1983 Mercedes-Benz 240D | Retro Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2024
- The Mercedes 240D was easy at the pump during uncertain times but wasn't exactly wallet or performance friendly.
Show 216 | Originally Taped 03-01-1983
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It's now 2021 and this 240D is still trying to reach 60 MPH, BUT it has 800,000 miles on it and is still running!
Everybody complaining how its slow, but this car is indestructible and can last a lifetime, they dont build it like these anymore unfortunatelly…
Yep...oldie but a goodie 😸🤘
Let's LS swap one and eBay turbo that dude and go smoke some mustangs 😸🤘
I agree that they're great cars but can be deadly in traffic that now includes soccer moms in minivans and SUV's that can get to 60 in less than 7 seconds.
Agree, the 240D may be slow but Mercedes diesels are still bulletproof.
@@nagosnell just drive legally and its fine
I guess they never figured out how to get the hood in 'service position' over at Motorweek, having the hood up at nearly vertical makes service on these a breeze.
I thought same thing
...yup, with the exception oof the mid-to-late 50's Fords, and the 60,'s Continentals which had the forward-hinged hoods, we Yanks are so accustomed to stooping under the hood...and routinely banging our heads on them...
...whereas, any of the European design engineers shake their heads at this basic oversight, and consider the vertically lock-stopped hoods to be the norm...or, as with Jags and Saabs, the hoods pivoting forward and out of the way...
03:09 Yes, exactly! 👍🏻
MotorWeek please do not hesitate to read the driver’s instructions or to ask a mechanic as this car was on the market almost seven years at that time. ☝🏼
well the found the two heater control dials baffling, so you wouldn't expect them to work that out lol
And also that the I, II, and III marks on the speedometer indicate the shift points. All W123's have these shift point marks, even ones with a tachometer and/or automatic transmission.
In addition to the service position of the hood, John also didn't know that the I, II, and III marks on the speedometer indicate the shift points for each gear. I had a 1981 240D with the 4-speed manual and it was actually more peppy off the line than a turbocharged 300D automatic, because there is no turbo lag or torque converter lag. That's what made it an ideal city taxicab car, a job which many 240Ds are still doing today in Africa and Indonesia!
I really enjoy your channel, sir.
Shift points? I don’t think so.
Because your shift points are going to change depending on whether you want performance or economy.
Those shift points On the speedometer are for shifting down. They indicate the fastest safe downshift for each gear.
I have had 2 manual 81 240D's. Best cars ever made. Always amazes me how yanks seem to lose their minds when they have to try and drive a manual transmission without a tach. How the hell do they think 90 percent of the rest of the world managed it for rmost of the history of the automobile? Amazing as well that they didn't know about the hood service position, and that's while claiming that one of the testers owned one. Bizarre.
How does off line help you build speed getting on the hwy?
I'm still driving a 1981 Mercedes 300d in 2022 with a manual transmission it has over 500k and still runs great! Best tractor ever!
1983 was the last year for the 240D in the US market.
I'm guessing John didn't notice the shift marks in the speedometer, or that the hood can be raised to a service position!
I love your channel @compu85 . The throwback videos of automakers take me back to good ole days long before i was born and I’m only 22
The shift marks in the speedometer aren't a great substitute. Not having a tachometer in a luxury car with a manual transmission is the epitome of cost cutting, even in 1983.
@@TheVonMatrices Well, it was their cheapest model! VW didn't put a tach on their non turbo diesels until 1999!
@@compu85 And it's more difficult to add a tachometer to a diesel engine with a mechanical injection pump, because there's no ignition timing to use as a reference. I believe the way VW did it was to use a sensor on the engine block which detected the rate of its vibration and then converted that into RPMs.
@@vwestlife VW used an output from the alternator. All MK2 and Mk3 mechanical diesels have this - it's used to run the dynamic oil pressure monitoring system.
Mercedes used a pickup mounted in the bellhousing, which senses the teeth on the starter ring gear. An amplifier is mounted on the wheel well, which drives the tach. As I recall, the 240D didn't get the sensor or amplifier.
These cars cannot die. That’s why there are still hundreds maybe even thousands all over Africa and the Middle East as taxis and livery cars. Their redeeming quality is their tank-like construction not their speed lol
Die Hard inspired in that car. Lol.
