I can't stand the R, its a total POS.


Why in the world would anyone trade in a W140 for that thing, talk about a downgrade.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I know, he needed something to haul around the family, I guess. At least he's no longer a mini-van owner, so there's some hope for him.

He should have bought an ML. Someone I know just bought an ML320CDI, its great! Much nicer than the old ML, very large inside, and it gets 23mpg-24mpg around town!

My next door neighbots love mini vans, they currantly have three! Its a suburban nightmare!

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I don't know what he was thinking, he was pretty proud of it and I didn't want to argue about it. Maybe he got a good deal on a '07. Besides, I doubt he could really afford a new $40K+ car anyway.

If transportation was all about saving money, then I'd have a mid 90s Camry that I bought with 100k :-) 30 mpg no muss no fuss. Wish I could put biodiesel in it...

I bought my W123 because I wanted to make/burn biodiesel, learn how to work on cars and to enjoy the awesome long distance feel.

You can blame the NE for peaking diesel prices because of home heating oil production. But dont blame me, I use wood exclusively :-) Theres where you can save some serious $$ if you want...

dd

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

This is a subject I have thought about many times as of late. Every time I pass a gas station, in fact. I drive 37 miles each way to work in my SD and get probably 26mpg if I granny it. I have a 95 Avalon too that gets consistent 24.5mpg. I don't really like to drive the Avalon since I work for Honda and its an in-law hand me down, however, it is reliable and free. I still drive the SD although with a little guilt as the diesel prices creep up. I figured my fuel cost per mile (because of this thread) and its .122 cents per mile for the Avalon and for the SD its .138. Not a huge difference, I come to find, about 23 dollars a month more if prices stay the same. I still love to drive the Mercedes, though. It has style. It fits me. I like the little quirks of driving it and making it do what it should like getting the heat to blow in a sometimes magical way and knowing it will run and get me home every time. The other day I was pulling out of a shopping area and a family was getting into a 126 Benz, I think it was a 91 SDL or SEL but I couldn't tell. I yelled over and said nice Benz and the mother looked up and said thanks, we love it. I said I have an 82. She said hers has 250 thousand miles and its a wonderful car. I said mine had 302 thousand and I love mine as well. I pulled on and just thought about it for a few minutes. I was driving the wife's CR-V, by the way but I thought about every time I see a fellow Benz owner, its always the same happy comments. I can equate the higher fuel cost to another situation. For years, I ordered food from the right side of the menu. The cost dictated my meal choice. Sure I would like the steak but I guess a burger will do, its 2 bucks cheaper. I finally realized why not just go for the steak. If my bill is 37 dollars instead of 34 then oh well. As far as cost, going out to dinner is a losing proposition. When I fill up, why not just drive the Benz and pay a few more dollars and be happy. Driving my Benz makes me happy. If I really cared about the cost I would live a mile from work and walk there and maybe shed a few pounds of those steaks but I am fortunate enough to live where I choose and I can afford a car (or 3) and choose to take on the cost of a car which is a money pit whichever car you drive. Make sense? Just my take on it.

__________________

1984 300D, 246k, veggie, sold
1982 300SD 301k