Been seeing some threads lately looking for car buying advice, so I'll continue the idea...

My wife and I are looking at getting rid of her Jeep Wrangler. Fun car, but doesn't get used the way it was meant to be, and is small, very impractical. We'd like to save some money in the process, so we're looking for a used European wagon. I'd like to test drive a Volvo 850 wagon, as well as a Mercedes 300TE wagon.

Both these cars are from the early to mid 1990's, and have about 150k miles on them. The price is right for both, but maintenance and replacement parts will be a concern. I know the Mercedes, at least, has a reputation for being built like a tank. Anyone have experience with either of these wagons or their sedan counterparts?

Thanks for the comments.

I wouldn't shy away from either. I have a '98 S70 as a daily driver and love it. I have werked on mostly Euro cars for a living and the biggest issue I have encounterd on Volvos are the brakes go quickly. Benz's go forever especially 300D & TD cars. Last shop I was at we did 3 auto to manual swaps on 300 TD's for customers. Won't go anywhere fast but it will never stop going! Done 2 head gasket jobs on volvos. No big deal, non-interference engine so there are no valve train issues.My opinion is it's down to preference and price. Oh I also took out a deer at about 70 MPH and drove the rest of the way home. Volvo=tough S.O.B.

I had a '92 Volvo 960 wagon as a dd for years that I paid $6000 for with 140,000 = awesome. The 6 cyclinder was strong and more immediately responsive than the 4 cylinder turbos I drove. Volvo has an extra gud undercoat on them that you will be great for OR...just look underneath the rocker panels. Service was always reasonably priced too. Mine got to 210,000 with no major repairs then I was hit from behind: my foot was on the brake and I didn't hit the guy in front of me, the impact bent the whole wagon so I could only open the front passenger door = totaled. The car absorbed the impact as designed. Never had a Benz, almost bought a TD wagon but just got a 1999 Subaru Outback wagon with 124,000 for $7,500 instead because I don't want to use chains on every drive to the snow.

"I know the Mercedes, at least, has a reputation for being built like a tank. " You haven't kept up with the trade mags, have you? MB quality went into the toilet more than a decade ago, and there's not even a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. While the TE isn't as bad as most of the others, it's a far cry from the MBs of the 80s and very early 90s. I work on both MBs and Volvos, and would take the Volvo any time. Well, I would if I couldn't find an Audi. Our A6 quattro wagon ("Avant") gets reasonable mileage, has better seating than almost any car of its class and age, and hasn't had any major problems other than a tranny at 190k. MBs and Volvos often suffer the same tranny problems. If you live where you actually have weather, the AWD is a nice bonus. HTH, The Cap'n

Local MB tech guru said that 83 was the BEST year for turbo diesels. Trouble is, the nice older 300 MB, especially the wagons, are pricey.

Thanks everyone for your comments so far. Cap'n - The years MB I'm looking at are 90-93'. I read comments elsewhere that those years were the last before quality took a dive. What do you think?

I owned a 1983 MB 300TDT Turbo wagon for about 5 years. Just sold it about a year ago and it had 220,000 miles. Still ran strong, but up north, it may have been difficult to start in the winter. Diesels get low compression as they age and get hard to start in cold weather. My car came from South Carolina and didn't have an engine block heater which would have come in handy in the colder Kentucky winters, but it wasn't a problem after I moved to Alabama.

If you look at a 80's Benz wagon, look for rust in the fender areas, rear door bottom, floors, and jack holes. The 80's cars had some issues with HVAC blowers blowing fuses, but there is a reasonable retrofit kit. Also, the HVAC controls were known for going bad. The solder would get brittle and break, but you could re-solder them.

The door locking system is pneumatic and the lines and vacuum pumps can leak air, causing a door or doors to not lock. Not too hard to repair though. The self leveling hydraulic suspension system can be very expensive to repair. When I bought my wagon, the first thing I did was spend $1500 on new accumulators and associated parts.

I also owned several newer gas Benzes with the inline six cylinder that is in the TE's. They are good running engines, but not as smooth as the new V6's. I never had any engine problems with them, however.

My 83 wagon required some money to maintain, but I really enjoyed the car and was able to move a lot of furniture and huge items in it. In the end, it was worth every penny.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

I have a 1983 300 CD TurboDiesel with 400,000+ miles on it. My brother bought

it new and sold it to me. For him and myself it has been a wonderful car. It is

like the energiser bunny, but no pink fur.

I'm on my 3rd volvo wagon in a row. First one had over 300k miles. Second one had 180k when I sold it (nothing wrong with it, just wanted a change:). The 96' has about 160k miles and is the best one of the three, and has cost us the least to maintain. Super comfortable, hauls all my photo gear, and with that 5th cylinder workin' for ya it hauls ass pretty good too.

I'm fortunate to have a really great independent volvo-only shop nearby. Fantastic service over the years. You might check on V & MB shops in your area. Could be important.


Guess I'll be on my 4th wagon before long.



..

Can't help you on the 90s model...but the wife loves her 03 turbo brick......

We have a Volvo '98 S70 T5, it's been a great car, 130K miles on it...just last weekend I installed a new timing belt and water pump (did the pump since I was already there) and exept for an O2 sensor going out at 120K miles no problems...fairly easy to work on (the Chilton manual has a lot to be desired)

car has been up at Thunder Hill race track dishing it out with MR2s and Subis and surprised a few of them

Decent online support....no real comment on the MB's except that when I win the lotto a new CLS 550 will be in my garage

From first hand experience both are great cars, proximity to a maintenance facility that you have a good relationship with is maybe the deiciding factor for you. If both cars are in comparable shape and are priced where you are comfortable then secondary things like colour and how the stereo sounds will come into play. I've put a bit of emphasis on what kind of tires are on a used vehicle, it somehow gave me an indication of where the previous owners head was at. Good luck!

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

Thanks again everyone for your comments. This is good stuff!

FYI as far as I know all of the MB blocks have a prevision for the block heater. I put one on a customers car this past spring and it makes a hell of a difference even here in Va. It is a SON OF BITCH to get the plug out of the block though!! I was on my back with a 3 foot breaker bar and a mapp gas torch heating and pushing with my feet. Fought that POS for close to an hour before it broke loose.