I was a big consumder of MB's but it was their diesels. My first new one was in 1983 300SD. I think I spent about almost $40k back then for it. So probably close to about $120k in current dollars. I drove, and drove, and drove, that thing. No major issues until the funky vacuum lines for controlling things had an issue at about 90k. It wasn't a major issue, just took a while to troubleshoot. At 150k miles the frames holding the window motor broke on the drivers door and if it had been the motor itself, cheap to fix. The sunroof was still working fine so I used that at tollroads and drive-throughs.
At 200k the AC blower motor worked but while the car was still in motion, the air flowed through. At 250k the stock turbo died. That I actually had rebuilt and was about $900 for it. At 400k the replacement turbo was getting tired but the rear diff died. So I found a junked wagon version with a lower axle ration (numerically higher) and swapped it out. It more than made up for the sagging turbo and made me wish I had done it when the car was fresher. Took a bit of hit on mileage but it didn't matter that much. At 450k the motor was still going good but the turbo wasn't on its last legs. It was basically as non-turbo-diesel at this point but still no major issues. Bought a new house and ended up parking the car at a McD's. At 473k miles, someone actually stole the car. Exterior was in mint condition and the MB-Tex vinyl had held up great. Insurance paid out about 8k for a 20+ year old car.
I had made a bet with my dad that I could get 250k miles out of it without spending over a grand other than routine maintenance hence the reason I didn't fix anything. It was a bet in jest as he thought I was crazy spending that much money on a car. I didn't want to buy some crap box Corolla or equivalent and figured if I could get at least 250k miles, it was more than worth it to me. Sadly the car outlasted my dad but I just keep going on in the spirit of the bet. My goal was to make 500k without any major repairs. Turbos are basically a wear item and I got good service out of them considering I used that car like a pickup truck and towed my jetskis, motorcycles, etc. all over the US. Since that basic 300 diesel motor had been around forever, parts were cheap and donor vehicles plentiful.
For me that MB was one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned, if not the most reliable. Never stranded me anywhere. If my Plaid is even half as good, I'll be ecstatic. As for BMWs, I'll never own another of their cars. I am still ok buying their bikes and my K1600GT has been rock solid over the last 10 years. That bike will never leave the family. The last new BMW cost me about 70% the purchase price of my K1600 when new in out of warranty repairs.
my mercedes c63 coupe was hittin 84k miles... probably more than 5 dashlights came on all at once... several dealtership visits later and over 5k in payments to dealership... still 2 lights will not go away... one bein engine light and other seatbelt light... enjoy ur german engineering under 50k mileage while u can...