Rudeney

The SLK is a nice car. It's not as refined as the SL, but it's damned fun. Just make sure you fit and don't need any cargo space. I don't think you can even fit gloves int he glove compartment!

Rudeney

Oh, I am not complaining! In fact, I have a big smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel of my SL. It's always been my dream car, so now I;m living the dream for real.

My main reason for posting the negatives is to make sure a potential buyer understands the challenges of ownership. I see so many people buying very affordable used MBZs (all types - C, CLK, E, S, SL, SLK, Ml, etc.) assuming they are getting a great deal. The honeymoon is over quickly when they discover that an oil change costs nearly $100 even as a DIY, or a transmission service will be $300 or more, and when key quits working, it will cost $250. Not to mention the "balance shaft: issues or early 722.9 failures. in my case, I have the experience, tools, and desire to DIY, but many people just figure they'll take it to the dealer, and the have a heart attack when they get a $3,000 bill.

The SL is truly a work of art and a technological tour de force. For me, it's worth owning. To others who say, "Wow! I can get an SL for less than a Corolla?" i say "caveat emptor!"

tsberkey

Yeah, I'm only 5'6" and my wife is 5'3". Fitting shouldn't be an issue!

tsberkey

Yeah, but we really want to get away from the soft top, which the 129 has, if I'm not mistaken. We will be living in an apartment for the first time since the mid-80's and we're not excited by the thought of some random idiot deciding to have fun with that, y'know?

flowrider99

The SLK is a sports car whilst the SL is a grand tourer so different even though they look similar. Do you get the SL350 in the US? If you do it comes with standard suspension (springs and dampners) but if you get a 2008 model its engine performs as well as an older 500.

tsberkey

Having just begun to look at the SLK, not sure as to the variants that are offered. What I have discovered is that those who drive the SLK are as passionate, if not more, than the SL drivers, which says a LOT. Sounds like I just need to get out and drive a few. Biggest problem for me will be the fact that I live in a northern state and the chances of a dealer having a car even close to what I'm looking for is ridiculously small, especially early in the year.

BlownV8

Sounds like the SLK may be a better fit for you since it is more reliable than a 230SL.

flowrider99

I advise driving both, the sensation is different and one may be more suited to your style than the other.

tsberkey

Agreed.

kbob999

My opinion - I've driven both.
The SLK seems to be a rough rattling little car compared to the SL. You can get the SLK55, which would be fun, but the smaller SLK versions did not impress me.

NiceMerc

Hi,

Thought you might be interested in my experience since I'm close to retirement and living in a sunny state.

I spent many months looking for the right car and walked away from several in the process. I finally bought a 2004 SL500 with < 50K miles, from a local dealer, about 18 months ago. It's a weekend car, not my daily driver.

I absolutely love the car! We have taken several long road trips and it's never missed a beat. At the end of the 14 hour drive back from Santa Fe, we stepped out of the car fresh and could have driven as far again. I've put far more miles on it than I intended because it's such a great drive. More road trips are planned and every time we head into the city it's an easy decision to take the SL!

I knew that an SL this age would need TLC and that was part of what I was looking for. It's a project. I try to keep it pristine and in top mechanical condition. I do smaller jobs myself and budget 2X for the indie to do repairs on this car than on my daily driver.

I'm lucky that I have a very good local indie with knowledge of high performance cars, Mercedes and the right diagniostic computers and tools. It is currently in the shop for the third time:

#1 - replace transmission conductor plate, ABC flush & rodeo, replace trunk soft close
#2 - replace flaps on folding roof, replace part of sundeck due to missing flap
#3 - 'A' service and a few minor bits and bobs

He is taking the seats out today to try and track down a leak on the PSE pump lines to the contour seat backs.

At the end of the summer I plan to have him do preventative maintenance on the ABC, replacing the accumulators & dampers.

