One for you dieselheads!!

Today I helped a friend in the motor trade deliver a car to the house of a lovely and also wealthy old gentleman. It was for his carers to use, as they found his other car too big.. a Volkswagen Touareg (the off-roader sharing the platform of the Porsche Cayenne).


Anyway I chatted to one of his carers, who told me how she did 570,000 kms in her 1979 300D in her native South Africa.. then we talked a little about cars and the VW which turned out to be the 5.0 V10 303bhp 550 lb.ft diesel model, and his prior cars which were 'a Maserati' and an Alpina BMW. Then she went inside, came out and said the gentleman wished for me to drive his Touareg! My motor trader friend had told him about my Young Driver of the Year accolade...


Never one to refuse an offer, I agreed and got in - no key required, it unlocked when she walked up to it and I started it with a red-lit button. The interior is absolutely wonderful. This is where Mercedes should be looking for their examples. I shifted the 6-speed automatic into Drive and pulled away. And I have to say, the car drove nothing like a Land Cruiser or similar off roader. It just felt and drove just like an S-class, but where you sit up high.


The engine was interesting in that it made a huge variety of different sounds, none of them bad but none of them spine-tingling either. It didn't sound like a diesel, or like a petrol either. More like... a slightly evil train. Yes that's right. And that's how it drove too. There was no discernable lack of turbo at low revs, just LOTS of forward go (enough for magazine tested 0-60 in 6.7 seconds) delivered through a lovely auto with imperceptible shifts, in a car that weighs 2.5 tons. It never pulled really hard at the top end however like a real sports car, but just felt like any time you wanted it could blast you away from anything with great traction and much faster than any smaller turbodiesel (which can seem rather limp when combined with an automatic), with even the handling to easily keep the speed up, if you are confident enough.


I still find it hard to believe that was a VW, fitted with a V10 engine to make an ML55 AMG seem rather flaccid. Madness!


Russ

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190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

What's a carer? Brit's english term I presume.

err, I think it's pretty much... someone that cares for someone (professionally, as opposed to they're good at cheering people up).

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190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

How's your neck? Any whiplash? I always wonder what 500+ ft-lbs or torque feels like.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

Over 500 ft/lbs of torque feels like a roller coaster ride! Incredible speed. No belts on this engine either, ALL gear driven.

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1984 300D Turbo Sedan (Hilda) 272,115 miles.....
Anthracite Gray/Palamino Leather, I am 3rd owner

2001 Dodge Stratus (Silver) (wifes) 55814 miles...

1982 280TE Wagon Astral Silver Metallic/
Anthracite Velour
260,512 miles (Eva)

1969 230 Sedan Olive Green/Black MBTex
4 Speed Manual
84,213 miles ????
Haus Frau


2004 Boreem Ninja Pocket Bike
Highly Modified 49cc (Ling Ling)

Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit

Sounds like VW builds better cars than MB.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

GET EM OUTTA HERE!!!!!

MB DIESEL IS A POWERHOUSE. 500K AND COUNTING. BEAT THAT VW.

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-Sam
93 300D
210k - Sold, but not forgotten.

I'd offer no resistance to being given one, and I'd sure like to test drive one But I'll love and keep my 126 until its half a century old or more

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Define "powerhouse" in respect to our MB diesels.

What MB diesel do you have, or that you make reference to, that has 500,000 miles on it "and still counting"?

Time will tell if those VW diesels are as tough as our MB diesels. I hope someone gets back to us after they have 20 years on the road.

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You can get farther with a smile and a gun than you can with just a smile.

1984 300D
1985 300CD
1980 300SD
1993 SL500

Yep, the Touarge goes like stink.....but my brother reports that a friend's is in the shop more than not.......

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95 E300D 206K
73 BMW 2002tii Touring
2004 Porsche Cayenne S
1995 Universal Marine Diesel (3cyl, 17hp)
2001 BMW R1100SA

I drove one too, briefly. The torque is insane. Just pushing the go pedal half way gets you to the next stop light too quickly for comfort. I love it! I was also amazed at the fit and finish of the interior. It is definitely worth every penny of the $60,000 price tag. With that being said, it would be nice if they offered the V10 in something a little more affordable to the average person. *sigh*

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I've got 4 mb diesels and 2 vw diesels. I've got more milage on the 2 vw's, close to 400,000 than on all the mb's. The vw diesels are just as good as the mb's.
(except for the 91 350sdl which is awesome).

VW's are simplier to maintain, the odometers work, the clocks work, but the damn door handles stink. Worst in the world.

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71 220D 169K wrecked
83 240D 118K sweet 4 speed
91 350SDL (one of the 60% good engines) 156K
84 300d (loaner to my sister) 189K
79 300SD (partswagen)
86 420SEL partswagen
70 220d (partswagen)
68 280s GASSER!!! under construction now
85 300sd 310K miles winter beater car retired
93 300d 2.5 turbo 168K wife's car
83 280SL euro 5 speed 155K
69 250S newest project 54K

I want a V-10 turbodiesel in a car thats affordible to the average man....me!

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

The V10 is in fact two of Audi's venerable in-line five diesel 2.5's.

Assuming they've done a good job of the mating, it should last pretty long - our family is still running our '93 Audi A6 2.5TDi avant purchased with ~225,000 miles, and we're now 10,000 of the 300k mark. Still drives well and is regularly used to tow cars, 4x4s and trailers alongside a more mundane daily life. Much nicer than their V6 diesel engine in every way.


The electronics and things.. I can imagine they have their problems, but, more than a W211?


As for being fitted into a more affordable car, seems unlikely - it's gotta be the cheapest way into more than 8 cylinders as it is. But you can have it in the Phaeton saloon if you don't like off roaders. That's a nice car, a real change from the BMW/S-class/Jag crowd if you don't like the ugly plastic Lexus LS. Of course in the US you get a whole load more good/bad/ugly luxury saloons to choose from...


Russ

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190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

I was refering to what kind of product either manufacturer produces now not 20+ years ago.

Engage your brain before putting your mouth in gear.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012