SL buying advice
Discussion
Hi,
I'm after some advice. I've recently had a change of career and am currently in the position to be able to buy a car I've lusted after for a while. It'll possibly be an SL500, but more likely an SL55 AMG.
Thing is, these are (relatively) rare cars, and there's not much advice out there regarding things to pay attention to when viewing them. With regards to that, is there any advice you guys could offer?
I'm 90% sure the car will end up being an SL55. The reasoning being that this is probably the one chance I'll have to buy a car like this, so I'd like to make as few compromises as possible. I understand the roof can occasionally be problematic, but what are general servicing/running costs like? I'm prepared for them to be on the steep side, but would appreciate as few surprises as possible!
Thanks, in advance,
Stu.
I'm after some advice. I've recently had a change of career and am currently in the position to be able to buy a car I've lusted after for a while. It'll possibly be an SL500, but more likely an SL55 AMG.
Thing is, these are (relatively) rare cars, and there's not much advice out there regarding things to pay attention to when viewing them. With regards to that, is there any advice you guys could offer?
I'm 90% sure the car will end up being an SL55. The reasoning being that this is probably the one chance I'll have to buy a car like this, so I'd like to make as few compromises as possible. I understand the roof can occasionally be problematic, but what are general servicing/running costs like? I'm prepared for them to be on the steep side, but would appreciate as few surprises as possible!
Thanks, in advance,
Stu.
Edited by mrfunex on Saturday 20th March 18:38
Edited by mrfunex on Saturday 20th March 18:38
Thanks Cyclesi,
Before you bought your '55, did you consider a '500? I've been looking into the running costs of both over the past few days and the SL500 would appear to be the sensible choice, I'm wondering if I go for one, I'll always be left wanting slightly more... There are a few horror stories out there, but there's always a niggling doubt that the AMG model might be a short-cut to financial ruin!
What sort of things have you had to get fixed during your ownership?
Before you bought your '55, did you consider a '500? I've been looking into the running costs of both over the past few days and the SL500 would appear to be the sensible choice, I'm wondering if I go for one, I'll always be left wanting slightly more... There are a few horror stories out there, but there's always a niggling doubt that the AMG model might be a short-cut to financial ruin!
What sort of things have you had to get fixed during your ownership?
No; I only ever wanted a 55. If you buy a 500 you'll always regret it - of that I'm sure.
Maybe I've been a bit unlucky as I don't think the issue is particularly because it's an AMG. The things that have gone wrong are common to the SL not necessarily the 55 model:
Rear shocks/struts, fuel tank, exhausts, balljoints, tyre pressure monitors.
As l say, only buy ANY SL from a Dealer.
Maybe I've been a bit unlucky as I don't think the issue is particularly because it's an AMG. The things that have gone wrong are common to the SL not necessarily the 55 model:
Rear shocks/struts, fuel tank, exhausts, balljoints, tyre pressure monitors.
As l say, only buy ANY SL from a Dealer.
I'd drive both to make your mind up. I found them to have VERY different characters when testing them. The SL500 was far more of the GT whereas the AMG could play that game, but could transform rapidly into something altogether less tame whenever you want.
