1996 SL 500 reliability??

[robusto]

One of my buddies is considering a 96 SL500. The car is black/black with 75000 miles, sport pack and HID(xenon) headlamps. For sale by the only owner for $27000.00

I've seen the car and it's very clean, but the price seems high to me. Is it high or just my imagination?

Also, since I've had SLs for years he asked me about the car. I had a couple 96-00 SL500 sport pack cars, but mine were new and under warranty. He wants to know if this will be a reliable car for him? Also, though I have advised against it, it will be his only car. Am I right in telling him having an almost ten year old car for an only car is not the best move?

His annual repair budget is probably $1000-2000.

I'm going to point him to this forum to read the responses.

Thanks!

[jjrodger]

$27k sounds about right, maybe very slightly high, for such a car in the used market here in the UK.

These cars are very reliable, but when things go wrong they can cost a lot to repair. Also, as the car ages, inevitably trivial things will go awry; these are no dount tolerable, but if your friend insists upon perfection, again it will cost him! Does the car have the hydro-pneumatic suspension? Apparently this can be eye-wateringly expensive if it goes kaput. Does the soft top work satisfactorily? Is the aircon OK?

The engine is bullet proof if well maintained: apparently MB has never had to replace one of these V8s under warranty.

Otherwise a $1-2k annual repair budget sounds more than adequate, especially if your friend is willing to do his own oil and filter changes.

[PHAEDRUS242]

129's are in general pretty reliable vehicles, although his repair budget is not going to cut it if he goes to the dealership (at least not my dealership). check the vehicle over with a fine toothed comb for leaks/suspension wear, etc. parts are big bucks. this is not a car for the uninitiated.

[Momo]

The 72,000 mile service is one of the expensive ones. If it has just been done, he may be OK for a couple of years. If it has not yet been done....

Momo

[a2aa]

check the a/c.

[G-Benz]

The hydro-electric top is a complicated piece of equipment...parts aren't that bad, but a dealer diagnosis and repair could be...make sure it works when operating the soft top AND installing the hardtop.

It is a reliable vehicle, but I wouldn't consider mine for a daily grind...wear items (and non-wear items) can be costly for this car.

Consider replacement costs for those wide tires, an SL brake job (as simple as a W124 brake job, but will probably charge more because "it's an SL"), and service intervals (which can be REALLY costly).

[bobterry99]

I think $27K may be a little high. He should be able to find what he is looking for for around $23K. I have a lovely '96 SL500 which is all black here in Atlanta which I am not trying to sell, but if someone were to come along and offer $24K I would let it go in a heartbeat!

I would not hesitate to rely on an SL as my only car. If your friend becomes convinced otherwise, for $27K he can own a pair of nice 300SLs or not-quite-as-nice 500SLs.

[KenSilver]

I take gentle issue with the words "costly" or "expensive" bantered around in these kind of discussions.

They are a purely subjective statement... expensive to one person means pocket money to another. In my early days of earning, "costly" would mean exactly that - now it's not so much an issue in proportion to my current income.

But it still doesn't tell me how much a repair will cost and whether I can afford it.

We need to be a bit more accurate: $2xxx for a roof, $4xxx for aircon, and so on.

We also need to consider that these cars were top of the range in their prime, and are now like a secondhand camera... the capital value has dropped considerably since new, but it still costs the same to buy and process the film as when it was first bought.

Same with servicing - you're still paying the same rates whether you car is 1 or 10 years old. Hourly fees are the same, parts are much the same price. (I've even found that older parts for a 30 year-old SL are getting dearer because Mercedes have us over a barrel - we can't buy genuine parts anywhere else).

I have long come to the conclusion that if you buy an expensive car, yacht or aircraft you need to be fully prepared to pay the price of upkeep.

These are toys for the rich, and you need to be equivalently wealthy in order to support them at any stage of their life.

