Hmmmm. suprised no one mentioned the SD as a traveling car I have one with leather and one with Mer-tex both are a delight on the highway ,got a carefully measured 31 mpg on one trip with one of them. can't think of a better traveling car than a 126 gas or diesel.

Fuel cost is really a very small factor to me compared to comfort and saftey. If you pay 1.75 per gallon for diesel and your car gets 40 mpg instead of 30 you save 12 dollars and change every 1000 miles the price of a couple of burgers and a shake.........

William Rogers.........

I agree with that. Fuel mileage isn't really a big factor in the overall ownership experience. Its just the expense that is felt the most. If that makes sense. As long I see 17+ I am fine.

But. Wolf says he is driving up to 100k per year. That $12.00 now becomes $1200.00 per year.

If wolf wants out of his 300D, I would recommend a 190 2.2 5spd. Should pull 40mpg out of that little rig easy. The older (pre 86) diesels are economical only if compared to cars produced during the same time period.

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'90 300SE 298k
-300K and it gets put into retirement.
'80 300D 255k Purchased new by family in 1980.

Had a:
1973 220 (gas)
1980 300SD
1992 400E

Let's wait 'til this summer and see everyone feels about fuel mileage. There are predictions that regular will be $2.70 per gallon.

I am old enough to remember the oil embargo's of the seventies. People went absolutely bonkers when gas prices doubled. We had been so used to $.30 a gallon and less that $.60 killed us.

I remember people running out and trading in cars that were paid off only to go from 15 MPG to 20. Unless you drive 10,000 miles a month, it only takes fourth grade math to see that the car payment is larger than what it would've taken to put fuel in the bigger car.

With so many people driving really large SUV's, it will be very interesting to watch peoples behavior if $2.70 really does come to pass.

Your 240D's will probably go up in value.

Have a great day,
PS I want to be clear that I, in no way, was criticizing those who drive SUV's. It's everyones own business what they drive. LB

I, too, remember the oil embargo days. I was driving just under 100,000 miles a year back then. The price doubling greatly affected me and my income. Last spring I read that the fuel prices would go to the mid $2's per gallon in the summer of '03, but fortunately it did not happen around here. That, of course, doesn't mean the prices won't do it this year.

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Mike

2000 SL500 22,000 miles
1981 300CD 188,000 miles
1979 450 SEL 266,000 miles
2005 Cadillac CTS 25,000 miles

Wolf_Walker, in the end you do what suits you best, because it's not worth losing sleep. Any car, including MB and VW, can be really nice after a few tweaks. Sounds to me that you are used to and enjoy the VW. Nothing wrong with that. And I don't think anybody here would complain if you put a MB hood star on your favorite VW. As long as it's a diesel, that is.

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daBenz - 1970 220D

Heck, I'D mind if I saw a MB star on a VW. Much as I love em, there NOT a Mercedes! There just light, cheap and simple. And diesel. I ran into a guy I know here today with a GTI wabbit running a 16 valve 2.0L gasser, a 14 second quarter mile car easy, and getting the same MPG I am. Depresing.


I've decided to be patient till I get moved back west in a month or so. I'll have my 81 pickup(500K+ miles ) to toddle around in and can take the mercedes down for repair. Or sell it, all depending. It's really a great car, and someone would probibly think it's just perfect. Course a lot of it IS about perfect..

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K