Yup, those are the ones I plan to get. I usually buy Michelin, but recently watched the tire rack test and decided they'd be the best option. How is the road noise at highway speeds?

 

Well, every car is a little different (I have them on another vehicle as well). But the SL is the quieter of the two, and they're quieter and smother than the original run flats.
A friend once described that being in the SL was like being securely wrapped in a cocoon... you barely even hear other cars passing by at highway speeds.

 

All right, time for an update!

I picked up the car and happily drove it 300 miles home, through a monsoon. It performed beautifully, drives even better than my Jaguar, and averaged 28mpg. However, it's not without a few issues.

The first, and most obvious, thing happened while I was picking up the car. The seller opened the trunk and it somehow caught that plastic trim panel on the left side of the back window, popping it off. Most of the tabs were broken. He discounted the price by a hundred bucks and I had a new one shipped from the nearest dealer. Already replaced it, super easy.

Second: the driver door glass rattles badly when the door closes. Sounds like a previous owner might have replaced the window regulator and forgot to reinstall a screw or bolt. Dealer knocked off another hundred for that. I'm gonna have to take the door card off and have a look. Has anyone done a window regulator on a 2017+ R231? Some guidance would help (I'll be making a new thread for this sometime soon). And I guess now would be a good time to start looking for a pdf of the workshop manual.

Third, a common issue: the center console lid halves don't pop up when the button is pressed. It's annoying, but not unexpected. I'm guessing it's a weak spring that tends to snap. Will look into it.

Fourth: the sunshade in the roof sticks on the right side when I try to slide it forward, and yellow glue is visible on the edge. I haven't taken it apart yet, but I'm hoping I can fix it. If not, a replacement shade can be had for $340, and it looks like an easy job.

Fifth. As someone else already pointed out, the Harmon Kardon system's rear speakers don't work when I'm using my phone for audio over bluetooth. Will be researching that on this forum.

Aesthetically: I like the stock rims but I still plan to swap the wheels and tires for 18's, just haven't decided on exactly which ones yet. I normally lean toward OEM options instead of aftermarket when it comes to wheels. Stay tuned for that decision. Also, after looking at its booty for a few days now I think it needs a small, subtle lip spoiler on the decklid. Probably a carbon fiber one. Anyone know if JBSpeed has discounts for military veterans?

That's it so far. I didn't see any obvious problems with the engine/driveline when I did my initial inspection, but I haven't put it on a lift yet. Overall, I'm loving this car so far. It handles almost like a Miata and has more than enough power for daily driver use. And, surprisingly, I like the sound from the V6. I couldn't have picked a better car as my first convertible.

 

Congrats. Enjoy your car. Stay on top of maintenance. Change engine oil every 3000 to 5000 miles with an "approved" API SP oil.

(1) Search YouTube on removing the door card. Not hard, you just need to remove some screws under the arm rest trim.
(2) You're not going to find, nor do you want, a pdf of the factory manual. It's called WIS (Workshop Information System). Search eBay or join the BenzNinja Club. The copy from BenzNinja Club runs natively under Windows, while the eBay versions usually require a Virtual Machine.
(3) Search the forum about repairing the spring that pops the console door open or search YouTube.
(4) I would think (and hope) a Miata would handle better, but I guess that depends on where you are driving. The SL is a Grand Touring (GT) car. The Miata is not.

(Trend: YouTube is your friend.)

 

Here's a link with videos that will help with the center console door spring snag.
https://www.youtube.com/user/NorseVikiing/videos

Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

 

I have the DWS06s on my SL and really like them. I also had them on my C7 Corvette. Great all season tires.

 

I had the same wheels on mine when I got it in 2019;cracked one the first week. I bought a spare tire on eBay so I could drive it while the wheel was being repaired (and re-repaired), then I bought these 18" Mandrus Stirling Wheels. Mandrus is an OEM manufacturer for MB and uses "Rotary Forged Technology" making them lighter and stronger than those cast wheels you have. They weren't available in staggered widths however, so I reasoned that I'd be able to rotate them. I sold my original wheels and tires on Craiglist to an R230 owner for $1100. If I ever sell my car it will sell fine as is.


Dealer fixed mine under warranty early in my ownership and it has since broken again. Let me know if you find a YouTube video....
I'm in a minority of 1 on this forum but the rear speakers work exactly as they're supposed to (and exactly like the same ones in my ML400): music should come to you from in front of you, and the rear "surround" speakers simply provide ambience. If you happen to have any DVD Audio discs the effect is maximized but I find that most remastered versions of the music I listen to sound great in Dolby 7.
I agree that aesthetically the original 19" look better, but I will also admit they handled better. When I was buying my new wheels I briefly considered 19" forged wheels but I was so traumatized by the wheel damge, downtime, and driving on the spare that I went with the "belt and suspenders" approach. I rethink that all the time FWIW. Consider painting your calipers during the wheel swap.

