Just for fun, I started looking at Yahoo Autos and checking specs on the new cars. I decided I'd try to see what's available with RWD, a manual transmission, and similar or better fuel economy than the '83 300D I currently drive. Results were disappointing.

If someone pistol whipped me and forced me to buy a new car this week, I'd probably end up with a 6-cylinder/6-speed Mustang. According to EPA ratings, it gets 19 city/31 hiway. The city mileage is a bit less then what I get with the 300, and the highway mileage is about the same. Of course it's less roomy, but it manages to deliver 305 horsepower in spite of the good fuel economy. And I think it looks nice. I priced one and it came to a hair under $23k MSRP for one optioned the way I like (stripped).

The only other somewhat appealing cars I found were the C300 sport sedan and the Mazda Miata. Both are rated to get a little worse fuel economy than my 300. I was previously unaware that you could still get a stick in the C-class. The C300 comes with the advantage of being a four door, but I don't know that I'd want to pay an extra ten grand over the cost of the Mustang. It does seem to be a nice car though. The Miata, of course, is a different animal entirely and wouldn't be practical for all the things I do with my 123. It would be a killer weekend fun car though.

That much being said, I'd have to have my net worth up into at least seven figures before I would really consider buying new and taking that instant depreciation hit. I'm not anywhere near there yet, so it looks like I'll be keeping the old 300 for quite a while.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Well, Skip, I guess I'd go with a Subaru Outback, I would probably buy one new anyway if I wanted or need one. They're about $22K and get 30 mpg, according to a friend colleague that just bought one in CA.

I would have to puke before spending any money on a new American brand car.

An Audi A4 or 3 series will beat your 300D's mileage and are available with sticks.

I think you can get the 335D with a manual but I may be wrong. No one really buys sticks anymore because they are a PITA around town and the new autos especially the double clutch ones are so good.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Nope, no manual 335D. No manual for the diesel E-class either.

I didn't look at AWD. I don't want or need the extra cost and complexity for the driving I do.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

There's no way a new, affordable American brand/label can outdo most all aspects of a Subaru. I would just not believe it. According to your criteria - I would be in a Subbie by Noon tomorrow - IF you wanted new that is. I'm a little SOLD on Subbies because of my colleagues and friends that have owned them for years.

If you are saying that it never ices or snows in Carson City, NV., then AWD is not a consideration.

Isn't the most basic Audi A4 available in front-wheel-drive?

Oh, it snows, but we rarely get more than a few inches in one shot, and they are good about getting the plow trucks out on all the major roads. With good tires and a little driving skill, it's quite doable with RWD only. I used to commute to a job that was located on a dirt road that turns to mud in the winter. I made it through the first winter there with a Lincoln Town car (RWD) and mud tires on the drive axle. After that I did get a 4WD vehicle, but when I quit working at that place I got rid of it as I didn't need it anymore.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Yes, but I don't do wrong wheel drive. It does very odd things in low traction situations. I know there are some people who have a lot of experience driving FWD cars to the limits of adhesion and know how to deal with the handling irregularities, but I learned with RWD, am used to the way it acts, and don't care to re-learn how to drive.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Outbacks are made in 'Merica. Indiana!

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'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

Unless you pay extra for it the basic 3 series is RWD.

Actually just about every BMW model would fit your three broad criteria. I think even a 5 series would mach a 300D's mileage.

AWD provides fantastic levels of grip, don't knock it until you try it.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

There will be a C250 (1.8 turbo) gasser in the US in 2012 that will easily eclipse your 300D. As previously mentioned there are plenty of cars that meet your criteria and exceed the 300D in fuel economy. But I agree that FE hasn't progressed as much as it should have in the last 30 years. Not in this country anyway. $4 seems to be helping.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/22/officially-official-2012-mercedes-benz-c-class-gets-new-four-cy/

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

I'd reconsider.

The Subaru has grown in size to the point it is now consdered a Sport Utility Vehicle now, and is very safe, even with a roll cage.

Only the engine and transmission are from Japan, everything else is from here and the vehicles are shipped from the factory in Muncie, Indiana where they are built, so they are pretty American.

Go down the road to Michael Hohl Subaru in Carson City and drive one. Or the Lake Tahoe dealer on the California side.

I live only 100 or so miles wes of you and you DO get a lot of snow in Northern Nevada sometimes.

The base and Premium OPutbacks are available with manual transmissios if you wanty one.

The new Outbacks are now having t6he seamless shifting CVT transmissions in them, for the sdecond year, and are proving very reliable.

In fact the cheaper Forestesrs will get them too, when the stocks of four speed automatics in stock, in warehouses, run out.

The stock of pre-Tsunami Subarus already in America are dwindling, and when they are gine, the prices will ALL stiffen for all Japanese brands, because te popular perception is that all of them will GLOW IN THE DARK.

I closed on a NEW one, a well equipped 2.5i Premium model with the all-weather package, earlier this week.

I love it --- I had a perfectly good '09 Mercury Grand Marquis I was happy with, but I jumped to a Outback again because of the AWD capability.

The Grand Marquis got stuck in the snow EVERY t5ime it snowed hard around here, at 2500 feet.


I got tired of dealing with it, so I traded it in.

Bought one for $26,141 which was under 500 over invoice which gave th dealer a litle profit and got an OK price on my trade.


The all wheel drive has been a Subaru trademark since the 1970's and for those, they are VERY wdell sorted out and uber reliable.

The 2.5i horizontally opposed boer motor, similar in dsign to the Porsch motor is VERY reliable and can last 200,000 to 350,000 miles and beyond if taken care of, and it gives the car a lower center of gravity, so there is AWD capability with far less "tippy" and roll over wories.

The EPA gives a 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway mileage ratings, which helped my decision. The Tahoes, Yukons and Ford explorers don't do that but at 3900 pounds the Outbacks are very solid and ssmooth riding.

Plus the seats are extremely supportive firm and comfortable. though no match for the Mercedes Benz ones.

the onl downside I see so far, is that the car comes with idiot lights instead of gauges for the oil and coolant temperature.







New 2011 Subaru Outback 2.5i PZEV Premium wih full time AWD and the all weather package was the replacment..



It snowed up here again last night, and I breezed through it. Slowly !!

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Subarus have come quite a long way since ther early days in the United States.. lol

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I remember that generation of Subaru, having seen it serve as high school transportation for some of my peers back in the Seventies. Needless to say, they were not operated in a coddling environment, and proved to be tough little cars.

"Like a Spirited Woman Who Yearns To Be Tamed"

That would not fly now days....