[Devon_Heron]

I know this is an old thread, but thought I'd comment. I used to drive an 1987 CRX si, and I now drive a 1984 Mercedes 190D. Though not as light as the CRX, the 190's are pretty light weight. And the ride with worn-out struts/shocks on the 190D is definitely much softer. I drive too fast and with the CRX (260K miles) I was getting 35mpg, very peppy and a blast to drive. With the 190D, acceleration is dismal, but same speeds MPG is 35-39. I plan on new struts/shocks to improve handling, and I'm now running bio-diesel and will replace the oil with thinner/better synthetic any day now. I am amazed by the handling of the Mercedes on twisty roads even with dead struts/shocks.