Ken Silver
--------------
~1993 SL500, glistening triple black, xenons: http://www.kensilver.com/SL
~1999 SLK 230 Kompressor, silver /black, CD, immaculate (my wife's)
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey / grey leather, best in country!
~ex 350SL, 230E, 280E, MX5 and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice.

[robusto]

Guys, thanks for the replies. Very helpful!

Ken, I agree with what you're saying. I buy my SLs new and trade them before the warranty expires.

I'll find out what he decided tomorrow. I think he's going to go ahead and do it. For the record(flame suit on here) I advised him against it and suggest a lexus since he will only have one car.

[KenSilver]

Originally posted by robusto
Ken, I agree with what you're saying. I buy my SLs new and trade them before the warranty expires.

Looks like you still need to be rich - to take the depreciation slam!

Ken Silver
--------------
~1993 SL500, glistening triple black, xenons: http://www.kensilver.com/SL
~1999 SLK 230 Kompressor, silver/black leather, CD, immaculate (my wife's)
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey/grey leather, best in country!
~ex 350SL, 230E, 280E, MX5 and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice.

[elau]

Ken,
Did you have your lower panel painted to match the body color? I don't recall you have black lower panel before. BTW, the car looks great.

[ldcleve]

I think the price is a bit high for the mileage in my area. (the Midwest) I think that maintenance budget could be shot with A/C repairs, the top mechanism, or tires and brakes. That is a bear minimum budget. Maybe you should make sure a good independent mechanic is available in your area to do repairs and maybe check over the problem areas of the car.

It seems the compromise on used vs. newer ones is the newer ones have massive depreciation and the older ones have some pretty expensive items that wear out.

[KenSilver]

Originally posted by elau
Ken,
Did you have your lower panel painted to match the body color? I don't recall you have black lower panel before. BTW, the car looks great.

Thanks. Yep, had it done just a week or two after buying it, now almost a year ago. Worth every cent.

When the paintshop shop unveiled it, I just stood with my mouth open for about 10 minutes, it looked so nice.

It's a changeout I'd recommend to everyone as it dramatically lifts the style and shape of the 129 body.

Ken Silver
--------------
~1993 SL500, glistening triple black, xenons: http://www.kensilver.com/SL
~1999 SLK 230 Kompressor, silver/black leather, CD, immaculate (my wife's)
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey/grey leather, best in country!
~ex 350SL, 230E, 280E, MX5 and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice.

[KenSilver]

Originally posted by robusto
...For the record(flame suit on here) I advised him against it and suggest a lexus since he will only have one car.

(Single birthday candle )... In my mind, you're either a Merc guy, or a something-else guy.

Sure, Lexus has the mechanical superstructure, but no pedigree... everyone who knows - and most who don't - always says it's a Japanese Merc.

Nobody envies you like they do in a Mercedes.

My son is the tech director for Toyota here in NZ and works with Lexi. He even has a Windom (the rebadged Lexus) as a personal car. But he concedes everything I say about the MB adavantage, both mechanically and statusly.

Ken Silver
--------------
~1993 SL500, glistening triple black, xenons: http://www.kensilver.com/SL
~1999 SLK 230 Kompressor, silver/black leather, CD, immaculate (my wife's)
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey/grey leather, best in country!
~ex 350SL, 230E, 280E, MX5 and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice.

[KenSilver]

Originally posted by KenSilver
...if you buy an expensive car, yacht or aircraft you need to be fully prepared to pay the price of upkeep.

(Quoting myself? I must be desperate!)

Also include houses. In a magazine I just came across, the monthly charges for a US$9 million show-home totted up to US$45,000 A MONTH!

That apparently included staff, maintenance and mortgage. Ouch!

Ken Silver
--------------
~1993 SL500, glistening triple black, xenons: http://www.kensilver.com/SL
~1999 SLK 230 Kompressor, silver/black leather, CD, immaculate (my wife's)
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey/grey leather, best in country!
~ex 350SL, 230E, 280E, MX5 and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice.