Fast forwarding to July 2024, I purchased a 1998 E430 from a member of the Mercedes-Benz Club of Victoria. The E430 is a delight to drive, especially the combination of a small block V8 and 5 speed automatic transmission, in a smaller chassis than an S-Class.

The range of engine options available in this generation E-Class was enormous, with Mercedes-Benz Australia offering eleven different engine combinations, covering the first generation and mid-life update models, including sedans and wagons. There was a broad range of trim levels, from Classic, Elegance and the more luxurious Avantgarde trim. The Australian line up is summarized below:

Compare the range of engine combinations to the latest W214 E-Class generation, it’s only offered in one engine, E300, 2 litre twin-turbo, with 48v mild hybrid. Apparently the E53 and E63 are still on the radar of Mercedes-Benz Australia. How times have changed, with sedans losing favour to SUVs.

This week I got the opportunity to drive another W210 E-Class, an E240 Elegance with the smaller 2.4 M112 V6. The E240 model was part of the mid-life update, released in November 1999. The updated model range included a new diesel model, E270 CDI and two petrol models, E240 and E200K, released in August 2000.

Driving the E240 Elegance, I was surprised at what a great little package it is. Even though it’s 80KW short of my E430, it never felt slow around town. The suspension was perfectly tuned for Australian conditions, providing a supple ride, insulating driver and passengers from our terrible roads. Once on the freeway the engine becomes a bit noisier, with the tachometer reading 2500rpm @100kph.

This E240 Elegance had a recommended retail price of $96,180. The original owner ticked two options, Suspension Sport incl. 17″ 5 Double Spoke, $3825 (alloy wheels have since been removed and replaced with 16” alloy wheels) and Sunroof, $3786, lifting the total price to $103,791 in 2000. This was a lot to pay 25 years ago, and in 2025 I still consider it to be a lot of money.

My E430 is a pre-update model, while the E240 was released as part of the mid-life update. Many Mercedes enthusiasts have trouble spotting the changes, but there are people around like me who contain a wealth of useless information, taking note of these changes.

You can see the E240 has revised taillights, using transparent plastic for the indicators. The third stop light is also more integrated, with the older E430 having a stop light more reminiscent of the W124/W126.

The E240 has a revised front bumper, that is more integrated below the bug-eye headlights.

The right- and left-hand side exterior mirrors have also been updated, with the incorporation of indicators

Further changes were seen on the interior with an updated cluster. The newer cluster contains the same information, but in a larger font size.

Other changes included a new leather multi-function steering wheel, including audio, phone buttons.

Safety got a large update, with 10 airbags, while my E430 has 4. Rear seat airbags. Both cars have Electronic Stability Control (ESP).

The changes in the mid-life upgrade make an even better car, especially from a safety perspective, with the increased number of airbags and indicators on exterior mirrors. The external changes are minimal, with these changes mirroring design changes in the automotive industry.

Even though many will note quality was not up to the same standards as W124/W126, the standout for me were the engines, especially the M112 & M113. Mercedes-Benz were successful in developing engines that performed well, provided increased efficiency, but were also known as highly reliable engines, with few problems.

This E-Class design has grown on me over the years, with the small lip on top of boot, somewhat reminiscent of the boot on the VL Commodore. Those bug-eye headlights still cause debate in the Mercedes community. I like the outlook from the driver’s seat, seeing the raised bumps on the left- and right-hand sides. The rest of the W210 E-Class package can be considered as conservative.

Perhaps Mercedes-Benz didn’t want to frighten their customer base too much, but with the release of the W211 E-Class platform the design was more modern and assume attracted a younger audience without disenfranchising their existing customer base.

Author:  Nick Gruzevskis is a contributor to classicjalopy.com, and the custodian of a great collection of classic and modern cars.  Links to some his other articles can be found here

The post Guest Post: Driving a W210 E240 Elegance Sedan appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

The 2020 Suzuki Swift is quite refreshing as it is a very simple, no frills car.   Car makers don’t make many cars like this anymore.   It is equipped with power windows and air conditioning, but not much else.  I don’t really miss all the intrusive technology on other rental cars I’ve driven.   Unfortunately, it is fitted with auto start/stop which is a really annoying feature in a hot/humid climate like Thailand.

The traffic is chaotic here, which means lots of idling.   At 30c and 90% humidity, the last thing you want is for the A/C compressor to stop.   This is of course what happens when you are waiting in traffic.   The A/C becomes more and more tepid, allowing the temperature in the car to raise.  Eventually after a few minutes, the car does kick into life, but it has to work hard to lower the cabin temperature again.   You can of course turn the feature off, but it doesn’t remember the setting each time you restart the car.

The Swift is equipped with a basic infotainment system.  It doesn’t seem to remember settings from last time you used it.   However, it is equipped with apple car play.   You can’t just plug your phone in though.   You first have to let the system boot up, which takes about 5 seconds.  Then you have to select the menu to pair the phone.   Once you give the system a few seconds to think, you can then plug your phone in.   Once plugged in, it needs another few seconds thinking time, then you have to unlock your phone and it starts working.   After all that, it is quite reliable.   Sound quality is average.

The car is reasonably comfortable for two adults and three children, although luggage space is quite limited.   The seats are cloth, good in such a hot climate.   With a tall adult in the front seats, there is not a lot of legroom in the rear, but enough for children.   I drove it for a couple of hours and didn’t feel uncomfortable.   The controls fall easily to hand and its quite comfortable for a tall driver.  The pedals are quite small though, and a couple of times I found myself pressing the brake and accelerator at the same time.

Performance is adequate.  I do not know what engine is fitted to this car, but around town it has quite good performance.  Even for a city car, it will cruise at motorway speeds quite happily.   The only times you notice the lack of power is trying to overtake, or going up steep hills.   I needed to accelerate from 100km/h to 120km/h to get into a gap in traffic and the poor little car didn’t have much to give.

The Swift appears to be equipped with a CVT.  It doesn’t find itself caught out in the wrong ratio and bogged down like a lot of CVTs, so its not too bad.   It can be a bit jerky to start out, but it is otherwise tolerable.   Fuel economy is very good around town, although it drops away on the open road.  Still, as a city car it is very frugal.

Visibility out of the front is quite good compared to many modern cars. This makes it far more relaxing to drive on the open road.  The A-pillars as not so thick to create blind spots.   Rear visibility is pretty poor – the rear window is small and the C-pillars are quite thick.   Its not as bad as some, but since there is no reversing camera you need to be very careful when parking due to the large blind spots.

Being more familiar with the Suzuki Swifts of the 90s, I assumed the car would be small and handle like a go-kart.  It doesn’t.   It is actually quite a large car.   Like the modern Mini is gigantic compared to the old BMC Mini, the 2020 Suzuki Swift is gigantic compared to the 90s version.   It doesn’t handle all that well, it feels like a very big car and the ride is very choppy.   Roads in Thailand are quite bumpy and you feel them all.   It is also quite wide driving through narrow streets.

Quite oddly for a modern car, the headlights are pretty woeful. I’ve driven 50 year old cars with better headlights. Turning them on also dims the instrument cluster making it very difficult to see if you want to turn the lights on during the day when it is raining. Since there was torrential rain a few times I was driving the car, I had the lights on. It is probably possible to change this, but I didn’t see how.

