Gentleman, there is a lot of praise of the older diesels here however only one person mentioned the W124 chassis with the 2.5 diesel engine. I am just wondering if there is a particular reason for this (namely less reliability from the 3 liter six cilynder turbo diesel, I know about the trap oxidizer problem) or just lack of response. I've always been a gasoline fan however lately I am considering jumping the fence (I do drive a lot). I am still a bit squamish about the performance of said diesel though (I love the W124 chassis, just the right size for me) does anyone know the performance difference between the 300E and the 300TD. I mean real world difference: offline acceleration, passing ability, and highway pick-up. Also I live up north, winter is no joke around here so how bad is it to start these cars in the winter? Do I absolutely need a block heater? My 300E just passed the 240k (I know it is not that much by diesel standards) so proper maintenance would not be a problem.
Thanks.

Alex