Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I think that as a sturdy wagon, an MB would be a wonderful car. Alas, if Im going to get a ga$$er, I might as well get a 530i or xi wagon, which I can get with MT.
Have you actually tried looking for a 5-series wagon with a stick? Man, you'd have a better bet finding a P2 Volvo with a MT. There were precious few of these made.
I've heard about the W210 rust issue,but that really not a concern for me. Cars really don't rust here, and I have no problem with going to CA to buy a car (my last 2 cars came from LA). When I bought the Freestyle, a '02 320 wagon and an '05 FS were the same price. Ultimately, I let anecdote from friends factor in--one had a 320 with a ton of electrical issues, the one with the FS had zero problems. The FS has been awesome for me, but there are times where I'm really envious of people who have easier access to their roof rack...
As far as the TSX wagon, it's a great car until you open the tailgate and realize how much space is consumed by the massive strut towers. No way 3 bikes, 3 people and a slightly annoyed dog will fit inside that car--and that's the benchmark for me.
The W123 wagon certainly must be a fine car. There are 2 of them on my block alone, and I see a reasonable number of them out there--more so than any car of that age. Unfortunately, the stinky hippies around here have driven the price up on them. I missed my window to get one of these on the cheap-that was probably 2-3 years ago.