In terms of likelihood to get stung for big bills, I'd say that whilst you could average out every SL500 and every SL55 in production and probably accurately be able to say that SL55's on average cost more... in a one-off purchase it's really luck of the draw. If you get a good one, it could cost you nothing more than services. If you get a bad one, it could cost you a five figure sum in a year. For what it's worth, 14 months of ownership has cost me less than £1k, including 2 services, MOT, brake pads, and a battery. Cheaper than my runabout - but I was lucky in getting a good one! (Also made a point of servicing it twice as often as necessary, warming it up properly, etc)
As for buying from a dealer, I'd say that if you're after peace of mind, then getting a warranty that WILL pay out if there are mechanical issues is the important thing. Whether the car is actually from a dealer or not I - personally - wouldn't pay so much attention to. Obviously, a dealer warranty is likely to give you that peace of mind... but so can others, as can a car bought from elsewhere with the balance of an (extendable) dealer-warranty. The £5k or so I'd imagine you'd save over buying from a dealer could pay for a lot of work doing, too... All personal opinion - just a punter not an expert
In terms of things to check, lots of them already covered here. I'd add to that:
In terms of likelihood to get stung for big bills, I'd say that whilst you could average out every SL500 and every SL55 in production and probably accurately be able to say that SL55's on average cost more... in a one-off purchase it's really luck of the draw. If you get a good one, it could cost you nothing more than services. If you get a bad one, it could cost you a five figure sum in a year. For what it's worth, 14 months of ownership has cost me less than £1k, including 2 services, MOT, brake pads, and a battery. Cheaper than my runabout - but I was lucky in getting a good one! (Also made a point of servicing it twice as often as necessary, warming it up properly, etc)
As for buying from a dealer, I'd say that if you're after peace of mind, then getting a warranty that WILL pay out if there are mechanical issues is the important thing. Whether the car is actually from a dealer or not I - personally - wouldn't pay so much attention to. Obviously, a dealer warranty is likely to give you that peace of mind... but so can others, as can a car bought from elsewhere with the balance of an (extendable) dealer-warranty. The £5k or so I'd imagine you'd save over buying from a dealer could pay for a lot of work doing, too... All personal opinion - just a punter not an expert
In terms of things to check, lots of them already covered here. I'd add to that:
- Make sure the heater controls all work, especially the venting/ducting of the air - all too easy for coins, etc. to drop into the fancy mechanical system that controls that and jam some of the bits
- Check the roof mechanism repeatedly to ensure it opens and closes - if not used too often they can jam. (Always a good idea to get these oiled when servicing). Same goes for the roll-over bar.
- Make sure some pikey hasn't taken the nav-disc out to sell separately. Same goes for the rear air deflector.
- Check the height-adjustable suspension to make sure that's all working fine.
Some fantastic advice - thanks guys.
I drove an SL500 a few days ago, and it was a bit of a dog - pre facelift, with a slightly shabby interior also suspiciously missing the rear air deflector!
Going to see another SL500 tomorrow described as "A1" condition. Hope it turns out to be as such - I'll keep you posted!
I drove an SL500 a few days ago, and it was a bit of a dog - pre facelift, with a slightly shabby interior also suspiciously missing the rear air deflector!
Going to see another SL500 tomorrow described as "A1" condition. Hope it turns out to be as such - I'll keep you posted!
mrfunex said:
Some fantastic advice - thanks guys.
I drove an SL500 a few days ago, and it was a bit of a dog - pre facelift, with a slightly shabby interior also suspiciously missing the rear air deflector!
Going to see another SL500 tomorrow described as "A1" condition. Hope it turns out to be as such - I'll keep you posted!
Things I'd check aren't "lost":I drove an SL500 a few days ago, and it was a bit of a dog - pre facelift, with a slightly shabby interior also suspiciously missing the rear air deflector!
Going to see another SL500 tomorrow described as "A1" condition. Hope it turns out to be as such - I'll keep you posted!
- Air deflector plus case for it
- Sat Nav discs
- Second remote fob
- Cigarette lighter
- All the manuals (there's at least half a dozen of them - service book, quick guide, full manual, COMAND manual, dealer list, official warranty book, etc. from memory)
- Locking wheel nut key (original one will have a Merc logo on it)
- First aid kit under passenger's seat
- Emergency triangle behind the panel in the left of the boot
Whilst thinking on it... check that the wing mirrors are a true "silver" colour... if they have a brown tinge to them then the oil that's used for the auto-dimming has leaked behind the mirror. It's about £300-350 per side JUST FOR THE GLASS to replace these from a dealer!
Test the roof AS SOON AS you arrive to look at one, too. They have two batteries fitted, and the second electrical consumers one has a tendency to get under-used and need replacing/have a few electrical niggles associated with it. If the owner/garage knows about this, they'll run the car often enough not to discharge this... so it's unlikely you'll catch them out. But it's worth a try. (After a few minutes running it'll have put enough charge back in for the roof, heater, etc. to start working again).
