lately I have been thinking of getting rid of my mazda. Its got 66k and has been super reliable but I dont really much enjoy driving it but only really do so because it has air conditioning. It does have a payment which is pretty small as car payments go at 224 a month for 25 more months for a total of $5200 left on the note. I dont struggle to make the payment or anything but I could chomp say $330 a month from my expenses by selling it. I was thinking of just getting new shocks and the ac working on the 300sd and keeping only that car. Since I put the pirellis on it, the fuel economy has suffered a lot. It only gets bout 28mpg if I try and its 3 month average is 27mpg. The mercedes gets about 24 and would probably get less if I got the ac going. would it be dumb to get rid of a car that is reliable as the day is long but costs 330 a month to insure and pay for plus gas and only rely on my 28 year old diesel? The mercedes is pretty sound and hasn't needed anything but maintenance as far as reliability goes for the last year, but I dont daily drive it. I cant decide if $330 is just too measly of a payment to worry about and just keep it until it dies. your thoughts?

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

One concern I would have is your ability to fix your SD as it needs it. Do you have the garage, tools and intestinal fortitude necessary to tackle the issues that are definitely going to arise on a 28 yo vehicle? After work?

I use my SD as a daily driver, but there have been nights when I was making some repair at 1am because I needed the car the next day. (I could always drive my plowtruck, but that's a whole different can of worms...)

How far do you drive each day?

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

Try *THIS* in some Mazda.

best car crash sceen ever from gripalleffect - YouTube


Your decision should be easy; Case closed.

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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)

Buy a motorcycle or Vespa as an "emergency" vehicle, then sell the Mazda. (Unless you live somewhere where you can walk most places.)

You know what fat chicks and scooters got in common.... (unless you live somewhere where no one see you going to work)

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

I've always found mod chicks to be cuter than rockers

whats a mod chick?

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

They were sort of "rivals" on motor scooters with the "rockers" in the UK when this band called "the Beatles" was really popular.

Sort of like the motorcycle gang "The Hells Angels" but with cartoon buttertflys and blurry Hallmark sunsets, and not greasy motorcycle drive chains to flail at you. And better fashion sense at the time too (granted, a matter of taste)

How old are you anyway?

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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)

You have to ask yourself: WHEN your Mercedes breaks, what will you drive?

Didn't you buy that Mazda because you had a mb that was constantly broken?

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Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

yeh but that merc has 200k more miles than my current one!!

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Eventually,your car will need service. If you need a car to drive every day, keep the two that you have. Fixing the ac on your sd won't happen in one day.

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Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

I wouldn't want to only have one 28 year old car as a daily driver. Well unless wrenching is the only thing you like to do.

I don't miss the old car thing one bit. I think they make great hobby cars to play with, but not to count on.

I almost never work on the truck. Over the past couple of months I did shocks and an evap valve to shut of a CE light but that's really it, 101k and still going good.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I do, and I actually prefer it to new cars.

Only things it's needed since I bought it were some initial suspension work, a thermostat, injector return hose, and some clutch hydraulic parts (would have taken a day at the mechanic, but the man was a cheapskate and didn't replace the pressure hose the first time round so it kept leaking down). Oh, and oil changes/fuel filter changes.

I haven't wrenched on the 240d in any serious manner for about a year, and I've put about 10k miles on it in that time period.

is the 240 your only car?

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Yep! (Unless a motorcycle counts as a car )

I'm probably less paranoid about reliability since I live in the city and have other ways of getting around, but the car has only let me down once (blown clutch master) and was drivable to the mechanic even them.