If you throw enough money at it- ANY car can keep running in definitely. I was in Cuba once and they still keep a few American cars from the mid to late 1950's on the road.
@@jameswillett7186 yes, with the 3rd engine
they are sold by the thousands but after they can´t be sold new in Europe ,l know some sellers from mercedes
I saw a vid where the guy was talking about the styling : remember when we were in 3rd grade and used to draw cars?
An octagon box on top of a box 😄
Not nearly as sexy as a Ferrari, but then again that makes it beautiful in its own right.
When luxury meant quality and reliability, nowadays luxury is having all the electronic gadgets (many unnecessary, that brings down long life reliability). That's why I prefer simple and cheaper modern cars vs a new Mercedes S class. Greetings
"(many unnecessary, that brings down long life reliability)."
lol, i wish it was just that, germans seem addicted to engineering timebombs in their engines and gearboxes these days. Been a fad since the 2000s.
If it was *just* the electronics, I would still drive a Mercedes today.
Get a Lexus, with proper maintenance it'll realistically hit 500k miles. Even most acuras are pretty good.
100%
i only buy S classe mercedes several years after they are out of the market
i also used to say that but i bought cheap a Sd300 either than the paint and front lights(plastic ones) being burned by the sun it´s perfect and manual, paid 550€ for a S-class from the year 2004,the ones they say that are ugly but what a car
I still drive my 1982 240D today.
I still drive my 1978 single owner, 240d too. It has been getting an honest 30 mpg about 45 years now. 20 gallon tank so right at 600 miles range, This is with automatic. I used to have a 69 220 d with a manual transmission. Bought that car new for 5k dollars. Both have been great cars. They may be a little slow off the line but I'm usually right behind you at the next light. So I guess you do gain a whole car length point to point, but also much quicker to refuel. Driving a diesel is not for everyone.
@@walter-um6wm For me, the 240D brings back memories from my childhood, i got it in 2016 cost me 3000 but it was in near mint condition, i only spent money on essentials such as brake pads rotters oil change etc etc, mint interior and exterior. then in 2020 i bought 1988 300SEL for 5000, this one as well was in perfect condition well maintained, I spent 6000 repainting with original color, now it looks even better. I get more miles from the 240D of course, and i agree, on take off it is painfully slow, but as you say, i always catch up once it gets into 3rd and 4th gear. I get honked at a lot when in my 240D for the slow take off, I also get a lot of compliments from fans while on the road.
I still use my 240d every day .
I had one of these as my first car, but it was automatic. Even slower. We called it the Dragon fly. It would drag up hills and fly down it. I donated it when it had 356,000 miles
Isn't that great? To remember so many things about one's first car - something with the next cars somehow didn't happen ... at least in my case.
I drove Mercedes for many years but not now. This was the glory days of MB. Now MB's are so unreliable and cheaply made Hyundai and other brands are so much better. MB will have a tough road ahead with EV's taking over
I had a 1979 model year 240D with a manual transmission. It was my 2nd car. Lost oil pressure in Atlanta and drove it with the engine banging all the way to NYC. That's 950 miles. The engine had about 400,000 miles and the oil pump quit on me otherwise the damn thing would still be running. I rebuilt the engine and a year later I sold it. BIG mistake.
How many cars today can Drag on to the top of the Hill n fly down? Then last you til 300,000miles?🤠
Am still Dragging 0n!!!!🤣
These taught you the crucial life lesson of patience.
And maintaining momentum. Same logic works for electric cars today. I own both a 240D and a Leaf.
A lesson so much needed in today's traffic - at least in Germany!!! Which is kinda ironic 🤔
Also taught you to judge other people's speed especially when the highway merging lane didn't allow to build speed.
That one was actually called the "Wanderdüne" "(shifting sand dune") over here in Germany. The engine is virtually undestructable, but it's a nightmare on the autobahn. On the acceleration line, you feel kind of stationary nowadays, and going over 70 mph for a longer time will make your ears feel like they'll fall off. Still, it's the lovely taxi sound (and smell!) of German cities in the 80s.
I’m so addicted to these
This car was built back when German engineering meant something good; not the bad joke it has become
Now it’s all about gimmicks and “features” with cars that feel super cheap all around (mainly Mercedes’)
so true!
Anything from Europe is a automatic no for me.
cars are just their most visible product. they still make really good things like cranes, lenses, tools, etc.
