I've been driving my Suzuki Samurai diesel for a couple weeks, running errands and pulling a utility trailer.
But this morning I drove the e300d to work. Man, what a great car. As soon as I get in the car, I am reminded why I love it so much. Solid "thud" when I close the door, FANTASTIC seats, the smell of leather.
And it drives beautifully. Of all the sedans I have ever driven, it has the best compromise of handling and dampening. You feel the bumps enough to know they're there, but it's not jarring. The steering is easy, but not at all over-boosted. The handling is fantastic for such a heavy car... it is actually fun to drive.
But that engine... gracious me. In the past, owning a diesel was a compromise. You got mileage and reliability, but you got a tractor engine. The Benz diesels were always the nicest of the bunch, in my opinion, but it was still a tractor in nice pants. But not the om606. It pulls like a train and sounds fantastic. It idles like a cummins and revs like an alfa.
What a great car, what a great engine.
