1990 Mercedes 300TE Wagon.
Such mixed memories;
Good: so well built, in terms of leather quality, interior panels, seat comfort, door slam feel, and overall tank-like structure. Thick gauge steel. Felt very safe. So quiet, even the power windows. TONS of room in the back, way longer than most wagons. M103 engine is highly regarded as one of Mercs best engines.
Bad: Fuel economy was shit, rear self-leveling suspension in cargo was shot and sagging so you faced up while driving, hydraulic door locks were leaking, hidden rust seized the brake bleed screws so you couldn't bleed them and needed to replace the calipers, and worst of all, the being one of the first cars with 4matic, was poorly designed and once it fails, and it will (mine did right after buying it), you have to remove it, ship it to the ONE place in Canada (Ontario) that rebuilds them for at least $3k plus removal, shipping 2 directions, and reinstallation.
Parts and labour were extremely expensive for this car. And they are not home-mechanic friendly. Mercedes would never reuse parts, like speedo cables for example. They would redesign parts every year, even half year, so nothing could be used from other cars. And things were designed and laid out without giving single fuck about having to pull everything apart to work on it.
I sold it and was looking at another one, a JDM import with lower km. Decent shape, on the outside. My gut told me to get a PPI, thank god I did. Tons of hidden issues like replacing the goddamn driveshaft. Took their advice and ran.
A real shame because they are a timeless design. I see them on the road every once in a while and covet them still. It's like an abusive relationship
There was a 300TD Diesel with manual tranny for sale years ago, they were asking $15k. The holy grail of the W124... sigh, someday I hope....