SL350 yes or no ??

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Yamaman

Active Member
Joined
May 6, 2013
Messages
119
Car
2007 SLK280 auto/ w207 E-Class 350 CDI Coupe
Hi
I'm thinking of trading in my 2009 E-class 350CDI coupe for an SL350 of approx 2007-2009 model year , is this a good move or not ???
I've always loved SL's & always wanted one but after some research I'm hearing some horror stories amongst some of the good reviews !
I've heard they leak from the roofs badly & have numerous small issues elsewhere , is this correct ??
I'd love some feedback from owners or past owners as I'd hate to buy a dud if I did proceed
Help me PLEASE

Thanks in advance

Mark
 
As above....if you find a later 350 so much the better unless you find one which has had the engine work done or go for an earlier 350 with the older 3.7 engine which is pretty bomb proof.

Personally I would also avoid one which has been fitted with ABC Suspension.

Do the usual checks, ie central locking, roof operation, water down at the bottom of the boot.
 
SL350's are fine cars.

I run an SL350, which replaced an SL500. Both R230's

Why did I buy it to replace the SL500 ? Some fabulous technical reason? No, I knew the first/only owner, and it was immaculate /low mileage / garaged.

A bit confused by your question: are you worried about R230's in general,
or the SL350 in particular?

Simple answer: R230's are great, and will go on for ever, as long as they're maintained. You need to be careful about the damp in the boot issue - but it comes from poor maintenance, can be avoided, and if it happens you just fix it.

SL350's a fine car - sportier than the SL500 - fast enough for any English road. Yes, you use the gear box more, but does it matter? Not really.

Should ABC be avoided? Well, no question about it: ABC is better and gives a smoother, more sophisticated ride. But you'll need to pay a bill or two to keep it running sweetly. Do I miss it, well, yes, a bit, but it's a minor detail. The car's the thing.

Parting thought. If looked after, an SL350 will still be loved after 200,000 miles
 
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Personally i would go for an SL500, in fact I did! The 350 is a great car but the 500 is a fantastic car. The ABC suspension can be costly to repair but aren't most Mercedes cars expensive to repair anyway? If you want cheap motoring buy a Kia (no offence to Kia's). If you were to go for the SL500 you would get the brilliant 5.5l V8 with the 7G auto.:rock:
 
Personally i would go for an SL500, in fact I did! The 350 is a great car but the 500 is a fantastic car. The ABC suspension can be costly to repair but aren't most Mercedes cars expensive to repair anyway? If you want cheap motoring buy a Kia (no offence to Kia's). If you were to go for the SL500 you would get the brilliant 5.5l V8 with the 7G auto.:rock:

I have to agree, and I just picked one up on Friday, although the M273 engine isn't without its problems either. There's a list here of engine numbers affected. I brimmed the tank and got 24 mpg on a playful journey home.

If ABC is unavoidable, check the condition of the fluid, which is green, but up to a light/golden brown should be okay, and it needs changing. Dark brown/dirty is not good, as it will slow the hydraulic pump, and many errors result from insufficient pump pressure.

The generic roof seal problem is more of a concern at the moment, as luck plays a greater part than a good service history, but I'm looking forward to some good weather and dry roads to get to know the car better. From what I know so far, I love it.
 
Interesting reading some of the advice... all very good advice.
 
I run an SL350, which replaced an SL500. Both R230's

Why did I buy it to replace the SL500 ? Some fabulous technical reason? No, I knew the first/only owner, and it was immaculate /low mileage / garaged.

A bit confused by your question: are you worried about R230's in general,
or the SL350 in particular?

Simple answer: R230's are great, and will go on for ever, as long as they're maintained. You need to be careful about the damp in the boot issue - but it comes from poor maintenance, can be avoided, and if it happens you just fix it.

SL350's a fine car - sportier than the SL500 - fast enough for any English road. Yes, you use the gear box more, but does it matter? Not really.

Should ABC be avoided? Well, no question about it: ABC is better and gives a smoother, more sophisticated ride. But you'll need to pay a bill or two to keep it running sweetly. Do I miss it, well, yes, a bit, but it's a minor detail. The car's the thing.

