Faults:
When I first bought this car, it wouldn't idle, after trouble shooting I found that the previous owner had filled the tank with gasoline. The solution was simple; drain the tank and fill it with diesel and it's been running just fine ever since.
I've also replaced the rear shocks about 6 months ago as they were in bad shape when I bought this car.
The drivers seat is starting to wear out, but it still has some life left in it.
The paint is going away, the clear coat is peeling.
The cruise control is not one of this car's strong points, many people have complained about it not working correctly and my car is no different that way.
The A/C has not worked since I've had the car and it appears to have a bad compressor and no refrigerant in the system.
Parts are expensive and getting harder to find.
General Comments:
This car is not at all quick, although once at speeds above 40 MPH, it will move right along when you stomp on it.
It climbs hills just fine and has no problems when it comes to passing another car, just make sure you plan your move a little bit ahead of time.
The car handles so much better than any American sedan in this year range that it is, in my opinion, in a league of its own. Very solid through the corners and a comfortable and smooth ride make this car a real jewel on the road. The car weighs in at about 3800LBs.
The seats are okay for short trips, so, if you are planning a long trip, you'll want to plan to stop and walk around for a bit about every 2 hours or so.
As for economics, my car gets 26.5 MPG and driving over 500 miles on a single tank of fuel is easy to do as the fuel tank holds approx. 20 gallons.
The transmission has always been a little slow going into reverse, but seems solid otherwise, the shift points seem to be good at getting the best performance from the 3.0 L. 5 CLY. 120 HP. 149 LB FT torque turbo diesel power plant while still keeping the passengers comfortable. Smooth and solid shifts are definitely one of this car's strong points.
This car is very dependable, easy on fuel and one gets a sense of security in the fact that this car is very well built and heavy, good handling, nice body lines and a fair amount of other goodies on the inside as well, and that is what makes this car a winner in my book!
4th Jun 2009, 22:32
I hope you treat your car with more respect.. nothing is designed in mind to withstand abuse. though nothing has not gone wrong to date, it does not mean that you'll have to wait till something goes wrong.
Anyway, this car is the W126 instead of the 116. It's a classic from a bygone era nonetheless and I also share your enthusiasm and appreciation for that.