Isn’t she a beaut? Today I had the pleasure of test driving one of these in my search for the ultimate used car cruiser. I’ve driven a fair number of different cars in my life, but this was hands down one of my favorites for a lot of reasons. Hit the jump to read about the Mercedes 300D!

First off- the cosmetic aspects.

While the two versions I’m looking at purchasing differ in minor ways, (70’s era vs. late 80’s) both are plush and far ahead of their respective time periods technologically. All power windows and locks, electric sunroof, fully adjustable seats and A/C along with a fully automatic transmission grace the late 70’s 300D, amenities that many manufacturers didn’t even offer in family size sedans during the time period. Everything still worked too, and several of the features were fairly modern looking and felt fresh even 30 odd years later. The round pod like directional vents for the heater and A/C look and feel just like the modern ones on the Pontiac Solstice. The headlights (and amber fog lamps!) have a nostalgic euro look but still don’t appear antiquated because of the clear lens that surrounds the lights themselves, giving them an attractive round shape- to square shape transition. The chrome trim and bumpers are a little oversized compared to modern cars, but they still don’t detract from the looks because they’re blended into the body smoothly. The interior is roomy and the seats are like leather Lay-Z-Boys. All in all… a dope ride.

Now the powertrain. The particular models I’m looking at are all 4, 5, and 6 cylinder diesel models; some being turbo’d for some extra power. The one I drove today was the inline 5 cylinder, non-turbo, and had a whopping 310,000 miles. For a diesel, this is sort of midlife on the engine- many have been known to run well into the 500 and 600 thousands without a rebuild. While it had plenty of power and cruised smoothly on the freeway, a race car it isn’t. Everything moves in slow motion in this car; its like driving a big boat or maneuvering a tank in a parking lot. It’s not really that everything is slow- the steering is crisp and sensitive, the brakes strong and fast to engage- it’s really the acceleration. The rather primitive auto trans doesn’t help either, making the car feel like a lumbering beast being prodded to pull a cart. Because the acceleration is so slow, everything else that normally you time based on a quick launch and hard acceleration is now slowed down as well. Lane changes, right turns, red lights, hills. Basically any time you’re starting from a dead stop or trying to put a heavy load on the engine, don’t expect a fast and furious clip up to 60. However once moving, it steams ahead like a locomotive, cruising smoothly at whatever speed you choose with a tremendous amount of torque. The exhaust note is unique and dare I say rather fun- it sounds EXACTLY like the exhaust note heard from inside a school bus. A low rumbling growl that stays low in pitch and steadily climbs to a roar before the shift. It’s a wholly different driving experience- personally I liked it. I could see how some drivers used to a V8 powered muscle car wouldn’t enjoy the seriously pokey style of driving necessitated by the diesel, but nonetheless it was a blast to drive! The upside of the diesel is the mileage too- running in tip top condition a Mercedes 300D can get as much as 40MPG!  Then there’s the added aspect of converting to bio-diesel… like french fry oil… for a seriously cheap (or even free!) fuel alternative.

In its heyday, the 300D (or any Mercedes for that matter) was a status symbol and a member of the top tier of autos in terms of quality and tech. The 1977 I drove today didn’t disappoint, and even 30 years later managed to impress me- we’ll see how fun an 80’s turbo model is tomorrow!