1977 Mercedes-Benz W123 230E review from North America

New starter at 151,000 km.

Replaced the clutch due to a clunking noise at about 160,000 km.

Alternator died at 170,000 km.

Replaced leaking brake master cylinder at 190,000 km.

This car is much more powerful than I expected a 26-year-old 4-cylinder engine to be. It cruises comfortably all day at highway speeds and doesn't burn a drop of oil.

I'm fairly tall (6'2") and find the car very comfortable to drive; it has a nice big steering wheel and all controls seem to be where they should be. I had the padding in the driver's seat beefed up shortly after I got it and it's more comfortable than many new cars I've driven.

Visibility is great. You're sitting up straight and don't have those annoying thick pillars I find in many newer cars that create blind spots.

Classic body styling gets lots of positive comments. The only problem is our Canadian winters (and salted roads), which aren't kind to car bodies, so rusting is an issue.

The only persistent problem is water ingress. I'm in the process of replacing door and windshield weather-seals, which I hope will cure this as well as reduce the road noise.

When I bought this car I expected it would be a short-term toy; now I've had it going on 4 years and have no plans to part with it.