Thinking of changing cars to a Merc SL sometime soon and I know that a few have had experience / owned them so thought I see what knowledge and experience I could pick up.
Initially thinking of a SL320 from when they still had soft tops and a hard top or maybe a newer one with a folding metal roof - maybe a 350/370 version.
Wouldn't be used as a main car - running to the station etc on a regular basis. But really would like to be able to undertake weekends away with the Mrs (or whoever else I can convince!) in the UK and maybe into France etc.
Looking for something that I could keep for a while so really interested in hearing about any reliability issues etc. Budget at this stage? About £10k. Would like to see what can be picked up.
Thanks
I haven't got a SL, but bought myself a CLK350 in the summer of 2010.
Everyone on the MB forums at the time convinced me to spend slightly more and go for the facelift 350 over the earlier 320 engine. I'm guessing the differences could be the same across the range - the 350 is suposedly a lot more refined and also gives you a 7 speed auto over the 5 speed auto in the 320.
The change occured in the CLK between 04 and 55 registrations.
I had a 2004 SL (350 model) with the panoramic glass roof. Got it when it was 3 years old (so paid rather more than you will be), and kept it for just over 3 years. Really loved the look and the drive - indeed it is still my screensaver on my phone, still one of my favourite looking cars
Downside was mine was the early version with the boot leak - never got that cured despite spending a lot of money (Watford Merc dealer wanted £5k to try and sort it). If not used regularly, and mine was v much a second (OK third) car, it meant that the consumer battery in the boot went flat. Finally some of the sensors have a strange sense of humour - every so often mine would decide that the bonnet was open - not what you want to see on the motorway at 70mph.
Have had two sl320's, the later V6 is better than the earlier straight 6, virtually bullet proof and not too much electronics to go wrong, great cars but probably getting dated now. Also had the new style sl500, had it for 2 years and had very little trouble with it, another great car but a constant source of worry due to the possible high repair bills,suspension being computer controlled hydro-pneumatic is very expensive once the gremlins get into it plus the earlier models suffered many expensive teething troubles. Fantastic, comfortable long distance cruisers if a little boring but very civilised in the summer with the top down. With a 10k budget I would look at the sl350 as this had the normal suspension but buy as late a model as you can afford and budget for a decent warrantry if you want peace of mind.
Funny you should ask this, I'm going to look at an SL500 this week. I don't expect it to do more than 2500 miles a year so the fuel bills don't worry me. I had a look at the insurance this morning and the cheapest quote I could get with protected no-claims was from Churchill and they throw in a year's free breakdown cover as well. I couldn't believe it was cheaper than I'm paying on my C320, coming in at £271.36 and you also get a free Oleg meerkat toy ;-).
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Very good friend has an SL600, goes like hell but feels like you're gliding, no noise no being thrown back and forth when you brake or accelerate and is great fun when you hit the button that means it follows the car in front. Considering what it cost they've had a few sill problems like parking sensor goes off when it rains?
Mid 20's would get you this.....
bloody awesome.
The one with the removable hardtop is the R129, folding roof is R230.
Just google both models for issues. (Lots with R230)
129's are pretty bullet proof apart from rust, 230s have lots of issues but are stunning looking vehicles nonetheless.
I have a 2005 SL350 (R230), paid £11k (Edit, looks exactly like the one above but obviously it is a 55 not a 350)
Last edited by watchlovr; 31st March 2014 at 12:02.
My dad owned the straight-6 SL320 ( 1994 model ) with hard and soft tops for about 15 years. I drove it now and again in Europe, when it was well into it's second decade.
It was solid, nothing at all had broken, and it was a complete hoot to drive.
Eventually the car was left for a couple of years in a stone barn ( don't ask ) and my dad sold it for ... 500 pounds ! They were good cars, but as someone mentioned, getting very old now.
If you find a low mileage good condition one though... might be worth looking at. I still wince about the price this one was sold for !
Paul
I had a R129 for a short while. Liked it a lot, but needed more seats. I sold it to a friend who still has it, drives it a few days every summer. The only problems have been with the radio - had to replaced because it shut down randomly. The body, mechanics and drive are still great.
I almost bought an so last year, r129.
Values don't seem to have moved in the last 2 years....
Like the early boxster, if you buy now you'll be unlikely to lose money as they are soon to become classics...
Ultimately the need for 4 seats pushed me to predictable territory and I bought an Eos in the end.