Styling isn’t bad – the white paint with the subtle red accents look quite good.   I’m generally not a fan of white cars but it suits the 2020 Suzuki Swift.

My overall Verdict is that the 2020 Suzuki Swift isn’t a bad city car.  Its cheap and cheerful and quite good on fuel.  Plus it doesn’t have all the expensive and annoying tech.  Its not as good on the open road, but still gets the job done.

Rating: 3/5.

The post 2020 Suzuki Swift Review appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

The car is very sparsely equipped but it at least has AC and power mirrors. You however have to contend with window winders, no radio, central locking, parking aids, no bings and bongs in a thousand different tones, while a couple of levers provide very straightforward seat adjustments powered by your bum and abs. It has very compact dimensions but is surprisingly cavernous inside – the headroom accommodates top hats and legroom rigorously deny frontal contact to all knees. The car comes with the 2.4l turbo-diesel 2L-TE engine developing 71 kW@4,000rpm and 191 Nm@2,400rpm. This engine belongs to the same family as the venerable ‘3L’ and ‘5L’ engines used in the Hiace, Hilux and old Crown Comfort taxis in Singapore. Transmission is the very strong 5-speed ‘W58’ manual gearbox used in many Toyotas and manual swaps.

I started off my drives with suburban trips. The engine was very torquey low down, allowing me to easily pull away from 1,100 rpm and midrange was very strong, especially when the turbo kicks in at around 1,750 rpm. Contemporary acceleration levels were hence easily achieved, and without choking fellow road-users in smoke too. The 2L-TE engine was therefore very effortless compared to the ‘3L’ or ‘5L’s which I often had to wring the life out of to keep up with traffic. The 2L-TE was probably Toyota’s next best diesel engine next to the 3 litre 1KZ-TE used in the much heavier duty Prado and HiAce Super Custom. The fact that the 2L-TE was also used in more upmarket cars like Crowns and Mark IIs mean that we get to enjoy a great engine in a relatively spartan car like the Comfort. In fact, the lighter weight of the Comfort might even result in better performance than those cars. Given that Toyota had lesser diesels around, having the 2L-TE in the Comfort was a godsend.

The gearshifts are very crisp and the clutch is very light, which made for a very engaging drive. There is very strong engine braking too, and I often released the throttle and let the car hold its speed down inclines. All these made for a very lively drive around town. The car had a surprisingly compliant ride. The suspension soaked up bumps like a limo, while it doesn’t waft like a boat around corners. It was tuned as a commercial passenger carrier and I think it’s aced in this respect.

I love how minimally equipped the cabin is while being very usable – in addition to the refreshing barrenness mentioned in the first paragraph, all the fundamental controls for reasonable humanistic existence are present and readily at hand. In fact, its primitive AC controls are the best controls in the world – the dials and levers have notches which allow for precise adjustments without taking your eyes off the road. There are only five of them but they cover ALL your creature comfort needs. It’s a welcome break from touchscreens and even buttons, where you cannot immediately locate them by feel, and often require multiple presses for an adjustment. With dials and levers, an instantaneous flick is all that’s required. It’s very unfortunate that they have been largely removed from all new cars, which has greatly reversed usability and also safety standards in my opinion.

Motorway speeds are near the limits of the Comfort’s performance, as the relatively short 5th gear does 110km/h at 3,100 rpm. I nonetheless was able to blend into motorway traffic without being a hog, and overtaking those I encountered was a very effortless affair. It was unfortunately not very cossetting at those speeds with its noise and harshness, so I would not recommend it for long trips. On country roads however, I experienced my apex of enjoyment where the symphony of the strong mid-range, engine braking and crisp gearbox was amplified, enveloping me like a concert hall orchestra. Shedding speed into a corner with no pedals depressed and then flicking the gear lever in a U-shaped cog swap with the precisely-timed blip of the clutch is the forgotten ecstasy of pure driving euphoria that contemporary motor journalists reviewing SUVs equipped with ever-creative gear selector designs and packed with waiting-to-break gadgetry will never mention, and the auto-industry never want you to know.

One major downside of this car is the brisk losing of speed when scaling inclines. I hence had to plan ahead of them by speeding up in advance, while being ready to upshift in an instant to minimize speed loss. This speed loss is characteristic of pre-common rail diesels, where much lower injection pressures, timing precision and poorer fuel spray atomization greatly diminishes throttle response and hence power sustainment. As diesels go, I would therefore recommend at least first-generation common rail diesels as they are a leap ahead in performance while still being uncomplicated to service.

Over the period of my use, I covered about 900km with a rather high fuel consumption of 9.1 l/100 kms. This is probably due to the short gearing on prolonged motorway drives, where the engine was working near its limit. Justin gets 6-6.5s so I was probably enjoying it a bit too much.

All in all, the Comfort is a perfect car to me in many aspects – it has a robust and simple construction, ample usable space, very durable fittings, very plain interior, yet well-equipped with necessary features. It has very straightforward controls, a very usable engine and it’s so engaging to drive. Things to make it perfect would be equipping it with a first-generation common rail diesel engine, a taller 5th gear, a reverse camera, more noise insulation, central locking and cruise control. The car still looks modern although it’s now a 30-year-old relic, and I got a few compliments from passers-by too. Perhaps it’s a refreshing change from the sea of busy but generic-looking gizmo-mobiles out there. Justin had initially offered a Ranger for my use but choosing the Comfort instead had turned every drive into an experience instead of a commute.

I have an obsession with Japanese cars built from the 90s to early 2000s, and this car is part of that era where engine technology had matured to a very usable level, necessary creature comforts are commonplace, build quality is solid, styling is very simple yet timeless, and gadgetry were the exception rather than the norm. In short – pure, usable and durable. This Comfort will perform superbly as a daily driver and as a classic car – one that happily transgresses the line from ‘weekend toy’ into ‘please use me daily’ territory. In the name of progress however, Automakers will never go back to that era, but for the virtues I’ve mentioned before, that was not merely a nostalgic period as it has ample practical arguments in its favour. In hindsight, people back then didn’t know what gems they had on their hands. This realization is however now reflected in the values of these cars, where 30-year-old Japanese cars are often sold for prices similar to cars 10-15 years their junior.

Many thanks again to Justin for lending me such a well-kept relic!

Author: Neo Yueteng is a devotee of fuss-free and functional vehicles that can stand the test of time. He is also a manual transmission tragic.

The post Guest Article: Impressions of a 1996 Toyota Comfort appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

Despite its storied nameplate, the Malibu won’t be missed by many.   It’s not a very good car.

This trip has exposed its shortcomings far more than last time I rented one.    Last time, my driving was far more local.   This time I will have done around 500 miles by the time I hand the keys back.   This involved a lot of interstate driving.   In most states, Americans don’t really go for draconian enforcement of reasonable speeds, so the traffic flows much faster.    At 85mph (130km/h) this car is terrible.

The engine is willing enough, and even has more to give if required to get around another car.   The issue is NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness).   Generally newer cars do a decent job of this overall.   However this car does not.   I question if there is any sound deadening at all in the vehicle.   I’m travelling with two co-workers and it is hard to maintain a conversation at regular interstate speeds.    This isn’t so much wind noise as noise and vibration coming from the wheels & tyres up into the car.   The ride is also terrible and you feel every expansion joint and crack in the road.   The tires are from Firestone, so are not a brand I have not heard of.   They are not light truck tyres either.

