Vision of the future?
 

I don't know what I think about this one.

http://mbspy.bacosys.be/c219cls.htm

That is the nicest looking diesel I have seen. If I am not mistaken I think I see some design influences from the Maybach in there:).

The new Accord!:rolleyes:

Might be more impressive looking if it was a convertible.

Other than that, it seems like it has its looks borrowed from other cars. Too bad, Benz always had an original/different look to them, that made them stand apart from the rest of the crowd. Now, they blend in.

Nice interior though! :)

Looks like a Dodge Stratus with an exaggerated windshield -- no back seat headroom, the dash a mile away, enough "greenhouse" to raise orchids in the Arctic in the winter, and a big, fat A pillar right in the correct spot to cause you to miss a Mack truck at a 4-way!

Yuck, I'll stick with the W108, thanks!

Peter

I took a close look at a brand new Camry this morning and yep - you do see some similarities. I think for now I'll stick with my 300SD:). I will say that if anyone ever comes accross one of these future cars with the diesel engine that has been totaled and the engine/tranny is still good please call me:).

I like its high shoulders, but hate the back. Looks they "stole" the back end from the Dodge Intrepid.

Looks a little bit like what happens when a brother and sister have sex.

That is a really ugly car. The diesel engine sounds interesting though, 265 horses, eh? I wonder how much the fuel pressure is turned up THIS time to get that kind of power. Can't be good for longevity in a high compression all-aluminum twin turbo six-cylinder diesel engine. Too many forces going on in there! The E300 was NEVER that complicated.

Sorry, but I will never buy another newer Benz again. That car makes me want to puke. The interior looked good, until I saw it from the top. What kind of seat patterns are those? I never saw those kind of criss-cross seat patterns in ANY of the older MB's. Looks like a 'real American car', I'll say.

Who the heck is in charge of design and developement for MB now? Somebody should assasinate them, or something! Maybe Chris Bangle took over for Bruno Sacco! No, Bangle produces better looking cars.:rolleyes::o

Bruno Sacco always said;

" ... and furthermore a Mercedes should always LOOK like a Mercedes..."

Now that he's gone, that philosophy doesn't apply to the company. Mercedes is losing it's image, and that is sad.

Many days I take my W126, W210, or even the W107, and people in the passing lane move right over when they see me with my headlights and distinctive foglights on. Because they know it's a big bad Benz wanting to overtake them. Kind of like the reaction you get if you're driving a dark big Crown Vic.

A lot of people actually still think that my '87 300SDL is the brand new S-Class Mercedes!

You Too, huh?!:cool:
Yeah, the headlights look like something from a Ford Focus. Yeech!:(

Thanks Bard and Ted. It looks as nice on the inside as the outside:).

Back to the topic - wonder how reliable that new model diesel will be like in 20 years with 250k miles on it? I think over the next 10 to 15 years you will see cars get alot smaller in the US - just my guess.

All the pollution criteria manufacturers have to meet keeps getting worse year by year. Diesels are great, because they can be made to run on anything. But the new diesels come from the factory, touchy if you give them the wrong stuff.

The EGR's are getting absolutely horrible in clogging up intakes. Just take a look inside your "average" TDi. I'm sure Mercedes would have a much worse problem if they fed the E320 CDI the same fuel we feed our diesels at truck stops.

California keeps tightening it's restrictions, and its getting to the point that I don't think MB diesels will ever be sold in that state;
too many greedy Americans wanting SUV's that get 8 mpg, and are over 250 inches long. As long as people want to keep wasting money, there will be no market for diesels.

Of course I don't trust an all-aluminum diesel for 200K miles. After all, the S400CDI has electronic fuel injection, twin turbochargers with variable-nozzle turbine control, and the fuel load cannot be adjusted by a DIY. It has to be turned up by an aftermarket chipmaker. The cars are already maxxed out, and another advancement on the fuel will put even more stress on the engine. I'll stick with the OLD oil-burners thank you very much!;)

If I wanted this much complication, I would just buy an S600 bi-turbo!

MB is even getting rid of the venerable Cummins.:(

Are you sure the W124 diesels are having problems? I have the 300SDL and that was pretty much the same engine used in the '87 300D. Maybe a cracked head or two, after all, they are aluminum!

They did have a '95 W124 diesel, but I am not familiar enough with the '95 - '99 OM606. But a lot of people have had problems with them. Mostly glow plugs and resonance flaps. Everything that is going wrong with these cars is usually electronic. Not the engine, the engine could last a long time, but only if MB had proper intervals for lubrication services. 10K miles is WAY too much for a diesel, considering MB used dino oil!

The '99 E300 is probably the last MB diesel engine I would say is something I could trust to go the miles. Mainly because it is made of cast-iron.

I would rather get a Mercedes V6, because they are easier to work on, and because you have to chip the E300 to advance the fuel. They are also remarkably quiet, and very fuel efficient.