Hi my 16 year old daughter has beenasking me for an SLK 350 or 280 ever since her and her boyfriend went to the dealership and there she found a 2005 SLK 350 with 33,000 miles. The dealer is asking $35,000. Her boyfriend and her came home yesterday thinking it is the greatest deal ever. They must think that $35,000 is just growing in my garden and that its a perfect car forher first car. I told her maybe an older SLK that way the inscurence is not so high and it would be cheaper.Forless she could getan older AMG. Is an SLK a good car for a young girl?

 

I would defenetly not recommand you to buy that car for her unless you got that type of money to spend on insurance, and other stuff for a 16 year old, but what i would suggest is to purchase her an slk 230 (00-02)if she wants a MB for her first car,
good luck on everything btw im 17 and been getting pulled over alot for driving a MB ( if your young and got one your ganna get pulled over), so get ready to pay some tickets also!

 

Thats what I was thining. About 00-02. 03 the newest and 99 the oldest. Also was thinking about having her wait untill she is 18 and getting her something newer. What SLK do you have? Do you like it?

 

My daughter got her SLK230 when she was 15 and she loves it and she's 18 now, no regrets. I would not get a 16 year old any $35K car but your financial situation may be different than mine. Personally, the new SLK has lost it's shine and my dealer was offering them for $10K off sticker. Used ones are selling for way less than 35K, heck you can probably get a brand new SLK280 for$35K. Whoever told you thatit's a good deal is smoking good stuff. These cars should sell in upper twenties, $30K tops. Even then, doesnt' matter what kbb says, they are notmoving so they sell to the highest bidder. Friend of mine hasa perfect '05 SLK350coming off lease in January, buyout is $31K, he has about 25K miles and I wanted it originally but it's too high now, let the leasing company eat it. I've started seeing some SL500's for $35K in that year range. Now that's got more high school bling appeal than any SLK, haha.

 

ha ha. An SL 500 for $35,000? 03-04 I have seen them around. None where I am thoue. I told her a couple of times that for a little less she can get the 01-03 SLK 320 or even a 32 AMG But we will see what comes around.

 

When I wrote that, this car was available at a local used car lot buy it had since sold.

http://www.ocpabi.com/index.asp?Larg...amp;CarID=3050

You can easily get SLK32's for that price but I don't know if that's the right car for any 16 year old. Kids that age don't know how to control speed, the only thing they know is they get a rush out of mashing the go pedal but don't have the experience to manage what happens next. Even an SLK350 is a bit fast for a kid.Our main street is 6 lanes wide and makes for some nice over 100mph driving in the middle of the nightfor the sub-18 crowd. At least once a year a kid gets killed and there's flowers and a vigil. Not to be insensitive, but they should put the wreck at the accident site as a warning to others.

An 01-04 SLK320 or SLK230 are nice cars and you can probably get 2 for 35K. I know the SL500 has a V8 but suprisingly it's not as fast a car as an SLK350.

 

Even a cursory perusal of the SLK forum should convince you that these cars are fraught with problems. I have had a 99 SLK 230 for 3 years and it has been the most problematical carI have ever owned, even with meticulous TLC!.

 

Any and all MB's are "fraught with problem", isn't that what endears people to them, the close bond between man and machine and mechanic. I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Mechanics may see these misbehavin' machines as endearing, but how many people who buy a car for fun find high maintenance a
fun thing? I love to tinker, tune, tweak, and take TLC ofall my cars, but this one has been ridiculous!

 

Check out Luxury Motors out of Chicago and other areas. This is where i just got my 06280. They have a 01SLK230 with 22000 miles on it. Red with two tone black and biege interior, nice car, they asking 17895. Check their website for photos and details. They are a large internet dealer. Good luck.