I am relatively new to the Mercedes world, having bought my first one (the '83 300D) in march of '02, and my newest ('81 300SD) last week.
Everything else being equal, which one would you experts keep? Space does not permit me to keep both. Also this Forum has been invaluable to me, (I couldn't afford to have a car like this and pay someone to do all the little things that have to be fixed and replaced). I bought the Haynes manual for the 123 but I haven't been able to find a similar one for the 126. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Lee

__________________
'83 300D 283,000 mi.
'88 Jaguar XJ40 132,000 mi.(sold)
'88 Olds 88 190,000 mi.(given to grandson)
'81 300SD 313,000 mi. (given to granddaughter)
Maintained by Me and my offspring.
ESCHEW OBFUSCATION

Dump the olds and jag and keep the two mercedes

They are about equal in value, so it depends on which you like more, and which has a less problems so far. I'd keep the SD all things being equal- but then I've never owned a SD, just two W123''s.

hi debey,
that tis a hard one. not knowing your life style, and trust worthy friends are, I use to store one of the mb's at your folks place, or a trust-worthy friends place. as to a mb book, I have the chilton mercedes coupes/sedans/wagons 74-84 manual. seems to be better than the haneys book, this one also has wiring road maps also, found it at a schucks but ya may want to hurry, from my understanding, haneys & chilton are no one company. the book number is 48300.
I got the last one at the schucks I stopped at. as to which on to keep... mine is the w126 sd, and is real good condion. I really like the 617 turbo

chip

Well, I've owned a 123 for five years before purchasing the 126, and subsequently purchasing another one this year.

I can help you with your decision:

Benefits of 123:

--- Simplicity
--- Easy to work on all systems (relatively)
--- Easier to park in tight quarters

Benefits of 126:

--- Quieter in the cabin
--- Larger rear seat
--- More comfortable for any driver that is over 5'10" tall.
--- Smoother ride with longer wheelbase


Since both vehicle have the identical engine, all engine related systems are equivalent in terms of maintenance.

Fuel economy is typically slightly better in the 126, but, this can vary tremendously with the individual vehicle, so it must be discounted as a factor.

In reality, the decision is usually based on use. If you use the vehicle for over the road travel, you will definitely be happier in the 126. If you use the vehicle around town, you probably will be happier with the 123.

i regretted selling my 300D for a long time...then i sold my 1954 buick and bought a SD. it's a much better car...more comfortable, more power, and better mileage. as long as your SD isn't in need of something expensive (axle, A/C controller, IP...) you should keep it.

Keep both...please. I have 2 of each and almost another 123. The 126 is for trips and the 123 is for short hauls around town and for use in the snow. If I could have only one...it would have to be the 126.

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1983 300SD 343K everyday car
1983 300SD 285K from junk yard-tooks parts from deer car- runs great. Brothers car.
1984 300SD parts car-Hit deer
1979 300D 175K non-turbo "Doctor"
1979 300d parts car

Thanks to all of you. Appreciate the time it took to respond. Diablo-Diesel, I went to Schucks and got thier last Chilton mamual as well, although they told me they would have a replacement in two days. I'm trying to get my wife to say bye bye to the Olds, (already have sold the Jag). Thanks again, Lee

__________________
'83 300D 283,000 mi.
'88 Jaguar XJ40 132,000 mi.(sold)
'88 Olds 88 190,000 mi.(given to grandson)
'81 300SD 313,000 mi. (given to granddaughter)
Maintained by Me and my offspring.
ESCHEW OBFUSCATION

Be a bit careful here. All of us love the diesels, but, you must realize that there are a lot of people who do not, for reasons that are well known. If your wife is one of them, saying bye bye to the Olds would not be prudent, IMHO.

I like to use my 300D around town and my 300SD when I travel on the highway...it's that simple, which do you do more off?

__________________
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)

If it were MY decision, the wife would go BEFORE the diesels.

'tis a fine line between bravery and foolhardiness.