500SL v 320SL?

[RJS993]

Do you have an opinion?

I am considering the purchase of a Mercedes SL - probably mid 1990's but cannot decide between a 500SL and a 320SL. Does anyone have a view on relative strengths and weakesses? Also how much thirstier is the 500SL?

Many thanks

8)

 

[aspire]

SL choice

Hi

I'm hoping to be making the same decision in the next six months. Here's a link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3804-771333,00.html
that argues the case for the SL500, though I think I'm going to go with the SL320, for slightly lower running costs (fingers crossed!)

Good luck in your search. I may well be in touch to ask your experiences!

Derek

 

[ant500sl]

Depends on what you have in mind for the car, I would say.

If you want to use it as your main car I would suggest the 320. The engine and box in this are virtually the same as the thousands of older E classes on the road. This ensures all parts are readily available at reasonable prices should the unforseen happen. With a 500 it is more likely you will either be forced to pay a huge price at a dealer or have to take the car off the road while waiting for a particular used part to show up.

As an extreme example Mercedes will supply a replacement engine for around 20K a good used one will cost maybe 3k but they don't exactly keep them on the shelf at Halfords. Any Mercedes breaker in the land will be able to lay there hands on a good M104 3.2 that will fit.

In performance terms it wil still out perform 95% of cars on the road and give around 25mpg.

The 500 does however put a very big smile on your face when the V8 springs into action. If the 500 tickles your fancy its as reliable as the best Mercedes have always been, but if it does break it can be a bit harder on the wallet as well as the nerves. I went for this option and I find it very useful to have another car in reserve, just in case.

Insurance will be about the same and mpg will be around 18 to 20.

Interior trim can be frighteningly expensive, alarm and phone fitters have a habit of sticking lights and brackets right in the middle of the lovely walnut centre console. About 700 quid just for the wood if planning to return one to original.

The one model in my experience to avoid however is the sl280 should you consider one, although a relatively small car the SL still weighs in at more the the old 80's S class and the low torque coupled with a 5 speed auto box that can't decide which gear it should be in is not a pleasant experience. (This is from personal experience, I bought one like a pillock.)

Hope this is of some use. Please bear in mind it is just my personal opinion.

 

[Keith]

new owner SL320

I have just purchased a 1994 SL320 literally 1 week ago. I went for it because of maintenance costs. I already have a 6 pot E series so know exactly how much it costs to maintain and how easy it is to get spares. My MB specialists told me the 320 would be exactly the same. My experience with the E class has been very good so I want the same again.

I did look at the question of fuel and although some argue that consumption is similar I chose not to believe that. The facts and figures are available and so are the performance figures so you pays your money ...... I find the 320 plenty quick and at motorway cruising speed is quiet as a lamb like any 6 pot.

I think living in the UK with expensive fuel and relatively few R129s around then the 320 appealed. If I were in the US then I would definitely go for the V8 or even V12 as there are loads of them over there so presumabley the parts are plentiful and of course fuel cost is a non issue.

I am really chuffed with the SL320 , good luck in your hunting.

 

[kkmfo]

re your search for an SL320

For those of you seeking to buy an excellent example of an SL320 - I have one !!

1997 "P"
28K miles
Full MBSH
Exc condition interior and exterior
Green Black with Cream leather
Hard top
Balance of MBUK Signature warranty until May 2004.

I absolutely love this car but with a 9 month old baby must part with it !!

I am based in N London.
Anyone interested let me know.

 

[Keith]

What kind of money are you looking for Nick?

would be interested to know what you were expecting for it?

 

[kkmfo]

value

given dealer prices of £23-£24K for similar vehicles I think something in the region of £20K.
are you an interested party or just gauging value ?
I'd be interested to know what you think it should be priced at..........

 

[Keith]

your SL320

not really interested as I have just got mine but wanted to check whether I had got value or not.

I have looked at about 10 over the last 6 weeks in the mid teens of thousands. I got the impression this is a bad time to sell and that i was the only person viewing the vehicles so if i were you I would hold on until the sun starts to shine say March/April. The Sunday times is quite a good place for well looked after examples like yours there are always a couple in there along with the newer ones. The nearest to yours I looked at was a mint condition 1996 red SL280 with Pano roof, I haggled him down to £16k but it was still top of my price range and i really wanted the jump seats which he didnt have so I backed off but it was tough to walk away from. You know what I bought in the end and it cost me £13750 after haggling. My impression is that most sellers were having to reduce by £1k-£2k from what they had expected due to lack of demand. If it were me I would say try it at £19750 (to attract) and be prepared to take £18.5k. If you leave it you could get more in April.

Searching the internet is useful on a recent scan I pulled up about 10 of similar age but there is wide variation in prices and some of them have been on for a few months, usually well used vehicles vehicles trying to fetch top dollar and trying to compete with A1 examples like yours.

Hope that helps
Keith

 

[aspire]

Keith, I'm very interested in your experience buying your SL. Did you look at private sales, or traders, or both? Where did you end up buying? Are you experienced enough to evaluate the car yourself, or did you get a third-party inspection? Have any faults shown up so far?

I hope to be able to buy an SL320 in a few months, and I'm just trying to build up as much knowledge of them as I can.

Derek

 

[sshhh]

This is convenient.........I've just returned from overseas and am looking to buy a 320 SL - but know nothing about the marque!

Previously owned slighty "older" porsches but am getting too old myself and need something a bit more comfortable! However - from this experience I know that small independent Porsche dealers normally offer best value for money - they're genuinely interested in the cars/experience and are usually very fairly priced with warranties etc and are a well of good honest advice and help (and have good websites).

Could you reccommend a few good straight small(ish) independent MB dealers in the London area (or within 30 miles or so) so I can start looking at some examples and start building up a picture of what's available?

