SLK200 dilema

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pricega1

Member
Joined
May 6, 2008
Messages
48
Location
Lincolnshire
Car
2014 SLK 200
Hi,

I haven't posted for quite some time having sold my C180 Kompressor. I'm now in a bit of a dilema. My Wife and I are about to turn 50; she has a VW Lupo and we've been thinking of changing it or just buying, what her late Father would call a 'hobby car'. Not you understand referring to any car in particular but the concept of a third car, a car which you would use now and again, probably bringing it out in the summer. So today we went out and found an SLK200, (having looked at an MX5, Audi TT, Honda S2000)very good condition for it's age, two owners, below averge miles. It seemed to fit the bill in every way, the optimum choice of all we looked at. Now my Wife doesn't do alot of miles, 2 to 3000 a year so it's difficult to justify buying it, although we do like the car and the thought of the pleasure of owning it. So the question is what is your experience in matters such as these, how have you justified purchasing such a car either as a second or third car?
 
Two questions:
  • Do you want it?
  • Can you afford it?
If you can answer yes to both of those, that's all the justification you need. :)
 
No pockets in a shroud and life is too bloody short:D Sorry if that is a little blunt and direct:eek::devil:

If it feels good just do it. With the condition its in - just perhaps run it for the summer - no one says you have to keep it forever. Garage it over winter on SORN and sell it again in next spring.
 
go for it.

nothing more fun than the motor you buy for fun, rather than one you have put up with.

garantee it will do more than her usual milage
 
Two questions:
  • Do you want it?
  • Can you afford it?
If you can answer yes to both of those, that's all the justification you need. :)
in answer to the first point, we're perhaps too practical, which creates the dilemain the first place! But yes it would be nice!!
The second point, yes we can afford it!
 
No pockets in a shroud and life is too bloody short:D Sorry if that is a little blunt and direct:eek::devil:

If it feels good just do it. With the condition its in - just perhaps run it for the summer - no one says you have to keep it forever. Garage it over winter on SORN and sell it again in next spring.
Good point! no not too blunt mate, spot on!
 
TBH I had my SLK200 just for a year.. in the end the lack of practicality was what swayed it for me. I do very little mileage and it's sometimes difficult to justify having a car at all, but I love to drive and the sense of freedom it brings.

Before the SLK I had a C200, now I'm back with a C230.. it just wins in practicality terms.. if I had the option of owning 2 cars, I'd love to have kept my SLK for summer, and keep the C230 for winter.

For me it's no brainer.. no matter how little mileage you do in it... my SLK certainly gave me some great times.
 
If you think you'll enjoy it and as you say, you can afford it, why not??

My advice?

Go for it!!! :) (you can always sell it when (if!) the fun wears off!)
 
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in answer to the first point, we're perhaps too practical, which creates the dilemain the first place! But yes it would be nice!!
The second point, yes we can afford it!

Get a 350 or 55, then. Bugger being practical, as SWMBO said:)
 
Go for it. I just parked my MX5 up and got an SLk 350 No comparison. The mx5 is fine if you like go karting and dont mind going sideways in the wet. My MX5 is history in June (leased)
 
Here's a short story for you regarding two people of the same sort of age as the OP...

My wife was always one of the many people who treat a car as a means of transport, nothing more and nothing less. Traditionally she would drive no more than 4k-6k miles per year and owned a typical small euro-hatch. In 2007, at my suggestion :devil: she changed her car to a MINI Cooper S. This was the first car she'd ever owned that had any real performance potential and while it was entertaining to drive in the right circumstances she never really had any sort of love for it. As far as she was concerned it was still a means of transport, albeit a quite rapid one.

In 2009 I suggested she try out an SLK. She did, and she was quite taken by it. So taken, in fact, that she ended up buying an SLK350 :rock: This is the first and only car she's ever owned that she actually enjoys driving. Unsurprisingly, I enjoy driving it too :D In the eighteen months she's owned it we've done 16k miles in it. It gets used by both of us at weekends, and we've already had one holiday to the south of France in it, and one touring Spain. It's a cracking car and has fired an enthusiasm for motoring in my wife that she never had.

You've already answered MOCAŠ' questions in the affirmative so my advice is an unqualified "go for it". If you're worried the car will turn out to be a garage queen that doesn't get used you'll be in for a pleasant surprise. I guarantee you and your wife will spend more time on the road together than before and that you'll spend the time you're not driving it thinking of great places to go and other "excuses" for taking it for a drive :thumb:
 
Mrs Ted is 55 and has an SLK 200. She loves it.
I am 56, and need something much more practical, so I have a CLK 320 convertible.

And for when we throw caution to the wind, we go out on the motorcycle.

Age? You can be as old and sensible as you want.
 
I am 67 pushing towards 68. Just had 3 years in an MX5 Now its going to be as many years as I have left driving in my SLK 350. They can bury me in it LOL
 
I know this is an MB forum, in fact I joined to get the low-down on SLKs, my partner quite fancied one, liked the styling of the older ones and thought the tin top would make it quieter. Anyway, we tried MX5, SLK, audiTT, A4cab, Boxster, CLKcab, and Z4.

She ended up with the Z4, the older SLKs were a bit rusty and cramped, the newer ones seemed overpriced, the MX5 was uncivilized, the TT had too many driven wheels, the A4 was lovely but the CVT box is not known for its reliability, the CLK feels quite big, the Porsche was tempting but a little flashy.

This is for a first car, we just can't be bothered with practical. Testing all those cars was almost as much fun as owning one in the end. I think you should buy something for the fun of it. We did 170 miles yesterday, top down, sun shining, belting along with 80s pop music at the top of our voices. It was a blast.
 
I know this is an MB forum, in fact I joined to get the low-down on SLKs, my partner quite fancied one, liked the styling of the older ones and thought the tin top would make it quieter. Anyway, we tried MX5, SLK, audiTT, A4cab, Boxster, CLKcab, and Z4.

She ended up with the Z4, the older SLKs were a bit rusty and cramped, the newer ones seemed overpriced, the MX5 was uncivilized, the TT had too many driven wheels, the A4 was lovely but the CVT box is not known for its reliability, the CLK feels quite big, the Porsche was tempting but a little flashy.

This is for a first car, we just can't be bothered with practical. Testing all those cars was almost as much fun as owning one in the end. I think you should buy something for the fun of it. We did 170 miles yesterday, top down, sun shining, belting along with 80s pop music at the top of our voices. It was a blast.
Excellent reply! Thankyou!
 

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