If you had a dealer's license you could just slap a D-tag on the back of it and use you inventory insurance.

...or if you were really shady you could buy a wrecked W210 diesel and swap some Vin plates.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

I'd sure like to have one of those jewels. Imagine that car with a 5 speed manual transmission.

Or just take the engine/tranny out of this one and install in one that is already registered.

Don't ya'll think it is kinda nutty that a car with this one's capabilities is not allowed in the US.

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Jim

That's what I would do. Swap the drive train into an E class with a USA vin number.

If MB got their act together and sold this car here in the US, they might actually get me to buy a brand new car from them.

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'98 E300 turbodiesel

What I'm liking (loving in fact) about the car model, is it's bump up in mpg over what my high-performance, sacrificing in lower mpg '99 300 ETD returns.

And a little sidenote here about this one that I recognize in the center console pictures - are the different climate control feautures versus my '99 E. This one seems to have manual controls for either side of the main selector modes of the climate control. Similar to the earlier 240Ds. Read: less to go wrong, perhaps. Although I notice it has the rheostat style dial of ambient temperature selection wheels - driver - co-pilot.

It is maddeningly disappointing, that MB does not bring-in the more economical diesels to the states, IMO.

vstech/John:
Looks like the emergency roadside reflector/flare kit, in front of the driver's seat floor.....

Infinite time, too!

I lived in Europe for 20 years and ONLY in this country people would rather have car with CLOTH seats and 200 series than 300 series fully loaded (american model). This car is not any better than 1999 E300 sold in USA in fact E300D is better.

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1993 Mercedes 300D 2.5

1987 Mercedes 300D 3.0

2000 Volkswagen JETTA TDI diesel 5 speed

2002 Lexus ES300

2006 Lexus GS430

Count me among the cloth seating surface haters too! I'm not going to question why some folks have a 'thing' for the velour/cloth!?

The 1999 E300 I own and bought new, is OK by me - perfect, no, but it does do many things well.

I'm pretty frugal when it comes to not wanting to spend $ on fuel is the reason I like the idea of a four cylinder, manual transmission car.
I also noticed the different climate control. I suspect it is alot simpler than the automatic unit.

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Jim

have you ever gotten in your leather/vinyl seats and gotten burned/frozen legs...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

That car is NOT manual.

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1993 Mercedes 300D 2.5

1987 Mercedes 300D 3.0

2000 Volkswagen JETTA TDI diesel 5 speed

2002 Lexus ES300

2006 Lexus GS430

I had a '65 220SEb W111 with velour, and I found it to be more comfortable than leather in extreme hot or cold situation. Not to mention that it wears very well.

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"I was a dirty bird, Carol's not grungey - she's *****in" John Milner....American Graffiti

Buy a Honda Civic Hybrid then.

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1993 Mercedes 300D 2.5

1987 Mercedes 300D 3.0

2000 Volkswagen JETTA TDI diesel 5 speed

2002 Lexus ES300

2006 Lexus GS430

.......and I love it

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1993 Mercedes 300D 2.5

1987 Mercedes 300D 3.0

2000 Volkswagen JETTA TDI diesel 5 speed

2002 Lexus ES300

2006 Lexus GS430

I pay cash for my cars and always have an upper limit of between $4k and $5k. I'm not convinced hybrid is the way to go yet, at least not for me. For the majority of my getting around the homesite I ride a four wheeler. If I'm pulling a trailer I take the Ford F150, if I have somewhere to go I take the 4 cyl, manual transmission S10 Chevy pickup. The wife and stepdaughter drive the E300's.

I did see the automatic in the one in the ad. I just made note that I liked 4 cyl, manual transmission cars.

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Jim

I got 2000 VW TDI diesel 5 speed manual and I bought it for $3900 and it is four cylinder. All I am saying Mercedes is not the car for saving FUEL whether it is 4 or 6 or 8 cyl.

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1993 Mercedes 300D 2.5

1987 Mercedes 300D 3.0

2000 Volkswagen JETTA TDI diesel 5 speed

2002 Lexus ES300

2006 Lexus GS430