Slk vs sl

[Ali_D]

I have been thinking lately about a mid life crisis fun car. I have looked into an early slk350 which are selling for £6k ish, I have just noticed however that for around the same money I could get an SL - is it madness considering the bigger brother? Can anyone guide my thoughts by sharing experiences? Thanks

[Ali_D]

Thanks all. It looks as if I buy cleverly that one of these could be an option then. I might have to apply some man maths to my budget.

[Ali_D]

mikal83 said:

whats your thoughts on a comparison between a boxster s and the slk both for around 6-8k?

My original comparison list was Z4, Boxster S and SLK. The SL was a late contender. I am no nearer any sort of decision!

[Ali_D]

Dog Star said:

I've had 3 SLKs (an R170 230 and a pair of R172 250CDi) and an SL500 (R230).

At 6K you are running a huge risk with an SL and I would seriously advise against it. SLKs are another prospect entirely and much more reliable with less stuff to go wrong.

I know everything about what goes wrong with R230s, mainly because everything (except fuel tank baffles) went wrong with mine. Bought with 52K on the clock and FMBSH, it still cost me 18K (that's EIGHTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS!) in repairs in the 3 years I had it. If you've got a budget of 6K for an R230 then, seriously, you can't afford an R230.

Steer clear!

The SLKs are fantastic, the only drawback being the interior space.

Whilst I'm happy to admit the 6k buying budget is low to be wife friendly and high running costs could be tolerated, 18k over 3 years is very much outside of my acceptable range for a toy.