Buying a used SLK

[bernieg]

Just joined forum. Hi everybody!

Considering buying a used SLK200 or 230 (1996-2004) and have a few queries:

1. Is it considered a reliable car?
2. If anybody owns one, would you buy one again, given your experiences of
it?
3. What's the fuel consumption like? By comparison, my last car was a 1990
auto 1.8 Audi 80.
4. What is tiptronic?
5. Do all have air conditioning? Is it obvious that it is present from the dash
controls?
6. What was the original manufacturer's cd player? Was it Blaupunkt? I have
looked at a few and they all seem to have Pioneer units.
7. It had a face lift in 2000. How can you recognise one of these? Is it
through the indicators in the wing mirrors?
8. What is the difference between 'urban', 'extra urban' and 'combined' in fuel
consumption-terminology?

Is there anything on the web-site about buying a used SLK?

BTW, if anybody is interested, I can recommend an excellent new independent Mercedes specialist in West London. The guy used to service my Audi 80 for several years and is first-rate.

Many thanks in advance.



bernie

 

[gpilko]

I've got a 99 SLK 230, great car in my opinion. To answer your questions:

1. Yes, I've had it about 18 months and, other than routine servicing, spent less than £40 on it.
2. Yes, I would buy another one, I'd go for a facelift (>2000) model with the tiptronic box as you just can't drive the standard auto like you want to. Nice for gentle crusing and v. smooth but not up to much when you want to push it.
3. I'm getting about 30-35 doing 60% urban driving.
4. The Tiptronic lets you change gear yourself if you want - like a sequential box, but can still be used as a standard auto.
5. No, ones with aircon have an 'EC' button with the heater controls
6. Not sure - mine had the standard 'Audio 10' mercedes unit.
7. Yes, indicators in the wing mirrors, fully painted bumpers (<2000 have a small unpainted section on the very bottom of the bumpers.
8. I'll let someone else do a much better job of explaining this one.

HTH

Guy.

 

[marnix]

Hi Bernie,
I have a SLK 230K with a tipronic box 52 reg.
1. It's very reliable. Just make sure that the electric roof retracts in one smooth opetation. No stopping or hesitating at all during the operation(and the same in reverse).
2. I would certainly buy another one but the new model this time
3. With my 230K tiptronic about 30-35 MPG
4. Tiptronic is an auto box that you can overide by moving the selector left to go down gears or right to go up gears
5. The aircon models have a button on the dash with the aircon symbol on it(you press it to swith it off as it is automatically on)
6. The factory fitted Cd player is an Audio 10 made by Becker for Mercedes since 99 models
7. The face lift models have the sills in the same colour as the body. The earlier models have black sills.
8. Urban means in town. Extra urban means motorways and national speed limit roads. Combined is simply an average of the two combined
I hope this is helpfull

 

[mlc]

I would agree with all the above with one exception - fuel economy. We have a 97 230SLK which is auto. The only none service item so far is a failed seal on the auto box, apparently a known fault. The part was sub £20 but we had a gearbox service at the same time and spent around £250 in total.

The worst fuel consumption we ever had was 18 mpg over a weekend that included testing the top speed across North Wales, and yes it certainly indicated the claimed top speed. The best we have had is around 30, but in the main we achieve around 25 mpg, it depends which of us use it. To put that into perspective we each achieve about the same in the SLK as we each do if we use our other car, a 2 litre Petrol Mondeo.

Would we buy another - yes, we would have two if we didnt need to own a five seater. Would we buy the new model - hard to say - it seems at the moment that you either have a lower powered 200 or a more epxensive bigger engine. If we had won the £77 million last Friday then the SLK would have gone, but only because we both love the SL, which is currently out of our price range.

Mark.

 

[mercman_1]

Yes Yes Yes! had mine seven years now, Total spend 1-Set Tyres £405
1- ATF+ filter £170
1-Battery £60
4-Services £210-£320

 

[Tony]

Who's the West London independent?