Parting thought. If looked after, an SL350 will still be loved after 200,000 miles


My sentiments exactly. I have had my 2004 350 a year now with no issues other than a replacement starter battery. Again mine was a low mileage, garaged one owner car on standard suspension and a pleasure to drive in the warmer weather.

The other issue to be aware of is the SBC braking system which mine has. The pump need replacing after a set number of pedal operations, 200k from memory? but can sometimes be reset. Replacements are not that expensive in the grand scheme of things, I was quoted £1500 by a Mercedes dealer, so will be quite a bit less than that from an Indi.

I purposely bought older than March 2005 to avoid the hike in VED, and also have cover on a modern classic insurance policy at just over £200.

Buy well and you wont be disappointed :bannana:
 
Read the thread "R230 project HELP!" Are you sure you want one?
 
You get what you pay for

Read the thread "R230 project HELP!" Are you sure you want one?

The R230 Project was deliberately (I think) bought as a basket case (see thread).

A reasonably mileage (50k?) 2007 SL350 shouldn't be problematic.

Just make sure you don't buy a "50k on the clock, 150k on the engine" vehicle. (But TBH that's a bigger risk with a C or E class. A lot of SL's are run as 3rd or 4th cars or maybe just weekend cars.)
 
I wouldn't. The R129 is much less troublesome (generally...), and looks better - especially with the AMG bodykit. That said, though, it's in a different market to the R230.
 
I wouldn't. The R129 is much less troublesome (generally...), and looks better - especially with the AMG bodykit. That said, though, it's in a different market to the R230.

It's a personal thing but for me the R230 is the better looking car,, I think the R129 is too angular for my tastes but having said that is still a classic roadster .
 
It's a personal thing but for me the R230 is the better looking car,, I think the R129 is too angular for my tastes but having said that is still a classic roadster .

I have an R129 and personally I prefer the look of the R230 but I do have to be conscious of running costs so on the advice of Flowrider99 and others I've put the rose tinted glasses away and stopped deluding myself that a cheap 500 wouldn't come back to bite my backside. On that basis I think the 350 in real world driving would be a good choice. :)
 
Don't have one but have heard of the boot leaking? Maybe look into that . Good luck
 
I'm sure I saw a post on here about it recently apparenlty it can cause issues with central locking.. and make sure roof works well, hydraulic pumps etc are not cheap (cousin has issue witt SLK)
 
R230 vs coupe / R230 vs alternatives

Reading this thread again two thoughts come to mind:

1) No-one has commented on the change from the E350 CDI coupe.

The coupe has all the advantages of almost being a saloon: kids in the back, occasional 3rd adult, bigger boot, noise insulation, saloon like handling. Whereas the convertible looks great, is lighter and more nimble, has greater noise intrusion, a limited boot, and no space for occasional 3rd or 4th occupants.

2) The obvious question is what could be an alternative to the R230

What's the alternatives? Sticking what you've got (see above), or another coupe or another convertible. Put the option of another convertible (XK8, or 630i?) on the table and you've got a whole separate discussion going.
 
It's a personal thing but for me the R230 is the better looking car,, I think the R129 is too angular for my tastes but having said that is still a classic roadster .

I do quite like the R230 looks-wise (apart from 'turbine' alloys!), but the R129 is a very practical car ... with back seats and a big boot.
 
I do quite like the R230 looks-wise (apart from 'turbine' alloys!), but the R129 is a very practical car ... with back seats and a big boot.

Tell me you're kidding... The boot's reasonable, I suppose, but if the front seats are occupied by anyone much taller than Jimmie Krankie the rear seats are only for legless children.
 
Tell me you're kidding... The boot's reasonable, I suppose, but if the front seats are occupied by anyone much taller than Jimmie Krankie the rear seats are only for legless children.

No not kidding - we've driven ours 4-up a number of times with kids in the back, and 3-up is fine with an adult in the back and the front passenger seat moved forward a bit. The back seats are also useful for jackets and other clobber you don't want to have in the boot but I guess the R230 may have some space behind the front seats for this?

The boot is a very good size - with the wind blocker removed I can fit all my seminar gear in without any problem i.e.

Big old video projector
Projector table
Projection screen
Laptop case
Couple of briefcases
Files/folders/paperwork
Boots

etc.
 

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