@@Keckegenkai nah in terms of tools something like American DeWalt, Milwaukee, Lincoln Electric or Japanese Makita are far better than German offering. Same can be said in terms of cranes and heavy equipment as well.
I had a 1978 300D and while it was slow, it was ultra reliable...Mine was always well maintained and in perfect tune (I kept my valves adjusted) so there was no cloud of smoke trailing behind mine..although I kinda wished there was as to annoy tailgaters! I am not sure of the miles when I sold mine over 20 years ago on Ebay for a large profit, it was exempt on miles for the sale but I think it had well over 300K miles..original power window motors as well as many original heater hoses!!
i have one of the first 300D turbo that came out in 81 or 2 ,had to go to germany to get one and it wasn´t that slow or everybody today drive only at 200km/h , it gave 180 km/h for many km´s without efort and also with help from it´s weight that in thousands of km´s highways it´s a plus
I am sure this Mercedes is still alive and running!
It is likely to outlive all the testers and commentators by a large margine.
This with an automatic transmission was a popular taxicab back in the day. My dad used to drive one. He said the car was so slow that he spent most of the day on full throttle, but at least it was endlessly reliable and got decent mileage.
never seen an automatic transmition in a cab normally they were delivered with manual transmition , it makes the maintenace much more cheap, at the time only high-end models had automatic option. Full trotle would arrive to 100 miles an hour ,one would rarelly go full trotle ,in mercedes there was no need for it, allthought i have a 190E 2.0L gasoline engine with automatic , it was ofered to me. Like they say ,to a horse given one doesn´t look at is teeth
@@RUfromthe40s Just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean they don't exist. The diesels had something like 70 hp, so they were really weak, and had to be pushed quite hard to keep up with traffic.
@@Tuppoo94 with automatic gears they become even slower ,that´s my point, i remenber in germany seeing 300D as taxis but in most of the country´s they were 240D´s and manual ,this talking about taxis that were diferent from others in finishings and less expensive ,they do built cars to sell as taxis ,not regular ones and 70h.p for a car with that weight it´s not slow in city circuit,this refering to the w123 after came the c-class(W202)that were the sold as taxis and also the w210 later, starting in 95 ,today it´s not all automatic ,still most of them are manual also taxi drivers didn´t like the automatic option for the same reason, regards
Yep mines a manual but it's pegged until I'm shifting for the next gear.
@@Tuppoo94 driving it like I stole it in traffic ,and if anyone sneezes on their gas pedal it gives enough throttle to go past me 🤣
Had a chance to drive one of these with the automatic a few years ago. We clocked 30 seconds flat 0-60. The car was still immaculate inside and out, but wow was it scary to drive.
I would probably drive this the same way school bus drivers drive their fleet vehicles
Why would a Mercedes be so underpowered?
@@Patrick3183 Because they were built for Europe, where in many countries in those days, tax was calculated from engine capacity. For example, in Italy the tax rose steeply starting from 2L, so building a 3.5 diesel didn't make sense.
@@Patrick3183 you cant really expect more of a small non turbo diesel of the time. and usa sure as hell didnt make a more powerful small diesel during these times. but yeah it was a bad idea to buy the merc with this engine if you werent a taxi driver.
If ya grew up driving slow cars like diesel rabbits (golf mk1) ,they weren't that slow.
Driving my 76 240D to work today. Great cars.
Thank you for uploading these!
In the 70s, a neighbor used to pay me to wash and was his two Mercedes, a 71 280SE and a 220 Diesel. Even as a 14 year old, I could see and feel the quality of those two cars and I definitely lusted after them. Today, I have zero interest in Mercedes or any other German car. They should have stuck with bulletproof instead of over engineered high tech.
$22,500 base price in 1982=$62,400 in 2021 Always amazed me how Benz was able to sell cars with the taxi-cab motor here in the USA for more than double what they sold for back in Germany.
Great research.👍
Profit margins were crazy for them, but the parallel grey market allowed for 280Es, which ended up forcing Daimler-Benz's hand with the 300E W124, which was now in early testing at this time.
Import tax.
I recently got an 80 240d manual, and was shocked when Google said they were 17-19k new here in the states.
Mom got a diesel rabbit in 81 ,and that was 71-7200 and that wasn't exactly cheap then either.
@@jmin8400Most of the grey import W123s were still Diesel models though.
