A "fun" FWD econo-box? I think not.

I've driven a Civic Si before and found it far more fun than any wallowing, soft W123.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

I've rented enough to exceed my lifetime quota of time spent driving crappy cars. I suppose someone has to buy them, if you can stand driving them they are cheap.

I'd rather buy the Jeep. I'm actually impressed with the longevity and durability of Jeeps. if you take care of them, I've seen Jeeps from the 90s that would rival a Benz from the 80s for long life - it's just a shame the 99-and-similar grand cherokee never got a diesel. That's my favorite Grand before it or since it.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

You can get a 3 year old CDI for less than the cost of that Accord I imagine. I just bought an '05 CDI for $26k.... It doesn't have a warranty, but it isn't a Honda or a Jeep.

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John Robbins
'05 E320 CDI - 240k
'87 300TD - 318k

I bought my brand new 2008 Subaru Outback a couple of weeks before I heard about the Subaru Boxer Diesel Outback coming out.

There was no way for me to know about that at the time.

They are already taking Europe by storm, I heard.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

That for sure is one sweet rig.. boxer diesel. If it ever gets here.

The one good thing about the Honda Diesels is that once they own the sedan market share this fall, and the waiting list becomes six months long.. we might actually get a better timetable on all the rest of the diesels we actually want.

I drove VW diesels for 5+ years... I am so glad those painful days are behind me. If a Honda "appliance" had been available as an alternative, I'd have taken it any day of the week.

VW is in BIG trouble with this... I know many people who have (begrudgingly) owned VWs because they're the only option for small/medium diesel cars.

And truth be told, I really enjoy driving my father's 2005 Accord 5sp. It's a fantastic car... if that was available in a diesel I don't know if I'd have bought a 10 yr old e300d as a daily driver. Sometimes an "appliance" is exacly what you want!

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Jake
1999 e300d PlantDrive WVO/SVO conversion
**note to self: oil changed at 268k kms**
1990 Toyota 4Runner FrankenDiesel swap

Craig

Honda does not "fleet" to rental car companies so if you have ever rented a Civic you are one of the very few. Honda makes good cars. As does Toyota. I loved my old 82 Civic wagon almost as much as I loved my old 84 Shadow.

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=-=-=-=-=
1987 300TD 231,000
#22, afterglow, plastic fan, euro lights, alternator upgrade, cluster housing update

I'm know I've rented some kind of honda/toyota/something at airports, who knows which one. I'm sure they are functional cars, as long as I don't have to drive them; if I was buying fleet cars for other people to drive I would certainly consider them. I don't like FWD cars, and I don't buy domestics/ricers.

That's what I think of my VW Golf TDI.

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JWJ
1983 MB 300D - > 430,000 miles - Deep Blue - Bilstein Comforts - 0-60 in 24 seconds - 27MPG
1985 MB 300TD (wagon) - > 275,000 miles - Manila Beige - Thule rack - 0-60 in 18 seconds - 22 - 25MPG
Biodiesel, Mobil Delvac 1, and Viton fuel lines!

Anyone who thinks that current MB's are of a higher quality than Hondas or Toyotas is just kidding themselves. MB stopped making GREAT cars and started making "OK" cars with the demise of the W126.

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'79 300SD
'82 Chevy Chevette diesel

I've never enjoyed driving FWD cars. I had a saab 900 turbo for years and never did get used to the funky handling at the limits (I hate under-steer) or the tendency to spin the inside tire when accelerating and turning.

We had an Oldsmobile that was front wheel drive that was a pleasure to drive in bad weather - having the weight on the drive wheels, pulling the car through the stuff rather than trying to push it - that car would go and stop in a straight line in snow and stuff almost as good as our four wheel drive stuff.

Unlike my RWD mercedes, which likes to try to break loose anytime something slick even thinks about getting under a tire. Indeed, on one memorable occasion it did...

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Yup, FWD cars are very easy to drive in the snow, but they truly suck in dry conditions.