SL : R129 vs R230

[Merc fan]

Evening all. I'm curious. I am now into my second week's ownership of an R129 SL500 and I absolutely love its comfort and waftability. It's clearly not a sports car but a boulevard cruiser par excellence and just what I was after. I was wondering if any of you had driven both an R129 and an R230 (its replacement) and if, by virtue of such cars as the SL55, the SL changed focus to become more of a sports car when the R129 was replaced i.e. more sporty and less comfortable seats, harder suspension and less of a cruiser?

Any thoughts?

Happy weekend all.

James

[r129sl]

I have driven both: my own r129 SL500 for 6 years and 120k miles, my brother's r230 SL500 for a couple of weeks and maybe 1,000miles and the dealer's brand new r230 SL55 AMG demonstrator for about 20 very fast miles.

I thought the two SL500s were quite similar. The r230 is a bit more "modern" in the way that modern cars have become less comfortable and more pointy while at the same time being less feelsome. That said, it was hardly a totally different experience. You sit lower and further back in the r230, the bonnet feels a lot longer, the track wider and the car harder to place. It feels a bit stiffer, body shell-wise, too, but again the r129 is pretty well-sorted in that department. The r230 was definitely slightly slower than the r129 with the same motor and I prefer the five speed transmission in the r129: the gear changes are discernible in a good way. The r129 feels more of a mechanical object. The r230 makes a silly noise which I imagine gets wearing.

The SL55 is remarkably fast. I blew off a sports motor bike coming down a slip road onto a dual carriageway. Even at 140mph the acceleration is relentless. Again, the same lack of feel. I would quite like one: I think it is the one to have.

I am biased in favour of the r129, of course, but I genuinely think it a super motor car for covering long distances fast on all types of road. I'm hoping mine will last my lifetime because I have yet to find a car I would rather own.

[bolide]

"The r230 is a bit more "modern" in the way that modern cars have become less comfortable and more pointy while at the same time being less feelsome"

Great description of modern-car-itis

Couldn't have put it better myself!

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

[r129sl]

Thanks Nick. Now when are you going to get a nice fully loaded w124 E320 estate in smoke silver over mushroom leather with a/c, heated front seats and 7 seats for me?