Hmmm, my doorpanel says 4200 and change. Thanks t.
astro, two areas where Benz has traditionally not been as strong are in the radio and AC. This certainly was true in my case, although they might have made ammends since. BTW, I bought mine used as well but from a reputable dealer and I go to a great german mechanic, certainly not a MB dealership. Minor and major preventative maintenance checks are recommended around every 15 and 30,000 miles, running roughly $300 and $600 respectively.
Don’t buy anything until you run the car through edmunds.com (for actual price), carfax.com (vehicle history report) & also read info at carbuyingtips.com
For the additional 8 grand, you’ll get a hell of a log more car
Ignore the post above…
My belief is that you will get more car for the money if you buy the benz. All of the technological advancements, creature comforts, smooth ride, etc. are all there. It’s really a question of what kind of car you see yourself driving in. Go to the site that I mentioned above and you’ll be able to get a lot more information about the car and what to expect from people that own them.
I’m not 100% certain about this, but I don’t think I’d be too far off the mark when I say that the resale value on the Merc will be reasonably higher than what you could expect if you were to sell the Honda.
Yes, a 40,000 mile Merc is a baby. You wouldn’t believe the number of Mercs with waaay over 150k on the odometer running around all over the world.
Real world advantage to owning a Merc? Better service from the doorman/valet, maybe? 
Fuel economy.
'nuff said.
I can’t find a 1998 Mercedes 420E at edmunds.com, are you sure this is the specific model?
There is a 320 & a 230 & some other ones, so which one is it?
List:
http://www.edmunds.com/used/1998/mercedesbenz/index.html
My advice: stay AWAY from Used M-B cars-they will suck your wallet dry. in addition, all german cars suffer from electrical problems, which are hard and expensive to diagnose. for example-my brother has a 500 S-class diesel sedan: in three years, he has spent over $8,000 on repairs! The power door locks failed, due to a short circuit in a relay which was buried deep within a door. Cost to repair: $978.00! You can get a good deal on a used M-B, but be sure to have the car checked out by a competent mechanic. If there is ANY indication of a problem (i.e. overheating, electrical problem, then RUN, don’t walk, away from the car!
You will also find that M-B airconditioners are very poor-they break a lot and don’t cool the air properly-soif you live in a hot area, this should be a consideration.
Glad I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Repairs are very expensive on nicer cars. If that’s not a problem, then go for the Merc.
I drive a rather high end car, and you have to be ready to keep a straight face at the service dept!
So buy it with the maintence package & guarantee. Then they have to keep a straight face 