1985 Mercedes-Benz W123 230 E review from Sweden
"Timeless modern classic!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Mercedes is quality!
A window crank broke, had to replace it.
There is a vacuum leak that means that the power door locks doesn't operate like it should. This problem is on ALL old MB cars with power locks, and it is almost impossible to find the leaks.
Hit a deer last year in 130 km/h, so I had to replace some sheet-metal, one headlamp and straighten the body. Thanks MB for building tanks like this! I think that a modern Japanese or Korean subcompact had been just a pile of crap after that impact...
The exhaust system leaks.
The 123-series is prone to rust. Lucky for me, my car is 100% free from that!
General comments?
It is extremely quiet and comfortable, except for the seats that is one of the weak points in older MB:s.
I like the design very much! It is timeless, you almost can't believe that it soon is a 30 year old car! At least this model, silver painted with the newer headlamps. The 70's cars looks a little bit dated today in their weird colors (brown, green, orange...) and round headlamps.
The trunk is almost big enough to swallow a dinosaur...
It is extremely safe, a solid bodywork and heavy weight combined with seatbelt pretensioners and airbag (how many cars had that in 1985?), this 30 year old design still outclasses many new cars!
It was also in very mint condition when I bought it! 2 owners, the last since 1988, and 80 000 km on the meter. Nice!
If they weren't so prone to rust and didn't consume so much fuel, I think that MB still could have sold them today! But probably it is too expensive to build these quality cars today!
The W123 combines classic styling with modern technology. The best of the 60:s with the best of the 80:s. A TIMELESS car!
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1985 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.3 fuel injected Manual |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 80000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 120000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Opel Rekord |
| Date of Entry | 11th November, 2002 |