You might be confused: the VW diesel block, while SIMILAR in appearance,
is not a 'converted gasser block'. The diesel block is quite a bit
stronger.

Yes, the Mercedes is a stout design and more or less reliable, but just
like a VW they have little issues from time to time.

Allan Streib wrote:
> I'd heartily endorse a Mercedes diesel, if you can live with a sedan.
> You can easily get a good one for your budget.  You can find a wagon
> but they tend to commmand premium prices.
>
> They are very well made, the engines are actually designed to be
> diesels, not converted gasser blocks like a VW.  If you work on your
> own cars, you will find the Mercedes generally easy to work on.