The sound system is no help here.   I’ve driven cars with two tiny speakers that sound better.   There is just strange sound coming out of strange places in the car.    It felt so tinny and grating, that I could only listen to it by going into the settings and turning the treble down while boosting bass and mid range.   That didn’t make it sound good, but at least it was no longer grating.

On the plus side, the infotainment system is so simple that I was able to connect my phone in seconds and play music.   I’ve rented cars with the apple car play system and it just complains about Siri and never works.

Power and fuel economy are adequate, although the engine is coarse if pushed.   Apparently its equipped with a CVT, but its set up to feel more like a regular automatic transmission.   It mostly does, and while it goes not bogged down at low speeds like a lot of CVTs, its not inspiring either.    Comfort is also adequate, and the boot is quite large.   Turning circle is only average.

The 2024 model is equipped with a very strange collision warning system.   There is an alarm and light on the dashboard that goes off when the car wants to warn you of an impending collision.   However, it warns at the most inopportune time.   I was almost rear ended the first time it went off, and I stood on the brakes thinking there was a major issue.   This feature makes the car less safe.

I assume the main buyer of this car has been fleet buyers.  I can’t imagine anyone getting excited by it.   The drab colour of the one I rented is pretty appropriate.

Rating 2/5.

Update 22/6/25:  I rented another 2024 Malibu this month.   I also drove this car extensively and came to the same conclusion.  This car had Continental tyres, and yet the road noise at interstate speeds was unbearable.   Turning the tinny infotainment system up wasn’t much of a help.   This time the colour was more attractive, the car I rented being dark blue.

The collision warning system was even worse in the wet, going off at random times that startled me.   The one time I did have to panic stop, the system didn’t activate.   The brakes were very effective but the rudimentary suspension wasn’t.

On this trip, I picked the car up in Newark, NJ.   I drove around NJ for a few days, before then driving to Philadelphia, then Washington DC.   There was a good mix of freeway and local driving.    I found the blue car as bad as the silver one.   I also discovered another feature.   When I first picked the car up, it tried to steer for me at times when it thought I wasn’t in my lane properly.   This was really disconcerting.   I quickly worked out how to turn this feature off.

The post 2024 Chevrolet Malibu Review appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

I drove around my local area in a mix of heavy traffic, back roads and bigger roads with a speed limit of 90km/h.   At no time did I feel like I was holding up traffic or that the car was ‘dangerously slow’ like people claim.  During the night drive last night, I was even getting away from the group at times.

In fact, I enjoyed driving the car and would be happy to drive it as a daily.   It is certainly more appetizing to me than anything that Mercedes-Benz is making today.     You have to adapt to the car and use full throttle a lot more than you would need to in a modern car, but there is something to be said about being able to use all the power a car has.

The gearing of the car makes the performance quite good from zero to legal speeds on the motorway.   This makes the 240D a good proposition for urban driving and long distance motorway driving.   In order to provide good performance, the car needs to be kept in its power band.  That means the transmission is kicking down a lot.   I could see a situation where the vacuum system had not been maintained and the kickdown switch not working that performance would be poor.   In that case the 240D automatic would simply bog down in top gear.

The one type of driving I could see the 240D being unsuitable for is driving on back roads that require overtaking large trucks at 100km/h.   Redline in 3rd gear is around 105km/h, so there is no gear to overtake at those speeds.  This is where you want a V8 like a 450.

In addition, the 240D struggles to maintain speed on long uphill  motorway sections.   On the most recent night drive, there were a few of those coming home.   Speed would drift down to about 85, then I could kick down and bring it back up to about 95.   On more gradual grades it would hold a speed of around 100km/h but no more.     This is probably where the extra power of the 300D comes in.   On a flat section I was able to cruise at 120km/h so the 240D is generally fine on the motorway.  Even on the uphill sections where performance is lacking, it is still faster than the trucks.

Driving my 240D, I am reminded what a good transmission the 722.1 is when adjusted properly.   Nice crisp changes and a hugely rugged unit.   I’m not disappointed that my car is a 240D automatic.   The automatic transmission is properly set up and works really well.

I also found that over the time I was driving the car, it fixed itself.    Moving the temperature wheel around had the A/C kicking into life.    I guess just a dirty contact in the switch.   At first the lighting for the gear selector didn’t work, but that burst into life at some point.

The only thing I took out of the drive to add to my todo list was the thermostat.   The car ran a little hotter than I think it should for a day in the mid 20s.   There is a lot to like about this car, comfortable, cold A/C, and good on fuel.   I drove for nearly 100km before the needle moved off the full position.

After I had driven the car around for a while, I went to take a few more nice photos.   I was passed by some very expensive luxury SUVs and thought that I would much rather drive my cheap 240D.

Today I had to go and pick up some things from the inner west of Sydney.   Narrow roads and heavy traffic.   The 240D was a great car for this, nimble, comfortable and excellent on fuel.   Plus the around town performance really is quite good.   I’ve now done 350km and the fuel tank is still showing more than half.   Of course, its a Mercedes, so once it gets below the half mark, it will be empty in no time, but it really is very good for a car of this age.

People who think these are dangerously slow should actually drive one.  I’m really enjoying mine.

The post What is a 1981 240D Automatic like to drive? appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

Apologies about quality of photo, it was the only one I could find

Which brings me to our latest acquisition, one that I thought I would never own, a 2007 Ford Falcon BF Futura MK2 wagon in Octane Metallic (an orange red) on dedicated LPG. Ford called it the E-gas. A number of options were ticked at sale, heavy duty suspension, tow pack, 16” alloy wheels and roof racks. It came to us in unexpected and very sad circumstances when a dear friend passed away and left it to us. The timing is somewhat perfect, as we sold our last large car in October 2022, a 2007 Lexus LS460 called Larry and there was a gap in our fleet.

Ford focused on refining the successful BA Falcon (winner of Wheels Car of the Year in 2002), with the release of the BF in August 2005. It’s no wonder Ford announced the MK2 update in August 2006, given the success of the VE Commodore. The big changes announced were a revised front end, availability of the ZF 6 speed auto and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) on selected models. Engineers also reworked the Barra 4.0L Barra inline six, increasing power to 190KW, while improving its refinement.

Despite the popularity of the revised BF Falcon sedan, wagon sales had been on the decline since the release of the Territory in 2004. In 2008 Ford sold 1,842 BF MK2 wagons, as opposed to 12,791 of the SY Territory, so it’s no surprise Ford chose not to further develop the wagon any further. Ford went on to release the MK3 wagon and included DSC (petrol wagon only) but the excellent ZF 6 speed auto was unavailable as an option. The BF wagon remained largely unchanged sheet metal wise since the release of the AU wagon (with the exception of the front end) which is a good thing, as the design looks rather balanced and pleasing to the eye.

The BF wagons were mainly sold to fleets given the huge cargo area, which offered 1254 litres with the rear seats in place and folded down, it expanded to 2584 litres. It’s no surprise then that many of the BF wagons are white. Just looking at Carsales today, 12 out of the 19 BF MK2 and MK3 wagons are white.

