1990 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 300SEL review from North America

AC needed to be serviced. Very expensive to get it recharged. But once recharged it is frigidly cold.

Chronic oil leak. Seems to be standard issue on these engines. Not a big deal I add a quart every tank and a half.

Rear window lift mechanism has broken twice already. Seems to be a common issue with these cars.

The W126 chassis cars are the last of the engineered to out live you Benz's. I did a lot of research prior to purchasing this car and it paid off for me. Remember its cheaper to pay more for a well taken car than to restore an abused car. My car is absolutely luxurious. The ride is quiet and extremely smooth. A common complaint and I have it too is that the wood creaks. This car is rock solid and gives you a feeling of safety and security. The handsome looks still bring me many compliments. Now I have to admit that the car is under powered. It's a huge car for a 3 ltr engine so merging and on ramps are difficult. Once you get all that steel rolling it's a sweet highway cruiser. I typically cruise at about 75 to 80 mph 3600-4000 rpms. This car just eats up miles and still feels new. One of the main reasons I purchased it was that I live in Virginia Beach and my son lives in Vermont. I make the 12 hour ride and come out of the car feeling fresh with no aches or stiffness. Plus any back seat passengers have an enormous amount of leg room plus their own ac/heater vents. All in all this is a wonderful car that I will keep for many years to come. I am told by my indy that the short blocks simply do not wear out and that the heads only need some attention after 200-250k miles.