Would a 240D with manual tranny be as "peppy" as a 300D non turbo automatic? Just trying to decide between the two options.
thanks,
Jim

Yes, it would.

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

I own both. Almost a thing you have to try yourself to decide. The 300d natural aspired seems a little quicker to me but it might just be perception and smoothness.
With the 300d natural aspired you have just enough power to lower the rear end ratio a little for a nicer highway cruise at some point. The 240 does not tollerate this as there is too little power. The 300d turbo should walk away from both of them with better overall fuel milage as well. The rear axel ratio is superior for highway cruise as well on the turbo models.
Although a few 240ds apparently get better milage yet not enouigh of them to consider it a given. It really is an individual choice. The 240 being eisier to maintain in general plus perhaps a little bid of a cult car thrown in for good measure.
I also suspect the overall condition of what you find should be the rulling factor as well if not at least the prime consideration.

A 240D manual might feel peppier but would probably be somewhat slower, perhaps equally slow. But either way, speed isn't really the issue, is it, because both will be slow. The deciding factor, then, is what kind of transmission you want, manual or automatic. And if the type of transmission doesn't matter to you, just get the best example of either car that you can find.

you guys have been inhaling too much diesel - my 240D has a top speed of 88mph (87mph?) this means that at 75mph (the normal speed on the interstate sometimes) you are very close to going the top speed of the car. Is the peppy worth the trade-off in highway quietness/refinement (my wife rode in my 240D and said "It sounds like an airplane" on the highway). A W123 300D will have no problem doing 70 or 80 or more. and you wont have to slow down if the hill gets steep =)

Buy a 240D for other reasons (simpler, more room in engine bay, std trans.)

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

Get the 240 for around town and a 300D or SD for the highway. By the way, how slow does the 240 slow down on large hills and what gear does it shift down to? Tell me the auto does keep shifting up and down from 3 to 4th....
Driving one from GA to VT in April.

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Currently driving a very clean 1985 300SD from the West Coast.

Looking at your question, if you are looking for "peppy" , I would say a 240D is about the last choice for a car. I have a 300D turbo & have been left in the dust off a traffic light by fat guys on scooters.

If I was choosing between a 240 stick & a 300D non turbo; I would go with the 240D stick...(if all other qualities are equal.)

Choose by color -
body condition- paint - rust -
od reading -
suspension -
$$ in repairs needed -
oil burning engine- vs not
interior condition - seats - springs - rips- headliner

options- sunroof - A/C - manual vs power windows....etc.....

Good luck - post pic's of what you do.


AA



...

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'87 924S
'81 280SEL

Sold ->

81 300SD -
93 300E w/ 3.2
85 300D-
79 300SD
82 300CD
83 300CD - CA
87 190E 5 spd
87 Porsche 924S

"..I'll take a simple "C" to "G" and feel brand new about it..."

My ex 82 300D turbo got about 4 mpg less than my 240D. Highway RPM seemed about the same, but can't tell for sure since the 240D has no tach.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

Add a OM616 turbo to the 240D, the equation would change quite a bit till 300D turbo would be throw in.

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99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

Have any of you guys put a 300d natural aspired motor into a 240D? Just curious?
Jim

I've got a turbo 300D in my manual 240D.

What about a Euro 300D with a 4speed MT? That ought to be more desirable than a 300D N/A AT...

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

I have a pair of 240Ds, an AT and a manual. The AT car seems to rev a bit higher in any gear than the stick-shift - probably due to slippage inherent in the torque-converter. The AT car is actually nicer in local driving as it doesn't lug at low speeds like the manual car tends to. Otherwise, there's a noticeable, but not major, difference in acceleration between these two cars and both get between 20 and 25 MPG.
I suspect age, high-miles and lack of overdrive gear limits higher highway MPG.

Haven't had a chance to test a 300D lately for comparison, but many years ago my boss had a pair of 300Ds. One NA, the other turbo. The NA car seemed peppier in local traffic because the other car suffered from turbo-lag and it was a pain to have to mash the pedal everytime to get the turbo to engage.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

I imagine I would be greatly pleased with this type of combination, but unfortunately my billfold would not be pleased after the purchase!

the 300D NA is more peppier than the 240D anytime and any configuration. Even when you consider automatic vs manual.

If you know how to drive one of these to extract all the power (basiquely drive it as you stole it!) the 300D NA beat the the 240D everytime.
You can actually drive an Automatic almost like a manual if you play with the D S and L!

I know i have a 300td naturally aspirated and one of the fastest 240D i have ever seen (believe it or not i clocked it several times with the gps 0-60 in less than 13 seconds).

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Aquilae non capunt muscas! (Eagles don't hunt flies!)


1979 300SD Black/Black MBtex239000mi
1983 300TD euro-NA. White/Olive Cloth-MBtex 201000mi. Fleet car of the USA embassy in Morocco
1983 240D Labrador Blue/Blue MBtex 161000mi