Also, test drive it on some really bad roads - not in terms of pot-holes, but with camber all over the place, undulations, etc. I drove a couple that felt like all four wheels were completely detached from each other. The back end just "squirmed" at every change in road surface - even when pottering along in a straight line at 30 or below. Didn't show up at all on perfectly surfaced roads. Couldn't put my finger on what it was - nearly ended up with one of them as I assumed it was tyre pressures/geometry. Paid to have the geometry checked and corrected, the track rod ends/suspension checked, did the tyre pressures myself and it still felt like it was going to throw you in a hedge one day. Like I say - there were a couple I tried like this, so there's something common going on there. Managed to get one with none of this in the end - so it's not a ubiquitous thing. I can't stress testing on an imperfect road for this enough - the bad ones felt genuinely lethal on them. (These were SL55s, for info)
Would have sold ya mine if I hadn't just taken a deposit on it at the weekend.
Would have posted back earlier, but I'd had to deal with the M25 on my travels to view the car, and was consequently exhausted!
The SL500 I saw was great. I checked for all the problems mentioned here, as well as a few other niggles I'd heard about from various sites. None were present. The garage was nice, and the staff were reassuringly knowledgeable. I have to admit, I was somewhat apprehansive viewing this type of car given my age (26). The private garages I've been to have all been fine, but I'm not sure the main Mercedes dealer I popped in to took me seriously. Rather a shame...
Anyway, the car drove like a dream, (even on uneven, bumpy, off-camber and potholed roads!) It was a 54-plate with about 44,000miles in black, black leather and just about every toy they ever fitted. The only ones that are missing are cooled, massaged seats. They are heated though. The car didn't really have a mark on it apart from a tiny amount of light scuffing on the wheels, ahh well.
So I've placed a deposit! There are a few things that need to be sorted first, I've asked for a full MB inspection, and some of the tyres were close to the wear limit, so they're being replaced and a numberplate needs to be swapped over. I guess I'll pick her up in about a weeks time! Excuse the stock photos, I forgot my camera on the day!
The SL500 I saw was great. I checked for all the problems mentioned here, as well as a few other niggles I'd heard about from various sites. None were present. The garage was nice, and the staff were reassuringly knowledgeable. I have to admit, I was somewhat apprehansive viewing this type of car given my age (26). The private garages I've been to have all been fine, but I'm not sure the main Mercedes dealer I popped in to took me seriously. Rather a shame...
Anyway, the car drove like a dream, (even on uneven, bumpy, off-camber and potholed roads!) It was a 54-plate with about 44,000miles in black, black leather and just about every toy they ever fitted. The only ones that are missing are cooled, massaged seats. They are heated though. The car didn't really have a mark on it apart from a tiny amount of light scuffing on the wheels, ahh well.
So I've placed a deposit! There are a few things that need to be sorted first, I've asked for a full MB inspection, and some of the tyres were close to the wear limit, so they're being replaced and a numberplate needs to be swapped over. I guess I'll pick her up in about a weeks time! Excuse the stock photos, I forgot my camera on the day!
mrfunex said:
The private garages I've been to have all been fine, but I'm not sure the main Mercedes dealer I popped in to took me seriously. Rather a shame...
I recommend a photo of the newly purchased car sent with covering letter to the dealer principal of said dealership, cc'ed to MB UK in Milton Keynes.A bit late now, but I can echo some of what has been said...
Stuff that has gone wrong with mine has been... (Since September 2008)
- relay in boot (N/78 - presubmably damp damaged)
- heater control (not really necessary but made a funny noise)
- rear shock
- PAS tandem pump
- N/S front lower control arm
- N/S front upper control arm (I reckon the garage cocked up and changed the wrong one).
Altogether about £4300 worth. And it's out of warranty
On the upside everything else is spot on.
Stuff that has gone wrong with mine has been... (Since September 2008)
- relay in boot (N/78 - presubmably damp damaged)
- heater control (not really necessary but made a funny noise)
- rear shock
- PAS tandem pump
- N/S front lower control arm
- N/S front upper control arm (I reckon the garage cocked up and changed the wrong one).
Altogether about £4300 worth. And it's out of warranty
On the upside everything else is spot on.
