300 or 500sl

[fstbmw1]

Hi all. I am looking for a 91-92 SL. Beside the obvious greater gas consumption and power, are there any advantages to buying a 500Sl over a 300Sl. Any minuses or plusses on either car would be greatly appreciated from a BMW driver wanting to switch to MB. Regards![/list]

 

[Keith]

Depends on the state of your wallet

I went through the same decision about 5 months ago and ended up with an SL320 which I am very happy with (so far).

My conclusion was that if money no object then the V8 has the performance and the better engine noise (very important!) but also has higher fuel consumption and servicing costs.

I would advise you look at a number of examples and drive them to compare it will also get you familiar with prices and condition (there are plenty out there). If the car is for weekend fun only and you have the dosh then the V8 is obviously the one to go for. If its a daily driver and you want to watch the cash then I would go with 320 or 300-24v. If you do go for 6 cyls then make sure its a 300-24v or 320 which are both the same power (220 bhp). The 12 valve 300 and the 280 are not exciting enough to drive in IMHO. For info I have measured the fuel consumption on mine (and I drive for fun!) I get 26mpg pretty consistantly.

good luck (Benzworld.com is a good website with a dedicated forum on the SL)
Keith