It seems that when I consider the asking price on that Bugatti replica I'm selling ($8500 OBO), I have a lot of options to buy a really good used car.

I was just looking at some of the Mercedes models that can be had in that price range and I'm impressed. I've always wanted one but I thought having a Mercedes that was anything but a basket case would be forever out of my reach. What I'm seeing in the price range I'm looking at are older cars (1995-2004) but well-kept and clean. I can get a really nice older CLK convertible with one of the smaller engine packages for under $8000, it seems.

However, buying such a car would be a major commitment and would come with some unique considerations that I wouldn't have with, say, a 1964 VW Beetle or a low-mileage Smart Fortwo (also available in the same price range).

For starters:

1. I'm poor, and when you're poor and you drive a Mercedes-Benz- even if you paid less for it than the price of a Nissan Versa without AC or hubcaps- you become a target for derision. When you're receiving benefits and you drive a Mercedes, you become a target for harassment and accusations of fraud. And if police observing the neighborhood see that a poor apartment dweller suddenly got their hands on a sleek German car, you're much more likely to be stopped and searched. Someone determined to find fault will not listen if you explain the economics of buying a good, dependable, solidly-made car because all they see is that tristar logo and think that you must have paid for it through theft, fraud, ill-gotten gains, or deception.

2. People who don't know I'm poor will assume I'm rich, which will probably lead to some very awkward situations. On the other hand, it might also give me some respectability and cred as I try to carve my way into an actual profession. It's a car that says "I've got my priorities in order and I don't fool around" (provided, of course, it isn't plastered with decals, lowered until it scrapes asphalt, and fitted with fart mufflers and a wing the size of a 747's rear elevator).

3. It's the sort of car that you simply don't buy unless you've had a brand-certified dealer do an inspection on it. Sellers will be highly motivated to lie about the car's condition for one thing, and for another any high mileage car might be a ticking time-bomb. A specialist Mercedes mechanic will spot potential problems your average garage mechanic won't. The inspection does add money up front (about $150 I think) but it could save you thousands of dollars and hours of buyer's remorse in the long run.

4. If well-maintained it is a dependable car that will last for many trouble-free years. Unlike a mid-60s small car like I've been looking at, these won't have as many problems in the long run, but basic service costs more than it would on an average car and when problems do occur, they can be very expensive to fix. I think this is my number 1 concern and why I would have to get a car with as few gremlins as possible before I would even THINK of buying.

Of course, this is just one option out of many. Any thoughts on this, though? Any experience owning, buying, and maintaining a used Mercedes?