cryhavok

Hey everyone,

I think found a nice 2005 SL55 loaded with all the options. Only thing I'm hesitant about is that it has 42,000 miles. Do you all think this is too many miles? Asking price is 49k, which is definitely very high.

I haven't had a chance to drive it yet but I plan to this weekend. Other than checking for a squeaky roof, anything else I should look out for? Thanks

okbarnett

I think you can find a lot more with a lot less miles

turborx7

thats way to high for an 05 sl65 if u like i can get u a 05 sl65 with 52miles for the same money let me know or a sl55 for way less thx steve

user z478747

......an 05 SL65 with 52 miles for $49k? Please, tell us more...

turborx7

well thats what it should got for i cant garentee it but it very possible its at the auction its a lease return white on grey leather the fron bumper lower part is cracked missing the right front fog light cover and probally a few scrathes around but like i said it should go for 49 but if thers some interest it could go up to 54

kamilclk430

42K is only good if you can get a warranty with it. The price should come down but the miles are ok, it all depends where you are buying the car out of. If it's florida or any other hot all year round state the miles are ok, however if the car is coming ot of a state that has snowy winters it should have less.

I say work on the #s with the dealer or other party, but don't forget the warranty, that is the most important thing in purchasing a SL55 or Sl65.

Good luck

Kamil

IngenereAMG

More than miles, it is really about how the car was taken care of.

If the car has service/repair records, you should go through them to see what (if any) inherent problems this car has had, or if services have been neglected.

If a car has been well cared for, miles are really of not much consequence.

speed doc

2005 sl55 Manheim numbers with mileage

11/25/09 DET METR Lease $38,750 36,223 Avg BLACK 8G A Yes
11/24/09 MANHEIM Regular $29,750 79,014 Below BLACK 8G A Yes
11/19/09 RIVRSIDE Lease $36,500 35,381 Avg SILVER 8G A Yes
11/09/09 NEVADA Lease $42,500 33,157 Above BRI SIL 8G A Yes
11/06/09 NEVADA Regular $33,500 54,613 Avg BLUE 8G A Yes
11/05/09 SO CAL Lease $39,000 36,811 Avg SILVER 8G A Yes
11/05/09 RIVRSIDE Regular $35,250 40,120 Avg SIVLER 8G A Yes


2005 SL65 Manheim numbers

07/08/09 NASHVILL Lease $47,500 53,732 Avg BRI SIL 12G A No
07/16/09 RIVRSIDE Lease $56,750 12,134 Avg BRI SIL 12G A Yes
08/28/09 NEVADA Regular $63,000 14,071 Above BLACK 12G A No
10/01/09 MANHEIM Regular $56,500 18,258 Avg SILVER 12G Yes
10/22/09 RIVRSIDE Regular $39,000 68,836 Below BLACK 12G A Yes
12/03/09 RIVRSIDE Lease $52,500 45,702 Avg PEWTER 12G A Yes

cryhavok

Thanks for the insight.

My Carfax account ran out last month and I didn't get a chance to renew it until Today. I just pulled the report and there are some red flags to me. It seems to be on its 3rd owner.

Detailed History

Owner 1 Purchased: 2005 Type: Personal Where: Pennsylvania Est. miles/year: 8,030/yr Est. length owned: 8/9/05 - 10/13/08
(3 yrs. 2 mo.) Low mileage! This owner drove an estimated 8,030 miles per year, lower than the industry average of 15,000 miles. These vehicles can be a better value.


Date: Mileage: Source: Comments: 07/10/2005 US Customs Vehicle exported from
Belgium
and imported to
Baltimore, MD 08/09/2005 1,933 Pennsylvania
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Adrian, PA Title issued or updated
First owner reported
Registered as
personal vehicle 12/19/2005 Pennsylvania
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Roanoke, TX Title issued or updated
Registered as lease vehicle
Don't be confused by the two locations in this record. The title was held in Roanoke, Texas but the car was registered to be driven in Pennsylvania.
04/14/2006 Pennsylvania
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Adrian, PA Registration issued or renewed
Registered as lease vehicle 10/13/2008 27,745 Auto Auction Sold at auction
in Pennsylvania
Listed as
a fleet vehicle
Dealers routinely buy and sell millions of used vehicles at auction each year.
10/18/2008 27,900 Dealer Inventory Vehicle offered for sale 11/04/2008 28,900 Online Listing Vehicle offered for sale
Owner 2 Purchased: 2008 Type: Personal Where: Florida Est. miles/year: --- Est. length owned: 11/5/08 - 2/19/09
(3 months) Date: Mileage: Source: Comments: 11/05/2008 Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Fort Lauderdale, FL Vehicle purchase reported 12/02/2008 Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Title #0101766187 Title issued or updated
New owner reported
Loan or lien reported
Vehicle color noted as Black 01/12/2009 30,961 Mercedes Benz of Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, FL
954-462-4381
www.mercedesofsouthflorida.com
ww.mercedesofsouthf
lorida.com Valve body replaced
Engine/powertrain computer/module checked
Maintenance inspection completed
Cup holder replaced
Parts ordered
Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed
02/19/2009 Dealer Inventory Vehicle sold 05/27/2009 35,831
Mercedes Benz of Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, FL
954-462-4381
www.mercedesofsouthflorida.com
ww.mercedesofsouthf
lorida.com Battery replaced
A/C and heating system checked
A/C and heating control assembly replaced
Battery/charging system checked
Maintenance inspection completed
Seat or seat upholstery repaired
Interior trim repaired
Engine/powertrain computer/module checked
Electrical system checked
Tire condition and pressure checked 11/19/2009 Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Title #0101766187 Registration issued or renewed
Registered as
personal vehicle
Loan or lien reported
Vehicle color noted as Black
If you are buying this vehicle from a private seller, check to be sure any associated lien on the vehicle has been paid off.
12/07/2009 Mercedes-Benz USA, Inc. No recalls open for repair SmartBuyer Checklist - I've created a checklist of specific questions for you to ask the seller about this 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG.



