Still haven't pulled the trigger on my "bucket list" car. I am still thinking about a Jag XK8, but saw an older Mercedes SL 500, 2 seat, hardtop but also had a soft top. I have seen some with relatively low miles and the prices seems reasonable. Any experience or anecdotal comments? Year was late 1900s or early 2000's.
Peter.

If you go for a Merc SL, look out for corrosion esp under or close to the boot/trunk & esp if it's spent time near the coast..... They're prone to rust there & a lot of original owners liked to drive them on the beach to impress the girls.

Think you'll find the ones from the late 70s & 80s at least had hollow rockers (oilway) so they tend to rattle & smoke a bit when started from cold....... That isn't anything to worry about if it quietens down & stops smoking once warm.

I'd be very interested to hear what sort of values the SLs are over there because I'd love one & they cost a bloody fortune here in Portugal!

I'd have thought the Mercs would be considerably easier & cheaper to maintain than the Jags....... Jags are fabulous vehicles but not usually cheap or easy when it comes to maintenance.

One nice thing about the current model SL's. They have great visibility with the top up. Most convertibles really are difficult to see out of with the top up.
My wife has driven an SL 550 since 2008. It is a very nice car but had some issues. Glad we had an extended warranty.
Built like a tank! SL63 is a nice step up.

I've had the previous 2 editions- not the current model. I had a (?'98) 320 SL, an '04 SL 550 and an '06 SL55. All were bullet proof. Awesome cars. The newer models with the retractable hard tops are the way to go. The 320 SL had the hard/soft combo- I bought an electric winch set up for my garage- made it a one man operation, but still a PITA. Got a lot of pussy with that car.

I do NOT recommend the XK8- gorgeous car but a pile of junk. Overweight, underpowered, piss poor handling. (My '05 S 55 was faster and handled better.) I bought an XK8 for my wife's 40th B-day and after 2 years (and under 2,000 miles) got rid of it as she wanted the SL 550.

Hands down the SL is a better car- even my wife, who is not at all enthusiast said the same. Not even close.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...

My wife just loves our XK-8 convertible.

A woman does not make three (to date )round trips from SW Idaho to St Louis, two days one way, and 1700+ miles in a car she does not like. Plenty of power, handles well, comfortable, and she says she enjoys the looks she gets from men when she drives by, especially with the top down. We plan on making our trips to StL (twice a year) in the car an annual event, as we have since 2009.

I guess the SL vs Cat snob factor outweighs the rustbucket issues.

Rich

Bottom Line: we drive what we desire and can (somehow) afford.