Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn T. W.
It's not the fact that a turbo would get worse mileage, it would be the fact of the larger displacement engine . . .
Is there such an animal as the turbo 300td with a manual tranny?
I believe the MB would be a safer car to be in an accident with, than a VW, also don't know, but . . . the VW has more electronics to go wrong with . . . for safety reason is why we went from a Subaru to Volvo for my wife! (however the electronics on our Volvo would be a nightmare to work on! want to buy it? just don't tell my wife!)
I know there probably doesn't exist the perfect car that is built like a tank and gets 50+ mpg, that is easy to work on and will last forever, and not cost a fortune to own . . .
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I agree with almost all of your statements. However all diesel 123's will weigh in close to the same mass (granted the 240 engine is a bit lighter than the 300) and it takes the same amount of energy to move the same mass, right?
300TD automatics are not easily found, manual even more scarce. However, do a search and you will find several that have swapped out the automatic for a manual. If you find a clean 300TD buy it and work on it. One of your jobs eventually will be a transmission repair or swap.
Safety is why I bought my 123. In 1982 when my children were 4 and 6, we were behind a 123 that got T boned on the highway, rolled sideways into a ditch, and came out flipping end over end. Came to rest and a family of 4 walked away. I bought one within the next 8 months.