fluid, gaskets, seals and filter aren't expensive, and the job isn't hard. Its worth a shot unless you wanna try taking the entire case out and getting it properly open to check for wear and damage

Can you see any leaks/signs of leaks?

>>14845005
>i bought mine not really thinking much about it but i started to really love that car.

Same here. I was given my first one by my grandfather. He showed up with it one day and told me it was mine. .
Its Diamond blue, with 37k km on the clock, a power sunroof, and almost every option available including, central lock, power mirrors on both sides, and power windows on the door locks, and AMG style alloy wheels. Basically in brand new condition too.

But at the time I never appreciated it for what it was
I drove it one single time for less than 2 km and just laid it up in the garage never to touch it again.

Two years later my grandfather dies. And a month after that I see a black/grey 250D for sale. For reasons I don't know, I immediately asked to view it, and bought it on the spot without an ounce of hesitation.

From the moment I step into it, it seems made for me.

>>14846661

Everything from the way you can rest your arm on the armrest and still be able to effortlessly change gears using two fingers, to the fact the parking brake is down near the pedals, which leaves room for the window controls around the gear lever.
I love how don't have to take your hand off the steering wheel in order roll down the window, or move the passenger mirror.
And the big wide center mirror that allows me a perfect view of everything behind me.
And the stubby passenger mirror that is small enough to pass trough narrow spaces without slowing down to a crawl..

I love the position of, and amount of travel of the gas pedal has, and how precisely the clutch disengages, and how perfectly matched the gearing is to the engine.
How the seats seemed hard at first but ended up being extremely comfortable on long journeys.

I love the way I can take a roundabout at 100km/r with out even squeal from the tyres, or how it can go down bumpy country roads at high speeds while the body dips and rolls smoothly like a 2cv to keep the passengers comfortable.

I love the feel of the engine and how smooth it is for a Diesel. Someone here described it as a "Ship engine" and he was 100% right.

I came to appreciate how easy it is to work on. Two dowel pins for the brake pads.
No spring compressors needed to replace the shocks - just a floor jack and a stand.
How easy it is to take the door panels apart and not break any stupid clips.

I don't know why it took me so long to realize what my grandfather had given me but when I finally did, it brought me to tears.
I feel like a worthless piece of shit for it not appreciating it.
Even now I can't bear to look directly at it. I'm filled with regret every time I see it.

I wish I could tell him how much I appreciate it.
But its too late now. I won't ever get that chance.