I'm not at all mechanically knowledgeable so would rather deal with trade (unless you can convince me otherwise) so I'm covered for any quick nasty shocks. From what is written in this discussion thread - this may be a good time to be buying so there may be a good deal or two out there!!

Thanks in advance.....

 

[kkmfo]

best thing to do is check autotrader.co.uk to get an idea of the market - I've never met a motor dealer that I would want to recommend to anyone!!

 

[Keith]

my experience buying the SL320

aspire
you asked me to elaborate on my experience of buying my SL

In terms of my expertise I have some general knowledge but get specialists to maintain my cars (i do an oil change but thats about the limit). I rely on forums like this to gen up and have an engineering background so can usually interpret what people are talking about roughly. I inspect the cars myself but rely on having good info on the key issues before hand and follow the normal rules which for me are:
- gen up beforehand by reading all the merc forums and books u can find
- look at lots before you buy 8-10 at least its amazing the experience you gain doing this
- reject any where you dont trust the seller for any reason
- reject any without FSH or with unexplainable gaps
- reject any that have visible signs of a hard life (on the SL this shows up quickly in the interior)
- test everything especially soft tops , seats and anything electrical
- always test drive and reject anything that doesnt sound or feel spot on
- only buy at a good price (its a buyers market in the winter for an open car so make sure you get a good deal then if you have a problem you've got change to sort it out)


thats about it, I have bought my current two mercs like this and its worked out. I would much rather buy from the owner as I can look them in the eye , see where the car lived , get its life story etc and just use some instinct. the last place I would buy is from some high street 2nd hand car outlet. I would consider buying from a specialist prestige car trader but would be unlikely to get a good price, they place ads in specialist merc enthusiast mags , Sunday times and other quality places like that and you get the impression they do care about their customers and reputation. One I met drove half the length of the country to bring the car to me then let me test drive alone and the car was an absolute peach, but he wouldnt move on price so I reluctantly walked.

wish I knew how to clip a pic in here of my new baby if you want to see her take a look on Benzworld.com my user name is kggkgg

let me know how the hunt is going
Keith

 

[aspire]

Thanks very much Keith.

It'll be May or June before I'll be in a position to buy, but I feel I am gaining a great deal from the forums. I've also been clipping the ads from the AutoTrader and E&M since about last September, so I'm getting a good feel for the prices people are asking.

I went to see one example at a trader a couple of weeks back as part of the learning process, and I will do as much of this as possible over the next few months. There are some examples within the MB dealer network that look tempting: 96 or 97 cars at around the £20k mark, which would have the advantage of the warranty. Outwith MB dealers, I would feel I had to get an independent inspection, and then buy a warranty too! This has to priced into the equation.

I'll continue to watch for your contributions in the forums. Thanks.

Derek

 

[kkmfo]

MB warranty

Aspire

just a thought for you to ponder on, seeing as you seem to be looking for a car similar to mine (see my earlier post on this thread for details).
My car is under an MBUK used car warranty until end May 04, and I would be offered the choice of renewing.
As far as I know the warranty is transferable on sale of the car to a private individual.

 

[Keith]

warranty

I think a 2 year warrantly if available for small cost say less than £300 would be worth it for a mid 90s SL320 as sooner or later it will need a head gasket job (c £500?) and possibly a wiring harness (£more) so make sure these would def be covered. My approach has been to cover off these eventualities by finding the car at an attractive price to start with and take the risk. On the whole I have found very few issues engine /mechanics but i have fallen foul on aircon on my E class but I am a little wiser in that dept now (who needs it in an SL anyway?)

K

 

[aspire]

Went to see another example at a trader today.

97R SL320 with 32k miles, £21.5k. All seemed OK except on the test drive, a small drip of water was coming in at the top R corner where the hard top meets the windscreen frame - it was raining very heavily at the time. Naturally I would ask them to fix this, but are they likely to find that easy?

I said that I would want to get a third party inspection, and they offered to pay for the local MB dealer to inspect it.

They were very keen to deal today, but I've already mentioned I'll probably not be ready 'til May. It's tempting, though! Only things missing were memory seats and panoramic roof - these would be nice to have, but not essential.

Derek

 

[Keith]

your 97 SL320

If you buy now you can really extract a good deal , if you buy in May then you will be competing with other buyers and expect to pay £more. I would get the inpection done, and then if ok haggle hard, try them for £2.5k less if you are in a position to buy. If they dont knock at least £1.5k off then walk away. Remember its hard to sell a 129 at this time of year, if they are keen they will move a fair bit on price. There are plenty of good 129s out there so only buy at the right price. Good luck

Was the roof mechanism working AOK?

Keith

 

[kkmfo]

leaky roof

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't touch any convertible with a roof problem of any kind.
The mechanisms are complicated and not many people (including most dealers) know how to fix them.
I have had past experience with (non-merc) convertibles where I have been quoted £'000s by a dealer to replace an electric hood, only to end up going to a specialist who fixed the problem for a couple of hundred quid - well, good enough for me to sell the car anyway.
If you get this trader to "fix" the leak he will only do the cheapest job possible, in order to get rid of the car.

The fact is, if you buy a convertible, you want to raise and lower the roof. If the roof is unreliable, it can ruin the whole experience and can be very stressful.

 

[ant500sl]

A rule of thumb a dealer once told me regarding selling convertibles in winter as opposed to summer is to reduce the price by about 20%.
Thats a big incentive to buy now, sale prices on e-bay reflect this as you actually get to see what cars sell for rather than the inflated advertised price.

The rubber roof seals on the top of the windscreen do harden with age and let in water, this is usually fixed with a smear of vaseline to bring the flexibility back to the rubber.

Happy hunting.