I am a long time W123 owner, past was two 83's, couple and sedan, present is an 85 sedan with an exceptionally clean body.
I am getting the urge to try a different, younger model (no honey, the car, not you), but don't really know where to begin or exactly what I'm looking for.

I want the BIG bodied cars that seem to get around 30 MPG or so. Nice, heavy, built like a BSH Mercedes Benz.

I am not real good with the "W" designations and am looking for a way to differentate amongst the various platforms that have diesel power. I am expecting to spend say, 10 maybe 15K for a nice car, good power, A/C, lots of room, easyish to service and reliable. 4, 5 or 6 cyl doesn't matter but I guess it better be a turbo if I want it to move. I'm even interested in the Blue-Tech line but think those may still be out of financial reach. I would definitely prefer a wagon over a sedan and would consider 20-25 MPG OK on one of those platforms.

So, what should I look for, W-what, what years are OK. I know about the 613 head vs 614 issue and don't care about that as I can replace a head if needed. Some real general information should be enough to start trolling E-bay and craigslist and other sites. I think I know the W124 and W126 (that the 300SD size?) but pretty much that's it. The W123's I own and have owned were and are easy to care for. Rust prone, sure, but still run for months at a time with no work needed other than oil and filter changes.

Any, no matter how generic, info is appreciated.

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1985 300D 197K - Semi-Daily Driver Diesel
1998 Volvo V70 AWD 226K - Daily Driver 2
1998 Volvo S70 140K - Wife's DD
2003 GMC Sonoma ZR2 Option - Rusty Truck
THE BABY 1958 220S Sedan 66K All original, never restored and never will be.