The concept of a “feel-good car” is truly a subjective one. What feels good to one enthusiast will not matter to another; you may get good vibes off of a C3 Corvette, while I’ll find them hidden on an old Toyota van. Different strokes for different folks, and all that. The Mercedes-Benz W123 lineup is one of those cars where even people who are unaffected by motor vehicles, or who otherwise have no love for old German sedans, will likely tell you they’ve owned one or knew someone who did, and that the experience was more or less positive. This 1989 Mercedes-Benz 240D listed here on craigslist is one of those vehicles that just seems to be dripping in good vibes – and it’s a manual.
The seller is asking a reasonable $7,400 for this clean W123, which has all the tell-tales signs of being loved throughout its long life. What’s crazy is it has 342,000 miles on the clock, but that’s really just getting broken in for the W123. The seller notes a variety of issues still outstanding, but he’s also addressed some shortcomings as well. The 240D predates the turbodiesel that came along later, so it will seem frightfully slow to people born after a certain age. However, these cars have always been known for holding their own on the interstate, even if the lack of acceleration seems potentially danger at times. The interior presents well for the miles, but we don’t get to see what’s under those seat covers. The dash is cracked and rear bench is mismatched color-wise.
The seller notes the engine, a 2.4-liter OM616 naturally aspirated diesel, would likely benefit from some injector work. In NA form, the engine produced 62 horsepower and 97 lb.-ft. of torque. With three pedals, this is a livable amount of power; the automatic, which is far more prevalent, makes the decision to drive an old W123 slightly more questionable. The seller is correct that the manual variants are few and far between, and when in pristine shape, you can expect to pay more than $10,000 for one. His car, with the issues mentioned, seems priced right. Other concerns include some electrical issues, valves that may need attention, and some worn-out ball joints.
With the roof rack and color-matched hubcaps, the 240D looks exactly as you’d expect a driver-quality W123 to look: not perfect, plenty of rough edges, but still ready for a road trip. The seller has replaced the front wheel bearings, the air filter, and the glow plug switch, but hasn’t yet found the time to buff out the paint. This seems like a car that someone who has access to a matching rear blue bench, an orbital buffer, and some new injectors could easily clean up and use for the summer while getting all their money back a few months later. Have any of you driven a W123 with the manual transmission?
Looks like a still solid old Mercedes. To answer your question Jeff, I never had a chance to drive one of these with a stick. But I did drive NS Diesel Mercedes with an automatic. You sincerely need to plan ahead on any merges, or any type of pulling out into traffic. They’re slow off the line, but it does get you up to speed. I’m sure a stick would have helped a bit. This one does not look like it has 342000 miles on it. The price seems reasonable too.