Hello all,

I have been looking the past few weeks at getting a used SLK 350 roadster. I have looked at other models of the SLK (280, 55 AMG, etc). It seems that the 280 is more in my price range and what not but it seems like its going to be worth it for me to try and pull the extra money on a loan for a used 350. The 55 would be nice but I just cant swing a loan for it. Anyways I have been looking around at pricing and it seems that a used SLK 350 with about 20,000 miles is going to run in the range of $40,000. Would this be an accurate assumption? I am looking to get a 6 speed and I would like to get it in blue with the brushed aluminum mirrors and the AMG sport package. Of course finding this particular car used is a bit of a challenge but I have time to look. I was kind of wondering what you all thought of the car as a fit for me physically. I am a tall guy like 6'4" and I have driven a honda s2000 not very comfortably. Is this car larger than the S2K in the drivers seat? I want to test drive one at some point but the nearest dealship that seems to have one is about 150 miles from me.

Oh and just as a question. I found a 2005 SLK 350 in Alabama that had 42,000 miles on it. Which would be acceptable as its only 32,000. What do you all think of an 05 with that many miles on it though?

Anyways I have a ton more questions maybe you guys can help with but I thought I would introduce myself and then keep looking around the forums some more. I take it this is the place to go for answers as I have already read about oil consumption issues and other things I wouldn't have known about otherwise. I am 24 at the moment so I probably won't be trying to buy a 350 until I sell my current car (www.madhatta.com for pictures of it) and until I turn 25 which is early next year.

Thanks all,

Greg

 

Good start. "Plan your work, and work your plan". Take your time and decide what you want. Plenty of good quality "used" SLKs (all models) available. Finding a blue, six speed SLK, with brushed aluminum mirrors will be a challenge. Biggest challenge might be finding a used six speed SLK. They're fairly rare, but not impossible to find and would be my choice. You should be able to purchase a used, nicely optioned SLK for less than $40k. Regarding mileage, many used (all year) SLKs are surprisingly low mileage, less than 10,000 miles. Personally, I'd pass on a higher mileage SLK unless it was a deal I couldn't refuse. Forty thousand plus miles on other (2005 and up) cars is completely acceptable, so you decide. Regarding comfort, I'm 5'8" and I fit in the SLK fine. Not sure about fit being 6"4". Others can help you here. I would suggest electric seats, since the manually adjusted seats have limited adjustments. Good luck in finding YOUR SLK.

 

I'm in the same boat you are - looking at a new or lightly used SLK (either 280 or 350).
I'm 6'5" and drive a 2003 Z4 and I fit in a SLK with room to spare (just like my Z4).
Before I bought my Z4 (over 4 years ago) I tried virtually evey other roadster (s2000, TT, former model SLK, Boxster, etc) and I could not fit comfortably in any of those vehicles. The new SLK is the only roadster other than my Z4 in which I can fit comfortably.
That said, we're not all built the same (e.g. your leg length may be proportionately longer or shorter than your upper body) and that may affect how you fit in the new model SLK, so get thee to thy nearest MB dealership to verify that you'll fit.

 

The best time for a bargain is often in late Autumn when people are trying to sell their car rather than store them for the winter. This probably doesn't apply to Arizona but if you are going to look nation wide, it certainly applies.

 

Thanks for all the advice. The whole mercedes thing is new to me in general so any information/advice you guys have definitely helps. What I am trying to do at this point is get a feel for the prices and how much my monthly payments are going to be. I'd really rather not be paying as much as my mortgage on a car alone haha. Eventually my goal is to have that car dropped on 19" chrome rims of some sort. Unfotunately I cant find a lot of pictures with the car modified. Are there any good sites you all can recommend? Also is the suspension included with the sport package sufficient or do I need to look to like brabus or something similar to get the drop on the car? Also is there a good place to go to search for these cars besides autotrader? I definitely will be looking at buying one most likely somewhere else in the country as there arent a lot of them in Arizona and the ones that are here are automatics.

Also, how much is the extended warranty option on the car if I buy one from a mercedes delarship? Should I even look at buying one that is privately owned?

Greg

 

I haven't seen a manual transmission R-171 SLK advertised in the Chicago area in the past 2 1/2 years. Manual transmission SLK's are not very common.

 

Greg, start checking eBay on a regular basis. I see plenty of great deals on new and especially used SLKs all the time. It's not uncommon to find a used six speed 280/350 from time to time. Check the various MB/SLK forums "picture threads" for ideas/modding, etc. Tons of examples.

 

Yeah there seems to be some really good deals on ebay motors. I don't know why i didn't think of that before. What do you think though about buying one of these cars on ebay from a private seller? Seems like it might be in my best interest to try and find one through a dealer.

Also do you have any ideas one what the extended warranty costs if I got it bumped to 100,000 miles? And will Mercedes warranty one to 100k miles that they didn't sell if I am paying them for it? Some of these cars on ebay do have really low mileage and good prices. Definitely a place I'll be checkin in on.

 

The cars on eBay are from individuals, car brokers, new and used dealers. I would be more concerned with getting a quality vehicle at a good price and less concern where I got it. Extended warranty on a used vehicle is a good idea, depending on cost.

 

It's interesting that you said that b/c occassionally I would look on ebay and autotrader for SLK350's and see very few manual SLK's, those I do see, get pull from the listing very quickly. They are listed the same price as the autos. Proven that the dealers have absolutley no clue what they are talking about when they told me, I had to order my SLK b/c, a manual SLK is virtually impossible to sell and will lost it's resale value. I have not see that yet.

 

Wait you're saying that a manual 350 SLK would be impossible to resell? Seems like they get snatched up very quickly since they are so rare.

 

We know that automatics out sell six speed manual SLKs, just because the sheer volume of autos produced. Six speed manuals are rare and as a result. there is demand for them, and they do sell.

 

Greg, you may want to go to the MBUSA site and take a look at the used cars being sold by M-B dealers. I just closed an end of month deal on an '05 with less then 9k miles for $40K. The car has every option except NAV and sports suspention and comes with a 'Mercedes Certified Pre-Owned' warrenty.

End of month is a good time to negotiate a price. Some of the cars are not listed as being 'Mercedes Certified Pre-Owned' because the dealer has not invested in getting them certified yet. I recommend you ensure they do that because it does provide for a certain level of assurance on the condition of the car, adds an additional year or 100K miles to the warrenty, as well as provide you with a CARFAX report.

The dealer I purchased from is 1200 miles from my home. I plan to fly there and drive home, dealer is paying for the flight. Only a small deposit to hold the car. My flight is Monday enening, dealers shuttle will pick me up at the hotel on Tuesday morning. then a 2 week road trip! YES, I'm excited.

 

I went from a G35 Coupe to the SLK 280. I'd be interested in your opinion after you get your SLK of the two cars. I much prefer the SLK to the G35.