SLK55 - High Mileage??
Discussion
Looking around the used market there are a couple of 1 owner 100k SLK55’s - just wonder how they fare at those sorts of miles?
Looking on SLK World and some of the owners over the pond seem to report exceptional mileages with no real issues, just wondered if that was the same in the UK?
Assuming all servicing is up to date is there much to be afraid of when considering a 100k AMG?
Si
Looking on SLK World and some of the owners over the pond seem to report exceptional mileages with no real issues, just wondered if that was the same in the UK?
Assuming all servicing is up to date is there much to be afraid of when considering a 100k AMG?
Si
As you say, all depends on how well it has been serviced and looked after. If it develops coolant in the oil or some such problem then they'd be very large bills trying to find the cause. That happened to my previous one which was a 2005 and had been treated much worse than I at first thought. Not looked after at all well. Probably better to spend as much as you can and get a good one. I'm not sure I'd want one without a warranty now. Mine has about 14 months left. Like most cars - they're great when everythings working.
Not model specific, but old age (10+) and higher miles (100k+) will have an effect on suspension bushings etc, which will make the vehicle feel older. The mileage shouldn't really affect the engine if it has been well looked after, but I would always budget for a part-suspension rebuild just to make it feel newer.
GG
GG
GG33 said:
Not model specific, but old age (10+) and higher miles (100k+) will have an effect on suspension bushings etc, which will make the vehicle feel older. The mileage shouldn't really affect the engine if it has been well looked after, but I would always budget for a part-suspension rebuild just to make it feel newer.
GG
Agreed.GG
Also, Mercedes specific; note that the engine mounts have a limited life - they are the same fancy oil-filled design as my E500, where one shat its seal around 85k miles. Quite expensive to replace.
For the engine, the harmonic damper can get floppy (requiring replacement) and also the seal on the magnesium breather covers degrade over time (cheap fix but requires messy and time-consuming prep and reseal. 16 spark plugs too!
You want to check if its had the tranny fluid replaced too.
Not a lot goes wrong, all things considered.
There seems very little information to suggest the buying of a high(ish) mileage SLK with a comprehensive service history would be too much of a gamble? Suggestions of the engine/chassis combination being so under stressed that its likely to ever cause too much of an issue.
Early cars have expensive brakes but there do seem some options to avoid this now, valve cover gaskets can leak but this is a relatively simple repair to change it out for a new design, other than that I am struggling.
With regards to running one without a warranty, a few people have suggested that an AMG product is likely to be one of the few cars you could run without a warranty and sleepless nights??
Will keep you posted, have found another example I am interested in with lower mileage so we'll see.
Si
Early cars have expensive brakes but there do seem some options to avoid this now, valve cover gaskets can leak but this is a relatively simple repair to change it out for a new design, other than that I am struggling.
With regards to running one without a warranty, a few people have suggested that an AMG product is likely to be one of the few cars you could run without a warranty and sleepless nights??
Will keep you posted, have found another example I am interested in with lower mileage so we'll see.
Si
jke11y said:
There is one local to me on Gumtree for sale currently that has done 137.k.
It's a beaut, isn't it? 
I fully recognise and understand why higher mileage examples (of any car) cause buyers to be a bit twitchy. Just not something that I really consider as a negative, as long as there's plenty of proof that the car has been serviced regularly, looked after properly and clearly not run on a budget.
As I see it, in any car's life one or more of the owners is going to be unfortunate enough to get bolted with all the typically big bills. I made sure when I bought my 55 that all the potentially expensive fixes had all been seen to (gearbox flex plate, brakes, engine mounts, working airscarf etc) within recent years. One could buy a 60k-mile example and reasonably expect to face paying for any of these things during ownership.
Sure, my car isn't worth as much as a lower mileage example, but I paid less for it in the first place.
Would I have more fun in a lower mileage car? I really can't see how I would, to be honest and the (at least) £5k I saved paid for my Bornite Sportline W201.
My 55 feels as tight as any I've driven and better than most, on its adjustable H&R coilovers.
The SLK55 package is actually quite simple, considering the performance capability, and the reason I bought one instead of an SL55 (which genuinely would have me jittering, wondering where the next wallet-raping was coming from).
I think they are stonking value for money, performance per pound. A 5-litre Griffith with similar miles to mine would be expected to fetch way more and I don't think they're half the car that the 55 is.
(I'm a big TVR fan and I've owned a Griff 500 so I feel qualified to make that comment
)TL:DR - There's not necessarily anything wrong with a high-mileage car, as long as you do your homework.
Thanks for your input, after lots of deliberation I have ruled the SLK55 out. I think it’s an incredible feat of engineering however for a ‘weekend’ car which for me is what it will be, the 7 speed auto just won’t offer the driver engagement I am after.
Ideally I would go out and buy a VXT or Elise but the compromising nature of either car means it won’t see as much use as it could, particularly by Mrs Sit if I am at work.
Still blown away by the noise they make and the points you make about a high mileage car applies across the board but the search continues.
Si
Ideally I would go out and buy a VXT or Elise but the compromising nature of either car means it won’t see as much use as it could, particularly by Mrs Sit if I am at work.
Still blown away by the noise they make and the points you make about a high mileage car applies across the board but the search continues.
Si
I recognise that - it took me quite a while and a good number of miles of playing about to get used to the gearbox, its different modes and how to work it best.
The grunt and torque help mask any embarrassment at finding yourself in the wrong gear at the wrong time.
Granted, it's not the first word in refinement and ultra-quick changes.
I could forgive it pretty much anything, for the noise it makes
The grunt and torque help mask any embarrassment at finding yourself in the wrong gear at the wrong time.
Granted, it's not the first word in refinement and ultra-quick changes.
I could forgive it pretty much anything, for the noise it makes
SiT said:
Thanks for your input, after lots of deliberation I have ruled the SLK55 out. I think it’s an incredible feat of engineering however for a ‘weekend’ car which for me is what it will be, the 7 speed auto just won’t offer the driver engagement I am after.
Ideally I would go out and buy a VXT or Elise but the compromising nature of either car means it won’t see as much use as it could, particularly by Mrs Sit if I am at work.
Still blown away by the noise they make and the points you make about a high mileage car applies across the board but the search continues.
Si
The 7 speed gearbox would have driven (pun intended) you mad as it's so dam slow. The newer 9 speeder a huge improvement but only in the SLC - no V8. Ideally I would go out and buy a VXT or Elise but the compromising nature of either car means it won’t see as much use as it could, particularly by Mrs Sit if I am at work.
Still blown away by the noise they make and the points you make about a high mileage car applies across the board but the search continues.
Si
Prices are getting daft too on the assumption that the 55 will one day be a classic!
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