For the E-gas wagon a 116-litre gas tank replaced the petrol tank, relocating the spare upright inside the cargo area. Power was reduced from 190KW to 156KW, while torque was slightly reduced from 383Nm to 370Nm. The LPG system is quite conventional, turning liquefied gas into vapor before feeding it into the engine via a venturi into the throttle body.

The Futura’s specifications include an electric driver’s seat, power windows, central locking with remote, cruise control, a single CD and cup holders! What the Futura misses in specs it makes up for when you drive it. As a package it nails the brief with the smooth and tractable 4.0L Barra inline six, and its variable valve timing on intake and exhaust. Even with the reduced power output of the E-gas version, there always seems to be sufficient torque, with maximum provided at 2750 rpm. Ride quality is a highlight, dealing with Victoria’s worst roads without a bother. Noise vibration harshness (NVH) is kept to a minimum, I assume in part due to the triple rubber sealed doors.

The seats suit my larger frame and are one of the most comfortable seats I’ve experienced. Naomi will testify to this, as she struggles to get comfortable in many cars, given her back problems. All the dashboard controls are quite basic with heating, ventilation, and audio all close at hand and very easy to use. In some ways I think they’re far simpler and more intuitive to use than a modern infotainment display.

What’s it like living with a dedicated LPG vehicle? Well in Victoria it’s quite easy as there’s lots of availability with most BP, Ampol, United and 7-Eleven service stations stocking it. However, outside of Victoria it does get challenging and requires careful planning. Fortunately, this is where an app like Petrol Spy comes in handy, as it details LPG available via postcode or suburb. Unique to the E-Gas version, even when new, the engine reveals a slight hesitation when turning over, but once started you wouldn’t know the difference. It’s also interesting to note that at the time, the E-gas version met Euro-III standards.

I haven’t really kept my eye on fuel economy, but Ford’s published figures suggest 12L/100 on the highway and 18L/100 around town, with a combined average of 15.1L/100. This is in line with my trip computer’s average fuel consumption of 15L/100. LPG pricing varies, but since I’ve had the car, prices I’ve paid range from $0.83 in Melbourne to $1.07 when I filled up in Holbrook NSW. Using Melbourne based pricing, it costs under $100 to fill up the tank, with a range in town of between 600-700km.

Some people have asked “what mods are you going to do?”. Given there’s approximately 370K on the odometer, I’m keeping my spend to a minimum. I ordered a new set of car mats from Fit My Car, which cost $107. I also ordered and installed a $100 Bluetooth kit that connects into the factory loom and runs on the AUX input. Not bad for a ten minute install.

Do I have any complaints about the car? Very little in fact! The cruise control and audio buttons on the steering wheel don’t light up at night and there’s no indication on the cluster if cruise control is on or not. The all-grey interior looks all a bit spartan, but the interior trim has worn very well. I can’t see a single crack or mark in any of the plastics despite the high mileage. Surprisingly there are no rattles either, I guess that’s testament to the Ford build quality.

Why do I like it so much? It’s a combination of the package, comfort, ride quality and what it costs to run on LPG. I feel less conspicuous driving it as opposed to driving one of our classics or our i30N. I do feel sad that Australian car manufacturing is no more, as both Holden and Ford built cars for our unique Australian conditions, something that’s definitely lacking in global market cars. The final VE/VF Commodore and BF/FG Falcon highlighted our local talent and capability. It’s a shame it took me until now to work how good the BF Falcon was.

Once our son Jack gets his licence, we will pass the car over to him. I was supposed to be looking for a wagon for him last year but found a beautiful SLK instead! All of our cars are family members and endowed with a name, so Jack has named him Lister (of Smeg) for those who know their Red Dwarf. Just like the real Lister, this one took ages to be released from Stasis, after endless Estate paperwork. Jack’s main care for his wheels is whether he can have Apple CarPlay. What a delight it was to discover a home-grown market for Australian cars to retro fit Apple CarPlay, a bigger screen, and an optional reverse camera! With a choice of several suppliers to replace the current centre fascia (and upgrade the head unit), Lister, the BF Falcon will soon be future proofed.

Author:  Nick Gruzevskis is a contributor to classicjalopy.com, and is the custodian of a great collection of classic and modern cars.   Click here to read about his fabulous 450SE and recent purchase of a SLK230K.   

The post Guest Article: What’s a Ford BF Falcon Futura MK2 like? appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

After three weeks of driving the W164 ML350 I’m left scratching my head as to why these cars were so much more popular.   The E wagon is a better car in nearly every respect.

My first impression of the ML was the quality (or lack thereof) of the ride.   After driving the two cars back to back, the difference was stark.   The E350 is quite comfortable on Sydney’s rough roads, whereas the ML bounced all over the place.   I also found myself getting queasy as a passenger in the ML, something that never happens in the E.    I find the E350 fairly nimble for a big car, however in driving the ML it felt very big and ponderous around the curves and roundabouts where I live.   Visibility is also better from the E class.

The other thing I noticed was the cheapness of the interior plastics compared to the E class.   Before COVID, I used to travel a lot for work and experience many rental cars.   The interior plastics in the ML were not much better than a mid range Chevrolet.   That would be ok if it cost the same as a mid range Chevrolet, but this was a pretty expensive car.    The interior just wasn’t as nice a place to be.   In addition, the instrumentation was very basic on the ML, lacking even a temperature gauge.

The E wagon is more practical too.   It has the folding rear seats for children and can carry seven people.   To get 7 seats in the Mercedes SUV range you needed to go to the gargantuan GLS model.   I understand early ML models did have a 3rd row option.   Being a longer car, the E class wagon has a much more useful rear cargo area when the seats are folded flat.   The cargo area is slightly wider and a lot taller on the ML, but length is generally more useful than height.   The lower ride height also made it much easier to get heavy objects in and out of the E class.

While the W164 ML350 is slightly less efficient, being taller and heavier (more than 250kg), there is not a huge difference thanks to identical drive trains.   The ML does have a much larger fuel tank, so cruising range is longer.   It has more head room in the back.   Having said that, I never had somebody tall enough to complain about head room in the back of the E class wagon, and the 3rd row seats are for children anyway.   I suppose this extra room could be useful for those who have a beehive hairdo.

Where the ML does really outshine the E class is towing capacity.  The ML can tow 3.5 tons vs 2.1.   I don’t own a trailer so this isn’t useful to me.   The ML is also 4×4, so is suitable for light offroading.   This isn’t a serious offroader like a Land Cruiser.    Despite all that, the E class has much better road holding, probably due to the 250kg of extra weight the ML is carrying.  Even though the tyres are good on the ML, it was tail happy in the wet, a trait not shared with the E350.   The ML also has a higher driving position, which many like.  I don’t care for it, nor do I like the high centre of gravity.

After struggling to find any reasons to choose an ML350 over an E350 I looked up the original selling prices.   It then all became clear.   Comparing the same year (2007), the ML was $87,900 compared to $132,500.   Given the ML is bigger and has a 4×4 system the E class lacks, it seems like the profit margin on the E Class would be much higher, despite it being a high quality product.    I wonder if the reason why the ML/GLE killed off the E class wagon was not really demand, but rather because Mercedes-Benz Australia priced them that way?

