I always was a fan of this vehicle. Still looks great.

Try MBWorld, great forum!

 

I owned one for a little over a year. It's a stately and classy car that not a lot of younger people appreciate. However, in the US the 430 and up models come with the AMG wheel kit which gives a noisy and rough ride despite the typically gentle MB suspension. Watch the alignment especially with the AMG staggered wheels...if it's off, it will chew through summer tires in 8k miles. Also check for any catalytic converter noises...they are known to fail at an abnormal rate, which is ridiculous.

Also, 2 spark plugs per cylinder, so if you're not going to DIY, expect a spark plug service to be well over $1k for a V8 model. Other maintenance is still typical of MB--expensive and strict. Overall I liked it, but I sold it to get a purer sports car.

Benzworld and MBworld have a lot of helpful tips and tricks, including pointing me to online stores where I could get parts without the usual mark-up at service depts. and mechanics.

 

I dont mind spending on service, i wouldn't be looking into the cars i do if i had just enough money for the car but not running them, which unfortunately a lot of people do

 

My cousin has a 430, 2001 IIRC, he's the second owner and it literally has had no problems. He just does the routine maintenance stuff and it's been a great car for him.