I saw a 240D automatic in pristine condition at a lot in my town today. I hear they are slow, but are they so slow that they are dangerous to drive? I don't expect Mustang performance, but does it have enough balls to get out of its own way without posing a risk to the occupants of the vehicle?

I don't think they are slow enough to endanger your life. Take a look at it Kyle. If it is as nice as you say and if you can get used to it then I think they make good commuter cars.

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Jim

the one I have does ok as long as you drive it foot to the floor till you get to the speed you want. Shifts best this way and does not lug the engine.

Just as rebootit said... pedal to the floor and you'll be fine. Avoid pulling out in front of cement trucks unless you have LOTS of room, and don't expect to be very popular on the interstate if you are trying to merge using an uphill on-ramp .

You learn to be more patient when pulling into traffic from a dead stop. If you do not have a patient personality, you'll learn... lol.

(auto/240,000miles) I've yet to see what all the fuss is about. The power curve of a diesel is different from that of a similar car powered by an ICE, but once you make the adjustment, no real problems...no question you will have enough power and pickup to get out of your own way, and car will cruise all day at 80 with no complaints.

I'd snap 'er up.

The only way to know would be to drive it yourself. I think the 300D turbo is plenty fast, which is why I'd not mind a 240D Diesel. It'd definitely keep me away from being stupid.

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2008 BMW 335i Coupe

Brought mine home today after being terrorized by motor veicles (registered it as a gasser instead of a diesel). Very slow first gear but not bad after that. Maybe I drive like an old geezer anyway.

Seemed to heat to 100 C when flooring it to 60 mph. Is that normal?

A/C not too good at idle either. Does it need freon?

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1991 350 SDL
183,000 miles

1982 240D
130,000 miles

I've noticed engine temp levels on my 240D often reflect ambient temperature. When driving when it's VERY cold, the engine temp runs slightly below "normal": in hot weather, it tends to register a bit hotter than usual, but at speed the extra cooling provided by air travelling through the radiator (convection?) should make the difference barely noticeable.

One difference between gas and diesel engines is that diesels weigh more and seem to have a lot more "mass"...this makes the unit slower to heat when it's cold...maybe slower to be cooled down when it's extremely hot out?

Kyle,

You just have to learn to drive them different. You have to antisipate when you will need power. IE if you see a hill ahead don't wait until you get to the bottem of it before you put the pedal to the metal.

As far as not being safe, I drove 190Ds, 220Ds and 240Ds for over 25 years and I'm still here. You just to have avoid a situation where you need a burst of power because there isn't one. Don't pull out in front of that cement truck without plenty of room.

I drive turbos now (300SD,SDL) and wouldn't buy anything else. But even with them, you have to plan ahead in some situations and drive conservatively. If you have a problem with people passing you on hills, you better get a gasser.

P E H