Hello forum members. . .first I'd like to thank everyone for a wonderfully educational web site. I was wondering if you could provide some feedback on the speed of a 240D? Will this car make it to 100 mph? Can it cruise comfortably at 75?

I know these are one of the best cars ever assembled. Would like to know if they are a decent highway cruiser.

Thank you all in advance for your help.

HA!! You gotta be new if you're asking if a 240D is fast! I see this is your second post, so welcome. But I'll answer your questions from what I've heard. I think the only way to make a 240D go 100 is to go about 85 on a highway, find a nice, long downgrade, and pop it into neutral, and let the speed increase as you roll down. But can it cruise along at 75, I think it can, although it may take awhile to get there. If you're looking for fast, may I suggest a 300D or DT? Or possibly a 300SDL?
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

I wouldn't suggest popping it into neutral if you're going over 30 mph. I used to do that and well I am on my second transmisson... But I can't say what specifically I've done made it fail if anything I did made it fail. I don't do any more stupid **** like that to my 'new' tranny.

A 240D is a very slow car. It's not going to win any drag races, but it is sufficient for normal day to day driving. It makes you more conscious about pulling out in traffic because of the turtle acceleration. But really it's not THAT bad. The fuel mileage and the tank-like ruggedness of the car and engine are the offsets to the slowness. My little 190D 2.2 (the slowest of the 190s) is slightly faster than the 240D, but not much, so I am speaking from experience with this.

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1984 190D 2.2 Auto 220k
2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 70K
2004 Lexus RX-330 ??K
2005 Chrylser Crossfire LTD 6K

Play guitar? Go to www.cyberfret.com for free online lessons!

It's a superformance machine. Enough to make the owners of Geo Metros and Vokswagen vans drool with envy. Slip on your driving gloves, suck back your manly latte, and smoke everyone from the start.

Its a rip-roaring, tire-scoring, engine-racing, track-pacing, wild, piled hunk of German tech at it's best. With 67 hp it's at least THREE times, yes I said THREE times as quick as your Craftsman DT3000 with a modern Kohler twin plug!!!! Mercedes was well ahead of the curb. Wow.....

http://www.thebenzbin.com/hotrod.html
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On a serious note, it is probably the most reliable Mercedes Benz diesel ever built. It takes a while to build up speed, and you have to learn to time take over maneuvers. Overall, its a fine choice.

It is a slow vehicle. But I would not let that dissuade you from buying it.

I am probably going to add a 4 speed 240d to my stable. My 91 350sdl spoils me as it is very fast. The 300d is slower, the 240d, unless at redline in each gear is slower yet.

But the 240d will outlast the 350sdl and you can't beat it. go for it unless you need speed. Then you should try a newer (up to 93) 6 cyl one.

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71 220D 169K wrecked
83 240D 118K sweet 4 speed
91 350SDL (one of the 60% good engines) 156K
84 300d (loaner to my sister) 189K
79 300SD (partswagen)
86 420SEL partswagen
70 220d (partswagen)
68 280s GASSER!!! under construction now
85 300sd 310K miles winter beater car retired
93 300d 2.5 turbo 168K wife's car
83 280SL euro 5 speed 155K
69 250S newest project 54K

The 240 D with, proper preventative maintenence, will still be
running well at the MILLION mile ?+? mark, therby out-running
almost all of the later model M.B. diesels.

The shame of this model is that it will always out-live at least
the original owner!

240D and 300D were among the best MB ever made, IMHO they had the best chassis, engine, gearbox and nothing from MB stable ever came close to these gems. If you can survive an on ramp in NYC with a stick shift 240D, you become as good as any F-I or Indy driver, believe me, it takes lots of guts and dexteriety to do so. Properly maintained manual trannny 240D rewards its owner with a extremely frugal, low maintainance vehcile which will run without trouble for a very long time. Just make sure to check and adjust the valve clearance every 15K miles or so.

The best I have managed on my 240D was 80mph on LIE but it wasn not happy cruising I can tell you that.

If it is speed that you are after then I suggest you should look for the OM 617 engined 300D turbo which has all the attributes of the 240D with the extra pep and top end.

I had the same engine as the 240d in my 307d motorhome. This was a 21 ft A class European motorhome. It wasn't a van type Westphalia but a full sized motorhome. On the flat, it would do 65mph. It would lose speed quickly on hills.
But since it was a big heavy vehicle, I'm surprised that 240d's can't easily do 85mph on the flat all day long.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

240D and fast shouldn't be in the same sentence.

It will however outlast anything else on the road except for maybe the next door farmer's Ford 9N tractor.

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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

the good news is that the 240d is more powerful than A citroen 2cv. If you don't know what A 2cv is take A look at some old james bond movies or pink panther movies. the bad news, can't thint of any, if you look at old ads mercedes says it's A frugal vehicle they weren't trying to hide that, no frills I think they hit it right on the money

As you may be aware, the speed at which one drives is governed by law in most jurisdictions,
so "fast" is a misleading concept. A 240D, given enough time to accelerate, will cruise at legal speeds and will do so all day long.

Now, acceleration is another matter, especially with an auto trans. You'll be taking your time.

Is a 240D for you? You'll never know until you drive one or two. I went from an '80 Subaru to our first diesel Mercedes, so I didn't notice much difference. There is a considerable difference between the 240, which had an auto trans, and our present pair, a Euro 300D with a manual trans and an '85 turbo automatic. If the acceleration of the 240 is too sluggish for you, you might consider the readily available turbo 300D.

Phil

That was my line. FAST and 240D are diametrically opposed.

Here's what I had to say on another forum when someone asked this same type of question:

Quote:

Good candidate for BD, BAD candidate for transportation if you need to get anywhere on time! That car sounds like a ROCKET compared to most 240D's. Was in the process of buying one to experiment with and see if I could squeeze more power out of that gutless engine, but even if I DOUBLED the HP, it would still be passed by most mountain bikers...., with one flat tire......, and a bum leg......, fighting a headwind......, with the brakes locked up....., pulling a child in a cart......, a 14 year old child...., who's overweight....., and has a school buddy sitting next to him in the cart...., who's also overweight...., and dragging his feet on the pavement....

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1984 300D Turbo - 4-speed manual conversion, mid-level resto

1983 300D - parts car

1979 300TD Auto - Parts car.

1985 300D Auto - Wrecked/Parts.


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"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". Lewis Carrol

You could be a straight man for Jay Leno with that question..............

william Rogers..............

I've been wondering how it compares to a non-turbo VW diesel rabbit..
Or the turbo for that matter..

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

I beat a kid on a bicycle across an intersection, ....once....but I don't think he knew we were racing.

"Fast" --depends on your definition of "fast". A 240 in good shape will easily bury the speedometer ( 85mph). If your definition is 100mph, then the answer is "no"

"quick" well thats another question. And no matter your definition of "quick" a 240D is not