You gotta love inflation, the equivalent to this was $5500 in 1970. So nearly a 5x increase in 13 years
30 years daily driving my 190D 2.5L manual ) never an issue, amazing chassis, quality materials
It is an incredible car. I have a 1981 Mercedes 240d manual 4 speed. Actually working under the hood is easy. There are 2 mechanical devices on the hood at the hinges that allow the hood to pull much further back for easy access to the engine compartment. The Mercedes Benz W123 body style 240d is a masterpiece of engineering. I live in a small community of about 65,000 and 40 years later I am not the only person who still is driving one of these cars. I see almost on a daily basis other Mercedes W123 240d's on the road. What does that say about quality.
MotorWeek please present us more Mercedes-Benz videos of the 80s!⭐️♥️⭐️
Surprised nobody has mentioned the doors on these. Had an ‘81 300D, and closing the doors felt like closing a bank vault door.
The whole car was solid and brilliantly engineered to last. Probably one of the most reliable mass market cars ever built, still. I’d snatch up a manual 240D in a minute if I could!
Yup, MB door hinges never seemed to wear out like US cars, also had grease fittings too, something GM won't do!
OMG I got an 80 240d manual a few months back ,and that's the first thing I noticed.
I musta sat there for 5mins opening and closing the door for that bank vault sound and feel.
Haha the e brake release was so quiet ,I put my foot under the pedal and lifted up to make sure it was released 🤣
I had a 1980 300D, and nothing I've owned before or since felt like it was carved out of a single block of steel. The overall rigidity and solid feeling was amazing. Not a perfect car, mind you - engineering a diesel car that relies on vacuum to power a bunch of accessories (like door locks) is a cruel game in later years, but still - an amazing vehicle. Also, MB-Tex is amazing - much better than cloth or leather for the long term.
This is the greatest car ever made, especially in gas form. Just amazing engineering.
my parents owned both the 4 cylinder and 5 cylinder turbo diesels. They were solid engines. I don't know if they were lucky, but despite their often neglectful maintenance they never developed the smoke. Meanwhile every other mercedes diesel I saw had issues with smoke. I have to emphasise my parents were NOT good at maintinence, but they did do the odd repair, so one of my childhood mysteries is why our cars never smoked. lol
Firstly, I’m so glad these old car review videos exist, as cars like these are either now ratted and rusted out to the point we can’t even imagine it in brand new condition anymore, or there’s so few good examples left, they’re mostly show cars only. Nice to see them being introduced as a new car car you can go out and buy today (at the time). And secondly, John, this man is a relic in the car world at this point and he’s STILL doing it! Amazing the cars he’s seen and reviewed in his career lifetime. From cars like this to the C8 Corvette, he’s seen first hand just how much cars have evolved over the years and I’m sure he too can look back on these videos with an entirely different level of fascination as he was there touching, feeling, and experiencing these cars on screen, remembering how he felt at the time Vs how he’s feeling about cars today.
Till few years ago you could still see some of them in taxi service in Serbia. Now days good one will cost you, at least 5 k eur or more.
Finally a car where americans could learn what slow acceleration really means. I laugh everytime when some people nowadays complain about slow acceleration when a car needs 10 seconds for 0-60.
This was my first car back in 1999. Mine was White with Palomino interior. As young 17yr old this was the perfect first car , cheap maintenance , reliable, comfortable,safe and great fuel mileage. Fuel cost was also an awesome advantage back then Diesel was literally less than a $1 a gallon 😱😱 compared to over $5 a gallon today ouch 🥴!!
For starters they got it all wrong about the Bonnet. The bonnet can hinged at 90 degree upwards this clearing the mechanics of the radiator grille.
If it had received proper maintenance the test car is probably still out being driven around.
😂
Love how John introduced this segment. Quite well written.
I love these old videos! It is always so surprising to me when they deem a newer car "lack luster", while raving about the performance compared to years of old.
Love these retros, thank you!
I would love to have that car today. Indestructible.
This car was built when German engineering meant over-engineering the aspects of the car that ensure maximum reliability/longevity; now it means overly complex electronics/mechanical components that breakdown with alarming regularity!
....and safety. These cars were extremely strong and safe for the occupants. The W126 and later the W140 were TANKS
In Germany, the base Diesel was the 200D that started life with 55 horse power in 1977 and was upgraded to 60 HP later on.
