R231 - SL 350/400 - ownership experience.

[peterg1965]

Hi all, its been a while and I haven't owned an MB since my GL was sold back in 2010!

I am at the early stages of looking for a new car and want a roadster, preferably with metal hard top. In the running is a Z4, but have also started looking at the R231 SL - the SLK/C is a little too small for my liking. it will be a 2-4 year old car.

The SL would mean an increase to budget but i have just started to look in a little bit of detail, and they seem to represent excellent value for money at the 2-3 year old point. I think it would be an SL350, or maybe the 400, that would be in the running.

Does anybody run one of these as a daily driver, whats the consensus of opinion on whether these are good value - reliability, cost of ownership etc?

 

[Red C220]

This is a good read to start with:- http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/175380-r231-sl350-24-hour-test-drive.html

Our SL400 is just over a year old and I wouldn't change it for anything at the moment.

At the time we were looking at all sorts including Aston Martins and Bentley Continentals. We figured out quite quickly we could buy an SL outright brand new for the first years depreciation of either of the prestige brands and in no way is it half the car.

In fact the metal hardtop sold it to me as I actually wanted to buy a coupe originally. The SL gives you the best of both world and a surprising amount of boot space roof up or down.

Real world mpg is in my sig below, that's having covered 7000 miles but our car is not a daily driver, it's our second car.

If I had the choice between an SL350 or SL500 I would have gone for the 500, in fact we originally intended to buy the SL500 but when we came to test drive one they only had a 400 available. The 400 is so capable it effectively made the 500 obsolete and is a huge improvement over the 350. If you want a V8 get the 63.

Personally I rate it as the equivalent of some cars that are almost twice the value. The SL is a bargain, particularly used, it is s fast comfortable cruiser that is absolutely at home on motorways and sweeping A or B roads. What it isn't is a sportscar in comparison to say a Porsche.

A 300 mile round trip in an SL on good roads is effortless. Driving one around pot holed lanes or rough city roads is not so appealing, I use our daily driver for that.

It turns heads in a way I didn't expect it to. I thought I was buying quite a subtle car but it's surprising how many people stare at it and take a second look.

It's wide, parking in a supermarket car park or multi story is a squeeze and this is compounded by the long doors.

The only car I genuinely considered changing it for was a Ferrari FF (which I eventually bottled out of after I looked at the cost of the brakes and servicing!), but even then I wanted to keep it as there really is nothing else like it available. At £40K used, what else can you buy that is remotely similar?

 

[carnut]

Agreed. And it's far better quality than the r230.

 

[peterg1965]

Thanks. Are there must have options? From what I am see, the desirable ones are; airscarf, reversing camera, Harmon Kardon sound, Vario roof (standard?), analogue clock (looks like Porsche sport chrono!)....

Am assuming nothing special regarding servicing? Annual as opposed to condition based?

Colour wise, standard array of blacks and silvers, I actually like metallic white or grey with bengal red interior. Are there any to avoid?

Size wise, its shorter in length than my 3 series saloon and 60mm wider, but I get the point about parking it!

 

[Will]

Hi Peter, welcome back!

Hope you're keeping well

I kept the CLK55 for 5 1/2 years in the end. You'll be pleased to know another forum member now owns it

Best wishes,

Will

 

[peterg1965]

Hi Peter, welcome back!

Hope you're keeping well

I kept the CLK55 for 5 1/2 years in the end. You'll be pleased to know another forum member now owns it

Best wishes,

Will

Hi Will,
Good to hear from you
Glad to see that the CLK55 lives on! Seems like a lifetime ago that I bought that!

 

[Red C220]

Thanks. Are there must have options? From what I am see, the desirable ones are; airscarf, reversing camera, Harmon Kardon sound, Vario roof (standard?), analogue clock (looks like Porsche sport chrono!)....

Am assuming nothing special regarding servicing? Annual as opposed to condition based?

Colour wise, standard array of blacks and silvers, I actually like metallic white or grey with bengal red interior. Are there any to avoid?

Size wise, its shorter in length than my 3 series saloon and 60mm wider, but I get the point about parking it!

In my opinion the following options are:-

Must haves:-

Reverse camera
Electric wind deflector (otherwise you're wrestling with a fly screen - this should have been standard on a car at this price point but it's not).
Air Scarf
Electric comfort boot option (this deals with the auto lifting of the roof when it's open and folded up in the boot.

Nice to Have:-

Harmon Kardon
Cooled seats (heated seats are standard).
Larger fuel tank (75 litre - give a 400+ mile range on the 400)


Stuff that doesn't really matter but is a bit of bling:-

The dash clock (I have this but there's a clock on the dash display and on COMAND so it's just an ornament).
Magic sky roof thingy (glass roof is standard with a blind - the magic roof is a polarising glass - £1800 so you don't have to close a blind basically).
The driver assistance stuff.
Ambient Lighting.

Servicing is annual/mileage and I bought a service plan for 48 months on our car from new at £40 per month.

There really weren't many colour options on SL's in the UK, it's a relatively low volume car in RHD form for MB so we get stuck with a handful of colours.

