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Looking at a 10 year old (plus) MB..

I have the same problem with short commutes and with some steep hills cycling is also out for me. So rather than the car I use a two wheeler with an engine in it. Air cooled motors warm up fairly quickly but still not quick enough as BMW Airheads are rather overcooled in the winter with the cylinders stuck out in the wind. A little insulation on the valve covers eliminates internal condensation and does raise the oil temperature if not as much as I'd like.

Unfortunately (not the main reason but one of them) the roads around here are quite congested and I honestly think the standard of driving is well below most places in the country.

I'd rather risk damage to a car than my life (see cyclist and so on knocked off frequently in a short out of town commute)
 
Fair enough.
It's so bad for cars to drive such a short distance though. Condensation in the oil, blah blah etc.
I read in some owners manual that if you drive short journeys of less than eight miles, three times per week or more, the recommendations were to change the oil four times more often. (Or expect a quarter of the engine life.)
That was a manual for a new Vauxhall Astra though, so make of that what you will :-)
Sitting down is bad for people too, although of course many people have to.

I bike in town but have my three babies for out of town trips or carrying stuff etc.

Unfortunately I have some mobility issues due to muscle issues in my legs (long story, injury related). Nothing I bother about officially (i.e. on job apps or any kind of benefit crap), but I'm on my feet 10 hours a day in work, so if I injured myself cycling, through the exercise or an accident, then I have an pretty tight employer who wouldn't pay a bean to me.

The journey I do is enough to get a diesel to normal operating temps, it's a 10-15 min drive. It'd be 1 mile as a crow flies, but there's no road or footpath that way due to a river.
 
Just to update, I've had a complete change of mind having spent the last week or so scouring CLKs and looking at specs, colours and so on.

I'm pretty set now on an SLK, but I've made myself quite a few dealbreakers...

- Must be a 320; V6 or nothing (I'll just want one if I get a 4-pot)
- Must have leather; still a few cloth seats around, which would make resale a PITA, and the ones I've seen haven't been cheap enough to justify a retrofit
- Leather must be heated; coming from a Volvo, the Mrs has allowed the change based on this condition!
- Preferably all black interior, really not keen on the custard dash!
- Colour isn't important, but I guess I'm drawn to black (as is the o/h)
- Not fussed on mileage, as long as it isn't so high it would ruin resale in future

So I guess I'm looking at 2001 onwards (as per the V6). Some silly prices out there, but I guess the market suggests £1500-3000 based on condition and mileage.

Anyone have any practical experience of these? Is the ride still pretty decent for UK roads, or is it like an MX5? Mrs hated the R50 mini (with 17" Runflats) and the Volvo is like a magic carpet in comparison, so interested to know how the SLK compares.
 
1. You are more likely to find a V6 with heated leather seats that a 4-pot.

2. Not sure if you insist on real leather (rare) or settle for Artico (common).

3. If you are after a supple ride go for the smallest wheels possible, and avoid anything that says 'Avangarde', 'Sport', 'AMG', etc, if at all possible.
 
Wrong era !

I made the mistake of buying a 2003 C270 : most unreliable and financially draining car I ever owned - BIG mistake .

This era was the low point of Mercedes-Benz quality - either go earlier and get a classic model which will be better built and more reliable , or get something just a bit newer , when quality and reliability picked up again .

Agree I had a CLK270cdi. Nightmare!
 
1. You are more likely to find a V6 with heated leather seats that a 4-pot.

2. Not sure if you insist on real leather (rare) or settle for Artico (common).

3. If you are after a supple ride go for the smallest wheels possible, and avoid anything that says 'Avangarde', 'Sport', 'AMG', etc, if at all possible.

I've found it a mixed bag with specs - really odd that there are "special edition only 20 ever made OMFG" models on the net, but they are missing a raft of buttons on the dash and look (minus a badge) no different.

I would have previously asked why a convertible would have heated seats, but since I've had them I don't think I can do without :p

As for the leather, anything that basically isn't cloth and is leather-like. Not that it makes a massive difference, but having seats that aren't sponge-like are a big practical advantage when the roof can come down.
 

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