It is unfortunate because it really is a beautiful car...black/berry with all options including parktronic, distronic, pano, keyless go, etc.



Oh well...my search continues Anyone on the forum have an '05/'06 with low miles looking to sell?

Sunir

guys 42K miles is not bad at all for these cars...you should want a car that's driven and not sitting in the garage all the time it's not good for the seals, carbon deposit buildup, lubrication, and operations of critical engineering systems. A huge misconception is low miles = great car, not nearly always the case. Dino's right you have to look into the car's condition, usage, service records, etc...MUCH more important than miles...and you can get an aftermarket warranty as well even if the car has 40 to 60k miles...hell I've got 57K miles on mine now and love drivin it...and it's running stronger than any of the others I've driven when I first got it even though it's an '03, it's maintained impecablly and with lots of care to details..

allenjdmb

to find more 04/5's than 6/7/8's. I sold my 06 with 030 about 3 weeks ago. I wish I hadn't. I can't find a reasonably priced car to replace it with. If you want to spend 70 or 80, there seem to be cars out there. But nice cars with good history at 40ish might be tougher than you think. And I believe you're going to amplify the difficutly if you want short miles and/or any warranty of any sort.

jwrichter

In oct I bought a 2005 sl 55 with 13500 miles for $46,900, car is perfect inside and out. Extras were pano, parktronic, keyless, ect. Car needed rear tires, bought 5/70k warranty with $200 deduct for $2300. Keep looking!

user z478747

......all that damage on a car with just 52 miles? Or is it 52k miles?

I respectfully disagree in general with this statement...... Bought a 2005 SL55 last summer with just 420 miles on it and have NONE of the issues you mention. Warranties are MUCH cheaper on a car with low miles too. I have had many many cars with very low miles over the years and have experienced NONE of the issues you mention. I think it's a huge misconception that low mileage cars are problems waiting to happen as it's just not been my experience. Recently, I sold a 1978 Porsche 928 with just 1,488 ORIGINAL miles and it didn't leak from anywhere..... No electrical problems, no rotten seals and no mechanical issues what so ever; I know it's not nearly as complicated as these cars I'm just sayin.... I have bought/sold several low mileage 911s and currently have a 1995 928 GTS with just 12.5k miles and again, NONE of the issues you mention and I bought it with 8k miles on it 9.5 years ago. This low mileage = problem car misconception is prevelant on most forums and I always wonder if the folks repeating it have had first hand experience with low mileage cars? I have......

Granted, I have also seen low mileage cars that are basket cases; that's why you always check the history and do a PPI......

In my opinion, I'll take the low mileage car over a car with miles EVERY day b/c the cost to bring a tired worn car back will potentially cost more $ than the potential issues with a low mileage car.....

jrgator

Just bought a high mileage '07 SL55 and am happy with it. $139k list. Had a PPI done beforehand and of course Carfax. I then opted for the Mercedes extended warranty since it was still under factory warranty (barely).
Chuck, what part of Carolina? It's often on my mind, too, since I live in Florida and have a second home in the mountains where I'm from.

Sunir

Chuck I have to disagree. perhaps your low mile cars are exceptions. I have had experience with low and higher mile cars; however not only myself but a several very respectable buyers that I've known concur with me...now I'm not talking extremely high mile cars but rather those with "good" miles which is under the avg per year as dictated by the wholesale market. What's paramount are history, records, and related documentation - NOT miles.

If your talking about classics or collector cars; the above may not hold true I will concede that much, especially in the case of fully restored 100pt cars...

user z478747

Recently my wife and I also bought a 30k mile E55 wagon which I'm sure most would consider fairly low "good" mileage. Right? Me too but, while it is cosmetically an almost perfect car with a great history it does not drive/ride like the 420 mile SL55 or the 1800 mile CLK63 BS. I could probably spend loads of $ and bring back that new car feel/look but I could have bought a E63 wagon with fewer miles if I wanted to do that. You just cannot unring the bell when it comes to miles and wear and tear no matter how great the car's history.

Me, I will always prefer the new car feel and look so I'm willing to risk the percieved issues some have with low mile cars.

The only real classic I've ever bought was the 1978 928 with 1488 miles (it was really a rescue), my GTS was not considered a classic when I bought it as it was just 5 years old..... I'm not talking about classic cars so I'll always pursue the lowest mileage example I can find. I should be glad there are guys who think like you as it means I won't be competing with you for a car....

Broker

I don't think there's anything wrong with buying an SL55 with 40-50k miles, but I think that $49k is way too much and you can get it for a much better price.