Eddie, I know you have history with MB's but The R230's really don't seem to like not being driven, I'd certainly have it on a good quality trickle charger when not being used, my wife drives ours daily and it still plays up!
I'm hoping I'll eventually iron out all the faults and can enjoy some top down driving.
So far I've had;
1. Alarm siren constantly sounding (replace)
2. PSE pump blown 20a fuse (replace with 25a)
3. PSE pump burn out (replace pump)
4. "Boot not closed" message meaning roof will not operate (still to fix, probably a micro switch)
5. Drip from seal (Gummi Pfledge all the rubber seals)
6. Moisture in cabin (Heater drain blocked, cut off end plug)
Originally Posted by swanbourne
The one to have is the SL55.
These can be bought relatively cheaply now, and it's always possible to find one with low milage and full service history.
Lots of fun too.
I've never owned one but I have had friends who had the R230 in various guises from the SL350 to SL55 AMG
All of them ended up hating their cars, riddled with problems from rattling roofs, to leaking boots to electrical gremlins, all this backed up by appalling service from their local MB dealers
Most of them got rid of them, this was a known era for Mercedes to be trading on their name and building some shockingly unreliable cars, another friend had a CLS from the same are circa 2005
He actually had to take legal action as every time the car went in for a warranty fault claim it came out with another fault, he said he'll never buy a Merc again and has stuck to it
My only advice is make sure it comes with a damn good warranty. I have heard the cars they have building the last 6 years or so have been much better built
Yes there was a period when the 'bean counters' took over and threw out the engineers with the inevitable result, I think they have now learnt their lesson but must agree the main dealers I have been involved with have been atrocious, stopped using them and found a first class Indy who did all my servicing and repairs for half the price and twice as good!
Now it's funny you say that......
I bought a new E63 AMG in 2011, - three years on, and it has been perfect.
But I nearly didn't buy it.
I had got so pissed off with my 2006 S Class S320 CDI, (which was one of the first of the then new shape). It had loads of problems from the beginning, lots of electrical problems, and also suspension faults. But the worst was the dreaded limp mode. It was not long out of warranty when that began and the engine warning light sometimes on, sometimes not. Then more electrical problems, sometimes the phone wouldn't work, or the CD player, and radio, reversing camera... All worked when they felt like it.
The local Mercedes service department clearly didn't give a damn. They just saw me as a target to screw thousands of pounds for repairs. They even told me the cause of the limp mode may be a faulty automatic gearbox that may have to be replaced. It wasn't just the rubbish quality of the car that nearly put me off Mercedes. It was the complete dissinterest of the service department. I had a lot of trouble while in Warranty, and that just escalated when the warranty ran out.
The S Class is supposed to be one of the best cars in the world. - Well mine was a pile of junk. I've never been so glad to see the back of a car in all my life.
My experience of that car also put me off diesels. That scam called limp mode did it for me. Diesels belong in vans, not cars.
I traded that clunker in for a new E63 AMG, which has been fantastic. (no thanks to the service department). Which is just as well.
I had an R129 1999 (T plate) 500SL for about 3 years, it was ruinously expensive, and wonderful.
Good bits: Noise. Noise. Noise. Looking like you're in Dallas*. Going sideways, even when you had no intention to at all. Noise. Seats were surprisngly comfortable. Strange amount of politeness from other road users (curiosity maybe? Or just wanting to hear the noise).
Bad bits: Almost always something wrong, from minor warning light to knowing something was about to break. Costs from MB even with significantly lower sums (there is a formal concession I think- at least was) for an older car, eg cost to change a gearbox chip, about £800000000000000000. Estimate from independent, £250. That was a continuing theme. Tyre cost. Obviously. Fun to get rid of them though. Weight of hard top (and cost of a really basic stand even from eBay). Boot is pretty useless, esp by modern standards. Hard to find one which has not fallen in to the "wrong hands", or with a host of things wrong.
(* May also fall in to bad bits depending on your perspective).
Overall: Would think about another, but... There are so many cars of that ilk (and now cost) which offer different things- not necessarily better- but different. Other Mercs included in that, eg the older E & S class model waftmobiles.
Suggest: AA/ RAC Inspection (unless from a garage which comes with a reasonable warranty) once you've found the right one, they tend to hang around as few people want the single figure MPG you can get if you try hard enough, or the remainder of associated running costs.
