Summary

• The article shares the unbelievable story of a Greek taxi driver who drove his Mercedes-Benz 240D for two.85 million miles, a shocking feat.
• The key to the automobile’s longevity was the ultra-reliable OM616 diesel engine and constant upkeep, displaying Mercedes’ engineering prowess within the 70s.
• Sadly, modern-day Mercedes-Benz sedans lack the identical degree of reliability as older fashions, as confirmed by J.D. Power and Consumer Reports.

We all know the wrestle of conserving a automobile working. There is a big quantity of effort that goes into preserving a automobile and conserving it working. That’s why most fashionable vehicles supply scheduled upkeep plans, in order that the common driver doesn’t actually have to consider it. However, that isn’t all the time the best way it was.

Most of us will personal a automobile for a few years, clock some miles on it, commerce it in and begin once more. For some, proudly owning a car is a for much longer dedication. One such driver managed to maintain his Mercedes-Benz working and in working order nicely over a million miles. The sheer dedication and loyalty to his car is one thing we are able to’t assist however applaud. It isn’t easy to keep a vehicle running for over a million miles.

We take a dive into the unbelievable story of the very best mileage sedan on the planet. We uncover the person behind the steering wheel and why this automobile meant a lot to him. We additionally analyze the sensible motor that sat on the coronary heart of his steed and faithfully carried him so many miles.

In order to provide the most recent and correct info doable, the information used to compile this text was sourced from varied producer web sites and different authoritative sources, together with Classic.com, J.D. Power, Car Survey, and Consumer Reports.

A 1976 Mercedes 240D Reached Nearly Three Million Miles In 2004

Most of us can’t even fathom driving a automobile for over 1,000,000 miles. Either our vehicles are every day drivers and the damage and tear would simply be an excessive amount of to maintain up with or they’re our valuable infants and pushing them out the storage is already a stretch. However, one Greek man liked driving his Mercedes-Benz so deeply that he saved it going for an unbelievable 2,850,000 miles.

A Legendary Taxi Cab

The man with the document for the very best mileage sedan on the planet, and second-highest mileage car in the world, belongs to Gregorios Sachinidis, a Greek taxi driver with a ardour for his Mercedes-Benz. The historical past of the German automaker is affected by hits and misses by way of reliability, however their previous diesel-burning sedans might final without end.

Gregorios Sachinidis had a love for his taxi automobile that’s close to unequalled. Most taxi drivers have a bond with their autos that even gearheads can solely dream of attaining. His previous 1976 240D carried him and his passengers round faithfully for years. He bought his automobile in Germany in 1981 with solely 136,701 miles on the clock and cared for it up till 2004.

A Notch In The Mercedes Hall Of Fame

In 2004, Sachinidis was contacted by Mercedes-Benz who requested him if he can be involved in donating the car to their museum. Officials from the German automaker confirmed the mileage studying on the odometer and, in return for Sachinidis’ contribution, they awarded him a model new C-Class.

The OM616 Diesel Engine Sits At The Heart Of The 240D

We can’t deny that the principle key to getting any car to this sort of mileage is steady upkeep and a particular degree of care and a spotlight to element. It doesn’t harm if the automobile you’re caring for has an ultra-reliable diesel engine at its core. Mercedes was at the top of their game in terms of producing reliable sedans in the 70s and this specific W115 is a testomony to their engineering prowess.

OM616 Specifications

(Source: Mercedes-Benz)

Part of the recipe for fulfillment for the 1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D that Sachinidis drove for 2.85 million miles was the powertrain that sat at its coronary heart. At the time, producing sturdy vehicles was the norm for Mercedes-Benz and many of the vehicles that ran on the W114 and W115 platform had been thought-about to be extremely sturdy. There had been completely different iterations of engines you can get with the W115, however a four-cylinder diesel engine is taken into account by many to be the holy grail by way of reliability.

Why Diesel Is Better For Reliability

While many Mercedes-Benz autos had been significantly dependable on the time, these with diesel engines had an innate benefit if longevity was the secret. Diesel engines require larger compression and consequently must be constructed extra durably. They even have fewer elements than gas-powered autos and consequently there are fewer issues that may fail; this additionally makes them cheaper to take care of.

The fundamental downside with older diesel engines, like Sachinidis’ 1976 240D, is that they ran louder than gas-powered vehicles. When it involves fashionable powertrains, this problem has principally been solved and diesel engines are a legitimate alternative to gas-powered ones.

Mercedes’ W115 Was Incredibly Popular And Super Reliable

The Mercedes-Benz W114 and W115 had been integral to the historical past of the German automaker and confirmed their dedication to vary and evolution. Not solely did they use a complete new suspension for the primary time because the Second World War however in addition they launched their first ever five-cylinder engine. Their tenacity and innovation helped make the W114 and W115 essentially the most profitable Mercedes-Benz vehicles ever through the time of their manufacturing. The W123 and W124 broke this record, but its the most successful Mercedes ever sold.

Owner Reviews On Reliability

(Source: Car Suvery)

Reviewing information from websites like CarSurvey, we checked out what a number of homeowners needed to say about their W115 240Ds and all of it appeared to be immensely constructive. While a few previous homeowners had points right here or there with completely different components of the automobile, such because it being a bit underpowered, the one factor none of them might actually fault was how dependable it was. Its value noting that these opinions have aged a bit, however for a automobile that was manufactured in 1976 it has held up fairly nicely.

What Are W115s Worth Today?

Mercedes-Benz was prepared handy over a brand-new C-Class to Sachinidis in change for his W115, in order that they should be fairly worthwhile proper? Well, the worth of his W115 was positively way more in its excessive mileage and common 240Ds from 1976 simply haven’t accrued any sort of following. Classic.com lists the average selling price of a 1976 W115 240D at $11,728. The highest sale value they’ve listed can be an unimpressive $21,500.

Modern Day Mercedes-Benz Sedans Don’t Offer The Same Level Of Reliability

It’s a disgrace to say it however they simply don’t make them like they used to. While older Mercedes-Benzs, significantly these sporting a diesel engine, had been thought-about to be ultra-reliable and fairly sturdy, the model has simply merely slipped from the place it as soon as was. They still offer sportiness and luxury in bucketloads, nonetheless, their vehicles simply aren’t practically as sturdy as they was and its unlikely that many modern-day Benzs will ever attain the million-mile mark.

Reliability Of Modern Mercedes

We aren’t attempting to say that Mercedes-Benz is a very unreliable participant out there, simply that they’re sort of common. Looking at the report from J.D. Power, a 2024 C-Class has a 76 out of 100 score for quality and reliability. This places it within the ‘average’ class. When you check out the scores that their hybrid and electrical autos are getting for reliability, the story turns into much more grim. If issues don’t change, gone are the times of any Mercedes-Benz coming even near breaking the document that Sachinidis set in his 240D.

Consumer Reports Rates Mercedes Fairly Low

To add to the rising popularity that Mercedes-Benz is gaining by way of them being unreliable, they didn’t particularly perform well in Consumer Reports’ list of recommended brands. The model scored a 55 out of 100 total, which is a bit scary contemplating reliability and proprietor satisfaction are two fundamental metrics utilized by Consumer Reports.

Meanwhile, their fundamental rivals, BMW, are killing it, incomes first place total in addition to securing themselves the title of best luxury SUV for 2024 with the BMW X5.