Avoid white with Porcelain leather (unless you're a Miami vice fan).

Silver/Grey and Bengal always looks good to me, it seems to suit the car, it looks classy.

Basically a contrasting interior/Exterior really works on the SL. Black on Black is bland. Black on Porcelain looks nice. White on Black works etc etc.

You might find the odd one in cavansite blue, these also look good with a light interior.

One of the members on here - C240sport97 (Sean) has a really high spec SL400 with almost every toy on it, he picked it up last year with only 1000 miles on it and he's probably better placed to judge if some of the more obscure options are worthwhile. His is also Hyacinth Red which is one of the more unusual colour choices but surprisingly works quite well.

 

[peterg1965]

Thanks Red, really useful. I read the thread that was linked, your car is stunning in mystic blue I've come across ,Sean before on here so it will be good to hear about his SL400

 

[219]

Can't speak for the newer models , but I've had my R129 300SL-24 for about a year and a half now . It has never been off the road ( 37K between the last two MOT's and 50K+ in my ownership ) - the hard top has been in my mum's garage since early 2016 : used it over the one winter and found it such a nuisance not being able to lower the roof . The soft top is completely winter proof and goes down every reasonable day , including today , last Tuesday I went to Aberdeen , roof down all the way from Glasgow , and came home through 'storm Doris' with the soft top keeping me dry .

Mine was a bargain basement car swapped for two others in a cashless deal ; I am the 13th or 14th owner : had to replace the steering wheel ( non airbag one fitted when bought triggering SRS warning ) , ignition coil a week after purchase ( wrong one fitted had failed ) ; usual things - tyres , brakes , exhaust , new battery - since I got on top of servicing she hasn't missed a beat and is used every day . Fuel economy is high 20's .

The hood is tatty , she needs paint , the front seats need recovering , central locking and air con haven't worked during my ownership , and the front seats need new covers as the leather is worn - all these things are on my 'to do' list , but this car is a long term project and there's no hurry .

Most of all , the car is FUN to own and drive , is highly rewarding to exploit the gearbox for max performance when so inclined , makes a fantastic noise wide open , and regularly gets admiring looks and comments - even though it is far , far from the nicest R129 in the land .

In some ways the car not being too precious is a good thing in that I don't need to worry about using it long and hard , or enjoying it .

You are looking at a later model , but many things about SL ownership run through every model in the range .

 

[C240Sport97]

I am delighted with my SL400 .. it's just a very accomplished all rounder.

for me, the absolute must haves were:
airscarf
electric wind deflector
panoramic roof -- standard from about late 2014

when the roof is folded, there is button to move that out of the way, this is standard equipment.

reversing camera is nice to have but if you've just finished a wet and dirty run, you can't see anything.

it's a modern rigid roadster, which is comparatively light, and surprisingly agile.

 

[nokia8800]

fairly new here and came across this page and would appreciate your feedback

was considering a 2014 350 based on it being a naturally aspirated engine which sounds nicer than the 400 turbo (personal opinion).

after reading your review on the 400 I will have another road test in a 2015 400 to make sure it is worth changing my mind from the 350.

my question is has anyone compared the 2015 400 and new shape 2016/19 400 and what is/was your feedback?

to me based on looks alone feel the new shape looks too soft and sloping bonnet from side view where as the previous shape looks more aggressive from the front and more level from side view especially with boot spoiler. reminds me of old school muscle cars which I love and guess why the previous shape appeals to me

 

[nokia8800]

sorry forgot to ask how do the gearboxes feel from the 7g to 9g (torque)

 

[Deleted member 126251]

sorry forgot to ask how do the gearboxes feel from the 7g to 9g (torque)

I had a 7g in my SLK 350 (R172) & IMO it was $h1te. Manual change down was particularly bad being very slow - when I first got it, I'd change down and because it was so slow, I thought it hadn't changed and I'd change down again and the it would drop two gears. The 9sp is really good by comparison.

As to appearance - I prefer the facelift as the 'A' shape of the grill continues down to the "air scoops". I also dislike the DR Lights in the lower part of the front - looks really old fashioned - has that style in my SLK.

The facelift also has 35hp more and a better torque band over it's predecessor. It also has other tweaks over the pre-facelift including LED lights, a better sounding exhaust, bigger brakes .....etc

However, I'm biased.

 

[nokia8800]

thanks will need to try both

regards to my question about the 7g and 9g is based on driving in normal automatic mode NOT using the shifters on steering wheel

I agree with you on the lights on the lower bumper and already know what I am going to do with them as this can be dealt with by wrapping them in black so not obviously visible

 

[Deleted member 126251]

thanks will need to try both

regards to my question about the 7g and 9g is based on driving in normal automatic mode NOT using the shifters on steering wheel

I agree with you on the lights on the lower bumper and already know what I am going to do with them as this can be dealt with by wrapping them in black so not obviously visible

IMO the 9g is way better in all respects. Automatic up and down shifting seem to happen at the right time and the power delivery is smoother. I did about 40,000km in the SLK (was my daily driver) and the only two things I disliked about it were the hard ride and the gearbox.

 

[C240Sport97]

fairly new here and came across this page and would appreciate your feedback

was considering a 2014 350 based on it being a naturally aspirated engine which sounds nicer than the 400 turbo (personal opinion).

after reading your review on the 400 I will have another road test in a 2015 400 to make sure it is worth changing my mind from the 350.

my question is has anyone compared the 2015 400 and new shape 2016/19 400 and what is/was your feedback?

to me based on looks alone feel the new shape looks too soft and sloping bonnet from side view where as the previous shape looks more aggressive from the front and more level from side view especially with boot spoiler. reminds me of old school muscle cars which I love and guess why the previous shape appeals to me

I prefer the pre facelift R231 .. to my eyes, it works well with the rest of the car. The facelift is too curvy at the front and doesn’t gel as well with the relatively blocky sides and back

I find 7G absolutely fine. I tried 9G in E and C classes and can see that it would work beautifully with the torquey 400 engine.

 

[nokia8800]

I am planning to arrange a test drive in both old and new next week and give you my feedback, to be continued

 

[nokia8800]

update on seeing the new shape 2017 sl400 (no pre facelift there) parked opposite to where I parked my car instantly thought wow that looks nicer than in the pictures looked around all good went for test drive again all good but still not over excited over the sound of turbo compared to natural aspirated.
got back to dealership parked up looked at car again from front and no matter how many times or angles I looked at it the first impression of wow was thrown out the window.
the design to me gives the appearance of the front sloping down and weaker looking and not a huge fan of the bling diamond grill and agree with you C240SPORT97 the pre facelift just looks right from all angles so it looks like the previous shape for me.

Thank you for all your feedback most appreciated

 

[Benzmanc]

Nothing wrong with my 7g gearbox, it changes instantly. When accelerating hard in manual it changes so fast you don't even feel it. i'm 18 months in with no problems, i have a recall for the air-con gas but it works fine.

 

[nokia8800]

I felt I had to share this with you as I so frustrated with Mercedes customer services (no surprise there)

I am now deciding on a 2016/17 model from 2015 which I mentioned before and just had a bad experience from 2 different Mercedes dealerships and would like to know has anyone experienced the same.

Scotland - sl400 2017, 1 owner, 8500miles fully loaded with most of the extras £36999 average trade price £32500

Been looking for sometime now everyday on the Mercedes used car search for an sl400 waiting for the right one to arrive suddenly late afternoon Tuesday saw what I was looking for and at an asking price which was very reasonable. salesperson told me as it is dark now he will send me a video of it first thing in the morning as I am in London car in Scotland.
Unfortunately someone bought it within 24hrs of it being advertised before salesperson could send me a video

Now the bad experiences

Brooklands sl400 2017, I owner 16300 miles lots of extras but not as many as above asking price £40499.00 average trade price £32000 and average £8500 mark up

Wednesday the person I normally deal with there was off this week so someone else dealt with me quite rude to be honest (Hugo).
I told him about the vehicle in Scotland and what are you prepared to do price with your stock car that I know has been there for almost 2 months telling me send him proof of the spec sheet so he can compare it to his.
I emailed him the spec sheet, followed by asking proof of price so I copy pasted email sent from Scotland with all contact deals of dealership and salespersons name mentioning if you have any questions contact them directly.
Thursday today he emails me asking for the registration and mileage of that car which I supplied him again I mention why not call the dealership and ask them.
Frustrated by now I started to right a complaint to head office only to receive an email from him making matters much worse stating their vehicles are competitively priced and do not discount their cars.
Why did he not say that from the beginning rather than wasting 2 days of my time supplying him the information he asked for. I believe he could not accept the fact his car is overpriced hence why it has not been sold in 2 months

Mercedes Truro - sl400 2016 I owner 11500 miles lots of extras but not as many as above asking price £41499.00 average trade price £28000 and average £13000 mark up

I contacted them via email Tuesday afternoon to send me details of the car and late Tuesday had email fine then calls which I ignored till the following day having a further email and calls finally taking it I questioned if his asking price is correct especially when for another £1000 to £2000 more you can buy a 2018 model and told him about the car in Scotland again he asked me to send him details of the car which I sent him guess what no calls no emails from them at all.
Thursday afternoon today I decided to contact him for an update.
He told me he was waiting for his boss to get back to him (poor excuse) puts me through to him and told me he looked into this and concluded they under priced/sold that car not accepting the facts his car is way overpriced and was not interested in doing any deal so put the phone down on him.

Why do they say if you seen a car that is similar to their one show them so they can see what they can do but have no intention to do so.
My thoughts are simply this they hope for someone who is desperate and foolish enough to pay their over priced cars.

Before you say yes they need to make a profit I agree yes they do which is one way of looking at it but I see another way to look at it that is look after your pocket for example Truro
If you new the retail price should be about £32000 but was mad and desperate enough to buy the car at the full asking price what do you think I would be offered for it in p/ex a year later probably £25000 a loss of £16500 or would you rather lose about £7000 by paying the true retail price