Looks like we’re “Motorin’.” Yeah, that would be my choice too. That Aston reminds me of a beat-up Bentley sedan I see street-parked in front of an apartment building here in Portland from time to time. Yeah, you can maybe afford to buy it, but you’re not fooling anyone. And beat-up neglected luxury exotics are just icky. I’ll take the Firebird, and feel no shame about it. Today’s choices are both German again (yeah, I know) but both of them do run and drive. And one of them does it with style, albeit slowly and smokily. Let’s check them out.
1982 Mercedes-Benz 300D – $3,500
Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 3.0 liter overhead cam diesel inline 5, four-speed automatic, RWD Location: Fresno, CA Odometer reading: 286,000 miles Runs/drives? Sure does In contrast to something like an Aston Martin or a Bentley, a W123-chassis Mercedes actually almost looks better a little bit beat-up. Still in service as taxicabs all over the world, in some ludicrously harsh environments, the stalwart 300D is more than up to the task of handling the mean streets of Fresno, even at nearly 300,000 miles.
Not only is the running gear damn near indestructible, the Bruno Sacco-penned styling is timeless. Clean lines, perfect proportions, and those iconic ribbed taillights that are more practical than you realize all add up to a car that still looks great nearly fifty years after its introduction. The W123 does have a tendency to rust, but central California isn’t known for salt-covered roads, so I expect this car is pretty clean underneath.
Inside, the classic M-B Tex upholstery and carpets look nearly like new, and it isn’t even missing any of the wood dash trim like many of them are. We don’t get many specifics about the car’s mechanical condition other than an assurance that it runs and drives well (amid many misspellings and crypic references to a lack of electromagnetic interference) and has been serviced by a Mercedes-Benz specialist shop.
These cars have been the worst-kept secret of the cheap car world for many years, and if you’re a shitbox aficionado like me, you have either had one or always wanted one. They’re not particularly rare, but their numbers dwindle every year, and values are creeping up. If you want one, now may be the time.
2008 Volkswagen Rabbit – $3,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.5 liter dual overhead cam inline 5, six-speed automatic, FWD Location: Clovis, CA Odometer reading: 220,000 miles Runs/drives? Indeed For some reason only Volkswagen knows, the first generation Golf was sold in the US (and Canada as well, I think?) as the Rabbit. Maybe they didn’t want their car associated with Arnold Palmer or something, or they just wanted another cutesy animal name to follow the Beetle. We also got the first-generation Passat named after one of Santa’s reindeer, so who knows what they were thinking? Regardless, for our purposes here, all you need to know is that after three generations with a Golf nameplate, the Mk5 Golf was once again the Rabbit.
The Golf was never as popular in the US as the Jetta sedan was, even though the hatchback was king in Europe, and is arguably the more useful body style. For the fifth generation, to go along with the Rabbit badge, we got a five-cylinder as the base engine, here spinning a six-speed “Tiptronic” manually-shiftable automatic.
This Rabbit has seen 220,000 miles, and the seller says it still runs well. It has new wheels and tires, but in one photo you can see the the tire-pressure light is on, which may mean the TPMS sensors are toast, or missing. Also absent is the headliner cloth, which commonly falls down on these cars. The rest of the inside looks fine, if a little grubby, and outside it’s in fine shape.
VWs of this vintage don’t have a stellar reputation, but one that has survived so long has probably had the bugs worked out of it. It’s a shame that it’s an automatic, because a Golf with a manual is a wonderful thing, but for a city runabout it doesn’t matter much. So that’s what we’ve got: a couple of German five-cylinders with a ton of miles on them, but still with some life left. One is an old low-tech diesel, and the other is full of electronic wizardry. Which one pushes your buttons?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers) The OM617 is indestructible, so I had to go MB. Make mine a Merc. We found this quote – from 2006 – from a senior Volkswagen executive (Kerri Martin, director of brand innovation) that explains the situation well: “The reintroduction of the Rabbit represents Volkswagen’s commitment to this market and is a nod to the passionate North American enthusiasts who have an emotional connection with the Rabbit name … Volkswagen customers want a relationship with their cars. Names like The Thing, Beetle, Fox, and Rabbit support this.” Nothing against the Benz … a friends mother had one that was incredible. 🙂 It’s amazing how some salespeople don’t have much of a clue. My first time in a dealership to shop was in 1991 when I told the salesman, “I’m here for a new Escort GT, a used Probe GT, or I’ll go buy a used Taurus SHO. The salesman immediately said, “YOU can’t afford a SHO!” Instead of a $15,000 Escort GT, or a $15,000 2-year old Probe GT with cigarette burns on the seat, I purchased a 2 year old SHO from a private seller for $9,800 and drove the hell out of it! (I was young, but not an idiot!)
