Hello;
After my first Merc, a 300se 126, which I love but needed something that I could actually park (why do they not make S-class sized parking spaces??), I found the most amazing 250d saloon. Ok, my German colleague thinks its a taxi, but its one owner, 100K, and with a full history and invoices- serviced every 4500 miles, would you believe; all invoices even numbered in a binder with spreadsheet, rather OCD, but gotta love it! And its probably the only one on the road which hasn't ended up a minicab.
Having driven an old 240d w114 in the states, I thought it'd be rather slow, but its not really that bad- and I'm actually going to keep my license, which was becoming an issue with the 3 litre.
Just love the simplicity- no turbo no nasty computers, no hydropneumatics- and not even an autobox to let it down; there's every chance it'll outlive me- my mate still has the 240 he had in high school 13 years ago- and it had 200K on it then; about 400K now, although its rather smoky.
If it was an estate in this condition, it would be over 5000quid, but as a saloon was only 1500.
The only fault is that the build quality is a bit lower than the 126- the door handles are not 'machined,' and the glove box feels more flimsey; but it was half the price when new, and still better than anything else out there- just doesn't have quite the same hewn from granite feel.
I hope it lives forever, as there is nothing now as good.
Brian
After my first Merc, a 300se 126, which I love but needed something that I could actually park (why do they not make S-class sized parking spaces??), I found the most amazing 250d saloon. Ok, my German colleague thinks its a taxi, but its one owner, 100K, and with a full history and invoices- serviced every 4500 miles, would you believe; all invoices even numbered in a binder with spreadsheet, rather OCD, but gotta love it! And its probably the only one on the road which hasn't ended up a minicab.
Having driven an old 240d w114 in the states, I thought it'd be rather slow, but its not really that bad- and I'm actually going to keep my license, which was becoming an issue with the 3 litre.
Just love the simplicity- no turbo no nasty computers, no hydropneumatics- and not even an autobox to let it down; there's every chance it'll outlive me- my mate still has the 240 he had in high school 13 years ago- and it had 200K on it then; about 400K now, although its rather smoky.
If it was an estate in this condition, it would be over 5000quid, but as a saloon was only 1500.
The only fault is that the build quality is a bit lower than the 126- the door handles are not 'machined,' and the glove box feels more flimsey; but it was half the price when new, and still better than anything else out there- just doesn't have quite the same hewn from granite feel.
I hope it lives forever, as there is nothing now as good.
Brian
