What Sl should I Buy

John o'malley

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Hi,I am looking for a Sl or Slk what year and model should I buy I have £14000 I do not have deep pockets for repairs.Thanks I am looking for reliability....
 

Wighty

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If you don’t have deep pockets for repairs then avoid any SL that has ABC suspension , normally the SL500 which had it as standard. Most SL350’s it was an optional extra .
Some of the 350 engines in the SL and SLK had a balance shaft issue in the 2007-2008 region . A Google search brings up the affected engine numbers .
I would think an SLK has appreciably lower costs overall ?
Some earlier SLK’s had rear subframe rust issues .
 

Blobcat

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Take an SL and SLK out for a drive and see what suits you best - I run a 09 SLK as a daily and have covered 65K miles in 4 years on 120K miles now and running nicely.

The one linked to above is very nice

A V6 SL is also a nice place to be and generally cheaper to run than the V8's

A good time of year to buy one
 

rorywquin

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If you’re just using it for a Sunday outing, I’d say SLK. If you want to do road trips I’d say SL.

I’ve had both (R172 SLK350 & current ride) and the SL is in a different league for comfortable cruising.
 

SL63 Mark

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You first need to narrow down whether you want an SLK or SL. They are very different cars. The SLK is smaller, lighter, more nimble and sporty. The SL is a big comfortable cruiser.

For your budget, I would definitely consider an SLK. They are good value for money. Personally I would be looking for a V6, or V8 AMG variant. The AMG SLK55 is a fabulous machine, but prices seem to start in the mid twenties.

If you look at SLs, you could look at the R230 SL350, or perhaps look at a very nice R129 generation SL, but they are all getting a bit long in the tooth now.

Plenty on here have gone for the R230 SL350 for a lot less money than you have.

You need to bone up on all the different generations of SL. There is a lot to learn, young Skywalker.
 
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JBell

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For your budget, I would definitely consider an SLK. They are good value for money. Personally I would be looking for a V6, or V8 AMG variant. The AMG SLK55 is a fabulous machine, but prices seem to start in the mid twenties.

Cough

 

Wighty

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rorywquin

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ajlsl600

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clk3202001,sl6002003 with everything regrettably sold ,A class 170cdi auto. NG/TF1800 ML250

SL63 Mark

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Personally I would bend the budget (If possible) because this is stunning :cool:


You know it makes sense. The smiles per mile will be immense, ;)
 

Blobcat

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Alastairp

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Personally I would bend the budget (If possible) because this is stunning :cool:

Agreed - that is very, very nice and great value for money.

I purchased a 35,000 mile silver SL350 registered in January 2012 (one of the very last?) back in February and paid £16995.

It doesn't have any of the extras that are on this one - I especially miss the DAB.

Just check the inside edge of the rear wheelarch lips for corrosion - I was shocked to find it on mine and have now sorted it out before it became apparent on the outside.
 

ajlsl600

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Alastairp

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2005 CLK200 coupe (now gone) 2011 R230 SL350 2014 C220 estate
What do you mean by GPS?

Do you mean satnav? If so, it is part of the Command system.
 

Blobcat

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R171 SLK280, Smart R451, Land Rover 110 County SW, 997 C2S, R1250 GSA TE 40th, CBR600FP
What do you mean by GPS?

Do you mean satnav? If so, it is part of the Command system.
Only Audio 20 in that one - no Comand (note only 1 "M" in Comand - for reasons best known to Mercedes...:rolleyes:)
 


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