I put a $100 Amazon black spoiler on mine last year and I really like the subtlety of it over CF. In fact I just removed it to reinstall it straighter and the trunk looks incomplete without it.

 

R231 door card removal.

 

Thanks, Jetta.

 

Here's some info on removing/installing the center console, as well a link to videos for fixing the broken console door spring.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpd...IQhJcjW_j1jRPQ

Good luck!

 

Have you attempted to view the video(s)? There's such a thing as TOO detailed, if that describes his method. Broken up into 22 separate videos, inconveniently set in random order. Closed captions switch to Spanish in one video and are translated into nonsensical **** in another. I'm up to Part 12 and the console still isn't out......

 

I found videos 19, 20, and 21 pretty useful.

 

So, for the time being, I'm not going to bother with the center console lid springs, since I hardly ever use it. However, I did have time today to fix the rattling driver door window. As suspected, when I removed the door card and peeled back the top round sticker over the access hole, I found the top torx screw that holds the window onto the regulator was loose. Thankfully it didn't fall out and into the door. The window no longer rattles, and there's no longer a gap at the bottom rear edge.

Of course, after I got the whole thing reassembled I realized I forgot to connect the cable for the door handle, so off it came again. Then on attempt #2 I dropped one of the screws inside the door, so it came off yet again. Third time was the charm, and now I have a nice, tight door.

I had intended to buy new wheels, tires, and a remote start system next week, but that'll have to wait, thanks to the super dumb state of Georgia.

Long story long: I bought the car in Florida, where the dealer made me pay $2300 in sales tax. Yesterday, with documentation in hand, I went to title and register it at the DMV in my home state of Georgia, where they don't recognize Florida sales tax, and I had to pay another $2750 to Georgia. Thus, those other upgrades will happen once I figure out how to get my sales tax back from Florida, if that's even possible.

It's so much fun my throat is hoarse from screaming at my windshield.

 

This is a bit unrelated but since you also like driving through the mountains here in NC, heard of any good Indy shops near southeast coast? The guys I used to go to sold the shop to open a donut shop worth the wife. I’m at the mercy of the MB dealer if I can’t find anyone 🙄

 

Sorry, no. I thankfully haven't needed to find a shop while on vacation up there. I can recommend a good shop in Savannah, though.

 

R231’s are aging pretty well. They are proven to be reliable cars. They are incredible value at the deprecated prices! It’s a $100,000+ car when new and well if you service it and stay on I am sure it will serve you well.
Enjoy the top down fun

 

were you able to determine if the console storage bin could be removed if you simply loosen the trim on either side, or if the storage bin door spring assemblies could be repaired in place with just the rear bin removed?

 

Thankfully mine hasn't broken yet so I don't know if it can be repaired in place or not.
I saved the link and docs awhile back in case I needed insight on a fix.
Here's a couple of documents that may shed some light.

 

I had the same idea, though I searched for a full year looking for an SL450 with ABC. I only found one 450 with ABC, and it proved to be too beat up to consider. I finally through in the towel on ABC. The vast majority of these cars were ordered by the dealerships for the leasing trade, so none of them bothered to order a $4k option that no one can see when they look at the car. Once I dropped my demand for ABC, it became a lot easier to find a good example. Mine is pretty much your car, but for the colors and the addition of soft-close doors (a waste-of-money gimmick that leasers apparently appreciate).

I live in north Georgia, with the mountains just 1/2 an hour away. Those roads don't give anything away to the Tail-of-the-Dragon. They're an absolute blast in the SL450. The SL (at least, the 450) has a very much undeserved reputation as a bit of a parade float. The truth is, this car will flat out boogie on tight mountain roads with some of the best. I had a very memorable run dicing with a guy in an S2000 with chubbies and an aggressive alignment on it, where we went on for miles without being able to lose each other. When we finally stopped to talk, he couldn't believe my car was factory stock. I don't believe that an additional 110 lbs of V8 engine weight on my front tires would have helped me any in that situation.

As to the "sound of a V8"...I'm a lifelong Corvette owner. At times, the NASCAR soundtrack can get a little long in the tooth. The more refined sound of the 450's V6 is a most welcome change...as is the 31 mpg the car gets on the highway. I think people who sneer at the mention of fuel economy must be in a different income bracket than I am. Long trips in this car are a breeze. Whoever said the AMG GTs are for crushing lap times, while the SL is for crushing continents, really hit the nail on the head.

 

Hear! Hear!

 

Thanks for the info. I'll be moving to Covington in the next couple months for work, and I'm looking forward to being a short drive from mountain roads. I haven't been able to get the most out of my cars where I am now.

After owning the SL for a couple weeks now I'm enjoying it a lot, but I can't wait to get it up in the Great Smokies and Blue Ridge with the top down.