I have owned my manual 240D for a little over 10 years. I have learned to fix anything on it that goes wrong. I too dislike driving it above 70 mph, due to the noise, but in my normal commute at 55 mph it is very enjoyable to drive. It accelerates at about the same rate as the '69 VW bug that I use to own, and with a little planning and road awareness, you can deal with the lack of power. My wife does not like it, because she would rather just step on the pedal and let her fly, rather than have to think strategically as she drives. To each his own.

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1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold

I miss the 240 D's that I have sold

'74 240 D Sold to old buddy who flew over from his home in Northern England.

He drove his pregnant wive and three kids from my old place in Florida to Mexico and then to San Francisco. His only comment "slow in the Rockies"

No S**t.

Sold my '83 'couse the SOB drank oil like a frat brother drinking beer on spring break.

Mistake--The body and interior were mint. Should have had the engine rebuilt.

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Anders

1995 E300
2015 VW TDI Sportwagen 15K
1977 240D (197K)
2002 Subaru Legacy L Wagon (115k) (Wife's)
Gone but not forgotten:
2005 Buick LeSabre
1998 C230
1984 300D
1983 240D
1981 300SD
1974 240D
1974 Fiat 124 Spider
1968 Triumph TR250

I'm pretty happy -- tho I live in a flat state and I have a 5 speed, both important factors. My parents drove a 115 240 4speed for 24 yrs, but they didn't try to go 80 on the Interstate as I do routinely. I bought their 240 (74), but sold it because it was very buzzy over 70 -- and my runs are mostly Interstate. As someone else observed, we assume they were geared for about 60 --- and they're great to drive, even in rolling country, around that speed. In the mountains I wish for more power.

there is nothing like a 240D stick, especially cruising on the back-roads and bi-ways. its like an art-form and driving it has changed my whole outlook on life and significantly mellowed me out. The 240 has taught me that if i just chill out a bit and enjoy the scenery, I will still get there in about the same time as if I were fighting with traffic and playing the pole-position BS. I arrive generally with less stress and never experience road rage any more. I still find myself passing more people than not on the highways and biways but never end up worrying about speeding tickets on the highway.

I had a 300TD for a while and although I loved the motor, it wasnt the same as the 240 in simplicity. I ended up selling the 300 and keeping the 240. its never let me down and I commonly have it loaded with bikes and kayaks and take it up and down massive hills, and it just eats it up. For the right person, the 240 doesnt compare, but if you are used to having tons of power to cover up your poor driving skills, the 240stick is not for you.

sorry for rambling...

I agree 100% with jpmaynard. But... last year I got a 300SD and I can't go back. That extra 50 hp makes a huge difference to me. If I want, I CAN accelerate with any traffic. If I want, I CAN drive 85 comfortably. I can pass traffic on a 2-lane. I can barely hear the engine at 60. It's a whole 'nother world and I never thought I'd feel that way, as much as I loved my 240D.

The clincher is that my 240D got 30-32 mpg on my commute. The SD gets about 29. No brainer.

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1984 300Sd 210k

Former cars:
1984 300D 445k (!!) (Strider) Original (and not rebuilt) engine and transmission. Currently running on V80 ( 80% vegetable oil, 20% petroleum products). Actually not, taking a WVO break.
1993 300d 2.5 275k. Current 120/day commuter
1981 300SD 188k (Hans) Killed by a deer

The manual transmission fluid tends to slowly leak out and the fumes from that leakage are known to cause cancer.

Avoid the 240D manual transmission cars at all costs. In the best interests of your family's health, they should be discarded, abandoned (with keys inside to facilitate disposition) or donated to charity.



Ken300D

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

Thank you for helping to spread the word Ken...
I notice you have one which no one will risk taking to their house...
I will stop by this weekend.... be sure to follow your own instructions to expedite my trip....as I will be driving a long way....

Thanks for the info Ken, always wondered why so many 240ds showed up in charitable auctions. Learn something new every day I guess. We will just have to start converting all 240d standards to automatics now. Just think of all the guys that recently converted automatics to standards. Anyone got a spare automatic out there so I can start changing mine out?

I have the 240 manual and it was my first Benz of the two. The 300 DT is so much more responsive and driveable that there is no comparison on the highway. The 240 is slow and tho I agree with pretty much all the positive attributes and I do enjoy to drive it...the 300 is the preference. The 300 auto can be manually shifted and generally can be downshifted for deceleration and acceleration when needed. Seldom is it any advantage or fun to shift all through the auto speeds but the ability to shift between the high and 3rd is as much fun as the stick when on the highway. One can actually drop to third and make some progress (accelerate) whereas the 240 is already out of the third gear range at most highwy speeds.

The most fun of the 240 is that it is a lot lighter and more fun on the handling department. The thing is like a go cart in the curves. The 300 tho it handles well is much heavier in the handling and not as much fun to drive in that respect.

So I guess it depends on what your driving conditions and what you want.

Enjoy....

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Tom Engel
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83 240 230K Manual (8/2003)
83 300D 265K (3/2004)
Just a Driver!

"The most fun of the 240 is that it is a lot lighter"

I had an 81 wagon before my 240d manual..... and it sure feels lighter... but someone shot that down when they posted the actual weights...

I think the 240 may have a different ratio in the steering and better fore/aft distribution..... because the weights are very close....

A 240 isn't lighter, your head is spinning from all the noise.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Well, it has one more cylinder, a turbo, and an oil cooler... which I thought made the turbo a couple of hundred pounds heavier...

You were the one that shot down my original feeling that the 240 was much lighter..

I still say it is in the steering ratio...

Edit : typed lighter instead of heavier...

Well, to me the 240D does feel different than a 300D turbo in the same W123 chassis. Compared to the 240D, the 300D feels more nose-heavy. When you hit a dip the nose feels like its going down further on the 300D. Whereas the 240D feels relatively even and level in a dip. Note that the manual transmission is also considerably lighter than the auto.

I sure like the way the 240D handles better because of this.

But the manual transmission fluid leaks still cause cancer.

I'd type more but my Parkinson's and shortness of breath make it hard. And you could call me but you'd have to be willing to understand my artificial voice box .

Ken300D

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

"A 240 isn't lighter, your head is spinning from all the noise."

Randy, I was quoting someone else... you convinced me my 240 is not much lighter than the other cars.... so I am thinking it is the steering ratio or springs...

I'd doubt if the steering ratio is different on any of the 123s but, springing is most definitely different between 240 and 300 engine-equipped cars. The improved weight distribution from the reduced weight of the 240 powerplant and manual tranny is probably the biggest contributor to handling quality in your 240.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.