Apparently the previous owner had this 300D sitting aroung for 6 months before I bought it. After runnig it this past week it's much better. It must be a combination of filling up with new deisel, running it on 5000 rpm on the highway and getting use to driving a deisel. Whether I start of in L or S, it always starts out in 1st, so I start in L generally. I love the way the transmission shifts sportlike (later) when I am accelerating...it shifts to a higher gear when I back off the accelerator. Next week I am having a mechanic add a new A/C compressor and converting it to the new RF-134(?) refrigerant for around $500-550, otherwise my wife won't drive it. This car is a replacement for the 1998 C230 I have coming off lease this month. I went to Costco this weak and fit 9 cases of gatorate, arizona ice tea, etc in the trunk! They don't make trunks this large anymore in a mid-size. I love the car now and hope to keep it forever! Mercedes-Benz aren't made like they used to make them. My ML320 is getting a ring job at only 32K miles! Thank goodness it is under warranty and is leased. When it comes off lease next April, I'm replacing it with a used wagon.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)