Much has been written about the late 80s and middle 90s Mercedes-Benz products. The W124 has long enjoyed favor among enthusiasts owing to the platform's longevity and fairly bulletproof reliability. But I'm here to tell you the next generation - the one that got eyerolls and deep sighs from brand loyalists that didn't like the dramatic redesign - is just as impressive as those older models when it comes to ease of ownership.
I put some money into my E55 last summer when I first got it, almost all of it proactive in nature (meaning, not urgent). I replaced the shocks with Konis, installed new tires, and replaced the fan clutch. Otherwise....I haven't touched it until last week. This is a high-performance, limited-production super sedan that has needed next to nothing maintenance-wise, and didn't exactly come with a robust service history when I acquired it.
So, it didn't bother me in the least to put some work into this month. There were some errant oil leaks I had been ignoring that were likely to become a problem in the future, but that I had basically lived with for a year to no ill effect. The oil cooler seals, oil filter housing gasket, and valve cover gaskets were replaced, and I had the coolant flushed while it was in the shop. That's it, and I don't foresee any mechanical needs arising in the near term.
For a factory hot rod, there's no denying that there's usually a maintenance penalty that comes with the need for increased upkeep. Not the E55, however - it's a unicorn in so many ways, not the least of which is its ability to maintain its high-performance status without becoming a maintenance hog.