Hatterasguy - OK - gotcha.

I'd always heard about that issue with American cars, too, but I've largely ignored it on the cars that I've had with no negative effect. The biggest problem I've seen, and you noted it in your reply, was the lugging effect from being in too high a gear at too low a speed.

My '92 300SE doesn't shift to 5th until 50mph, which prevents that lugging problem, but I'm having a time getting used to that high shift point vs my '93 Lincoln Mark VIII which shifts to 4th (OD) at about 38.

Transmission design dictates the implementation method of the OD. In my Lincoln, it's the same as my MB, the OD is electrically controlled. In my previous Lincoln ('92 Mark VII), OD was mechanically selected via the shifter - but the wierd car lacked a shifter position for 2nd - only had 1, 3 & 4 as valid shifter positions.

I think in the case of the 722.5 transmission, it's basically a 722.X 4-spd tranny with an electrically-controlled OD gearset added post-design.

Who knows - just so long as it works - with a 3.69 rear gear, I need OD bad....