The car comes with the standard warranty from the garage (which seems pretty comprehensive), but I am already looking into extra warranties to take care of anything that might go wrong with it - Warranty Direct seem the best so far - there's not much info about on them, but at least I've heard of the company. Obviously they won't cover for general wear and tear, but otherwise seems a fairly complete package.
As with all things though, I suppose you only know if these companies are any good if you've had dealings with them.
As with all things though, I suppose you only know if these companies are any good if you've had dealings with them.
ayton 1 said:
Reading the post about battery, when i start my SL55 it sometimes comes up with
conviences not active or someting like that on dash, Then back to normal after running a short time, does this look like a battery getting tired ?
Depends how often you drive it. If you drive it a good few times a week, then yep, quite possibly (especially if the battery is a good few years old). If you only drive it every fortnight, then maybe not. New battery is about £110 from a dealer. Fitting takes just a few minutes (yourself).conviences not active or someting like that on dash, Then back to normal after running a short time, does this look like a battery getting tired ?
J_S_G said:
ayton 1 said:
Reading the post about battery, when i start my SL55 it sometimes comes up with
conviences not active or someting like that on dash, Then back to normal after running a short time, does this look like a battery getting tired ?
Depends how often you drive it. If you drive it a good few times a week, then yep, quite possibly (especially if the battery is a good few years old). If you only drive it every fortnight, then maybe not. New battery is about £110 from a dealer. Fitting takes just a few minutes (yourself).conviences not active or someting like that on dash, Then back to normal after running a short time, does this look like a battery getting tired ?
Mr funex, nice spec and interior (there are some dreadful interior combos about). Congrats.
The "convenience functions" malfunction is quite common if car not used some days but will switch back on after few mins.
Had an SL65 for 3yrs now and the only thing that has gone wrong has been be very minor electrics (central locking failed twice, radio/cd occasionally not working for short time, etc).
After Merc stopped providing service contracts on AMG models (which were a great deal), I extended with Warranty Direct but have had no need to use it so can't comment on their service. I will probably not bother to renew again (Luxury Care = paid £650 after negotiating down from £850) as I believe the major components (engine/gearbox) to be fairly bulletproof and don't really want a middle man company between myself and Merc garage, arguing the toss over what is covered and what is not. Check the small print of any warranty as some have limited labour rates, low capped repair costs, etc.
Regular use is best thing for these cars.
The "convenience functions" malfunction is quite common if car not used some days but will switch back on after few mins.
Had an SL65 for 3yrs now and the only thing that has gone wrong has been be very minor electrics (central locking failed twice, radio/cd occasionally not working for short time, etc).
After Merc stopped providing service contracts on AMG models (which were a great deal), I extended with Warranty Direct but have had no need to use it so can't comment on their service. I will probably not bother to renew again (Luxury Care = paid £650 after negotiating down from £850) as I believe the major components (engine/gearbox) to be fairly bulletproof and don't really want a middle man company between myself and Merc garage, arguing the toss over what is covered and what is not. Check the small print of any warranty as some have limited labour rates, low capped repair costs, etc.
Regular use is best thing for these cars.
My SL55 has just gone in for Service B today at Vikings Canterbury. Because the car is older than 7 years it qualifies for the reduced labour rate of £60 + vat per hour. Also take your own oil when servicing the car, Mobil 1 0-40 fully synth (about £47 for 5 litres from halfords). The 55K engine requires 8.3 litres and I doubt this would be any different from the 500.
I've also experience some of the common faults:
Tandem pump.
The aformentioned convenience function issue.
Tyre pressure monitors all needing replacement
Small boot leak.
I echo the regular use being best for these cars. The car had only covered 23k miles when I bought it, and the boot mechanism was stiff and also the roof needed greasing. However after using it as my daily car it feels sooooo much better now.
I've also experience some of the common faults:
Tandem pump.
The aformentioned convenience function issue.
Tyre pressure monitors all needing replacement
Small boot leak.
I echo the regular use being best for these cars. The car had only covered 23k miles when I bought it, and the boot mechanism was stiff and also the roof needed greasing. However after using it as my daily car it feels sooooo much better now.
Edited by Gouki on Friday 26th March 12:36
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