All the wonderful benefits of driving old Mercedes Diesels are not apparent on a " Baby Benz " ~ this doesn't mean it's not a nice car , just that you old Volvo will prolly be cheaper & easier .
Of course , if you find an older , pre 1985 Mercedes Diesel , prepare
to surrender to the addiction....
I'd not give over $1,000 for that 190D .
Nate
Matt wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I've got a good neighbor (& friend), who has been vacillating on whether he's going to sell his 1986 190d 2.5 with a 5-speed manual transmission and a truckload of miles -- 285,000. I think he's going to sell it, and has offered it to me. I'm probably going to buy, but am looking for some pre-buy advice.
>
> First, is this a good (not trouble-prone) engine/transmission combination? It must be, as the car seems to run well with nearly 300,000 miles... Is there anything I should out for specifically upon inspection? What would be a fair "good neighbor" price?
>
> Secondly, can someone explain the draw of these diesels? I'm almost assuredly going to buy the car, so maybe I'll figure it out as I drive, but right now the benefits elude me. At first, I thought these cars would be extremely long-lived, which they are (obviously), but they also seem to require a lot of maintenance to get there. My gas Volvo 740 (with an equal level of maintenance) will likely reach 400,000; it already has 292,000 and runs great. Then I thought they'd be incredibly fuel efficient, which they are as well, but with the price of diesel being higher than gas, that benefit is mitigated to a large extent. Finally, diesels are not quicker or more powerful. They might be easier to work on, but my Volvo is pretty easy and straight-forward already. then you've got the added "difficulties" of cold starts, finding diesel, etc.
>
> I'm not trying to alter anyone's opinion of diesels. I'm sincerely wondering what the draw is! Any insight would be appreciated to clarify it in my own mind's eye.
>
> Warmest regards,
> Matt
>
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