The lack of highway merging/passing and lack of hill climbing ability put me off anything less than a turbo 300D/TD. I had 2 friends in high school with diesel Benzes, one with a 240D auto, the other with a 300D stick N/A. The 300D was capable of merging, but it wasn't fast, and neither did well on the hills around here. When the speed limit on the interstate is 80, but your car is only doing 40 at WOT up the hill, you become a danger not only to yourself, but all the cars, Semis, busses, and bikes blowing past you at 90+ SCARY SCARY SCARY.

If you live in a flat area, the N/A engines fine, but if you have hills, a turbo is needed!

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Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]