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"Grandma's Smelly Diesel"?!

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  #1  
Old 04-02-2010, 11:00 PM
ridgeback_pilot's Avatar
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Angry "Grandma's Smelly Diesel"?!

Okay, I need your help with my friends and family. I recently acquired a pristine 1993 300D 2.5 Turbo as a biodiesel daily driver. I'm proud of my new car, which is actually quite rare in California, and I'm billing it as a green alternative to hybrids like the Toyota Prius.

But my friends and family are laughing at me! My wife, who's originally from England and spent a lot of time in the Mediterranean, calls my car the "Greek Taxi" since so many taxis in southern Europe are Mercedes diesels. Her family and our friends delight in joining her to make fun of my new ride. They call it an "Old Geezer's Car" or "Grandma's Smelly Diesel"!

So how do you deal with the social stigma associated with older Mercedes diesels? How do I convince my family and friends what we already know: that older Mercedes diesels last forever, achieve great fuel economy, and make terrific daily drivers?!

I'm convinced that I'm simply ahead of my time and eventually my friends will wake up to the fact that older diesels are wise choices of transportation. But evidently it's going to take some convincing before that day comes!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Mike
 
  #2  
Old 04-02-2010, 11:22 PM
jlguler's Avatar
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Are they all aware of the fuel economy? Diesels have a stigma due in part to some of the crappy ones built years ago (Not by Mercedes mind you). Take everyone you can for a ride, that will convert some of them. Diesels are still a hard sell in America, but things are coming around. My coworkers especially don't understand, but that's OK too!!! Get them back when their modern gassers break down and it costs a fortune to fix some complex system. It's playground, but sometimes effective!! The longer you have it, the more people will probably come around too, work on them slowly. Good luck!

John
 
  #3  
Old 04-03-2010, 11:16 AM
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Originally Posted by ridgeback_pilot
Okay, I need your help with my friends and family. I recently acquired a pristine 1993 300D 2.5 Turbo as a biodiesel daily driver. I'm proud of my new car, which is actually quite rare in California, and I'm billing it as a green alternative to hybrids like the Toyota Prius.

But my friends and family are laughing at me! My wife, who's originally from England and spent a lot of time in the Mediterranean, calls my car the "Greek Taxi" since so many taxis in southern Europe are Mercedes diesels. Her family and our friends delight in joining her to make fun of my new ride. They call it an "Old Geezer's Car" or "Grandma's Smelly Diesel"!

So how do you deal with the social stigma associated with older Mercedes diesels? How do I convince my family and friends what we already know: that older Mercedes diesels last forever, achieve great fuel economy, and make terrific daily drivers?!

I'm convinced that I'm simply ahead of my time and eventually my friends will wake up to the fact that older diesels are wise choices of transportation. But evidently it's going to take some convincing before that day comes!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Mike

Who cares what others think man
 
  #4  
Old 04-03-2010, 11:17 AM
dariod's Avatar
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Originally Posted by ForcedInduction
Tell them to stop acting like school children.

I'd take a good MB diesel over a Japanese tin box or an American boat anchor any day.

We know that.
 
  #5  
Old 04-03-2010, 07:32 PM
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As Dariod said who cares it's yours you like it. I tease a few of my buddies about their cars just because it bothers them not because I think I'm right.
 
  #6  
Old 04-09-2010, 08:25 PM
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Challenge them to an endurance race california to new york give her all shes got and watch as your opponents jap scrap falls apart
 
  #7  
Old 04-24-2010, 08:02 PM
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I guarantee you that far more people point and laugh at Prius drivers than old MB diesel drivers.
 
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