If you get one, the noise WILL make you smile, probably just enough to love it...
Personally..................
I love my R107 which has a simplicity all of it's own, but also is utterly impractical as a daily driver these days so strike that one off the list. Values going up slowly for good ones.
I drove an R129 last week for the first time in ages. As long as well maintained, and preferably a 500, they are pretty bullet proof. The roof's are pretty reliable and the main thing that tends to really get the costs up are interior trim pieces. Specialist parts and servicing are not too bad and they still drive like a modern car in the daily grind. Not as flash/well equipped/taut as the R230......The boot is still practical compared to the folding hardtop later cars which simply don't have a boot if you also want to use the roof. Values firming up and you will not lose much.
R230 is known for water ingress into the boot which then fries random electrical items for fun causing untold amusement for the owner.......thats the owner of the local MB spare parts retailer BTW. Look gorgeous but really need to be used regularly to keep them running right and my MB specialist told me he would not go near one. Even the redesigned seals still did not work after a short time. ABC faults are common, particularly on early cars. Values still going down and due to complexity will likely stay down for quite a long time.
I had one...
it was a pain in the behind.
it was a 2007 350SL pano roof etc.
I had it about 5 years ago or so and bought it "approved used"...I kept it 18 months and then got rid. Keep in mind I'm only in the UK about 2 months a year but I did have my ma and pa drive it once every other week or so. I guess that might be part of the issue, but;
it was awful tbh.
rattling roof, never cured which really annoyed me in a GT car. Lots of niggling faults (though never let me down), and bloody expensive to fix. The roof motor went and it took a long time to sort (two weeks).
I would go as far as to say I would not buy another.
Your experience may of course differ.
Pistonheads did a pretty good buying guide focusing on the SL55 AMG.
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=25445
considered one many times- in fact, still am!
a dealer once told me that he thought the R129 was the last model built to a standard rather than a price, but they are getting to look a bit long in the tooth now, though still nice imho- lots of low mileage ones still about too.
If I remember correctly, all 500's have the potential for £1000 per corner suspension issues?
nice cars
Sob. This was my car exactly. Now all I have left is the die cast model car - again the right colour in and out. Even the correct wheels.
I am glad you like it. I have only had her a week, and already just love the beauty. A blast to the south of France is due in a week or so. I just cannot wait.
Sob. This was my car exactly. Now all I have left is the die cast model car - again the right colour in and out. Even the correct wheels.
Its the r230 with the expensive corner issues, £1200 per unit +labour then you start worrying about the pump £1500 + labour then the valve blocks,then the piping, need I go on! Then you change the fluid £200, then you rodeo it £200, thats enough, brings back nightmares!!!
If they make Jags looks reliable then you know you are in BIG trouble
M6 convertible would be my choice for similar money, that lovely V10 and reliable
R129 500SL from around 2000/2001 - job done!
I think (I could be wrong) that the vast majority of user surveys now suggest that Jag ARE far more reliable than Merc?
Certainly on the deeply anecdotal evidence of "my mates" and "my own cars" this is clearly the case.
Then again...I don't have many mates.
Are they really at 10k now?????
If anyones after something similar I'm just waiting on a plate retention to come back and then our SLK350 is ready to go.
Was looking for an SL or an AMG last year but this came up with 1 owner and was too nice to turn down.
Heated seats and air scarf, great for a crisp morning or evening run out :)
Thanks all. This is really useful. I don't want to spend too much and based on what I've read here and heard before it seems like the R129 is the model to go for. I don't really want a load of technology that could go wrong and be ruinously expensive to correct.
My old BMW 5 series keeps going, apart from stuff breaking down due to age but basically sound. Ideally would be something that I can keep and keep going so again a simpler version fits the bill.
Keep 'em coming!
All you have said here is spot on!
No you'd probably need to spend 20k to get a nice one, but then a SL55AMG also can't be had for 10k
Had quite a few SL's over the years & luckily never encountered any serious issues with them.
Everyone has been a pleasure to drive/own as long as you look after them.
Current one - SL65AMG - 612BHP!
What could possibly go wrong under here!
Previous ones - both 500's
Well, I'm still going to look at one this afternoon :-).
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Insurance for the 'more mature' (OK, let's be honest, older!) driver is remarkably cheap.
For a laugh (partly) I got a quote for an Aston DB9 - As I recall it was in the £300 range!
