Life Car? 1981 Mercedes 240D 4-Speed
I’ve asked the question before – could a Mercedes 240D make the perfect lifelong car? They were well-built, handsome, and economical. Sounds about perfect for the daily commute, right? I’ve thought about buying one for a while now so when this low-mileage (135k is relatively low for these) manual transmission-equipped example popped up here on craigslist, I had to go take look. Keep reading to learn my conclusion.
The seller of this particular Benz traded it for some work from the previous owner of 30 years. It’s a nice-looking car that has been well cared for but according to the records, it started life in Colorado. And it must have been the part of Colorado that uses salt on the roads in the winter because there was some visible rot in the lower quarter panels and doors. The car had obviously suffered a mediocre respray at some point too.
The interior looked amazing though so I overlooked those flaws and grabbed the keys for a test drive! The seats felt comfortable and the original radio was a nice treat. Heck, even the first aid kit was in the back! After the glow plug light went out, I turned the key. The engine sputtered to life without any noticeable smoke or smell. Lots of noticeable tapping noises though. This is a diesel engine we are talking about here so one out of three isn’t too bad.
After releasing the handbrake and shifting into gear, we were off… Well, sort of. I didn’t expect this car to be fast but I also didn’t expect it to be this slow. In fact, this Mercedes could possibly win the award for the slowest car I’ve ever driven! I did like the solid build and smooth ride but that wasn’t enough to convert me. So, there you have it. The 240D may be going up in value but it is officially off of my life car list. Life’s too short to drive boring (and slow) cars!
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Comments
Jesse I totally agree with your assessment. The 240D is just too slow for today’s traffic. The zero to sixty times of today’s cars is well under 10 seconds whereas in the 80’s it was more like 12 seconds. I got the very same year model for a friend and she hated me for it. Sold it a month later after spending a lot of time and money making it right. I was able to sell it on using eBay and the new owner absolutely loved it. The only thing slower was the automatic 240D. I would say at a minimum a 300D or better yet the 300TD and you have a winner.
I know I told this story before but my brother and sister shared a 81 Rabbit diesel. Those are pretty slow as well but it was 50hp in a car that weighed almost half as much. That car made you a better driver. Step one was when merging on a highway was to first turn off the A/C or defrost, look back at the traffic flow and pick a hole. Downshift and accelerate foot buried to the floor, carefully pick the apex of the curve, smooth steering so you don’t scrub any speed, blinkers on, and if you did everything right you matched the velocity of the traffic flow, merge with authority and then wave thank you to the person generous enough to let you in.
My DD is an 84 300D – it likes to go 15 or 20 until it warms up, but after a few blocks it keeps up with traffic just fine. It’s admittedly slow off the line, but after about 25 the turbo makes for smooth acceleration to freeway speed.
Very nice. I agree. That’s what I like about old Mercedes-Benz Diesels, they may be slow, but with patience and careful driving, they can keep up with traffic no problems.
I bought my life car last year, 1999 BMW 540 6 speed manual tranny sport package, 40K miles on her. Very fun and comfy. Give one a try Jesse.
These 540s are the opposite of a life car, much more fun to drive than the 240 but much less reliable and expensive to repair. You can buy 540s really cheap because of all the issues, typical of BMWs. Common issues on these 540s, like valve cover and leaks are very difficult and expensive to repair. The Front Tension Strut Bushings are another expensive repair. These would be nice cars if one only drove them like a collector car on weekends but not as a daily driver.
If you have the time David read the comments, take care, Mike. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-bmw-540i-45/
They used these as taxis when I was in Zagreb in 1983. Cheap to run, tough as nails!
I agree. I got to ride in a Mercedes-Benz estate car (station wagon) while I was in London England. I don’t recall whether it had a diesel engine or a petrol (gasoline) engine. But I could tell that it was a 1980s Mercedes-Benz wagon. So with careful maintenance, they’ll last forever! I’d so love to have one.
I love my 84 euro manual. Have a 71 220D auto US version too. Now that’s slow. You have to settle into a slower pace in these old MBZs. Enjoy the ride and scenery.
Owner states it drives down the road like you are floating on a cloud. Holy bongpipe batman that must be some good stuff you are smoking. I had a couple of customers with these and refused to drive them home after doing it once. Lived at the bottom of a steep hill and let me tell you it was downright scary trying to get it up that hill with semi trucks in the rear ready to push me out of the way.
I believe if that if you look these 240Ds up on Wikipedia…or somewhere on the internet you will find that the 0 to 60 time is something like 20 seconds.
Yes, these make an ACCEPTABLE taxi because in a city you don’t need to hit 60 MPH in under 10 seconds. But, you do need a car that gets very good gas mileage and that spends as little time off the road awaiting repairs, as possible.
Nowadays, the minimum I would look for if I was buying a diesel Mercedes Benz is a 300D.
And I drove my uncle’s Rabbit Diesel a few times, it felt like there was no torque, which is odd for a diesel engined car.
Beautiful looking car. My favourite Mercedes-Benz have always been the W123, both the sedan and the station wagon or Touring “T”. I believe any car can be a “forever” car, or a “lifetime” car. It takes a lot more than a car being well-built. It also takes maintenance. It takes careful driving.
My forever car.
Nice!
Very nice. :)
I bought one of these for my firstborns first car. She hated it and said she could accelerate faster in reverse than going forward. When I realized it was impossible to accelerate onto a highway with today’s traffic I sold it.
Many years ago, I use to commute from the San Bernardino Mountains to San Pedro, twice a week. In those days, we use to use CB radios. I would frequently talk to a guy, with a ’72 MB 220D. He had a business in Santa Monica. He said that, because his wife’s heath, they had to move to Palm Springs. He commuted five and sometimes six days a week to Santa Monica. That’s roughly 130 miles each way and one of the worst commutes in the country. I asked him how many miles that he had on that Mercedes. At the time, he said there was 640,000 plus miles, with only normal minor repairs and mantainece and little down time. He said that when it hit one million, he would retire him and the car. He told me that a good stereo helped and books on tape.
The last time that I saw that car was five years latter and it was still going. I suspect that he pushed it over a million mile, by that time. By the way, that car was still clean and straight and almost looked new.
That’s the thing about old Mercedes-Benz, particularly Diesels. What they lack in acceleration, they made up for in ruggedness and durability. I’d buy a 300SD of the same vintage if I could find a decent example. Or possibly a W123 300TD station wagon.
Located in Caldwell, ID
Out in the back country mountains of SoCal you occasionally see one of these struggling up the freeway incline training billows of smoke. Usually driven by an older fellow who looked like the Unabomber
This old benz is not complete without a taxi logo from some exotic location on the doors.
I’d buy a 300TD (Touring Turbo Diesel) wagon if I could find a decent well-cared for example. I’d use it strictly for business purposes.
I think a W123 would be a great candidate for an EV conversion. They are lovely cars, except for the hamster and treadmill where the engine should be.
If you want 2021 performance you don’t buy one of these, they will cruise comfortably at 60 on main roads & 50 on back roads. I would happily run one as a daily, but i live in a rural area of the UK! I would not use one on the motorways around the big cities, but then i avoid those things anyway, i would rather take longer & stick to two lane roads, i can go from the east coast of england to the west wales coast without touching a motorway it just takes a little longer & that’s ok with me. These are million mile cars given decent maintenance, & in my book are what all cars should be.
I have to agree. I live in a rural area as well, where it’d probably cruise comfortably all day without respite. Unless it’s a Turbo Diesel engine powering the car, I don’t see it cruising a motorway or our interstate freeway.
No they would not be comfortable on the Freeways or our motorways, but would you even try if you drove one of these? That is not what they are about, I used to own a 507D minibus, which was 67bhp when new & had a gross weight of a shade under 5tons!! You chose your routes with care & pull over & let traffic go if you get a tailback behind you!
I had a friend that had one of those in the 80s, and I totally remember how slow it was. It was the only car I’ve ever been concerned might not be able to get to 60 because it takes so long. It’s great once you get it up to speed, but I live in Atlanta and getting on the interstate is an important part of our life. Some might consider that a life car but that’s only because if you live in a big city it has a strong likelihood two very much shorten your life if you spend much time on Interstate entrance ramps. I still love the look, so I’ll just appreciate them as I pass by.
I don’t think any Mercedes Benz (or BMW for that matter) would make a good forever, everyday car especially once the warrantee expires.
I have a 2001 E430 that is in very good condition and has very nice acceleration. It has never seen snow and almost no rain. The issuer with these old MB is the cost of repair and parts. It’s very important to maintain these cars. If you do buy one, make sure it has ZERO rust. I routinely change my oil, trans fluid, brake fluid and antifreeze myself. You need to find one that was maintained like that since new. Even despite that, the cost of repairs and parts drives the value of these cars to less than a Toyota Corolla.
I have to agree. I don’t think any car maker builds cars with the idea that it’d be a “forever” car. It does take determined car owners to determine how forever a car or truck is.
I need to point out that at my age “forever” is an extremely relative term. Let’s just say “last”.