Why does my 88 300TE Wagon have better turning circle than anything else?
 

I drove a 2005 E350 yesterday.....Turning circle cannot be compared at all.

I was driving with my friends yesterday (one with a Tacoma, an Accord and a RSX) and we all went down a street to find a dead end.....it was a two lane(one each way) street and they all had to do a 3 point turn. Me in my 300TE just rolled out and did the whole thing in one LOL!

I have also driven a 2008 Scion xD and its horrible too.

Why does my long 1988 300TE wagon kick the stuffing out of everything I have driven turning circle wise?

I don't even want to get started on my dads 88 Chevvy Suburban....

Get your hands on a Volvo 740....

Its cause wagons are the best cars ever... LOL

The W124s have really good turning radii. I think its because they are the perfect size.. Not too big, and not too small.



Hows yours running?

W124s have turning circle of 36 feet. It's good for a big sedan but to put in perspective Corollas and Miatas have 30 foot turning circles.

I would assume the W201s turn even tighter than the 124s!

Turn your wheel all the way to one side and then look at the tires from the outside... you will understand then... its built into the suspension.

I have no idea, so I'm qualified to offer an opnion, but my guess is that newer cars probably have a bunch of extra 'stuff' (ABS, etc.)that limits the amount the wheels can turn, whereas the Benz engineers had cleaner design so the wheels could turn further.

The caster of 7 to 8 degrees allows the sharper turning radius, along with the high speed stability.

Front drive, four-wheel-drive and AWD vehicles possess cv joints or other mechanisms that are needed to feed power to the front wheels. These parts often limit the angle that the front wheels can be turned.

Ze narrow turning circle??
 

It is becauze ze Gherman Taxi drivers vanted it zis way for ze narrow strasses!

Ja wohl!

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D

It is more expensive to give larger turning angles. PLus it takes up more room in the engine compartment.

Agreed the old volvos are the champs.

A Ferrari 250 is abismal on turning radius.

Tom W

My S420 could pull a u-turn behind a Civic.

Sixto
87 300D

It's running a little better....but same. At the end of this week I'll be putting the fuel distributor in and hopefully problem solved. I gotta clean up the one I bought as its not as good cosmetic condition as the one I have right now. I just need the internal condition to be ok.

My '00 W210 is a tank compared to my '93 W124, it is one thing I absolutely hate about it. That and the softish supension. Even the wifee commented on how agile the old one was compared to this one.
Other than that it is a fine automobile.

Alex