The post The S211 E350 wagon is better than the W164 ML350 in pretty much every way appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

The model range is quite complex and the car had the longest production run of any S-Class meaning there is a whole range of cars to choose from.    There are three basic body styles:  the standard wheelbase saloon, long Wheelbase saloon and the coupe.   Generally the mechanical specification was much the same between the three body styles in any given year.    This W126 buyers guide attempts to outline some of the key considerations in choosing a W126.    The picture above shows all three body styles – a 1987 560SEC, a 1986 300SE and a 1987 560SEL.

The W126 also had two main series.   The first series was produced for model years 1980-1985.   The second from 1986-1991.    In addition, there was an interior refresh for the 1989 model year.    The difference between the series 1 and series 2 car is more lots of small improvements rather than a major overhaul.   The only big change was the phase out of the venerable M110 DOHC six for the new M103 SOHC six.   The M103 was easier to make pass emissions.

This W126 buyers guide is not specific to any one country, although it does focus more on models available in Australia and ignores the diesel models found only in North America.  For specific details about the models sold in the Australian market, see this article.  This buyers guide does not focus much on price which is covered in this price guide.

Which is the best W126 to buy?

The condition of the car is far more important than the model.    A 280SE in well maintained condition is a far better car than a tatty 560SEC.    The tatty car will cost you more to run and will never be as good as nice one no matter what you spend on it, unless you do a full restoration.   It will also dive like a truck and constantly annoy you with all its problems.

The first thing to look at is rust.   The W126 does not have the propensity to rust that the 70s model do, but there are a few areas to look out for.   The first is under the rear window.    When you open the boot, look under the rear screen.   I’ve seen cars that on the outside look great, but they are so rusty here that you don’t even need to put your head into the boot to see the major rust holes around the boot opening.   This is here in Australia, where rust is not the problem that it is in Europe or north America.

If there is no obvious rust, look up underneath through the openings in the sheet metal.   A small amount of rust is fixable, but if there is major rust here, walk away from the car.    The window seal gets old and lets water in.   If the car has not been parked in a garage or carport, it will probably have rust here by now.   The picture below shows minor rust breaking out in this section on my 560SEC.  The coupe is more susceptible, due to the angle of the rear screen.

You’ll also want to look under the car, especially in the wheel wells.  In the front you can get rust where the guide rod bushings are, and both front and rear where the wheels flick up dirty water.   The front guards can rust near where they touch the bumpers on either side, just in front of the wheels, as can the wheel arches.  This is illustrated below.

There are still enough good W126’s out there that there is no point messing with a rusty car.

Next is overall mechanical condition.   These cars are reliable when properly maintained, but a tired car with a smokey engine can be an expensive proposition to put right.    You’re also going to have to budget a fair amount for deferred maintenance on a car that has no service history.   You will want to see evidence of proper care of the car, at least over the last couple of years.

Do not neglect the interior as well.   Many interior parts are NLA, so you’ll need to resort to used parts if you want to properly sort it out.

Are there any models to avoid?

As outlined before, condition is the most important factor, but that being equal there are a few models I would avoid.    The first is 1981-1983 380SE/SEL/SEC originally sold in North America or Japan.   These cars had a single row timing chain when new and were so detuned they could hardly pull the skin of a rice pudding.    Despite what you read on the internet, the models sold in other countries did not have this problem.

I would also avoid cars equipped with ASD/ASR/ASR II, which was Mercedes first attempt at traction control.    This was available as option during series 2 production, but much more common on 1990 and 1991 cars.   If this system fails, the car is not drivable and it can be very expensive to set right.   The W126 does not need traction control with its tall gearing and second gear start.   ASR cars also can’t have a limited slip diff, which is otherwise standard on the 560.  It is easy to tell if a car has ASR as there is a little indicator in the middle of the speedometer which lights up if the wheels spin.   It looks like a small black square when not lit up.

Finally I would not bother with the 280S or 260SE.   Unless the car is a time warp, or has sentimental value they are underpowered.   They are also rarely seen these days.

It is also worth looking very suspiciously at modified cars.    There are few modifications that improve a W126.  The w126 wasn’t a clean sheet design, it was an evolution of the W116, further refining the concept.  Especially by the series 2, these were highly refined cars with a good balance between comfort, performance, handling etc.

It is surprising how many cars out there have been fitted with big wheels and/or lowered.   I’ve driven a few of these and it does not make the car ‘sporty’, it just means dead handling, tramlining and more unsprung weight.    Often these wheels have the wrong offset impacting the steering and suspension geometry.   I’ve bought two cars that were unmodified besides big wheels and the difference in the driving experience when they were removed was amazing.   The W126 should have a comfortable and supple suspension.  These modifications also increase suspension wear.

You can sharpen the W126 handling with 16″ wheels in the right offset and HD shocks, but too much and the ride is ruined.   The W126 is a big comfy car, not a sports car.    They are surprisingly tossable when set up right.  I also think the stock 15″ wheels on the series 2 cars work really well on a series 1.

Modifications to avoid also include LPG conversions.     Many of these were poorly done and don’t work well with the fuel injection these cars came with.     I’ve seen some shocking conversions over the years.

Series 1 or Series 2?

The series 2 cars have a number of nice improvements over the series 1.   These are priced into the values of the car and a series 2 is often worth double that of a series 1.   This price difference can make a nice series 1 car a better buy overall.   The Series 1 also has the M110 engine which is probably the most robust.  This and the other engines will be covered later in this W126 buyers guide.    It is far better to buy a nice series 1 car than a tatty series 2.

The main differences on the series 2 cars (outside the engines) are as follows:

• Bigger brakes.  These do make a difference in the stopping power of the cars.
• 15″ wheels.   I find the ‘manhole cover’ wheels go particularly well with these cars.
• Tilting function on the sunroof.    This is a nice improvement, but adds maintenance as the tilting arms break.   Button is now near the exterior light.
• Smooth body cladding vs ribbed.    This is just a visual change.
• Improved window switches.     The older ones show wear very quickly.
• Paint Colours.   Generally the series 2 colours were more conservative and buyers eschewed the more interesting ones.
• Improved climate control.    Minor improvements, which also add complexity.  There is now a control unit for the compressor for example.
• Interior update from late 1988.

The late series 2 cars (89-91) have a different interior.   Most people prefer it although I don’t like the design of the update door cards.  The updated interior is known as the ‘soft’ leather.  Having owned both, I didn’t notice it being any softer but the seats and door cards are of a different design.  The seat design is far more modern – no long pleated sections.   There is also a provision for more speakers in the doors if the right options are selected.     In my view this interior change is a matter of personal preference.   These cars do have a small price premium over the earlier interior.

There are a lot of minor changes that are not material to the enjoyment of the cars that I will not list out here.     In particularly the electrics changed quite a lot.

The series 2 cars are also more likely to have more options fitted.   For example, Airbags were available in series 1, but not common until late in series 2 production.     This means the series 2 cars are generally more complex than the series 1 cars, especially in the later years.     You’re more likely to find a car with MB Tex, no sunroof, manual seats etc on a series 1 car than a series 2.  It was during W126 production where Mercedes-Benz started to go from more spartan, well engineered cars to fitting luxuries.      Even inside series 2 this was the case with a 1991 300SE probably having more gadgets than a 1986 560SEL.

Which body style?

