Having owned & driven several Mercedes (mainly Diesel), I must say that this one (1991 350SDL) is among the greatest, if not the best version, in my opinion. One thing I must state first off, is that I am a retired Long Haul Trucker, and have been most of my life. Having said that, it should be obvious that I would tend to gravitate to a QUALITY Diesel equipped vehicle, as the engine … itself is one that is, by it's nature & design requirements, built to extreme durability standards. Other manufacturers have attempted to "go diesel" and have failed miserably. Mercedes has been in the diesel engine building program for themselves almost since the diesel engine was invented. Because a quality built diesel engine is built so strong, they typically run 500,000 miles, or more, before needing any great investment in a re-build, etc. Even then, most Truckers will do what is known as a "top end kit" to refresh the cylinder liners & pistons at 500k miles & "Keep on Truckin'. There have been statements presented (here & on other "info sources") that THIS engine is "prone to connecting rod and/or cylinder head issues/failures". THIS IS AN INCORRECT STATEMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS - At the same time that the 350 diesel engine was introduced (to replace/upgrade from the 300 diesel engine), the U.S. changed their diesel fuel "structure" so that it produced a vastly different fuel than had been historically been available. This was done to appease the EPA & the environmental community. This change was NOT publicly "advertised", so no one knew what changes it would make to ANY diesel engine. This resulted in damaging MANY diesel engines across the board here in the U.S., and subsequently the EPA had to actually formulate the "fuel chemistry" so that it would no longer be harmful. Of course, this "news" was not available until way after the fact so that EPA would not be sued for the damage done due to their lack of proper formulation within the realm of the power characteristics within a diesel powerplant. Thus the birth of the theory of blaming the engine manufacturer, instead of the True Culprit - EPA. It truly bothers me everytime I read statements blaming engine manufacturers for something they had no knowledge of or power over, here in the U.S. Currently my 350 SDL has 174,000 miles on it, has been maintained according to the factory guidelines, and at a recent "physical" I had conducted for my own "peace of mind" - my mechanic states that it is running SUPERB. The shop I use is one that highly esteemed both here and throughout the Mercedes Community nationwide. Matter of fact, the Mercedes Club of America is where I found out about them in the first place when I moved here. NOTE: PLEASE don't think that I'm some sort of "hi-roller" because I seek advice & mechanical advice from such a notable organization - quite the contrary, I assure you. However, I DO believe in seeking advice from the best possible sources - it just makes common sense to me, as I want my dollars to stretch as far as possible, while enjoying an extremely well built car as Mercedes! My main point is this - that the Mercedes 350 Diesel engine is EXTREMELY RELIABLE. It's 26 years old and it runs as good or better than new cars that I have driven. DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THE VEHICLE AND IT'S MAINTENANCE HISTORY - LOOK OVER THE VEHICLE IN DETAIL, AND MOVE FORWARD ON THE PURCHASE OF IT, IF IT "SPESAKS WELL OF ITSELF" TO YOU!

Dont lose your 350SD engine

Jay, 03/30/2008

1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class 350SD Turbodiesel 4dr Sedan

My 350SD has been a daily driver for me for 9 years. This is one of the best driving sedans mercedes ever built. The car really handles a curve and is a great touring sedan on the hwy. I like the diesel, it's no dog with the the turbo and I just typically drive a little slower (no tickets). Now this is very inportant if you own this car; The turbo charger on this engine gets its …

Unstoppable Force of a car

Hybris, 08/10/2009

1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class 350SDL Turbodiesel 4dr Sedan

Only had the the car for a year but virtually no problems mechanically speaking. Gets amazing mileage for a brick on wheels (low to mid 30's normally), driving in snow and ice with so much torque in the rear end takes some getting used to but its for your own good. Honestly when they say they don't build them like they used to this is the perfect example.

Died on the highway

raoking, 12/19/2011

1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class 350SD Turbodiesel 4dr Sedan

I bought one of these in the spring with a rebuilt head and rebuilt transmission. I really liked the car and own a 300sd, but I could not get it to run as well as I would have liked and I've read a lot about them and took as good a car of it as I could but it threw a rod I think, going highway speed it made a huge smoke cloud I pulled over and tried to stop it but it kept running and …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class, so we've included reviews for other years of the 350-Class since its last redesign.

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1991 350-Class Highlights

Trim:

350SD

Engine Type	Diesel
Combined MPG	21 MPG
Cost to Drive	$241/month
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	15.2 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive

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Safety

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Not Tested
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
0
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Not Tested

1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class Review

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Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class 350SD Turbodiesel 4dr Sedan and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.01 per gallon for diesel in Pennsylvania.}

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Unstoppable Force of a car

Died on the highway

1991 350-Class Highlights

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1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

What’s new

For sale nearby

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class 350SD Turbodiesel 4dr Sedan and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.01 per gallon for diesel in Pennsylvania.

Mercedes-Benz 350-Class Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

A Life Long Friend!

Dont lose your 350SD engine

Unstoppable Force of a car

Died on the highway

1991 350-Class Highlights

Safety

Related Used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 350-Class 350SD Turbodiesel 4dr Sedan and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.01 per gallon for diesel in Pennsylvania.}