1981 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 300 SD review from North America

Power windows stopped working due to the controller, not the power motors.

I wish the interior material (i.e. plastic) was of a better grade.

Rear window leaks a tad.

Front end needs tightening.

One word: excellent!

This car handles like it's on rails.

Very roomy driver's seat (I'm 6' 4" and I can stretch my legs).

This is what a car should be. Firm, fuel efficient, well made, and comfortable.

Cheap and s-i-m-p-l-e. Easy to maintain even for the novice do-it-yourselfer.

Great on gas, I drove eight hours on the highway and around town for a week straight on about 10 dollars of gas.

Great looker, and easy on the pocket. Everyone should have one of these!

When I went looking for cars, I found nothing for under $3.000 that appeased my extremely critical eye until I drove into a shabby little dealership that had this beauty lying in the back.

The poor thing was covered in dust and grime, and had obviously been mistreated in the past. But at a tag price of $2300 it was screaming TAKE ME HOME AND LOVE ME!

So, after convincing my wife and a lot of research I took it to the Mercedes dealership (horrible service, ignorant and incompetent mechanics) where the mechanic on duty failed to see the real faults of the car (which I had already pinpointed), and I've never even had a Mercedes before!

After some thinking and making an inventory of all the few things that needed to be done, I paid the dealer and took it home.

Great ride on the highway I must say. Firm and powerful (thanks, turbo) like a sportscar, yet well-behaved in traffic.

The bottom line is, they sure don't make them like they used to.

I recommend this vehicle for anyone who is willing to spend $600 to $800 every two to five years... But if you want to keep spending $15 (every week of your life) on that Asian or GM, then this car is definitely not for you.

This boat has almost 200.000 miles and it still runs and drives like it just rolled off the factory lot.

Seen any 21 year-old Lexus lately? No... I mean with the doors still on it?

My previous car was a Ford Crown Vic police car. What can I say... It was like a refined version of the Crown Vic.