Quote:
Originally Posted by TimFreeh
I don't think you overpaid for your 240D, I was more addressing my comments at people that think a really, really nice 240D is a worthy 5 figure car. No chance in my book.
I'll have to disagree with your last two sentences, I could maybe appreciate a 240D for that it WAS, not what it currently is. Most any 5K bare-bones used economy car made in the last 10 years would seriously eclipse the 240D in power, comfort, refinement, economy, reliability, repair costs and even safety in an accident.
I'll also have to disagree about driving on in crowded highway conditions on todays roads. You might not have any gripes about driving one around but I'd be willing to bet that at least some of your fellow motorists don't share your views. The last time I was using a 240D as a daily driver was around 2002 and I would frequently get horns/comments from people behind me at in intersection as I looked for a traffic gap big enough to accommodate a 3400 lb car with a 60 HP engine. I can also remember a couple of very, very cold mornings when I was accelerating onto a divided highway into a 30+ knot headwind and had to use the shoulder for about a mile to get up to 50 so I could merge into traffic. Passing? unless you're talking a tractor you can pretty much forget it, I'm guessing as a 240D driver you've mastered the 'slingshot passing method?. Just yesterday I was pulling out from a stop sign at a bad intersection and I had to use a bit of power to clear the intersection from a guy approaching a 20+ MPH over the posted speed, around here people seem to treat speed limits more as suggestions than limits. You can certainly use a 240D for a daily driver but in my opinion its borderline unsafe in high traffic areas.
Than again I see you're from DC, the last couple of times I was over there the traffic was so bad I'd guess my average speed was about 15 MPH so maybe you'd be OK?
I see the 240D in about the same light as the model A, a great car whose time has long ago passed and is more a novelty than a serious player for modern transportation needs. You may be correct about the niche market but I'd be looking elsewhere for that itch.
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I didn't call my 240D a daily driver, but it's a far more useable car than a Model A.
Unless it was owned by Elizabeth Taylor, and/or an ultra low-mileage, well preserved, time capsule, I don't see a 240D as a five-figure car.
I do consider it a budget collectable that can be used regularly. A '96 Toyota Camry is my daily driver.
Yes, regarding ride, power, noise-level and safety in a collision, my Camry has an edge over the 240D. But my 240D is at least as safe, if not safer, than many collectable cars from the pre-airbag era. And it does have some advantages over the Camry. It handles rough roads and speed-bumps better and (at least to me) the steering and brakes feel more responsive. (neither car has ABS). Outward vision on the 240D is also superior.
The styling on too many modern cars creates such horrendous blind-spots!
Finally, it's a roomy car that's simple to work on, without all the gadgets and electronics that can make repairing a modern car so frustrating and expensive. Maybe that's why 240Ds are still being used as taxis in some parts of the world.
As for performance, I've driven many 240Ds over the years and power has been all over the map. Age, wear & tear have taken a toll of many of them and most of the automatic versions are real slugs.
My first 240D was a rusty, tired example with an automatic, that could often be called a rolling-roadblock. It was truly a learning experience!
But my current example, with it's factory replacement engine (about 70 hp), and a stickshift, is quite peppy and much more useable in modern traffic. So I drive it regularly, but the Toyota remains my daily driver.
Happy Motoring, Mark