I'd just like to know who preferes which type of transmission and why. I personally prefer the manual. They are lower maintenance, last longer, have a simpler design, so easier to fix and diagnose, and they are more efficient with fuel and power (a necessity for the 240D), and, of course, they are more fun to drive.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

So far 100% in favor of manuals!

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

Very much depends on the chassis and engine.

If I was a wee younger and my left knee had some good cartilage left, I'd go for manual. But, the way things are now...gettin' old and with arthritic knees, I'll have to stick with Autos

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1995 E300 Diesel
2002 GMC Duramax CC LB 4X4

I prefer the automatic with the Turbocharged engines because they pull really hard before during and after the shift with no loss of boost. They are a very robust automatic.
I prefer the standard with 240's without a doubt, and probably with the NA OM617 also.
I prefer the automatic for the E300 diesel because an autotranny "fits the car"...

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I peffer manual in any car, diesel or not. But hold on a second..

So You are saying that auto in turbo diesel is actually better and has better power transfer?

My thoughts are along the same line, tom. Age is catching up with me. I've generally had standards for my daily drivers but my knee is at the point where I want an auto. And plowing snow really takes its toll now. For a weekend fun/sports car I'd still want a standard.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

x2 --- old sports injury.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
No longer selling Cluster Needles Paint
No longer selling New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

Another question. For manual dieselheads like me, as in we prefer a manual transmission diesel to any car, would you rather drive a manual gasser, or an auto diesel (I assume nobody would touch an auto gasser)?

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

In the area I live in I favor an Automatic at this time only because 98% of my driving is city driving and much of it stop and go. In stop and go traffice I sometime find myself lugging the Engine or slipping the clutch because of the traffic situation.
The other reason is my Wife cannot use a Manual Transmission. While I managed to do the daunting task of teaching her how to drive a car to the point were she passed here on the road driving test the 1st time. I do not think I could handle the stress of training here to use a Stick Shift; nor do I want to ruin my clutch or transmissin in the process.
So for the practicality of the above I now favor an Automatic.

That being said I am most often driving my Volvo (the Mercedes is the Wife's car) which has a Manual Transmission with an Overdrive. It is at its best on the Freeway in Overdrive.
If I knew I was going somewhere where there was a good chance of long periods of stop and go traffic I would make sure I took the Mercedes.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Perhaps because I've always driven early cars with stick and clutch I consider it second nature,and some of my cars have really heavy clutches.

Despite it's comfort and smooth ride I sometimes fancy swapping my '98 E300 for a manual 123.

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Manual in my Jetta,The MB is supposed to be my wifes car so its automatic,she rarely drives it anyway seems wherever we go i end up driving.Not that she cannot drive a standard,she learned to drive before she ever heard of an automatic,says she "just does not want to" Don

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Red Green "This is only temporary,Unless it works!"

97 E300D 157000 miles
87 300TD ?141k? miles

Up until about 5-6 years ago I flat out WOULD NOT BUY a vehicle with an automatic. Waste of power and mpg, plus one less aspect of the vehicle's operation being under my complete control.

However, once I started four-wheeling my Jeep (with an automatic) I quickly learned to like it. I wouldn't even consider choosing a manual tranny for an offroad vehicle now. After getting used to driving the auto in traffic, I have come to prefer automatics over manual transmissions in everything but pickups and sports cars.

Guess I'm gettin' old too...

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1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown

depends on the car and type of engine. for instance, when i drive my dads 190E 2.3-16, thats a car that needs a manual transmission. i drove an auto 190E of the same year and it wasnt the same. but when im driving a 300SDL, i much prefer auto transmissions. just the size of the car and how much pedal it needs to get moving wouldn't be beneficial i think. and the auto trannys in those cars are pretty solid. i don't think that many of the old diesels are nice with manuals but ive never driven one so don't take it from me. if i could find a manuel 280SL, that would be great.

i guess it just depends. of the car. if you have a good feel with the clutch any car is possible to drive, but is it nice to drive

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Current
2006 E320 CDI, 57K bought at 67K "Liesl"
1986 190E 2.3-16, 198K bought at 56K "Brigitta"
1987 300TD (Chuggin Along), 292K "Friedrich"
1995 E320 Wagon, 200K "Louisa"

Past
1987 300SDL, (sold) 125K, bought for 1$ "Kurt"

Since both my legs remain functional (at least so far as a clutch is concerned), and since I no longer have to drive my vintage Benzes in heavy traffic, and since I still enjoy deciding what gear I should be in, I just prefer the manual shift. Especially since the vintage automatics in the smaller-engined Mercedes I've owned haven't exactly been models of efficiency.
Though I have become rather fond of 'Miss Diesel', my 1982 'lazy man's' automatic 240D, the fuel mileage penalty is pretty stiff when compared to my heavier & quicker 5-speed '84 Euro 300TD, which typically manages at least 5 mpg better.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW