Will/does your wife/girlfriend like driving your diesel Mercedes? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Diesel Giant · #1 12-07-2005, 02:42 AM

I always have some nice units to drive and they are conviently parked in the driveway. So my wife has plenty to choose from, but will she drive a nice 123?? Heck no! She has to commute 1.5 hours one way in my Jetta Tdi 5spd and hates it, but she will not drive one of the automatic Mercedes.

That is a crying shame. The only diesel benz she like driving was the 92 2.5 turbo or the 86 SDL.

What is a fella to do?

How bout you all, is it the same battle at your house?

#2 12-07-2005, 02:48 AM

The type of girls I tend to date tend to not like driving my cars becuase they either drive aircooled VW's or they roll small euro cars (beamer, etc.)

The w126 is a big car for someone not familiar with it (although it doesn't drive boaty). My friend with the Type III Squareback loves driving the w123 240D stickshift...then again that car is in nice shape and it has good heat!

My dad likes driving my w126 cause its fast. My mother won't really drive my stuff (but I don't like her to). After my sister snapped an ignition key off in the door lock (my w126 has seperate CLEARLY DIFFERENT KEYS) she isn't allowed to touch my car unless I am giving her a ride.

I believe the word is, the 240D is cute...the 300SD is hot...the VW is "cute and small" heh.

pawoSD · #3 12-07-2005, 02:50 AM

My girlfriend does not like big cars as in driving them, riding in them is fine, but she prefers small cars (she has a '95 cavalier....

) She has said the 123/124/C-class etc sized cars she would not mind driving. My friends have mixed views on my car.

I wouldn't let her drive my SD anyways, no one can, except me.

My dad also, (if it is absolutely necessary), but he is autobahn seasoned, so I trust him with it obviously. Others...nope.

Elktonjohn · #4 12-07-2005, 03:27 AM

My girlfriend of 6 years still covets my 71 Cutlass...Rocket 350, TH350, floats like a boat but corners great, has both heat and a/c, reliably, and looks like muscle. Too bad she's a clutz, first time she drove it she rubbed the T/A off my right front T/A and I made the mistake of...well you know. Should'a kept silent but I had to make a joke.... Now she drives her LeSabre. To her credit she helped me a lot when I had to R&R the trans on that critter so she's a gearhead also, and not afraid of getting dirty...Hey Now... but now she seems real nervous about driving my Benz...hmmmmm. Interesting thread. Maybe we should start a personals section for the ladies. Perhaps something about nice units to drive... oh boy

iNeon · #5 12-07-2005, 04:00 AM

i like the hot dog, not the taco, but mother likes the 240 and has driven it on many an occasion.

she is still car shopping(im about fed up with it, shes been 'shopping' for 18 months...) and i keep telling her there are far worse cars she could drive.

she thinks my car being nice and reliable is a fluke and that as soon as she buys one, she will have large repair bills. i cannot comprehend this trane of thought. she is looking at <20 thousand dollar used cars, some in warranty, most barely out.

ive argued that its MUCH easier to justify spending a grand to repair a 7-10 thousand dollar 123/126 than it is a 2002+ whatever. i am especially afraid of she and my fathers affinity for 210/140 chassis cars. father has taken a liking to the v8 models in e and s classes... but when you discuss that class of automobile, price becomes an issue for them. im adviced out about the whole deal.

my sister drove the 240 when i barely just got it and she didnt like it. i cant blame her much though... shes accustomed to driving a y2k taurus sel.

my father said of the 240: its a nice car, but how can you drive a car that slow? my reply...

there is a button under the accelerator pedal for first gear(we live in the valley between two hills)

all in all id say these are not cars one can just get into and drive, there is a somewhat steep learning curve to the 240. with the glow cycle, the idle adjust lever, kickdown, acceleration, slab-sided construction that catches crosswinds etc.

theyre not automatic ford taurus rental cars, now. people are bound to feel uneasy whenever they know nothing of how these cars work!

ceiii2000 · #6 12-07-2005, 06:53 AM

erm... well... It's her car.

But she lets me work on it!

rs899 · #7 12-07-2005, 06:56 AM

My wife hated the 300D I bought for her 3 years ago when her Dodge croaked. She couldn't seem to appreciate the excellent mechanical condition it was in when I bought it, and the extra time and expense I went through to make sure it was reliable. It was only when I recovered the worn MB-tex on the seats, put a new headliner in it , coverlay for the dash, and painted it Signal RED (her choice) that she stopped *****ing and started to like it. Now , all I'll have to do this year is fix the blasted A/C by this summer and I can live in peace.

Rick

Angel · #8 12-07-2005, 07:43 AM

So no, she doesnt like it, nor will she drive it. But she tolerates me working on it...

(now if I had an auto trans, perhaps the story would change...)

-John

MattBelliveau · #9 12-07-2005, 08:34 AM

My girlfriend has driven my car about 4 times, and ususally immediately asks such things as, "What's wrong with your car?", and "It's so slow!"

dannym · #10 12-07-2005, 08:42 AM

Nobody drives my car but me.
My girlfriend never expresses any interest in driving it and and I don't offer. Though she is good and tolerant when I want to work on it.

Danny

ImBroke · #11 12-07-2005, 08:54 AM

My wife likes driving mine. She's a car girl, though, so maybe that helps?

Pete Burton · #12 12-07-2005, 09:25 AM

My wife doesn't like to drive it and that's fine with me and Blue. Everytime she does she breaks something.

Mr.Kenny · #13 12-07-2005, 09:57 AM

My 50 year old wife is a gearhead; she goes to Lowe's motor speedway twice a year to drive retired & rebuilt Winston cup cars & ARCA cars. She has put in way over 1000 miles on that track above 150mph; last session she hit 170mph.
She loves her Miata for tooling around town, but she is feeling a little vulnerable in such a little car. The car is small and hard to see, thus she has been hit 3 times because the other drivers just didn't see her car. She has a lot of close calls for the same reason. She wants something bigger just to be visible. My 240D just doesn't cut it for her; she, like most women like to get in and go. No fuss no muss. Just go. They like the heat to work and the A.C.; they don't like funny noises cropping up because they are afraid of getting stranded.
In their eyes these 'old MERCEDES' are O.K. for us men; But most women just see 'OLD' mercedes. Meaning probably unreliable & a hassle for them.

kerry · #14 12-07-2005, 10:02 AM

I bought our 77 300d just for my wife. She loves it, especially in the snow. At a mile high, it doesn't have enough power to spin the tires even on glare ice.

Biodiesel300TD · #15 12-07-2005, 10:03 AM

My girly likes driving the wagon. When I was looking for it we were also looking for a diesel for her at the same time. We were going to be a biodiesel household. The first 123 we actually test drove was a tourqoise 300D. It was a great looking car, but it didn't pan out and we ended up just buying one.