As it turns out I drove quite a few 6, 7 and 8 % grades on this trip and the car handled them well ~ not quickly but at no point did it struggle top go up the steep grades ~ it shifted down into the appropriate gear and motored on happily, never got hot and I was using the AC almost continually .

If you cannot drive 65, a 240D is not the car for you .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better