Hugely popular with taxi operators (though not always with the drivers), the taxi versions had shorter transmission gearing to give them at least some acceleration, but that was never a Mercedes diesel's point, anyway...
I wouldn’t pay a nickel for today’s Mercedes. I think they peaked in quality and design during the early 80s.
Yeah. Almost all of Scotty Kilmer’s customers got usually 500,000-1 million miles out of their 80s MB’s. Solid quality. Yup, brand new Mercedes, good luck working on it yourself. Too much electronic crap.
Back in the day before manufactures discovered the expression “built in obsolescence”.
PhD • The U. S. car companies discovered " planned obsolescence" in the 1950'. The Germans learned much later.
MERCEDES-BENZ: ENGINEERED LIKE NO OTHER CAR IN THE WORLD.
Not anymore
That’s no longer true. Now this vehicle is assembled in German with parts from China and Mexico. They’re no better than anything else. It’s all about doing it cheap and charging a high price. You no longer get what you pay for with high priced vehicles.
I love to watch these old reviews of when classic cars were new, specially Mercedes-Benz!
As the caretaker and (almost) daily driver of a 1983 240D for 22 years -- with another one on the way! -- I'm laughing at the preference for leather or velour (ugh!) over MB-Tex. We W123-heads know that MB-Tex is the superior material and is as indestructible as the rest of the 240D. Note: This car isn't slow (I've driven mine on two-week road trips all over the southwest), it's just telling those who think it is, to slow down and enjoy.
1979 240D owner here with the aforementioned MB Tex. Still looks brand new. Back in the day, my father owned a 1983 300D with velour seats and I much prefer MB Tex to the scratchy velour.
I wish I could buy a brand new 1983 Mercedes sedan today.
22 seconds. Not this one.
Just drove my dad's 1981 240D (in Manila Beige & tan-leather interior) last week in Europe where he's kept for the car there for the past 38 or 39 years since it was shipped from the U.S. to his native country. "Blondie" only has 56K on it and still runs strong. Definitely not a powerful car (especially in automatic), but I'll bet that it'll outlive just about any modern car over time since the 240D is so simple and well-built. She has character and gets lots of stares.
Just dont forget to change the timing chain and she'll do fine.
3:06 That's why it has the vertical service position for the hood, John Davis bro.
The W123 diesels especially the 240D with stick was probably the best sedan of all time.
I had one of these, from 2008 to around 2014-2015. Driving one of these things in modern traffic is INSANE. Even in good working order they make a bit of smoke. So when you pull out in traffic and inevitably can’t keep up, the person who almost rear ends you gets a face full of smoke 😅
I drove mine from Arizona all the way to New York City with no AC in the middle of summer with three other dudes. Good times. The only issue was when the radiator fan stopped working, I was able to hotwire it. Electrical on these cars kinda sucks compared to contemporaneous Japanese cars.
Also there’s an easy way to open the hood wider like on a Honda. Just click the hood spring lever and it widens.
One of my uncles actually had a 300D sedan. It served him very well. Very economical.
0-60 22 seconds..wow
I was station in Augsburg, West Germany throughout the 1980's. These were used as taxi cabs. Tough as nails. Deisel fuel cost in the 1980's in West Germany was around $4.00 per gallon so great mileage was essential. I had a gas powered 1974 230 sedan and thankfully had ration coupons for fuel that made the cost around $.80 per gallon. Miss those days in the U.S. Army serving in West Germany.
i love MotorWeek! help these guys cross 400k milestone.
The best longest lasting also efficient car ever made
Interesting comparison: my 1979 240D MSRP was $16,500 (crank windows, manual transmission). The top of the line Cadillac Seville MSRP was $16,224. Guess which car still runs and drives 43 years later?
I'd say 50% chance this car is still running around Eastern Europe somewhere lol
The other 50% is Northern Africa.
And in Germany of course !👍☺️
One of the best cars ever produced. These are very honest and faithful cars ever produced. Nothing like diesel powered Benz's
This was back when German cars were unapologetically German. They had idiosyncrasies that were well thought out. Built like tanks. Truly unique styling. Now all they seem to care about is infotainment systems, ambient lighting and having maximum hp (ok that last part I’m ok with)
This used to be a standard Taxi in Germany and every butcher had one. Indestructible and still common in poorer nations.
