Volvo vs Mercedes vs BMW: Which Wagon Actually Lasts

Three badges, one question, and the answer comes from odometers, not brochures. I put the wagons head to head using real repair-cost data, documented high-mileage survivors, and the model years I'd walk past with my own money. You'll get the redblock Volvo 240 and the P3 V70, the diesel Mercedes W123 300TD with its OM617 that's covered seven hundred eighty two thousand miles and counting, the E-Class wagon years that rust or rattle, and the BMW E39 Touring versus the E61 that empties wallets. Exact engines, exact cutoff years, and the throttle modules, balance shafts, and timing chains that decide whether a wagon lasts. Every one of these costs a fraction of a new crossover and most of them will outlive it.