wow i must have a super 240d, if i slamm it hard th tired will chirp going into 2nd sometimes. it always starts in first from a stop and the wheels will chirp when i slam the accelerator in reverse. i do regular tune-ups (of the italian sort ) i think this car is decently peppy, nothing to write home about but deffinetly plenty for city driving and on the highway it isn't any sort of speed racer but it is good for an 80mph cruise.

I can feel that mine sits in 2nd at a light then drops to first on take-off, but 95% of the time it does drop to 1st, even if I barely press the pedal.

Mine has plenty o' power. If I floor it in wet OR dry grass or gravel it spins out like crazy, I was turning around a few weeks ago in a big marina parking lot a ways up north that was all white gravel, I was making a 15ish mph wide circle turn, and I decided to floor it part way into the turn and it spun the entire car around! Gravel shooting everywhere of course.... I left quickly...needless to say. With my old tires (futura ones) I could sit on wet asphalt, puch the pedal, and spin out/not get going until I'd let up a ways on the throttle. Can't do that anymore with the Goodyear assurance though...

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I think the older auto 'boxes started off in second gear, at least on the n/a cars. My '82 TD (turbo) started out in 1st, but my friend's '80 n/a wagon always started in 2nd unless I pushed the accelerator pedal to the floor and triggered the kickdown switch. My '84 SD, and '84 TD both ran through all four gears when in "D".

Jay.

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On the road, currently:
'83 300D (German spec.) 168k mi. - - Wolfgang (tucked snugly away for the winter!)
'87 300D 375k mi. - finally went over to "The Dark Side"
'87 300TD 225k mi.
Cannondale 66cm CAAD5 w/Campy/Jamis Aurora
Hujsak Custom Fixie/Landshark Track Shark Custom/Ahearne Custom 29'er