Back when a Benz was really built to last. Not the over engineered endless money pits of today.
Around the same time frame MotorWeek tested an 83 or 84 Chevy Caprice. While not as economical, it was about 1/2 the price of this car. But the real reason why I bring that up: in the stop from 55 MPH the Chevy WASN'T slightly sideways in its lane like this car. Unfortunately, the Chevy took about 20-22 feet longer to stop, but then it didn't have 4 wheel disc brakes.
Still, nowadays I would rather have this 240D.
The Caprice would be much easier to drive in modern traffic and on the highway than the 240D, with almost double the power to weight ratio and very long gearing.
The 240D was indeed built to the standard of the world quality. But $63,000 in 2021 dollars is mind numbingly insane. 0-60 in 22 seconds! 63 hp! Yikes.
I love these retro reviews!! Mercs of this era were a much finer quality
I had three diesels, 220, 240 and 300. Loved them all. On long trips all of them shine for comfort and smooth, steady ride. Never worried about panic stop or emergency lane change because they all handled very well especially in adverse weather conditions such as snow. When something did go wrong, the cost to replace parts is about 3 times that of an American car. If I could buy a new one, I would.
I still see these cars on the road
The W123 series was the most durable car ever made, bar none. The 'Cairo taxi' will easily go beyond 500,000 miles, with only routine servicing.
I LOVE IT!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!
The W123 Chassis was one of Mercedes Benz’s overall Best Values. I was fortunate to be able to work on them (when they were still being manufactured) at a local Franchised Dealer. They Brand has come a long way since then. Perhaps too many electronic Gizmos & Not enough reliability than they were known for back then.
While a tachometer would have been nice to have, you don't really need one in these cars. If you look closely at the speedometer, there are tick marks I, II, III which correspond to the max. recommended speed in each of the gears. Older VWs had these same tick marks as well!
Well not the maximum recommended speed in this case. It actually represents the actual maximum speed in each gear. So they represent shift moments for the fastest acceleration. It feels odd the Motorweek review is so surficial. I mean, they don't even know that the hood can swing into a 90 degrees service position. There are a lot of very well thought through features on the W123.
You would think they would be reading these owners manuals at the vehicles that they're reviewing. But obviously guess not
Wow... my favorite mercedes of all time
You had me at: "Unusually good FM reception"!
well its a becker after all.
Drove my 1983 to work today.
Gotta love your W123. These were not fast, but they were built like tanks.
67HP! I still love this car. They last forever.
February 2024 comment - living in Los Angeles, I can’t tell you how often I see these old tanks bumbling up and down the main roads. Not quick, but no one living here ever gets anywhere quickly anyway!
When they were built to last without bankrupting you.
I remember having difficulty in multi-story parking garages. You'd have to really let the clutch slip to get enough revs to get the car to move uphill, if you stopped on an incline. Ours had over 300,000 miles on it, so I'm not sure if all 67 horses were still answering the call.
That teddy bear in the trunk…..terrifying 😂😂😂😂😂
2:45 The teddy bear in the trunk is so cute!!
"But then history tells us that Mercedes value only increases with time."
My, how things have changed.
that´s why i bought all i could when they asked till 1.000€ and later i sold them starting at 5.000€ depending on the version all w114/5, and the one known as 190E i had two in mint condition, mainly because one it was automatic and with a 2.0L gasoline engine, a 20 year old ofered me 3.000€ after driving it, i said that i also had a 1.8L with manual in mint condition after a couple of days he came with a friend and bought it to for the same amount ,but both were in mint condition ,everything changed in a mercedes garage 2 years ago for free
On an historical note the Deutschmark was about 3 to 1 for the US$ in the eighties. A $30,000 MB in the US sold for $16,000 in Germany. The diesel advantage was it met US emission requirements. “Grey Market” gasoline cars from Germany had to be modified upon entry to the US. Overseas shipping at that time Germany to US port of entry was about $1,500.
30 years later, it becomes a hipster magnet. What an amazing vehicle.
These cars will make you drive slower and you’ll enjoy it too.
Seeing Singhaus and Braga as regular reporters so early is wild
My 2019 Jetta is basically today’s version of this car. Unparalleled long-distance comfort-truly impressive. Handling isn’t as good as you’d hope or expect but it’s unfailingly stable. Seats are amazing and I get above 40 mpg on the highway without even trying-passing everyone with the AC on.