On the subject of SLKs, I don't think they can be classed as reliable cars. I've had a 320 bought new in 2001 and I don't think, in 25k miles, 2 replacement cats, various electrical problems, body fit problems and incipient rust can be acceptable for what is a relatively expensive car. The experience is exacerbated by the fact that the dealers are absolutely and utterly useless and also very, very expensive - I've tried several dealers over the years. Daimler Chrysler have a cartel in the South East and you can no longer get a fair price on servicing or parts. The depreciation is also very high, which admittedly works in your favour if you're buying secondhand.

If you're determined to buy one don't get the pre-facelift model. The seats are atrocious and the interior quality is a joke. Also don't expect the "tiptronic" to change gear when you tell it - needs time to think.

 

[clk200]

West London sepcialist is George Fraser.

 

[bernieg]

Thanks for all the replies

Thanks for all your replies.

There's some really good info here.

I take it the R170 is the 1996-2004 style and the R171, the latest.

Just out of interest, where did you buy your models. Somebody said I could obtain the cheapest buy by going to a 'fleet auction'. The thought of going to an auction strikes fear into me!

I used to get my Audi 80 serviced by a guy in West London.

He was a Mercedes technician with HR Owen but has now set up his own business; the workshops are very impressive. He's a really good bloke and very straightforward to deal with, a hard worker and doesn't charge crazy prices. His details are:

Marwan Abouwaked
MercsOnly
Unit 2-3
Boston Business Park
Trumpers Way
London
W7

Phone: 0208 606 9333



bernie

 

[996jimbo]

Just out of interest, where did you buy your models. Somebody said I could obtain the cheapest buy by going to a 'fleet auction'. The thought of going to an auction strikes fear into me!

British Car Auctions is probably the largest auction company and a lot of fleet car companies dispose of their fleet cars through them - check out

www.british-car-auctions.co.uk

You can pick up bargains but not so much now as everyone knows about them. You can also pick up real dogs - generally the only preparation for an auction is that the car is washed and polished.

 

[stu99]

Recently purchased a Sep 2002 SLK 200; best car I've owned in 28 years of driving.

I generally drive at the speed limit and get 31 to 32 mpg on a peri-urban commute to work. Economical motorway driving is in the region of 36 mpg.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

i had a 2002 manual 200. the gear stick came off as the clip holding the unit together came loose. it was amusing watching the mechy attempting to get the car in reverse. 2 mins to fix and not a big issue. just soemthing to look out for.

the 2000 facelifted cars had aluminium dash facias as opposed to the fake carbon, and looks better for it.

 

[stevew]

SLK320 Problems

Who's the West London independent?

On the subject of SLKs, I don't think they can be classed as reliable cars. I've had a 320 bought new in 2001 and I don't think, in 25k miles, 2 replacement cats, various electrical problems, body fit problems and incipient rust can be acceptable for what is a relatively expensive car. The experience is exacerbated by the fact that the dealers are absolutely and utterly useless and also very, very expensive - I've tried several dealers over the years. Daimler Chrysler have a cartel in the South East and you can no longer get a fair price on servicing or parts. The depreciation is also very high, which admittedly works in your favour if you're buying secondhand.

If you're determined to buy one don't get the pre-facelift model. The seats are atrocious and the interior quality is a joke. Also don't expect the "tiptronic" to change gear when you tell it - needs time to think.

I can only second tony's experience with my 320 - two cats, two rear coils, the 'fly by wire' accelerator mechanism, and the latest item to add to the tale of woe is the ECU. I turns out that they probably did not need to replace the fly by wire as it "looks as if its the ECU". Of course the Mercedes dealer is not willing to refund the un-necessary item that was fixed even though it did not need fixing (400 GBP down the tubes) and now they want 1000 GBP plus labour to fit a new ECU - but are not prepared to say whether that will fix the issues I am having (misfiring and reverting to emergency drive mode) - on a car that is four years old - very disappointed and very unlikely to buy another mercedes. Every dealer bill seems to amazingly come to 400 GBP at least - and the list of items they would LIKE to replace would total about 3,5k GBP

 

[nine468]

Hi .
Im looking to get a "my 02" 320SLK BUT am now worried that the cat,s will fail....
Is this a common fault with them.?? As i DONT want to have to fork out £1000 for fixing them..
Also is there nowhere that we can get aftermarket ones from...IE a free flow cat..????
Ta
Dave W.