Faults:

Prone to rust on the rocker panels, doors, roof, and pillars. Not unusual for cars of that era.

The engine, although indestructible, tends to overheat at high temperatures and speeds above 140-150 km/h.

The car occasionally jerked due to problems with the carburetor and electrical system.

Extremely high oil and fuel consumption.

Gear selector is a bit soft and the front suspension is too soft or plush.

General Comments:

I bought it a long time ago and sold it a long time ago, so I've forgotten several details, but I'll hardly forget the good memories this car gave me.

The car is a typical premium luxury model from the 80s, with its advantages and disadvantages.

As for the disadvantages, the only downside I can mention is the rust, especially on the rocker panels and doors, although it's not too bad to worry about. What is very high, though, is the fuel consumption, really high for a 2.0-liter engine, although it was in line with any car of that era. I do remember that the manufacturer recommended using premium fuel, which I always did.

As for the car's advantages, they were countless.

It was one of the smoothest and most comfortable cars I've ever driven, even better than the newer cars I owned later. Very easy to drive and handle; on the highways, it was a pleasure to drive, even at speeds exceeding 130-140 km/h (yes, the fuel consumption was terrible, but that was the only downside).

That covers handling and driving. Regarding accessories, it came fully equipped with air conditioning, electric windows on all four doors, and even a sunroof. The plastics were of excellent quality, and I haven't had any interior problems in over 20 years. The brakes were very good, and it offered great stability at high speeds.

The engine is superb and extremely reliable, the kind you can put millions of kilometers on without touching it. It doesn't have a lot of power, but its exceptional durability more than makes up for it. It's not a fast car (nor is it slow), but it wasn't designed to be. It's not a sports car, but a luxury sedan, and it fulfills its purpose very well in terms of luxury and comfort.

Faults:

Replaced leaking power steer pipes.

Also :- both fuel pumps and hoses, starter motor, alternator, brake booster, driver's window motor, and brake pads all over the years and was able to do these myself without any training. Most worryingly.. Complete brake failure caused by master cylinder failure. Very lucky I was going uphill!!!

Nothing like as sporty as the 504, but just as direct, smooth and comfy.

Faults:

Mostly just the regular maintenance things, like alternator, motor mounts, and the driver's seat wearing out. The electrical is a bit of a mess; the tachometer, gas gage, radio (I think whoever installed the radio messed up everything previously mentioned), the cruise control, some of the blinkers (sometimes) and brake lights, the heater only works on high (but it really works then), the AC is taken out and the belt is removed, the power steering belt is removed (the p/s unit has a substantial leak) -- all of these things are currently wrong with it (save the alternator and mounts and maintenance, which I have replaced and kept up on religiously). None of them bother me enough to fix.

General Comments:

This car is pretty awesome. You have to be comfortable with the "accessories" (everything but the drive train) not working all the time, or with problem solving the ones that need to be, or the ones you want fixed. The existing manuals for this car suck. I was brought up on old VW's so checking the oil and learning to listen to the engine to check out how it is running (ie. valves, different rattles and ticks, and feeling out the shifting) are all second nature to me. If you want a car that you don't have to pay attention to, you better buy one of those new BMW diesel's. If you want a well made classic for not too much money, this is for you. A fellow enthusiast just reported his rolling over 400,000 on the original engine (with no rebuild). I only wish more were manuals (both transmissions, and how to types). These make great biodiesel cars, but once again pay attention to the seals, fuel filter (it takes a allen wrench, incidentally, to take the fuel filter off), and fuel lines. They won't necessarily need replacing (the filter will), but they might. Gasoline versions of this car are idiotic, and I think are really only around for replacement interior parts, and to steal the manual transmissions off of to put into the sacred diesels. I don't know about the cloth interior, but my leather interior has held up amazingly well. Parts are difficult to find. I have my sources, and I'm sure with a little effort other people could secure their own. Help save the world with biodiesel (not made from virgin soybeans though!), and buy one of these cars. The station wagon is prettier than the Mercedes, and cheaper.