1988 Mercury Topaz L review from North America

The most problematic area of this car was the A/C. After the second summer the A/C compressor was blown and had to be replaced which was quite costly, yet was blown again the summer after.

The cloth seats are pretty cheap. After a few years the color starts to fade and whats worse is when it gets wet it stinks like a wet dog! Next time, I would definitely get the leather seats in this performance vehicle.

The paint is not pretty. The gloss coating was thin and soon disappeared. This sounds negative, but I like it without the reflective gloss. I've evaded many cops because of this!

Rust! If I didn't know better I thought cancer can spread to cars too! Patches of rust were eating my car alive! Last year, if you were sitting in the driver seat you could imitate Fred Flint-stone. Rust ate half the driver-side floor panel away!

Even though the car sounds like it has many problems I'd say I'm the one to blame. I stopped caring for it after its 8th birthday.

The engine purrs like a lion. Its still got plenty of power probably because I put in Gold or Ultra94. Only the best gas for this beast! Maximum performance!

The suspension is of high quality. I love driving offroad with my Impreza, but still cannot beat the feel of my Topaz running through muddy terrain or ripping up gravel pits! This car is tough like a tank! This machine could have probably won the war for Hitler if sent back to the future! Seriously!

As for the off road, I have hit a couple of trees head-on, but no major damage was done to the car. I'm amazed at the durability of the Topaz. Trees were bent over, even uprooted, but the Topaz remains immaculate!

This car is definitely worth the money. You would think after so much abuse a car of this statue would be found dead in a ditch, but you're wrong. It likes the beatings you give it and yearns for more. I'd doubt it would last this long if I drove it like an old lady. I think this car craves adventure as much as I do. We can never get enough of it.