Mercedes have a reputation for building some of the finest convertible cars in the world, and the new SL is no exception. In fact only one thing stops me off rushing out and buying one. The price. At nearly £60,000 for a new the SL350 and £70,000 for the SL500 it’s going to exhaust all but the chubbiest of piggy banks.

 

But there is an alternative, buy the previous model. Launched in 1989 you can pick one up for Ford Fiesta money and even the last of the breed represents a hefty £25,000 saving.

 

What ever your budget these SL’s are beautifully made and 150,000 mile examples should feel fresh in the cabin and supportive in the seats. But beware of cars with small engines, lowly spec and dodgy colours they are less the Mercedes legend and more the Cheshire nightmare.

 

Powered by a range of engines from 2.8 to 6 litres, the pick of the bunch is the 5 litre V8. Producing over 300bhp it propels the car to a top speed of 155mph and cracks 60mph is in just over 6 seconds enough to upset most Porsche Boxster drivers.

 

But the SL isn’t all about speed, with soft suspension and automatic transmission the car is more Grand Tourer than sports car. Travel at high speed, roof down, wind deflector up and you’ll appreciate how civilized it is. On a crisp autumn day when clear blue skies tempt you, but thermometers dissuades you, the SL is one of the few convertibles you can drive without fear of frost bite.

 

Interior space is excellent, the large supportive seats, electrically operated on all models are supremely comfortable and the largish boot handles soft bags easily, although the wind deflector takes up space when stowed.

 

Revolutionary in 1989 the electric soft top is still a good car park gag, triple lined and with a glass rear screen it is good enough to handle the worst of the British weather all year round. All cars came with an aluminium hard top as standard; most owners fit them in winter, a two person job due to its size rather than weight.

 

It’s important to check both hard top and soft top carefully, particularly the seals. If the hard top is absent then the car is probably an import, expect to pay several thousands of pounds if you want to replace it.

 

During the cars 13 year shelf life the SL underwent continual enhancement the most significant in June 1998 when the 4 speed auto was replaced with a 5 speed auto and both ESP (Electronic stability programme) and rear child seats became standard. Some owners change badges, lenses and wheels to make the car look newer than it is, always check with a main dealer to establish the cars original build date or you could end up paying for a car that’s older than it looks.

 

Despite its luxury car credentials, running an SL shouldn’t break the bank. Cars at the cheaper end of the price range suffer virtually no depreciation and specialist insurers can make a huge difference to premiums. Servicing on older cars can also be trusted to specialist non franchise dealers without hurting resale values.

 

The biggest expense is likely to be fuel, at 1770KG the SL is not a light car, but drive it gently and you can nurse 25mpg from the 6 cylinder models, expect 18-20mpg from the V8 SL500 and around 12mpg from the most powerful AMG and V12 versions.

    

 

Check the following

• Servicing – Despite bullet proof build quality cars must be serviced

• Alloys – AMG wheels if fitted look great but are easy to kerb and expensive to replace.

• Panoramic glass sunroof – An option on later cars, nice to have but don’t pay a premium 

• Insurance – group 20 on all models so shop around for the best quote

• Soft top – folding when wet can mark it and cause stains

• Rear exhaust – back box prone to rust

• Rear child seat – More cosmetic than practical, standard after June 1998

• Xenon headlamps – standard on post June 1998 SL500 models

• Colours – SL values are colour sensitive, pay less for white cars and cars blue or brown interiors

• Hard top – a stand is available to store the roof when not in use

• Seats – electrically adjustable but the very useful memory function is an option on most models

• CD – Boot mounted CD standard on all cars after June 1998

• Keys – Check the car has a full set as they are expensive and difficult to replace

 

The one to buy 

 

Mercedes Benz SL500

1998 ‘S’ with 40,000 miles and full Mercedes Benz service history

Pay £26,000 at a dealer or £23,500 privately