CE750

They most certainly don't build them like they used to. Remember the big honed chuck of metal that each door had on it for the latch. And the thud the old 240D's used to make when you closed their rear doos?

Lexus (Toyota) has come up a lot in 20 years, and MB way down.. but MB is still ahead, but just barely.

HELL ONA HARLEY

Lets face it...... Were all being bent over at the pumps. When diesel is reformulated next year, cheap diesel prices will only be a fond memory.....They will rise and stay high regardless of what season it is.

Getting back to the original post, I have to agree with the members who stated the facts about trade in value.... I'd keep the 500.

mike82y

im pretty you will regret if you do trade a V8 for a CDI!! for me the only advantage of a CDI is that the fuel consumption is really good. other than that the engine is loud and causes vibrations!

with the E320 CDI i can drive up to 800km - every litre costs 1,14 Euro
with the E240 i can get around 500km - every litre costs 1,34 Euro

i dont think the fuel price is a problem for you guys in the US.. so why changing it to a CDI??

Mike

CE750

odd.. I found the V8 much louder on fast acceleration from when I drove it.. (sounded nice, mind you, like any good V8 should!..) but in cruise you can't hear the CDI, the car has additional insulation MB claims.

The E500 has a bunch of standard features that if you got them on a CDI you'ld end up with a more expensive car.. this is the biggest advantage of the E500 for me.. To get a CDI loaded up with the 17" wheels, 4-piston front brakes, 4-zone AC, Airmatic DC, and full Leather alone would drive the price past the E500.. Diesel engines are expensive to produce, which is why I'm sure MBUSA spec'd the CDI so bare.. to keep the price just above the E350.

Ideally, I would love to have both cars!

The V8 is more power at the higher RPM range, and therefore it's quicker.. (0-60 and 0-1/4 mile) The CDI's torque is huge down law 1800rpm-2800.. so in city driving, and on the freeway at speeds less than 75 it's ready to launch with 20% more torque than the V8.. It's only after 75mph that the V8 keeps producing power consistently while the diesel drops off.

Fuel in the US is the most expensive it's been in my adult life time.. we're not used to $2.50-$3.00 prices here

rjm

The 2005 CDI that I drove was considerably noisier than the E-350/E-500 that I drove....ESPECIALLY under hard acceleration. And at idle with the windows down, it sounded like a tractor. That was the one thing that I didn't like about the car. At cruise, with the windows closed, it was relatively quiet. I had a diesel in the 80's and didn't care for the racket, and the smell of the diesel fuel.

CE750

Every article written on the CDI talks about how quiet it is. I'm not saying you are lying, but I am saying the the entire world who's heard this car doesn't call it loud. My next door neighbor only found out I had a diesel after I told him, for weeks he thought it was a gas car.. no noise, no smell, no "racket"

I think you're having flash backs to that 300D from the 80's.

CE750

Here rjm... here is a Kiplinger's Article about the "nosy tractor"

http://www.kiplinger.com/personalfin...5/car1021.html