CE750

Aluminum and Diesel don't mix for me.. the steel sleeves they used to house cylinder walls are going to expand and contract at different rates than the block, and this is going to lead to long term reliabilities issues.

They went to a V6 to save money, nothing more..

Had they put that 3rd generation CDI system on the I-6, the power output would have been even greater. You'll notice that with 21 more hp, the V6 still produces roughly the same torque... that's telling of the inferiority of a V6.


As for West Coast cars... there are always some for sale (heck mine is always for sale for the right price).. but the majority of inventory is on the east coast.

That said, Arizona cars are always going to get a premium from an informed buyer.. we get almost 0 rain here, and no other harmful weather factors, like that found on ocean front regions, and east coast regions.

Just ask Barret Jackson why they set up their operations in AZ.

Green E-300 DT

Isn't that new v6 motor already being installed in other markets?

And the power, both horsepower and torque, is greater than the inline 6.
And isn't it only of 3.0 liters displacememnt?

How is an inline six smoother and sound an different than a V-6?

I'll wager that the new V6 with the newer seven speed 7G-TRONIC tranny will be smoother and quieter than the 320 CDI especially with the current five speed.

c55m8o

What comes to mind is then ever "55" owner (me included) should be scared too, because it's a similar deal there too. The silica-steel sleaves are pressed into the aluminum while it's still hot, so the two "fuse" together making a much stonger, well bonded assembly.

...however, I'm not ignorant of the fact we're talking [ahem] slightly different comression ratios here... Still, I'll opt to trust MB on this 1st and think negative later if problems arise as opposed to distrust now and gain trust later.

Green E-300 DT

For that price, a serious buyer could order one to his own specs and go ED and have a brand new 2006.

At $55K, you'd be getting for your one year old used car what you paid for it.

Your only hope at that price is to find a Californian or other state buyer where that
state prohibits registering a "new" prohibited car with less than 7,500 miles.

There are many examples listed on AutoTrader in the high $40s and low $50s.
Ask Raj privately what he paid for his "loaded" Designo .
You do know just how much extra that option is by itself?

Good luck.

cyclerider

You have gotten my point exactly. A California buyer is not allowed to bring a new European delivery car home and register and use it in California. Most of the CDI's that I have seen for sale are not nearly as well equipped as mine. Very few are close enough to California to simply drive home from the point of sale. $55K is still less than new price (MSRP $57,805) and the car will have enough miles on it in a week or two to be legal in California. That is where I want the car to go. Remember the title of this thread.

Green E-300 DT

You've made some points, but many are incorrect.

Regarding the first about MBZ going a "V6 to save money, nothing more.."
That is not true. Shorting the crankshaft helps produce not only more power but also a short power package as in your aircraft motors.
A shorter package was required for them to be able to fit the newer 7G-TRONIC transmission is another reason that MBZ redesigned the diesel.
I'll wager that this new package stock will be quicker than your "chipped" inline 6.
"Roughly the same torque?"
With 224 horsepower and 376 lb/ft torque, that is an additional 23 horsepower and 7 foot pounds torque , isn't it?
With that additional power, the lighter weight of the new motor and the advantages of the newer
seven-speed gearbox, I think you'll be trading for one as soon as you have driven one.

Reqarding the climate there in Arizona, there are advantages and disadvantages.
Remember this summer when the temperatures were in the 110 plus range for over two weeks?
Talk about cooking the interior of a car parked outside in that outdoor oven.
A little rain never hurts a car, especially where the humidity is lower.
How's the average humidity level there in your valley?
No rain to speak of, but that summer time humidity.
I think I'd rather have a car from a milder climate such as we enjoy here in California.
Not everyone here lives close to the ocean.

BTW, did you ever get that poor 60 ft time bettered?

CE750

7 more ft/lbs of torque IS Telling of the inferior arrangement of the V6.. the fact is the majority of power gain in this engine comes from the 30,000psi CDI injection system, which is a 3rd generation system with many improvements over the 23,000psi system in my engine.

Had MB chosen to use that system with the I-6, it would have trumped my "Chipped" car and then some..

V6=Cost Cutting... every car maker admits it... they don't hide attempt to hide it. BMW capitalized on this very marketing edge...

the 7spd transmission isn't any larger than the 5 spd.. they could have engineered this marriage, but why? Since they're going to a V6 in '07 and have already done so in Europe? that's cost cutting, that even I can agree with.

BMW has a 530ix all wheel drive with 6spd trans and it's all done in less length than the E.. so it's Cost cutting.. trust me.

Ask any serious automotive engineering expert what is better (all else being equal) I-6 or V-6 and see what he tells you...

-------------------------------------------

As for the best states for collecting cars..

Arizona (dry heat, very rare rain)
Florida (humid, not as good)
California (dryer than AZ, but has ocean, and rain)

are the top 3, in that order, Source.. Barret Jackson.
Arizona cars carry a premium.. it's a selling point. this is "known" in the auto collector's world.

Hot temp's got nothing to do with it, many of us have A/C in our garage, and the rain is by far a larger deteriorating a factor when you wax your car regularly.. since the car (like a shoe) wears from the inside/underside first..

Look under my car today, and compare it to a 7500 mile car form most other states... my wheel wells still look like the car is new (I never scrub them down, just hose)..

I don't knock California... I'm a son of California, and still own a home in the Bay Area.. it's in most cases, the greatest state in the union. I also have have a lot of family (my mother included) living there. But you sometimes have to put pride aside and call a spade, "a spade".

stickygreen

Cyclerider...I think you can get close to $55k for your car with the right exposure. I would have gladly paid $1500 more for the dizzel if it were as close as Oregon, as opposed to the east coast.

Raj
'97 e320
'05 designo e320 cdi
'85 535i