Uhhh no im afraid not. These cars are amazingly reliable tanks. If there is one word that describes VW over the last 30 years its 'unreliable' for sure. I mean they didnt even bother selling the A7 Jetta in Europe....you know, where the company is based.
No you see you own a vag group product
FWIW my '83 240D has over 300k miles, runs great, and is perfectly happy at 80mph, although it takes some patience to get there.
1979 240D here. Also will cruise at 80 all day.
These cars will literally last forever. The Mercedes diesel engine is bulletproof.
Ah yes, back when the term "german engineering" was a by-word for high quality simple to maintain and will run forever, as opposed to today where it basically means "will drive you into bankruptcy court if you buy a used one that is more than five years old",
almost brings me to tears, even toyotas and hyundais [yes they were very easy to maintain and reliable in the mid 2000s] are getting too complex, too needy.
We drive an 2006 Elantra and Camry for the exact same reasons my dad coveted his 1980 240d. They are not fast, but if you take care of them, they will take care of you forever. I wish Mercedes would launch an economy line devoted to their mantra from the 1960s to mid 1980s.
I used to be a Mercedes tech. Today's cars are so technology packed, they are a nightmare from new and good luck getting parts for these expensive turds. BMW and Audi is even worse. I finally have two simple cars, two VW sportwagen TDIs. No problems and parts are inexpensive. I've owned just about every model that Mercedes produced in the 80's. Four 420SELS, two 560SEL, W126 300SD, 240D, two 300TD, a 380SL, a E320, and a bunch of others that I can't even remember. My favorite out of all......the 1990 560SEL even though a 1987 420SEL saved my life in a horrible accident.
@@tedmarakas2626
VW/Audi seem to take malicious glee in making cars that are both overcomplicated and unreliable so that they can make owners lives miserable.
@@Hammerhead547 They aren't horrible. They are economy cars, no luxurious high tech, unlike Audi, Porsche and others. Take Nissan for example. Economy cars that their CVT transmissions don't last more than 50,000 miles. How about Ford Focus? Same crap. Bottom line is....all the manufacturers have issues, it comes to the point that you need to wait a couple of years before buying anything new just to be sure the thing in not a time bomb.
German Engineering now means "lease me only, I'm fragile and overcomplicated as F**K!"
The "grill and hood" comment is a huge tell that these guys DO NOT know Mercedes. Access to the engine bay is no problem if you already know the hood hinges have two stops. I won't explain but Mother Google will.
I'd still rather have a 240Z than a 240D, but this was an awesome car. Back when Mercedes was more about build quality, solidity, and luxurious materials and amenities. These days, they're all about electronic gadgets and styling. No mystery as to why Mercedes no longer increase in value with age as JD mentioned, but have become one of the worst makes for depreciation.
What regular production Mercedes increased in value as it aged?
@@MercOne No data on that, but JD claimed it, and he's my hero, so it has to be true.
...in all seriousness, though, I'm sure at the very least, they depreciated less rapidly back then than they do now.
@@frankburns8871 Yes that is true, but that's different than saying the actually appreciated in value. That is reserved for the rarest of MB models from the past.
Both the 240D and 240Z were available with stick shifts.
A mechanical master piece!
Possibly one of the slowest modern cars ever made. But also one of the most reliable ever made. These things will run forever.
I remember when these were the standard taxi of Germany (in RAL 1015 light ivory paint with a yellow roof sign and vinyl seats as shown).
I really like the "From the Driver's Seat" segments!
Mine was a four speed Manuel with four disk breaks
Actually, there are dots on the speedometer to let you know where the redline for each gear is. I see someone else commented on the hood opening.
There's one of these (a 300D) rotting away in my underground parking garage. It's covered in dust and hasn't moved in three years. I've thought about tracking down the owner to make an offer, but the rockers are badly rusted and the inside has gotten moldy from sitting. It's a damn shame, but despite all that I bet if you put a good battery in it, it would probably fire right up.
Final year for the W123 240D in the U.S.; for 1984 it was replaced by the W201 190D 2.2. Both were also the only Benzes (at least with diesel power) to use manual transmissions.
The dots on the speedo are the max speed in gear. . is 1st .. is 2nd ect..... good to see the pro journalists read the manual, for and benz made back then.