PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - When did YOU learn the virtues of a diesel engine?

Angel · #3 12-23-2006, 10:04 AM

This wasnt more than 4 years ago...
I was driving to school (after 6yrs of navy subs) in a VW Corrado (snicker).

The corrado was a great highway car, but as any VW guy knows, corrados are problematic, and mine was getting the best of me.

There was a guy at my school, son of the local MB factory rep, who had a china blue 240D, real tall guy, and offered it up for sale. I was going to school for mechanical engineering technology and beginning to dislike short-lived computers. I was also engaged to a lovely women from my hometown/neighboorhood so the thoughts went like this:

"I'm in school, she doesnt make a whole lot of money. She currently drives a new car (97 Neon...blah) and will expect to remain doing the same. I have a 1990 and don't care if I get something older. I'm Not gonna spend money on 2 new cars"

- I'm not even sure I like having 2 cars at all (she is now a stay at home mom, its just more fuel/maintenance/insurance/hassle. Nice to have my own car, but man could we save some money.

"Any non-new car will require fixing, so I'd better get a car that is either easy to fix, or something I'd enjoy fixing". It looked like I wasn't going to enjoy fixing any car, so the MB diesels came up, not complicated, not enough power to collect lots of speeding tickets, good reputation for reliability. My father had an 81 rabbit diesel to commute in and my grandmother rocked the hills of state college in a 240D so I looked for one of those until that guy at school had one for sale. 263k on the clock, winter tires, working A/C, I jumped on it.

I'm not sure where I want to go now. The 240D is getting older faster, I found all the rust repair that I missed when I bought it, and for 28mpg I could get a honda civic, run cheaper fuel AND be able to hit 90mph. I'd love a W124 diesel, but money hasnt gotten any better with mom at home and a new 7 month old little guy so putting more than $3k into a car isnt making me thrilled- mom and little guy are wayyyy more important. (mom rocks a 2005 subaru though, not sure I want her to trade it so I can get a "better" car. Unfortunately, the 240D shows no signs of stopping, which makes it harder to get rid of. But an '87 300D (POWER) or an A2 Jetta diesel (above average economy) or my brothers W124 300E std-shift (cheap) do look pretty appealing.

Yeah, it wasnt that long ago, but I am diggin diesels. -John