Does age matter when buying a used Merc?

[Oli1]

Hello All
I'd like to buy a used mercedes SLK (old shape) as my next car and have a choice between a 2003 model and a 2001 model both at 75k mileage. The difference in price is £3,000 and the 2001 is within my budget. Is it safer to choose the newer model or should i be ok with the older one because 'it's a Mercedes' and make sure it has a full service history?

Any comments gratefully received as I'm new to buying used cars
Thanks

 

[JEZ.S320L]

Hi Oli1, welcome to the Forum.

Lots of factors involved here. Others will advise, I'm sure.

 

[MBDevotee]

I don't think 2 years on a 6-8 year old car is in the least bit relevant.

More important is service history, condition, "feel" of the previous owner or dealer selling etc etc.

Drive them both, see which feels "tighter" and better and drives better, and then unless there is a major reason not to, buy the older cheaper one because £3000 difference seems about £1500 too much to me!

You say there is £3k difference, but what are the actual prices, and are the spec's the same?

 

[st4]

The old R170 SLK rusts. A newer one may have less of that but on a car like the SLK, condition is more important than age.

 

[PeterCLK]

If you do a search on here ref. galvanising you will get more detail as to when Mercedes re-started to galvanise each model. It was mainly during 2003 so the 2003 may just hit or miss it.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Pinpointing the dates of galvanizing SLKs

If you do a search on here ref. galvanizing you will get more detail as to when Mercedes re-started to galvanize each model. It was mainly during 2003 so the 2003 may just hit or miss it.

If you can note the VIN number of the newer car, you can look it up on the Russian Web site that Malcolm refers to. That will give you the build date which you can then compare with research on when these cars began being galvanized.

It really would be worth having a galvanized car as lots of Forum members with SLKs have evidence of rust, which is a great pity but realistically, it won't get better. I don't think that the date of galvanizing these cars is sufficiently well known (or its significance sufficiently widely recognized) to have an effect on prices (yet). So, if you know the facts, it puts you in an advantageous position when buying.

 

[PanzerMcGrory]

Potential SLK buyers always appear on this forum just as the last potential SLK buyers thread has dropped onto page two.

If you look on page two of this area you will see more help on the subject with the usual nonsense thrown in usually from me.

 

[television]

Does age matter when buying a used Merc?

You can be very old when you buy one like me

 

[PanzerMcGrory]

Does age matter when buying a used Merc?

You can be very old when you buy one like me

you will have less rust.

 

[Micman]

Does age matter when buying a used Merc?

It does help if you are over 17 with a full driving licence.

Also, if you are buying from a main dealer the older you are the better... they will take you more seriously! :lol::lol: