Mercedes-Benz occupies a uniquely split position in the r/BuyItForLife community: vintage diesel models from roughly the 1970s through early 1990s — especially the W123, W124, 240D, 300SD, and OM617-powered vehicles — are treated as among the greatest BIFL vehicles ever made, with documented million-mile odometers and near-legendary mechanical reputations. Post-2000 Mercedes, by contrast, are widely dismissed as expensive, unreliable, and quality-degraded, with the W210 explicitly marking the beginning of the decline for many commenters. The brand-generic comments (736 mentions) overwhelmingly reinforce this divide, making the vintage-versus-modern split the defining story of the brand. The E320 product line analysis was contaminated by Vitamix blender data and carries no meaningful weight here.
The high-volume vintage diesel lines (W123, W124, 240D, 300SD, OM617) individually earn Strong Recommend or Recommend with caveats verdicts and dominate the mention count, but the brand-generic comments (736 mentions — the largest single signal) make clear that modern Mercedes are broadly not BIFL material. Weighting by mention volume, the brand as a whole cannot earn a unified positive verdict when the majority of generic brand sentiment is split sharply between near-legendary vintage models and widely criticized modern ones.
Vintage Mercedes diesel vehicles are celebrated for extraordinary mechanical longevity, simple repairability, and a build philosophy of engineering to a standard rather than a price point. The OM617 engine in particular is treated as one of the most bulletproof powerplants ever produced.
Modern Mercedes (post-2000, especially post-Chrysler merger) are broadly criticized for declining build quality, expensive and inaccessible electronics, and poor value relative to Japanese alternatives. Even the beloved vintage models carry age-related caveats around rubber, vacuum systems, rust, and increasing restoration costs.
The W123 and W124 were built to a standard, not a price point — that's the line modern Mercedes crossed and never came back from.
A Sacramento taxi ran a 300SD to 1.2 million miles without an engine or transmission rebuild — the body gave out before the drivetrain.
The W210 is where Mercedes started building to a price point; everything after that is a different brand wearing the same badge.
The 1976 240D with 2.8 million miles is proof the old diesels weren't just good cars — they were in a different category entirely.