Get your car weighed on a properly calibrated scale, it should be, without any luggage or passengers but nearly a full tank of fuel and all fluids, approximately 4000 lbs. The real curb weight of an E320 Bluetec is about 3700 lbs without the 68 kg (150 lbs) driver and 7 kg luggage included in current directive 92/21/EC, version 95/48/EC. The old diesel S is ~ 2 - 300 lbs heavier.

The W221, W126, W140, and W220 have very similar real world interior dimensions if you've measured them out individually. How can a C-Class have as much interior volume as an S-Class? I admit I haven't been in the W204 to compare, but that's quite a tall glass to fill. Now the W210 had as much rear seat legroom as a W140 SWB sedan, this much I know. But a C-Class?

The W204 is generally accepted by the elderly crowd as a very ugly and unappealing car. The younger generation seems to love the angular look. I personally hate the fact that MB is not evolving from its earlier designs, as it has done for the past 50 years, and scrapping tradition for "bling-bling" looks (the sport edition with its centered grill star comes to mind).

It stings my eyes, take it away.

I think the same. I dont like it much.

Search on KDI EVT.

What is it with beige? If they want a younger crowd that ain't doing it. Whatev, new cars are hard to find worth buying.

According to the door jam the SDL is about 3,800 pounds and some change. I never compared the interior volumes just going by what it looked like, since they wouldn't let you sit in one. But it's a big car, looks to be larger then the W203.


The world march's on MB can't make a W108 anymore. Their new line up is very impressive. Bash the new ones all you want, but they are fine cars. What am I suposed to do drive W126's for the next 10 years? Yeah right I'm tired of fixing old cars; besides the old ones are no bargin anyway, they have their fair share of issues.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

According to my door jam, the plated VIN identification # the 300SDL is 3950 lbs after subtracting the maximum capacity (930 lbs) from the 4880 lbs GVWR. The scale I had mine weighed at rang in 3960 lbs without a spare wheel, an empty cabin, and about 22 gallons worth of diesel. 350SD weighs 60 lbs more according the same tag and the 300SE weighs about 100 lbs less than the SDL.

Drive W126's for the next 10 years? What a splendid idea! But only if a W126 is your cup of tea for a DD and you don't mind the frequent maintenance a 20 + year old car may require from a previous owner's negligence. Working on these cars is a joy to me. No matter the job, the satisfaction of getting it complete is well worth the aggravation.

If you're sick of repairs, and don't find a passion in maintaining what you already have, then you truly are better off having somebody else do all the work for you. As for me, I like to get grease under my fingernails and am always under the hood to see what else I can screw around with even when there is nothing to be done.

I agree. I hate the two S-Classes that succeded the W140. They seem to have completey severed the link to their past and now they are just Nissan's on steroids.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Luxury cars are supposed to be ho-hum. People don't like to stray too far from the norm these days. It's frowned upon to have original ideas, so the trend in the auto world is copy someone else. Usually Audi.

Holy ****.

I just might hold off on buying a new car until I see how these stack up!

Ahh I was off a bit, the SDL has been under a car cover since October, and my memory isn't so great.

I'll keep the old cars as a hobby, they are great fun to mess with on a nice weekend when I am not working or boating. See the problem with older cars, is as you are working on them every other weekend, fixing something. And complaining about how new ones are POS's, well the new ones require no work, they just kind of run. So you can take your new POS and go place's with it. While the quality 20 year old car requires work.

Difference of opionion I guess.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Please point out one Mercedes model that was a rip off of another companies. BMW and Audi are also very original. Lexus and the Korean's are most certianly not.

Lots of companies rip off Mercedes, like those old Chryslers that kind of look W126ish from head on.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The one at the top of the screen. Looks like a BMW. I dont know the exact car, but someone somewhere has pointed out that the sportcoupe looked identical to an 80s french? hatchback, some kind of european. This C looks like the CL, and then a little like the S, which look similar, so nothing new amongst themselves. They were johnny come lately with the I drive, and the "small" car. Almost every different venture they try is "aimed to compete with...". If you want to get down to it, them headlights have been on Citroens for years, and the grill is the only part of the front end thats mercedes. Rip-off? Maybe not, but don't call it original.

Have you seen the new C class in person? Because I can assure you that standing next to it, it doesn't look BMW ish at all.

Mercedes did a good job keeping the design in the family yet original. From this angle it looks very W221 ish, but not from other angles. The front grill is actualy very vertical, MB is going back to a more vertical grill it seems.

This is nothing new if you compare the 190E to a W126 or a W124 you will see similer family lines so to speak.

The I drive is rather annoying, bit its much better then the BMW I drive. So far the S class is the only model with it. The system Mercedes uses you can actualy figure out without the manual, mostly.

I don't know anything about Citroens since you can't get them in the US. But the wrap around headlight and taillight look is whats in, everyone is doing it. Its like how every car had more square headlights in the 80's, thats what was in back then.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

That's a pretty nice looking little car. Hopefully, they will come out with an AMG version, that would be great too.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I like it a lot, if the build quality was improved I'd be very interested.

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1994 C 280 117.5k, White (Good as new)
1997 Toyota Camry 149k Miles (Not so pretty anymore)

1990 190e 2.6 95k (Sold-Should not have)
1981 240d Stick ??? Miles...sold

Even the old 124 and 201 and 140 had some distinction. The E was OK, but the CE was beautiful. But the engines, transmissions, they did different things to them all. Then even the CLK and 210, same thing. Now they've gotten too similar. Even the Audi's. It was very obvious the A6 and A4 much different and the A8 was obviously much bigger. And the TT never looked anything like anything until the Japs came in with the replicas. BMWs all look different from eachother, but they just aren't very attractive. I actually think this C looks alright, I liked the white better, and i'll have to wait on the coupe. But not because it is how it is, but what it could be-like a supercharged, camless high-revving beast with a 6-Speed, throw in some CF seats, remove the rears, some real rubber on there, no sunroof, no moonroof, decent exhaust. Mercedes only makes sports car engines, everything else is uninspiring. They shoulda made the old sportcoupe a rally car. Which goes back to my original point, they're just boring. Oh but what about the CLK-DTM? Or CLK63 black? Automatic only.... Ferrari, for example, not boring, and they're original. Even Maserati if you want apples to apples. Or Aston Martin, or Alfa Romeo..And the headlights is what I'm talking about. Trendy, bland, redone over and over, very un-Mercedes. Like fins, they'll be out whereas a Gullwing is timeless, or anything of the 50's or 60's and most of the 70's, the 80's and 90's were pretty good, but nothing to make history. Been a while since they've really done anything.

The build quality isn't necessarily the problem, the price is. Biggest problem i have is the orange peel paint.