I never use snow tires, and I have had very little problems. I put sand bags in the trunk for weight. I have only got stuck a few times, but I sort of got myself into it. I also go a little bit slower than I would with snow tires.

We got some snow here in Jersey today. The 300D is challenge to go well... But fun.

I found my 126 to handle excellently in snow as well. I just got back from drifting with it for a few hours on deserted side streets.

John;

That's good news about the 126's handling in the snow. Not that we see very much here in SE PA. Since the demise of my 123 coupe, I have aquired an 85 300 SD but have no winter experience with the 126s. My 79 300 CD did okay with a pair of sand bags in the truck, so I'm hoping the bigger, wider, heavier 300SD will fair just as well.

Do you use snow tires or sand or anything?

Thanks,
James

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James

85 300SD 285k
Charcoal Gray/Grey MB-Tex

79 300CD 142000mi "Rabenshwarz"
Black / Black MB-Tex, Burlwood Int. TOTALLED - 10/24/02 --

I have never had an issue with the 1977 300D, including navigating through yesterdays traffic disaster.

No snow tires, no sand, no nothing.

Of course I will get stuck in the next snow, but so far so good. I think that in most cases, getting stuck is self inflicted as between a 1971 Ford Galaxie tank, to a FWD rabbit, to the MB, I have never gotten stuck. Go slow, keep moving and use your head and you'll be in good shape.

JCD

My 84 300TD is great in the snow- just this morning I drove it in its first snow- the gearing of the autobox is perfect for taking off even on ice, as long as you don't gas it too much to spool up the turbo-
It is better than my 126 chassis 300SD was- tracks a bit better, and I imagine the extra wagon weight in the back helps traction.

Nice pics. Good thing you kept the radar detector up.

I have had good experiences with my W123 240D, as well as the earlier 220D and 1975 240D. All were manual transmissions and I can honestly say I never got stuck once in any of them. Of course in a few instances I had to work on the problem for long enough that someone else might have given up. I have driven them all over the Northeast, including skiing in Vermont and New Hampshire, in the Rockies, and up in Alaska. The only tricky thing I found was the tendency to swap ends when you took your foot off the gas abrubtly. The compression braking would just about stop the rear wheels and the car responded like I had stepped on the emergency brake. Overall, the ability of these engines to lug and roll you out of a situation is unequalled. Just put it in second or third gear and barely keep it from stalling and you will get moving. Good luck, Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

My Volvo TD is terrible in snow -- I've been stuck any number of times, and my brother ran it backwards off the road Wed -- I've never gotten a good explaination of why he borrowed THAT car rather than the others....

The 300D is OK in snow, but has Michellin VX4s on it -- kinda slippery.

My 280 SE 4.5, believe it or not, does very nicely on snow and ice, even with the terrible cheap, wornout tires it has on it. I've got snows in the trunk, may put them on for the next snow!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!