Garage Cabinets, Garage Storage, and Garage Organization

Hello,

I am considering purchasing a 1992 2.5 Liter Turbo Diesel (E-Class) with an automatic transmission here in Europe.  The car has done about 142,000 miles, it is rust free and, according to the current owner, has a new automatic transmission.  I took the car for a test drive and have some questions regarding acceleration.

I have never owned a Mercedes before and expected a bit more pep--especially from a turbo.  Going up hills, it seems quite sluggish.  I put my foot to the floor--I was traveling at about 35mph--and it accelerated, but only very gradually.  The motor does not seem to be struggling.  

On a level road, the car seems more responsive.  I can put my foot to the floor and there is the characteristic pause of an automatic transmission, but then the power comes in quiet smoothly--not like a rocket, but you can feel that it has plenty of power left.

After doing some research on the internet, I am aware that there was a non-turbo version of the car (also with a diesel engine) that had only 90 hp, whereas the turbo diesel I am considering has about 125 hp.  Is the sluggish behavior up-hill to be expected of a Mercedes Turbo Diesel?  Do the circumstances above suggest any particular problem with the transmission, the engine, or the turbo?

Is there anything I can do that might be a simple fix for this problem?  I don’t know anything about turbos--if the turbo is defective or doesn’t work, can the car still run?  If the turbo is defective, how expensive is it to correct?

If this problem sounds like something more serious (i.e., the engine)--is it possible to do a compression check on a diesel motor?

Many Thanks,

Jack