I have a 96 E300d, and have owned it for over 3 years now. The car has 217,000 miles on it, and does not burn a drop of oil. Mileage around town here in heavy traffic is about 26-28, and 34-37 on the highway at 65-70 mph. It is a little slow off the line, but once up to highway speed it is a really fantastic ride. Nice thing about the non-turbo is the fact that its a little less complicated to maintain. One issue that you need to be aware of with this model engine is the glow plug problem issue. They can be a pain to change out, and can break off in the head of too much force is used to try an loosen them up. Good luck with whatever model you decide upon.

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96 E300d