The W126 was offered in three body styles.   Coupe (SEC), standard wheelbase (SE) and long wheelbase (SEL).  The diesel models are known as SD and SDL.  The SEC is a four seat car and the rear seats are suitable for occasional use by adults.    It has the shortest wheelbase and the sportiest feel of all the cars.    It also has a different grille treatment with the front looking more like an SL.   The coupe is generally valued at 3x that of a comparable saloon and was only offered with v8 engines.     There are a lot of coupe specific interior pieces which are much harder to find.  The headlining in the coupe also starts to sag, a problem not shared with the saloons.

The two saloons differ in that the long wheelbase cars have 140mm of extra legroom for the rear passengers.    The size of the S class has generally grown over the years, so a standard W126 is actually longer than the long wheelbase W108 or W109.    The SE has enough room for adults to be comfortable in the rear.    The long wheelbase cars mean they can really stretch out and will be comfortable on long road trips.  The picture below shows the legroom in a LWB car with the drivers seat set for a very tall driver.   In this case the power reclining seat is in recline mode.

The extra length of the LWB cars is quite noticeable when parking but not apparent during normal driving.   It is quite a long car at 5160mm and may not fit in some garages.   It is generally easier to find the bigger engine cars with a long wheel base and the smaller engines with a short wheel base.  I prefer the short wheelbase cars, but I prefer the bigger engines more.

What about the engines?

Outside the north america only diesels, there were four main engines offered in the W126.   The M110 and M103 straight sixes and the M116 and M117 V8s.

The sixes

The M110 was offered as the 280S, 280SE and 280SEL from 1980-1985.    The 280S was equipped with a carburetor and is now rarely seen.    The 280SE however, was the most popular W126 sold.   The M110 is the most robust engine of the line up.   Assuming proper maintenance the head will probably have to come off at around 350,000km, but the bottom end is extremely robust.    The earlier cars had a York A/C compressor which is power hungry, but rebuildable.   1984-1985 went to a rotary which was more efficient.     This engine is probably going to be the most cost effective even if it is a little thirsty as all things being equal maintenance is likely to be lower.

The m110 did not fare well in markets with strict emissions laws the power losses were considerable.    This includes Australia, where I live.   Locally delivered cars can be a little slow but private imports are quite lively.

The M110 was replaced by the M103 for the 1986 model year.     It’s major improvement was that the emissions version hardly lost any power.    It was offered as the 260SE, 300SE and 300SEL.    The 260SE was sold in countries with punitive taxes based on engine displacement.    I have only seen one example.   Most of these cars were the 300SE or SEL.

The M103 works best in an earlier model with few options and light weight.   My 86 model is such a car and feels more lively around town than a 420SEL.   The M103 needs to rev and the 300SE is geared with this in mind.      The M103 is not as robust as the M110 and is likely going to need a head gaskets and valve guide at around 150,000km.    The m103 cars work well as a city car especially if you’re willing to rev the engine.  The picture below shows an M103 in a 300SE.   The M103 cars are a lot lighter than the M110 cars.

Overall the sixes cost far less to own than the V8s, but that saving is not in petrol consumption.  Unless you drive like you have an egg under the accelerator, there is not much difference in consumption between the six and the eight.  In some cases, the eight can actually be more efficient than the six because it does not have to work very hard.  In any case, petrol bills are generally a small part of W126 ownership unless it is used for big mileages.

The V8s

The v8’s were the M116 and M117 engines.   The M116 and M117 are basically identical except the M117 has a taller block, giving a longer stroke and hence more displacement.    In the W126 only the alloy versions of these engines are offered, the 3.8 and 5.0 in the first series and the 4.2, 5.0 and 5.5 in the second series.

In both cases these engines cost significantly more than the sixes to own.   The difference is not in fuel but maintenance.    Every 100-150,000km the V8s require the timing chain, chain guides and camshaft oilers to be replaced.   The chain guides are made from plastic and once the chain starts to stretch, it can break a guide.  The broken guide can cause the chain to jump a tooth causing valves to hit pistons.    Many v8 w126’s have been scrapped due to this failure as the cost to rectify is more than the value of the car, unless the owner does the work.

Doing the preventative maintenance costs a couple of thousand dollars and if you buy a car without evidence of this job being done, it needs to be ASAP.     This failure can happen without warning.     In addition, at around 350,000km the heads are likely going to need to come off to do valve guides.   The cost to remove and machine both heads is significant.   The alloy block also means extra care re-fitting the heads.  This job can sometimes be delayed if the engine is well maintained by just fitting valve stem seals, but the guides do wear and will have to be done eventually.

If this maintenance is carried out then these engines can run forever.  There is no difference in maintenance cost between the M116 and M117 and many parts are shared.    If you’re buying a V8 at around these mileages and no evidence of the jobs done, it should be factored into the purchase price.

The picture below shows an M117 560 having the timing chain and guides done.

The engines of the second series are improved from the first.    More detail can be found here on my article on the 560 engine.  The EZL (ignition module) on the later engines is a bit more problematic and can fail.   It can be difficult and expensive to find another one.    They can be rebuilt.

The all alloy V8s as found in the W126 are significantly more fuel efficient than the iron block V8s as found in models like the 107 and 116.

Other considerations

The W126 climate control works really well when it works.   When it doesn’t it can be very expensive to fix.   The parts are expensive and the system is complex.    If the system is not working, then it will likely cost thousands of dollars to put it right.    There are a number of articles on this site of my work to get the system reliable in both my 300SE and 560SEC.  By now most cars will need new vacuum pods to control the air flaps.   There is a lot of labour required to change these.   It is easy to tell if they are needed as the air will not come out of the vents that it should.   Compressors and climate control units are not cheap either.

Many W126 were fitted with self-leveling rear suspension.   This system is very reliable, but if the ride should become harsh,  the accumulators are likely dead and should be replaced ASAP.   The accumulators are not very expensive, but the struts are now NLA.   Driving around with bad accumulators puts a lot of stress on the struts.    Here in Australia, it looks like all W126 models were equipped with self-leveling.   Do not take the car to a regular suspension place or mechanic that does not know the system.   They will want to rip it out, at a far higher cost than simply fixing the very reliable system that is already there.

The odometers in these cars are known to fail.   It is a very easy fix, but neglected cars are left with broken odometers for years.   A broken odometer generally means that the car is not serviced properly as the service intervals are not tracked.   An owner who is on the ball will fix this quickly.   It also means that the number on a W126 odometer is completely meaningless unless backed up by service history.   Not only do they fail but it is laughably easy to wind them back.

The plastic radiators used in the W126 have a weakness where the neck can snap off.   There is an upgraded version now available with metal reinforcement in the neck, but some cheaper versions do not have it.   These engines do not take kindly to being overheated.   The driveshaft flex discs can also wear – particularly in the V8s.   If they look in any way cracked or perishing, they must be replaced.

The transmissions (The 722.3) offered in these cars is robust and shifts well.   They all start in second gear unless you manually select 1st in the shift gate.   You should be able to feel the shifts and the car will move to top gear quickly.   The fluid should not be too dark or have a burnt smell.   These transmissions are sensitive to fluid level and as they age leaks can mean they are run below the minimum fluid level eventually causing damage.   If they are maintained well they will eventually need a rebuild – the sixes first as they have to shift more.    For the 1989 model year the transmission on the V8’s received some internal improvements.

