Faults:

Three of the windows don't roll up and down.

General Comments:

This car is the total package. Its both sport and luxury. The motor is amazing. It gets 30 miles to the gallon which is great for a I-6 cly. that has a top speed of 160mph. I know the top speed of the car from experience. By the way if you intend on taking yours as fast as I've taking mine. The lines on the highway turn into one solid line at 150mph so don't freak out and let off the throttle.

Faults:

3 glow plugs dead (1 welded into the head!) - replacements £7 each, but tricky to remove.

Signs of rust - check behind the door rubber seals. Mine has been resprayed at some point in the past. A few bubbles here and there, especially around the wheel arches. Nothing major though, just keep on top of it and you'll be fine.

Corroded coolant pipe to rear of engine (feeds heater matrix for cabin warm air) - fixed for now with coolant additive, but will need attention soon. Not a big job really, but difficult to get to. The car has a massive coolant reservoir with an electronic 'low coolant' warning so its easy to keep an eye on.

Front suspension bushes split (tyre wear and faint knocking)

Wheel nuts stuck (poor servicing by last owner, no copperslip used, I warmed the wheels up to remove them)

Leaky diesel spill pipe in head (cheap to replace)

Oil black as ink (7 litres to refill, £15 ish)

Changed all the filters (not expensive, air filter was a fiver)

Power steering fluid slightly low (only available from Mercedes dealers, they won't say which type it is - about £8 a litre)

General Comments:

Its beautiful to drive, really quiet and refined. At speed, you can barely hear the engine which at 75mph is only turning at about 2500 rpm.

Acceleration is brisk, although traction isn't great when the road is greasy. The traction control cuts in a little too enthusiastically for my liking.

Autobox is nice although a little jerky when accelerating hard.

Seats could do with lumbar support, but they're OK.

Headlights are poor - I recommend upgrading the bulbs, as the reach is very limited.

Steering wheel has no height/reach adjustment that I can find.

Window wiper is quite clever, it detects when the car is stationary and automatically changes to intermittent operation, until you move again.

Aside from the above though, I think the car is excellent. It feels very well built, hardly any rattles or squeaks at all. Plenty of cubby-holes to put your things in, although it could do with a better cup holder.

Faults:

Eats tail-light brake bulbs. On average a replacement is due every couple of months. Irritating, but easy and cheap to change yourself.

Left-rear electric window failure at 140,000 Km. Fixed by dealer.

Instrument panel bulb failures at various times. Fixed by dealer.

Apart from the bulb issues, this car has never been a problem (touch wood). Still going strong and is a comfortable cruiser for long journeys. Very large load-carrying capacity.

General Comments:

Car is pretty quick, but is heavy.

Fuel consumption not bad.

4-matic helps in slippery conditions.

Standard equipment not very generous, but true for most German prestige models.

Generous internal room for driver and passengers.