It's also been to the body shop once to get a broken sill replaced and some minor paint defects fixed. Did I mention that I want the car to be pritine ;-)

I think I have seen the typical problems you can expect with this car at this age and mileage. If I had been better informed when I bought - kudos to you for starting here early - I'm sure I could have bought better and avoided one or two of the problems.

I love the car, have no regrets and plan to keep it and enjoy it even more when I'm retired.

My advice to you would be:
1) Make a list of things to look for, how to spot them and what they will cost to repair so you are a well informed buyer
2) Take your time, look at lots of cars and don't get discouraged if you walk away many times
3) Put $2K away as an emergency fund for unexpected problems
4) Enjoy every minute behind the wheel :-)

Hope this helps and good luck
Gary

tsberkey

Thanks, Gary. Sounds like a great plan. Good luck with your upcoming retirement, as well.

As for the $2K: "Hey, we've got $2,000. Let's go somewhere!" <<sigh>>

NiceMerc

Thanks. I'm surprised how difficult the retirement choice is. I always thought I would be out the day I qualified, but that day came and went and I'm still procrastinating. It's a tough choice!

The shop just called to tell me they decided to start troubleshooting the PSE pump problem from the pump rather than the seats and they found the problem already.

Good news I don't have to pay labor for removing and putting the seats back to no purpose.
Bad news the problem is a crack at the connector on the pump itself.
Good news, he can get a replacement pump and fit it today.
Bad news - $$$

Still love the car, it's more good news than bad news, that's the last of the known problems and the forecast is for 70 degrees and top down tomorrow :-)

FWIW - my advice is buy an SL if you 1) find a good car, 2) have a good maintenance plan (indie or DIY) and 3) put aside an emergency fund.

Two out of three won't work :-)

Gary

tsberkey

Sounds a lot like my 88 was, just not as technically advanced. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a DIY'er, especially when I move into an apartment, so I will be at the mercy of the dealer, or a good indie, if I can find one.

As for retirement, not a 2nd thought. I'm still young enough and have enough talent that I can work again, if I choose to. I want to be bored for a while, first. Then, I'll decide.

Heatwave

TSBERKEY: If you're finding it difficult to find the right car where you now live, and if finding a car isn't a Must Do priority right now, consider waiting until you move to the sunny place you mentioned ... look for the right car after you get settled.

And a coupla comments pertaining to your posts: I drove the SLK and the SL. I also drove a BMW Z4 a Nissan Z, a coupla Porsche 911s and Boxsters. The BMW was quickly stricken from my "mildly interested" list ... it just doesn't have any personality ... at least, no personality I want to be identified with. It may be a good car for a chiropractor, or maybe a dental tech ... no offense to either profession.

I really like the 911 ... had one I bought new in 1975, and absolutely loved it. Then there was a divorce and the 911 went away.

The Boxster is a great car ... truly, a great car; but it's too snug for me: I can't get my legs comfortably extended while driving ... and it's a bit claustrophobic with the top up. It's great fun to drive and has a great exhaust note.

Quality-wise, I think the Nissan Z and the Porsches beat all the others, but the Nissan Z doesn't excite me, doesn't give me any "juice" when driving it. I was leaning toward another 911.

Then the right SL came along. It was a garaged car from Florida. A lady who resided in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, bought the car new in 2006 (it's a MY '07 car) as her "winter car." Mars Red. She put only 32,000 miles on it, then passed away in 2014. Her estate wanted to unload it quickly, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time ... so I stumbled into a pristine car. Serendipity.

I've put nearly 25,000 miles on my SL during the two years I've owned it. Problems: replaced the front pulsation dampener, replaced the PSE pump. The pneumatically-operated seat bolsters quit working a few months ago ... I'll fix that one of these days. The batteries are the factory originals ... I'm replacing both next week just "because." The local MB independent service/repair guy will perform the work. Yes ... I could save a few bucks by buying and installing the batteries myself, but the local guy is a good wrench and I want to help keep him in business. The car still had the factory OEM tires on it when I bought it a little over two years ago; I replaced all four shortly after the purchase. I replaced the front bumper orange side markers with clear lenses ... just because.

