1975 Mercedes-Benz W115

Summary:

Awesome looking older style Mercedes with great dependability

Faults:

Just regular maintenance, things that go wrong on a 38 year old car.

One engine rebuild.

One transmission rebuild.

General Comments:

Complete restoration inside and out.

I love the older style. Only regret is it didn't have a turbo. The next year they added one cylinder and a turbo.

Drives great. A little noisy.

Slow pick up, but will cruise easily at 70-75.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th June, 2012

1976 Mercedes-Benz W115 300D diesel

Summary:

For a 35+ year old car, this Mercedes puts newer cars to shame in looks, reliability and performance

Faults:

Water pump needed replacement. The seat supports are due for reconditioning.

General Comments:

This car is a true testament to the reliability of the Mercedes diesel marque. The 115 handles beautifully, and accelerates just like a gas powered car. It gets excellent fuel economy, and is extremely reliable on the highway for long trips. I went for a long trip towards California, and this car kept up with the 2007 model Porsches and BMW's on the highway, and at 120 km/p/h, the car was solid and sturdy like a tank. The engine purrs like a kitten, with minimal noise in the cabin.

The Mercedes W115 is roomy and very comfortable, with sofa like seats, and lots of leg and headroom. A beautifully crafted interior, the W115 has a very inviting cabin. The ergonomics on the dashboard are excellent for the time period, and it has really good heat and cool air. The air conditioner is very powerful and blows ice cold. The trunk has ample room for luggage and more.

This is an awesome car. I would recommend the Mercedes 300D W115 to anyone!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th March, 2011

30th May 2026, 04:01

The W115 and W123 were indestructible, especially the diesel versions.

I think it was one of the best cars ever made. They were among the first diesel cars introduced in the US in the 70s, when seeing diesel cars here was extremely rare.

I remember seeing one a few years ago, beige with a light brown interior. A real beauty. I even had the pleasure of driving it. It doesn't look like a car from the 70s; it's a joy to drive.

In reply to 30th May 2026, 04:01

8th Jun 2026, 19:44

Mechanically indestructible, but rust proofing just average. Back in the 80ies these were still quite common, but most were starting to rust badly. Ten years later almost all gone, usually due to rust. Even heroes die young, as they say. A lot of these were scrapped with perfect interior and with engines and transmission barely broken in. Many of these engines found their way into boat adaptions. The diesel consumption pretty decent and they lasted a long time. A friend of mine used an engine from a rusted out 1973 or 74 240D, had approx 200K kilometers on it and was running like new. Used it in his fishing boat the next 20 years without any major work. Probably had 4000 hours on it in the boat before the head gasket blew and it overheated badly.

1971 Mercedes-Benz W115 220D 2.2L diesel

Summary:

Comfortable, reliable, stylish, slow

Faults:

No heat.

Fuel lines need replacing.

Odometer only works 1/2 the time.

General Comments:

This is an awesome car!

Super comfy, can't feel any bumps or pot holes. Super comfy seats.

Great brakes; 60-0 in five seconds.

Super reliable, never had it fail me. Took a 1,000 mile trip without issue.

Good styling, get a lot of looks.

Good mpg's; around 35.

Could use some more sound deadening; it can get quite loud in the car while traveling at freeway speeds.

The car is quite slow; 0-60 in thirty seconds.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd October, 2010

1976 Mercedes-Benz W115 300D 5 cylinder diesel

Summary:

The best car Mercedes ever built

Faults:

Transmission has started to shift a little rough on occasion.

General Comments:

This car is an incredible piece of work. A pleasure to drive, accelerates very quickly, and is in excellent condition. The car handles like a sports car and has an incredible turning radius.

The car is built like a tank, and is arguably the best design Mercedes styled for a 4 door sedan.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th September, 2009