Maybe its just me, after coming to this forum and just reading through these posts, I cant help but feel scared of this model.

I am about to buy a 2005 SL500, for what seems to be a great price

I am looking to drive it regularly on 3-4 hour work trips

I'm buying the car to drive it as daily driver, coming from a 997 911 carrera which I sold recently

In the past I have owned a 03 e55, 01 s55 and a S550 , all have never given me any issues!

Are there any owners that have some positive feedback on this car?
Any positive stories?
Anyone bought a used one and not have any major issues? (knock on wood)
They cant all be nightmares

After visually looking at the car, everything seems to work perfectly, the owner daily drives it as well.

I have not read one good thread about it

I just casually checked the forum & was very surprised to see all the problematic threads!

Maybe its all in my head....

 

Surprisingly, the people who drive these cars daily have fewer problems than the garage queens.
However, this car is the flagship of technology and sophistication, and therefore has a lot of moving parts that can and will fail.

People here on the forum are those that are looking for help, and that makes it appear there are nothing but problems with the car. Those without problems simply do not post. This skews the results.

So, expect $1-2000/year on maintenance, tires, and upkeep. Double that if you use a dealer for all service. Find a good independent shop that KNOWS this car, and avoid the dealer. Buy your parts online and save a bundle. If you DIY, you can do most things on this car (I do), and it is a bargain rocket-ship.

Positives? Great ride, great hardtop, great performance, great looks, great price used.
Negatives? Needs care and feeding to keep in shape.

 

People do post only when they have problems ))

I do keep my car in the garage, and drive it mostly in the summer, since that's the top down season
and yes, the ones driven daily do have less problems per mile driven comparing to the ones sitting in the garage.

The 2 words that will keep you safe from 90% of problems are - preventive maintenance. Since you owned already few MBZ you should know how it is with these cars.

I've owned mine for bit under 2 years, and so far all my expenses were 1 bad EIS ($900 at the dealership) and 2 new tires. Regular maintenance not calculated. So if you got your hands on maintenance - you might be just like that 1 guy who has it as daily driver and hit over 200k miles already on it.

1 suggestion on that one, since has 130k miles already - what was done for maintenance (again maintenance?). If it's all good and no codes or anything bad - why not?

Regards

 

As I said in response to the same question asked previously...

I bought a 2003 SL500 with thirty-something thousand miles two years ago. If I had researched this forum beforehand, I never would have bought it, I would have been scared silly the suspension was going to explode and cost me more than the car to repair.

But I didn't read this forum, I just bought the car after a test drive, not even an inspection (the car came with extensive service records indicating it had been well looked after, and it was a two owner vehicle, so I wasn't totally irresponsible). I knew nothing about ABC so I didn't even get on my hands and knees looking for leaks or checking the car sat level.

Since then I have had many miles of highly enjoyable driving. And other than a few routine service items there have been no problems.

Perhaps my experience is a very lucky outlier, but I suspect not. I think it would be sad to deny yourself the pleasure of owning an R230 because of what you read on the net (folks tend to post on forums only when they have a problem, not when everything is hunky dory, so the info is skewed in that direction). Yes, you should be able to handle $2K/year maintenance (it's a complex vehicle), but other than that - do the due diligence, buy it, and enjoy the car!

 

Well you do need to understand the forums are here for helping people solve their automotive issues and to learn about the car they own.

 

In the last few months, I've replaced both door handles, power steering line, alarm, and trunk soft close. In the last year, in addition to the above, I also replaced a hydraulic actuator for the roof, stereo amp, and trunk struts as well as normal fluid changes and basic maintenance. 99% of the ownership costs I've experienced have NOTHING to do with preventative maintenance.

All in costs for the above are $5k+. The SL has been dirt cheap to maintain compared to my CL. I pumped in around $10k just in the ABC system alone in the final year of ownership. There were no other aftermarket ABC options, when I owned the car, 10 years ago like there are now. I've been lucky so far in the SL but plan on changing all the accumulators in the next month. I haven't priced the parts or labor but can't imagine it will come in under $1k. I should probably pull the ABC proactively and replace with a shock and strut setup but so far there are no good options with front sway bars on the V12 models.

 

MBClassic; here's my take on 5 weeks of ownership: 2008 SL550 (Pewter/Stone Leather)

- Most beautiful car I've ever owned, including the 81' 308 I had a bunch of yrs ago.
- Very responsive handling and extremely smooth engine/transmission performance.
- Quiet when the top is up and not too windy when it's down.
- Quite thirsty as I'm averaging anywhere from 18.5 in town to around 22 mpg on the highway. I haven't taken her on any long trips yet.

Which leads me to this...

- She's been in the shop three times already (just dropped her off this afternoon) for the following:
1. Red battery error icon illuminated at two different intervals, as well as the check engine light (bad BCM, systems battery and now????).
2. Driver's door lock actuator module (lock operation is sluggish).
3. Sticky COMAND buttons.
4. Driver's seat side bolster adjustment is not working; a hiss can be heard when hitting the switch so the guess is an air line disconnect/damage.
5. Brakes were squealing pretty bad so new rotors, pads and wear sensors were installed.

BTW: This car has also has an extensive service history along with multiple ABC flushes/filter changes. She's just turned 76,000 miles so I'm really hoping for a long relationship and as long as the dealer keeps backing their product (I've had no out of pocket expenses on the above-mentioned issues), I'll keep being cautiously optimistic.

I wish you good luck in your decision.