Many cars were fitted with after market ‘chrome’ wheel arch trims.   These were not fitted by the factory.   They can trap moisture behind them casing rust in the wheel arches.   Where a car is fitted with these, it is important to check in behind the wheel arches for rust.

At least here in Australia there is a stigma against privately imported cars.    Now even the newest W126’s are approaching 30 years old, this makes little sense.     How the car is looked after is much more of a determinant of condition than where it was originally sold.    I’ve seen rust free privately imported cars with full service history and terminally rusty Australian cars with no history.    It is more important to inspect the car correctly than worry about its origins.     Nobody services a w126 at the dealer anymore, so dealers turning their nose at the car is of no consequence.      This was also the case when I lived in the USA.    There is also just as much chance as a local car having a wound back odometer as an import.

In both cases (Australia and the USA), the privately imported cars generally offered stronger performance and a more interesting set of options.  The same care needs to be taken to check the condition given the age of the car.   The website www.datamb.com is a good resource for checking the origins and options on any W126 after 1983.

The 5 most common models

There was more than 20 W126 models offered for sale.   This W126 buyers guide reviews some of the most popular.  The advice for the coupes is pretty similar to the saloon with the same engine.

280SE (1980-1985)

The 280SE is the cheapest way of getting into W126 ownership and assuming a good example probably has the lowest ownership costs.    The M110 engine is bullet proof.   Many of these cars will be equipped with MB-Tex interiors and fewer options than later models.  Simpler can be better!   The Australian versions can be a little sluggish off the line, but go well once revved.      The value of these cars has been low for years, so avoid neglected or tired examples.

380SEL (1980-1985)

The 380 offered significantly more power and the LWB version was quite common with this engine.   Avoid LWB versions that did hire car duty.  Many of these cars were white.   The Australian versions had a 3.27 rear end so they are surprisingly quick off the line.   Likely to have far more options than a 280, for example a power rear seat in a 380SEL.      Very early 380s had a different engine that was more powerful, but these cars are now very rare.  Can take a while to find nice cars, but they are worth a look when they come up.

It is still common to find 380SELs with a basic spec like manual seats, plastic hubcaps and so on.   These can be much simpler cars than the later ones.    the 380SE was also sold but is not as common.

Ignore information on the internet about USA models unless you live there.   The engine with only 115KW and a single row timing chain was unique to North America and Japan.

300SE (1986-1991)

The 300 is probably the best city car of the line up with lower ownership costs than an V8 and good performance in the city.    The engine needs to rev to get the best out of it.    The cars from the first couple of years tend to be quite spartan – in contrast with the later cars that are often optioned right up.   Can be a good buy as they are less valuable than the V8 cars.     The picture below shows an early 300SE with MB-Tex, manual seats and no sunroof.    The power difference between emissions versions as sold in Australia, USA etc and private imports is quite small.

420SEL (1986-1991)

The 420 is the efficient highway cruiser of the bunch.   It has a very tall rear end ratio which makes for very relaxed cruising and surprisingly frugal petrol consumption.    This leads to the inexplicable situation where the emissions 420 (as sold in Australia, Switzerland, Japan and the USA) feels slower than the 300 around town, but is much more fuel efficient.  It is also smooth and quiet whereas the six likes to rev.   On the highway the torque of the v8 comes into its own.    These cars have survived well and there are normally nice ones to choose from.   If you’re looking to find a W126 in pristine condition, it will probably be easiest to find one in the 420SEL.

Here in Australia, these cars came standard with many options ticked, so there is little difference between a 420 and a 560 other than the engine.  Things like automatic climate control, power seats, self-leveling, alloy wheels, sunroof, leather steering wheel and more were all standard.   In other markets that was not the case, so privately imported cars are less likely to have automatic climate control, self-leveling and other things that were standard for Australia.   Non-emissions cars also got a useful power boost in 1988 due to a higher compression motor.

560SEL (1986-1991)

The flagship of the series.   Effortless torque both in town and on the open road.   There is a penalty at the bowser, but the engine moves the car around so effortlessly that it is not as much as you would think.  In Australia, the main difference over the 420 other than the engine was the reclining rear seat, fanfare horn, dual snorkel air cleaner and limited slip diff.  Not nearly as common as the 300 or 420 as the AUD$50k price difference when new was hard to justify.  In today’s market there is only a small premium over the 420 which in my view is worth paying.   It will just take longer to find one.

Generally when doing a VIN search the options list on a 560 will look really small.    That is because most of the options were standard from the factory.   On the other models this was not the case.  You could even order a 420 or 500 with next to no options if you wanted in Germany.   The local distributors like MBUSA and MB Australia ordered their models with many options to justify the prices in the market.

The emissions version with 180KW was sold in Australia, the USA and Japan but other markets got more powerful versions.    The picture below is my 1987 560SEL.

The ultimate daily driver

While these cars are super rare in Australia, and I have not driven them, I contend that the ultimate daily driver in the W126 range would be a late (1988+) 420SE or 500SE with the high compression engine.   These cars were not sold new in Australia and only a very small number have been privately imported.

The 500 in particular has 195KW in this specification.   It is coupled with a 2.24 rear end so I would fit a first gear start relay.

Conclusion

The W126 may be one of the most usable classic Mercedes available.    They offer a comfortable smooth ride, classic looks and a car from a time when comfort and quality was more important than gadgets and lap times.

The W126 was a very expensive car when new and is not a cheap car to maintain today.   They are simple enough to work on yourself, and the factory manuals are well worth the investment.   There will be no depreciation, so you will end up with a car that will last forever if properly maintained and drive better than many new cars on the road.     I drive a lot of modern rentals and am always happy to come back to my W126.   I also find myself moving my wife’s 2007 Mercedes out of the way to drive the W126.

The post Mercedes W126 buyers guide appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

I had only rented an intermediate class car, so most of what was available was particularly unpleasant looking ‘crossovers’.    These were immediately ruled out.   That left me with either the choice of two different pickup trucks, or a Chevy Malibu or the Fusion Hybrid.   I might have been in Texas, the spiritual home of the pickup, but I had no need for such a vehicle.   Pickps are lousy to drive unless you need to haul a bunch of stuff in the back.  That ruled out the pickups.    I rented the Malibu recently, so the least worst option was the fusion.

Like many modern cars, the Fusion has extremely raked windscreens.   Visibility is not great until you put the seat down to its lowest setting.      After that, the visibility was pretty good.     It would want to be as the reversing camera has this tiny little baby screen.     The infotainment system was a real let down in this car.   I could plug in my iPhone and it would detect it, after a while.   The system was really sluggish and you would need to wait a bit after the car was turned on before it would recognize the phone.     Sometimes getting it to do so would require the media button to be pressed a few times to clear the error messages about no phone connected via bluetooth.     Randomly, the whole unit would lock up and the phone had to be removed and plugged back in to reset it.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid comes equipped with a 2.0l Duratec 4 cylinder motor.   It sounds rather gruff when pushed, but is adequate to power the car.   It is also equipped with an electric motor for the hybrid system.   I didn’t find the electric motor much use though.   Even feathering the throttle on takeoff caused the petrol engine to kick in.   I could only get the car to say on electric either when coasting at a constant speed below 45mph, or on trailing throttle.

