Hello forum members, I am in the process of finalizing a deal for a 500SL. Please give me some props for this deal, or flame me, your choice, all opinions are welcome. Before you read the specs, the car is at Benz dealer in another state being inspected, will have the brakes and rotors replaced by owner pre-purchase, and suspension checked and fixed if need-be. Also owner is paying for a 100 point inspection as I am shipping the car without touching it in person. I am an attorney so don't worry too much about me covering my butt in the transaction
I am purchasing from private party:

$25,000
2003 500SL
70,000 miles
Silver with Berry Red Interior
Every single option possible including 20 inch wheels (owner is including 18 inch AMG wheels plus tires in case I want to swap), but NO Pano Roof
Includes Zero Deductible All coverage warranty till June 2011 or 110,000 miles

So opine away on these subjects please:
1) Good deal? He isn't upside down, needs the money for a business, has all service records and the warranty is bullet-proof (I read the contract)
2) No pano roof, kind of wanted that, but this deal is hard to pass up
3) Berry interior a good option? I love the dark wood, I think it looks more modern than the "real" wood, I am 35 so I think it fits me more.

The car will be in Dallas, TX so the top will be down about 10 months a year, therefore the pano is kind of not a huge factor. I read somewhere the pano roof cars get hotter inside?
The warranty cost $4,000 and the one owner got it at zero miles when car was purchased, I just don't think I can find a pano roof one at this price with the waranty.
One local seller is asking 30,000 for a similar black car with pano and said he would keep the car if no one offered that much because he had the warranty, I think most people who invested in such a warranty don't have the stomach to take the depreciation loss.

Thanks for reading, please throw some fresh ideas at this deal.

 

All-in-all, it sounds pretty decent, but I didn't see the offering price in your description. The dealer who is spec-ing it out should also be able to see what additional service history the current owner might've forgotten to include (if the wrong paper got thrown out, say, five years ago on something). Having the suspension checked out is a big plus, given that that is one of the most expensive things to have to deal with later down the line.

As someone who was on the market for an SL with the pano roof, I've gotta say that not having that option would be a deal-breaker for me. It doesn't get that much hotter -- the tinting and retractable liner cut out a lot of the heat, and metal's a good conductor of heat by comparison. But having a car that feels like an atrium on a day when the sun is a little too strong for the top down is something else.

Do you have any way to see something similar for the interior near where you live? Even if it's not an SL you're looking at with the same colors, if that color combination is a big question mark for you, I'd probably make sure I got that answered in person before I went for it.

For me, there's nothing worse than having to live with something that is "almost" right when it's been a dream of mine for years. The compromises would nag me every time I would drive it. Then again, I was saving for a new one until the 2009 nosejob was introduced, so I was willing to pay for exactly what I was looking for. I was also willing to spend two months searching Autotrader online every night, and found Aegean blue (rare) with the pano roof (rare). If you're willing to go there, I'd say look for what you really want.

 

Thanks for the info, I edited the post adding $25,000 and your ideaon interior is good, I found a 2005 SL600 at the local Carmax of all places with Berry and checked it out.

 

I live in AZ and did not want the pano roof at all. My other cars had sunroofs and I never opened them. Even with the glass roof, the sun was just too hot, I always had the shade covering the sunroof. So, I wanted the no pano option.

Do you have a sunroof in your car now? If you do, drive around without the shade pulled and see if you actually like it first.

 

Just make sure the 65,000 mile service B + additional was done. That includes the fuel filter and checking the suspension, rotors, spindles and such (I think). If he didn't do it, you'll have to and that can cost between $500 and $1000 or so.

I am personally not big on the Pano roof as I really don't want jacked up F250s staring down on me through my roof window. (Weird)

Rook

 

I would say go for it.
A good deal although the mileage is on the high side.
I think the warranty makes up for that.
I first thought that I had jumped the gun by not waiting for one with a pano roof but agree with what biophase said about the sunroof/shade.
I would have loved the Silver/Berry combination on mine.

My SL was bought in Dallas.

 

Thank you all for the thoughtful opinions, it really helps. I have a sunroof on my Lexus GS400, but it has no shade to pull, just a complete sunroof blocker, but I think you are on to something, it is too hot most of the time to ride around with the sunroof glass uncovered, I think since this is such a beautiful car anyway I will survive without the Pano.

Feel free to offer more opinions though, greatly appreciated.

 

Here in San Diego, it's too hot for the pano roof. I bought my SL new and didn't check that option box.

 

It's funny -- I'm not that far off from SD, but I find the A/C does it for me. To each their own, I guess.

Of course, I also like driving while staring at the clouds above me.... Woops! Missed the curve back there....

 

Is it just me, but I feel like people are watching me at red lights any time my top is down.

Now I can only pick my nose while I'm driving!

 

Not to dive too far off-topic to the absurd, but I watched this chick in my rear view mirror last week do the dig-roll-nibble while waiting for a left turn. Broad daylight, busy intersection. No shame in her game.

Back to on-topic, I think the deal on your '03 sounds decent in light of that no-deductible warranty. I also think the berry interior is beautiful, but that's a matter of personal opinion. I personally wanted an '05 model because of the improved COMAND system with DVD-based nav. The '03 models had CD-based navigation.

 

How can you go wrong. It will look almost like a new model and you have a warranty for the next 40K miles. You can drive it for a couple of years and give it away and it is still a good deal. Most of us lose $25K per year in depreciation and only drive our cars 5-6K miles a year.

 

Thanks SL2003 driver and all the others who responded. I am getting very excited as I sent the drafted contract to the seller by mail yesterday. The Mercedes Dealer inspection revealed only a small chip in the windshield, that the passenger visor light isn't working, that the third tail-light has a 1 inch crack in it, and that the left side bolster on the drivers seat shows "some signs of wear". All in all the service manager said it was in great shape and that more often than not these inspections reveal 2-3 pages of problems, while this car only had those few things (he mentioned it was nitpicking). So the process begins, it's 75 degrees and sunny in Dallas for the next 5 days, my convert can't get here soon enough!

 

Sweet! Be sure to post pics when it arrives!

 

I should have posted these from the beginning.

 

It looks like a great car. I did not check the Pano box on my SL55, and don't regret it. If I want the sun, I put the roof down.

Buy it and have a great time!

 

Wow, that looks great! And the berry is pretty spectacular. Have a great time with it (like you need someone to say that )

 

The car arrived Saturday morning! Damn this car is going to be the last car I own, until it breaks, and I have to buy another Mercedes roadster!

So far driving it around I am breaking necks everywhere, and trust me this is Dallas, where a ton of high end cars are sold. First time I filled it up at Costco, 3 people asked me about it.

The car is just fantastic all around, I am converted.

 

good luck bro !!!!

 

In Fayetteville last year someone had a DIAMOND silver SL with the the berry interior at a huge discount. We went to see it and immediately understood why. My wife about puked on the dash.

Yours on the other hand is very nice.

 

What's your premium on uninsured oglist coverage, causing all the accidents as people forget what they're doing?