M.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Do let us know how you get on.
Good luck Eddie, guide here, I still love mine.
Things to check are;
under the boot floor for water
around the foam surrounding pump to your left, it acts as a sponge for water
Rear seals at the bottom of the window, where the water gets in
Carpets inside
Make sure everything works, roof, suspension raise/lower etc
Any issues with the above could mean £££ to be spent.
Maybe get a good indie to check it out?
Guide here;
http://www3.sympatico.ca/gmacgruer/_MB_SL55_AMG.pdf
For your budget the R129 is the way to go, try and get as late as possible with the glass panoramic hard top, here is a pic of my old one 2001, its the Designo model with the 18" split rim wheels. They are quite fluid to drive with the soft top but stiffen up considerably when you have the hard top on, great to drive either way, I prefered the soft top as it is too quiet in hard top mode!
I love Mercedes. I love Mercedes SL's. Would I buy/own one? Not a (early/pre-facelift) R230.
We've had dozens & dozens in the bodyshop to rectify leaks, and not just the boot lid seal leaks either. That said, they are a great car, i'm just biased after spending far too much time doing the boring, laborious rectification work.
I'm amazed that Mercedes got away with it really. Their flagship car had a fundamental flaw - acknowledged by the superseded/re-designed boot lid rubbers (which are much stronger & stiffer, as well as a slightly different profile) yet, they simply seem to have washed their hands of it. There really should have been a complete model recall, especially given the location of the 'very expensive to replace' roof pump/motor.
They are a massive chunk of car for the money though!
I had a S500, R230. It was the best car I ever had the privilege to sit in, let alone to own.
I`ve owned newish Jags for 7 years and had no problems. From what I hear, Jaguar reliability is now up with the best.
Personally, I`d buy a Jaguar XK instead of the Merc SL.....but I am slightly biased. Reading threads like this does get me thinking about it!
Paul
Everything worked as it should and the sponge around the pump was dry as a bone :-). It's on an 04 plate but it's only done 40,000 miles.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Sounds good, you going for it?
In my opinion you should expect some trouble with these, however the DIY fixes that are about make them affordable.
Just remember it is a £60k car and even though it costs £10k now, it will still have £60k car running costs.
Lots of good info on the 2 UK forums.
Colin.
The running costs will be less than the wife and there aren't any DIY fixes for those ;-).
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
The running costs on mine were actually quite a bit higher than those for my wife. There again the car was worth quite a bit more, especially on re-sale or trade in.
Well observed, the trade-in value of wives is quite low.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Thread resurrection time!
Now that we've replaced the family car with a new (to us) Freelander 2, attention turns to me getting a new car.
Over the past few months I've flirted with the BMW 6 Series convertible and a few others, but have decided to re-focus on what I wanted some years ago - Mercedes SL.
This will be a daily driver - currently doing a few hundred miles per week, but that will probably slow down. Looking at SL350 as the potential for expensive suspension repairs on the 500 version put me off. In the original thread posts, I had concluded that a R129 was the way to go, but with time moving on I've re-visited that.
So, SL350 around 2005/06, preferably black or silver with black or red interior with aluminium trim, parking sensors and Bose stereo - that's what I'm currently looking for/have in mind. Would like pano roof as well, but thought I'd see if there were any opinions/experience regarding whether the pano roof makes any difference to usage or causes any issues over a solid roof?
Budget around £10-12k. Ideally low-ish miles with full service history.
Also, if anyone knows of one for sale....
Thanks
My next door neighbour has a 2005 model. Owned since new, garaged, babied and just spent the last 4 weeks getting work done at the rear wheel arches and the body under the rear bumper at the sides for rust. Other than that apart from a sensor failure that shut the car down once, never had a problem.
I had this SL500 until a few years ago. Lovely car & never gave a bit of trouble, although it only had about 16000 miles on the clock when I sold it. Sold it & bought a Micra which my son subsequently sanded the bonnet down on. That was the reason why I sold the SL, it was too stressful to own with a Charlie around
That looks lovely!! Did you have the pano roof as well?? Also wondering if the Bose stereo is worth holding out for??I had this SL500 until a few years ago. Lovely car & never gave a bit of trouble, although it only had about 16000 miles on the clock when I sold it. Sold it & bought a Micra which my son subsequently sanded the bonnet down on. That was the reason why I sold the SL, it was too stressful to own with a Charlie around
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