SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Car parking .......
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
From: Midlands, England
SLK 230
Car parking .......
Hi,
I suppose this thread is really aimed at those that use their SL as an everyday machine.
I presently have an old SLK and I have to say carparking is becoming more of a nightmare. Here is the UK it seems car parking space is becoming smaller and smaller especially in multistoreys (maybe they think we all drive minis!) and many a time I set off an hour early just to be able to manoeuvre in a car park and find a space and then when i manage to find a space I just about manage to get out of my car - and I am very slim! I was wondering if SL drivers face a similar problem especially as it is a bigger car - firstly is manoevring in a car park a problem or is the steering good in tight spaces, secondly is it tricky to park in the gaps which they provide and thirdly is it tricky to actually get out once you have parked? Has anyone found any good ways around this?
Would appreciate people's thoughts.
I suppose this thread is really aimed at those that use their SL as an everyday machine.
I presently have an old SLK and I have to say carparking is becoming more of a nightmare. Here is the UK it seems car parking space is becoming smaller and smaller especially in multistoreys (maybe they think we all drive minis!) and many a time I set off an hour early just to be able to manoeuvre in a car park and find a space and then when i manage to find a space I just about manage to get out of my car - and I am very slim! I was wondering if SL drivers face a similar problem especially as it is a bigger car - firstly is manoevring in a car park a problem or is the steering good in tight spaces, secondly is it tricky to park in the gaps which they provide and thirdly is it tricky to actually get out once you have parked? Has anyone found any good ways around this?
Would appreciate people's thoughts.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 287
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From: Central California Coast
2004 SL55, 2005 E500 Wagon
Answer is location-specific
I can't help you much, nor can anybody from this part of the world. Here in the colonies, the SL is not a large car (it's actually smaller than average), and it's easy to find places to park.
If it's hard to park an SLK in England, how does anybody park a 745, S-Class, any kind of Bentley, Audi 8-series, etc?
Jim
If it's hard to park an SLK in England, how does anybody park a 745, S-Class, any kind of Bentley, Audi 8-series, etc?
Jim
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
From: Midlands, England
SLK 230
A good question..
Jim...That is also a v good question. I saw a massive Audi the other day - so long that it took up nearly two car parking spaces in length and i thought jesus how do u park that. Clearly in the US they allow for big car parking spaces - it must be a UK thing. Here they believe in cramming as many cars as they can into the smallest space and therefore give us hardly anything to park.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,703
Likes: 5
From: Arizona
SL55AMG, Ferrari 348, Ferrari Testarossa, Ferrari F40, Ferrari Mondial t, Ducati 916, Indycar
Whenever I drive in Europe I notice that the size of the spaces are incredibly small. I usually rent an Audi A4 or an Alfa 156 which aren't tiny, and maneuvering in those teenie tiny spots (especially in Monaco), is tough....but doable.
I am so neurotic about door dings that I would probably go nuts with my cars in Europe. But I will have to say that with all of my visits...no rental has received any door dings. The overweight Americans in their SUV's just burst open their doors in the US and don't care what they hit!!
I am so neurotic about door dings that I would probably go nuts with my cars in Europe. But I will have to say that with all of my visits...no rental has received any door dings. The overweight Americans in their SUV's just burst open their doors in the US and don't care what they hit!!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,447
Likes: 14
From: UK
SL55 AMG
Yes, there's much less space over here and I will not park any of my cars in a multi-storey car park; it's not just the size of the spaces but the tight manoeuvring required to get between levels.
Parking spaces in the US are much more generous to suit the larger cars but as you say, getting a 280 pounder out of one on each side takes some doing...
Parking spaces in the US are much more generous to suit the larger cars but as you say, getting a 280 pounder out of one on each side takes some doing...
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
From: Midlands, England
SLK 230
Phew...
Well I am glad I am not the only one that has trouble in multistories. I began to think it was my driving. I usually try to park on a flat car park but nowadays they seem to becoming less and less as more land is being taken over for development and hence more nd more multistories seem to be stringing up. Also even the flat car parks seem to be giving less space nowadays - must be a profit thing. It really does make me dispair as it is not just the parking but trying to actualy manoevre the car into the gap going up the levels in the first place. Almost makes me think about getting a smart car!