 

Oh, boy, you do drive it slowly! I haven't seen a number greather than 15 in my city driving days (Like ever)

 

FWIW I would look at 2007 or newer.

The powertrain bump of 80hp and the new front steering rack/geometry transformed this car.

Rubber parts get old and need replacement and have little to do with mileage. I would just focus on cars with ABC replacement already done. That's according to Achilles.

 

Dont be put off by the negatives the SL is a great car. Just do the usual checks that everything works as you would on any car but the two main things in addition are to check the ABC fluid is a light green colour, if it is brown or, god forbid, black then dont buy the car. The second point is check in the trunk for any water leaks, even old leaks, as this can cause issues with the PSE pump that is under the large sponge under the trunk floor panel.

One more thing is to check the airbox drain is not blocked, the airbox is under one of the hood vents.

 

Since you have prior experience with MB's, this one should not be any different. There are way more systems to fail but if you can do your own wrenching then costs are manageable. SDS (Star Diagnostic System) is a major plus for diagnostics as well as brake work including SBC. SBC wasn't mentioned in this thread but at 130k miles the controller/pump should have been changed or is due. $1.5k or less at an Indy.

Anyway, these are wonderful cars but require more attention than most. My advice would be to go for it! It's only money!! Life is short and really short for the timid!

Attaching my maintenance history for reference. Everything is up to date except brake fluid flush. That should have been done with the SBC pump but I will work it in sometime this season .

 

Do you have any literature on the suspension changes. I did not know there were suspension changes.

 

Thank you to all!

I truly appreciate the comments and suggestions!

I never thought id have to do a ppi on this car, but I will do one just for good measure!

Yes, you guys are right, I understand the nature of the forums, nonetheless its great to hear first hand some good positive comments!

As for my other cars in the past, I always buy the seller & try to trust my gut , just like with any used older euro, I've done routine maintenance and always gotten by, so I hope to do the same with this one.

The car is silver with the red interior, absolutely gorgeous

*One quick question, how do I check the abc fluid color? I cant see to find a thread, atleast on this site (maybe I am searching wrong)
I plan to do this myself, before going through with a ppi.

 

There is a black resevoir for the ABC fluid just to the right of the engine. There is a screw cap (do not unscrew this cap) and next to the cap a pull off dipstick. Before removing the dipstick make sure the area around it is totally clean and only use a clean rag to check the fluid, you must not allow any contaminents into the resevoir.

 

To the right - if facing the engine from the front of the car. Probably best to say on the drivers (left) side of the car.

 

Correct, i was thinking of the position when you have just opened the hood.

 

Pulled the trigger and couldn't be happier, Ive owned my fair share of great cars, but this one is something special.

Timeless!

 

Beautiful. Enjoy.

 

Congrats! And you probably won't get much argument around here on the beauty and timeless styling. I think I've said this before, but from the very first R230 I ever saw, I had to have one. Well, now I'm driving the dream! My father asked me what I would do now that I have my "dream" car. He asked if I now aspired to something else or am I satisfied. I said I was 100% satisfied, but I can still lust after the SLS!

 

I've got to agree with Rudeney above. The car has timeless style and luxury appointments.
Even better it is a convertible with no fabric to wear out.

moretech

 

I am in the same position as the thread starter here.
Been thinking of buying a new SL, CL or if i dont take the chance because of the problems i might even go for an CLS or even a BMW 6 series...

Been thinking of buying a SL500 or a CL500 but the problems with the ABC suspension on the cars have so far prevented me from buying one,

Also i assume that my fellow forum members knows that the ABC suspension on the SL and CL are identical after what Mercedes told me
I have for sure heard enough horror story`s about the ABC suspension problems/issues especially on the CL500 and also on the SL500 but not so much

I even talked to a Mercedes mechanic at one of the best Mercedes dealership and mechanic repair shop and he told me that if i wanted to buy myself a problem then i should buy a CL500 or an Sl500
The problems on these cars are the ABC suspension according to this mechanic

I have no other worries about problems on these cars other than the ABC suspension

I can look for an SL350 with normal coil springs and shock absorbers suspension but then you have to be satisfied with a V6 engine

Another option is to go for a newer SL R231 but then we are talking about another price range for a dayli driver and i have not planned on spending so much money on a car i will use everyday summer and winter. I have other cars as garage queens

I have been looking at these 2 cars. Both the SL and CL looks very good and is only used during summer according to the sellers of these 2 cars

I am not fond of any of the rims used on the SL or the CL so they need new and wide 19 inch wheels that are really wide and have a wide lip at the rear wheels

Personally i do not like larger than 19 inch wheels becuse i think there are so little tire when going for larger wheels

 

**update**

Two days ago I took a 1600 mile road trip, non stop in my SL.

Yes 1600 miles!

Absolutely no issues!

Car performed perfectly, not mention super comfortable with the cooled seats and massage feature

I still cant get over this red interior!

More driving and less worrying!

 

Very nice! I just took mine on her first long trip last weekend (since ownership) and she performed wonderfully. Drove 750 miles with no issues.

 

It's easy to fall in love with this car, right? Enjoy it and don't forget to take care of it

 

I've owned my 2003 SL500 for just 2 years. It has been a pleasure to own. The previous owner maintained it well and drove it only 46,000 miles. It just went over 60,000 miles with no issues...normal maintenance...2 tires, consumer battery. I took it in this week for the annual oil change, PA state inspection, replaced the cabin and air filters. I couldn't be more pleased....if you are looking for a happy owner