In late-September 2016 I drove the car 550 miles to my younger brother's home in central Oklahoma for a road trip with him. He drives a Porsche Boxster "Spyder." He and I are both about 6' 2" ... his Boxster was too close for the two of us, so we ventured out in my SL, across Oklahoma and West Texas to Trinity Site, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

On the first Saturday of April and October, the army opens the gates at White Sands and allows the public to visit Trinity Site, where the first A-bomb was detonated, in 1945. Not much to see there, but he and I both wanted to see it. We saw it ... and enjoyed it.

We drove back to his home via Carlsbad Caverns, NM, Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, and Black Kettle Park. A day or two later I drove home to North Mississippi. The trip was about 3000 miles. It was a joy to do that much traveling in the SL. Round-trip fuel mileage was 26.4 mpg. It is a terrific road trip car. I'm thankful for the privilege of owning my SL.

I hope you find a car that gives you as much satisfaction as this 2007 SL gives me. Good luck, Mate.

tsberkey

That's an awesome find! I hope to have that kind of luck when the time comes. I will almost for sure wait until we get down there, but I want to do my homework now, so I'm ready when I get there.

Thanks for the advice and helpful tips!

Rudeney

Yes, finding the right R230 can be a challenge. They were a low-production car. Here are the US sales figures:

2003 - 13,318
2004 - 12,885
2005 - 10,080
2006 - 8,462
2007 - 6,126
2008 - 5,464
2009 - 4,025
2010 - 1,449
2011 - 4,899
2012 - 5,233

kustom2k1

I understand the apprehension, but the cost of a once 100k plus car is now 15k to 20k. You get to enjoy something that now costs pennies on the dollar. Expect to pay a little to service the car and keep it in good running condition, like anything else that was once exclusive.

You are retiring, enjoy the fact, its not your main mode of transportation and if you dont like the car you can always sell it to the next paranoid retiree.

tsberkey

That's not exactly reality for a retiree. If I spend $20K on a vehicle, and suddenly it needs $5K of repair, I don't have that kind of money to just put into it as a "cost of doing business", as I might have when I was working. That vehicle will now be worth about $10K on the market, as is. That's too big of a hit for me. I know there are risks involved, so that's why I'm doing my research now, so I don't make the obvious mistakes.

kustom2k1

You answered your own question. My advice, buy a nice Japanese made convertible. No one here can guarantee that you wont spend 10k or 5 dollars on issues that you may have to contend with. The reality of the situation from what I can gather through our interaction is that you wont be able to afford one.

tsberkey

You may be right. However, it's not like I don't have any experience with the SL; I owned one for ten years. I want to stay with MB, if I'm going to do this at all. As I said, I know there is risk. I'm simply trying to minimize that by purchasing a model with fewer risks and in the case of a known issue (e.g., the balance shaft sprocket) what to look out for (has it been repaired, does it have the suspect engine, etc.).

BlownV8

This is not the car for you based on what you are saying. It is an expensive car that requires a mechanic with access to an MB Star computer and an owner willing to pay thousands each year maintaining the vehicle unless you are a serious DIYer with good skills and access to an MB Star system. Some years could be little to nothing while other years could top $5k or more if you have multiple issues.

tsberkey

Again, that MAY be true, and that's WHY I'm starting this process SO early. I may come to the same conclusion, or I may stumble into something that is such a bargain, that I feel I can put the rest into my "repair fund". Time will tell.

flowrider99

There are some really pessimistic SL owners on this forum. Its true that an SL can have costly repair bills but so can other makes of cars. The main issue with the SL is the ABC but as long as it has been maintained regularly, i.e. fluid and filter changes every 2 years then you may never have an ABC issue.

tsberkey

Question for you: what if the ABC actually DOES fail? Does the car become ridiculously uncomfortable to drive, as though it had no shocks, or does it just mean you won't have that amazing cornering ability that you once had but otherwise, the car is drive-able?