1985 mercedes 300d MPG
MERCEDES-BENZ boasts that when seated in a 300D turbo diesel sedan you are ``not in the soft lap of luxury but in the sure hands of ergonomic science, `` a reference to the seat-no, make that the ``biomechanical support system.``
That`s a bit aloof, but decades of building some of the best cars on the market have made Mercedes that way.
The list of standard features is endless, including help when you need it from roadside assistance. If trouble develops on the highway, you dial a special number and get an over-the-phone diagnosis or on-the-spot help from a dispatched technician. And how many other carmakers give you a grille badge to display after you`ve compiled 125, 000, 312, 500 or 625, 000 miles of driving?
But then, how many other cars still have a grille after 125, 000 miles?
Built on a 110-inch wheelbase, the 300D turbo diesel offers huge interior room and comfort, pleasant ride and handling neither too stiff nor too mushy, an engine powerful enough to move you swiftly from the light when you need to or to simply keep you cruising at highway speeds as semis roar by. Sadly, the 3, 500-pound, rear-drive Mercedes was more sure footed and nimble on dry roads, a bit finicky in back in gripping the pavement after a light rain.
WHILE THE grille is the recognized trademark its rivals commonly copy in their never-ending Mercedes lookalike ploy, the other common trademarks are present: huge, comfortable seats; gigantic steering wheel for the feeling of driver control; ample rear seat room so occupants need not scuff Guccis; and a cavernous trunk.
The 300D we drove was powered by a 5-cylinder diesel engine with turbo assist. The turbo gives the engine the power boost most high-mileage diesels need while at the same time quieting the familiar ping of diesel combustion. The engine is rated at 22 m.p.g. city with automatic.
Besides the price-$31, 940-cold weather also keeps the 300D driver from losing a sense of reality. Diesel fuel tends to turn to jelly when the parafin in the fuel hardens from the cold. On two occasions on mornings when the temperature hovered below 20 degrees, the engine turned over very slowly. Another irritant was noticing the diesel pump read $1.25 a gallon and the nearby gas pump $1.13.
GENERAL MOTORS Corp. recently said it would stop offering diesel engines in its cars after the 1985 model run. Some think this will hurt those foreign makes such as Mercedes that have popularized diesels.
A.B. Schuman, spokesman for Mercedes, said the German automaker had no plans to follow GM`s lead.
``We have 370, 000 diesel owners out there, and surveys show 70 to 80 percent say they`ll buy a diesel again, `` he said. ``We`re committed to the diesel. We had it before GM; we`ll have it after them.``
SCHUMAN SAID Mercedes owners liked diesels most for the increased driving range they offered over gas engines. Going from Point A to B on one tank is the chief concern, not paying 12 cents more for each gallon it took to get there.
However, he admitted, consumers are opting more for the performance capabilities of gas engines, and the ready supply of gas has lessened the emphasis on diesels. ``In 1983, we had three gas engine models and five diesels, `` he said. ``In 1984, it was five and five as we added two gas models. Diesels accounted for 79 percent of our sales in 1982; today, it`s 50 percent.``
NOTES
THE 23D ANNUAL MILLER HIGH LIFE WORLD OF WHEELS SHOW WILL BE HELD JAN. 17-20 IN MCCORMICK PLACE. ALONG WITH THE 500 ROD
AND CUSTOM CARS ON DISPLAY, THE TRANS AM K.I.T.T. CAR FROM THE TV SHOW ``KNIGHT RIDER`` WILL BE FEATURED ALONG WITH THE ALL AMERICAN, THE MONSTER 4 X 4 PICKUP THAT`LL DRIVE OVER AND FLATTEN A LINE
OF CARS EACH DAY AT THE SHOW. HOURS ARE 5 TO 11 P.M. JAN. 17 AND 18 AND NOON TO 11 P.M.
JAN. 19 AND 20. TICKETS ARE $6 FOR ADULTS AND $2 FOR CHILDREN 6 TO 12. CHILDREN 5 AND UNDER WILL BE ADMITTED FREE.
CHRYSLER CORP.`S AGREEMENT WITH MITSUBISHI CALLS FOR ITS JAPANESE PARTNER TO SUPPLY IT WITH 400, 000 3-LITER, FUEL-INJECTED
V-6 ENGINES ANNUALLY FOR FIVE YEARS STARTING WITH THE 1987 MODEL YEAR. INITIALLY, THE ENGINES GO IN THE MINI-VANS ALONG WITH NEW
STRETCHED VERSIONS, AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF CARS, SUCH AS CHRYSLER`S NEW C-BODY FAMILY CARS AND J-BODY SPORTS COUPES.
GM, ESTIMATING ITS SALES BREAKDOWN BY CAR SIZE FOR 1984, SAYS THE BEST SELLING LINE WAS THE MIDSIZE A-BODY CARS (CHEVROLET