Being a hybrid, it got better fuel consumption figures around town than on the highway.   The hybrid system works better in constant stop/go traffic where the regenerative braking comes into play.   I suspect it actually causes the car to be less efficient at motorway speeds as it just adds weight to the vehicle.     Overall, I experienced 36mpg out of the car.    One of the trip meters still had a few thousand miles since reset and over that time the car was getting 37mpg.   I wonder how much the hybrid system really adds to this in the real world.   The official figure is 47mpg, which seems laughable.

The car prompts you to try and embrace the hybrid lifestyle.  You can change the contents of the display screens either side of the speedometer.   These can show things like acceleration and brake coaches to try and improve mileage.    The strangest thing though was a feature called efficiency leaves.   As far as I could tell, by driving the way the car liked, you could earn more leaves and by driving in a way the car disapproves you would lose them.    It was like Jack had a feral beanstalk.    No longer is an axe required, just a Ford Fusion Hybrid driven like a granny.    Feral beanstalks aside, the most annoying part was the message thanking you for driving a hybrid after you powered down the car.    This has to be up there with some of the particularly annoying greetings some cars provide.

Boot space is reasonable, but a very odd shape.   Not sure if this is the case for all Fusions, or if this is to do with the Hybrid batteries or drivetrain.   Interior comfort is fairly average, back seat room was ok with the front seat set for a tall drive, but not great.    The best feature was the side mirrors.   they had a little section in the corner with curved glass to help show you what is in the blind spots.   Once you got used to them the worked really well.   if only all cars have this.

The ride was choppy and the car bounced all over the place on a somewhat rough road.   I suspect that has something to do with the trend of fitting bigger and bigger wheels to cars.   No give in the tyres anymore.   This is a family sedan, not a 911.

Overall the Ford Fusion Hybrid is reasonably competent, but the fuel mileage is not as good as it should be in the real world.   It is generally uninspiring to drive.    It is certainly much better than that EcoSport I drove last year.     The 2019 Fusion will be the last regular car in Ford’s line up as they move to an all SUV/Truck strategy (Mustang excluded).   Apparently the name may be re-used for something else.   Seems a shame for it to all end on something rather boring.

Score:  2.5/5

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The Dodge Challenger was my latest rental car.   This is the easily the best rental car I have ever had.    Normally, I rent an intermediate size car, and am issued with something rather bland from the car rental place.   On this most recent rental, a full size was actually $1 cheaper than the normal intermediate.   My expectation was just a larger serving of blandness – perhaps four boiled potatoes instead of three.

When I rocked up to the rental desk at Chicago O’Hare airport, I was told I could choose any car in a particular section.   On arriving at that section, I see a row of gormless SUVs to choose from.    Oh joy.   But wait, at the end of the row is a white Dodge Challenger.    At this point I am assuming its the base model with the 3.6l Pentastar v6.    Its still a Challenger and a easy choice over the row of jellybeans in front of it.

Starting the car up I get a very un-pentastar like snarl from the exhaust.   It’s at that point I realize I have a R/T model with the 5.7 Hemi v8.    I had just arrived in Chicago from a 24+ hour set of flights from Sydney, and was not looking forward to the two hour drive up to Wisconsin.    Perhaps this drive was going to be better than I thought?

My first impression was the sheer size of the Dodge Challenger.   This thing is enormous.    It is slightly longer and a lot wider than the 80’s S-Class I normally drive.    Not only does it have a very long bonnet, but the dashboard is so wide you could land the 777 I had just flown in on that dashboard.    It also has a slightly claustrophobic cabin as the waist line is quite high so the windows are not very tall.   You sort of feel like you’re sitting in a pill box.    There are also massive rear blind spots, you could easily fit that same 777 in them.    If you lower the seat as far as it will go it feels a lot better though.

The car’s size and generally poor visibility do take a few minutes to get used to, but it wasn’t long before I was quite comfortable in the car.    The 5.7 V8 is rated at 277KW, and honestly it’s all you need if you’re going to be driving on public roads.    It has all the power you need to rocket up freeway on ramps, get around recalcitrant Buicks and have a lot of fun without going speeds that will land you in prison for the rest of your natural life.

There are more powerful versions including the 6.4 litre ‘Scat Pack’ and the insane Hellcat.   The Hellcat in particular seems more suited for he drag-strip.

The 2018 Dodge Challenger comes equipped with an eight speed automatic transmission.   I always felt I was in the right gear for the occasion and the part throttle kick down was very good.   There was the occasional slight jerkiness but nothing that I found too annoying.    Event better, no stop/start!

The number of gears also mean you get that feeling of being pushed in the back when you put your foot down at any speed because there is always an optimal gear to be in.   It also makes the car more fuel efficient than it has any right to be.   In 8th gear, the car is loping along at 2,000RPM when cruising at 80MPH (129km/h).    With plenty of use of the loud pedal, I got 23mpg, which is impressive for a car of this size and power.   it also comes equipped with cylinder de-activation.   This enables it to run on 4 cylinders when conditions allow.

I was also impressed by the exhaust note.   On gentle cruising there was no annoying droning like having Alan Jones in your ear.   Above 3,000 RPM is a different story.   There is a great v8 snarl when you launch the car, tempting you to do so early and often.

The ride is not great.   It is rather choppy and even small cracks and bumps in the road are transferred to the cabin.    This is all the more apparent driving on the pockmarked roads of the midwest.

The Dodge Challenger is not a sports car.   It’s too wide, too heavy and really more set up for straight line performance.   But it is a lot of fun.   I had some drives the next day on country roads and enjoyed every minute.    I do like a good V8 coupe. I’ve owned four of them, and still have two, the 450SLC and the 560SEC.   It would seem that others do as well.  I had a couple of people comment on how much they liked the car. This surprised me since the Challenger has been on the market for ten years and is reasonably common.    A car doesn’t have to be rare or expensive to be desirable.

On the inside, there is a lot of room for the front seat passengers.    The controls are well laid out and the audio and climate controls are intuitive.   Instead of having to set anything up, once I plugged my iPhone into the car it found the music and allowed me to play what was there.   Too easy!

I found the speedometer quite hard to read.   This can be remedied by changing the centre screen display.   Having the speed there does mean that you miss out on other useful information that is available like fuel consumption, acceleration times etc.    There is even more info available including oil pressure, oil temperature, charge rate, water temperature etc.

The back seat allows for three people, rare in a coupe.   They would have to be small ones though.   It is hard to find where all the space in this car goes.   The back seat is tiny and the boot is average.   I think its all dashboard.

The interior materials are reasonable for a car of this price range. The seats have ok, but not amazing comfort.

This car would have cost in the mid to high USD$30,000 range.   I think that is pretty good value for what you’re getting.   There are other fit and finish issues with this car, but again given how much fun it is, and how reasonable the price is, they are easily ignored.    For example, there is a fair amount of wind noise from the mirrors when driving at interstate speeds.

In summary, the Dodge Challenger is a big fast brute of a car.   But its a lot of fun.    I really enjoyed driving it despite some of its little foibles.    Lets have more cars like this and fewer SUVs.    The world would be much more fun.

Sadly, cars like this are going away.   The car companies are trying to tell us we want smaller engines with a turbo charger.   I say no!

Rating: 4.5/5.

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