I am looking at buying a 2004-2009ish Mercedes SL 500 or 550.
There are plenty around with mileage between 44-60K. They can be bought from $12K-22K depending on the year and mileage.
I currently drive a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. The best vehicle I have ever owned. In 11 years I have put virtually nothing into it. So, I do not want to sell it. Plus, I need a truck to drive in the winter in NH.
Any advise on MB from that era I would appreciate.
I’m not much of a fan of the R230 SL Class cars. But, they are very cool looking.
Start with signing up on this forum:
https://www.benzworld.org/forums/r230-sl-class.34/
Read a lot but seriously consider the R129 (the predecessor to the R230). After all, if you are tooling around in a 20 yer old roadster its doesn’t have to be a rocket ship.
You might reconsider buying a Mercedes Benz. Basic maintenance is very expensive. My Dad had one in the late 1980s and the 30,000 check up cost almost $1000 in 1987 (I remember that year because he showed me the bill and a friend had just bought a Chevy 350 block for $600.). My step mom had a 300 in the mid 1990s and basic maintenance cost her about $2000 a year. Lastly, a friend had a early 2000s SL500. He only had it for several years because yearly check-ups were costing him an arm and a leg. He said he didn’t want to wait until he had a real maintenance issue.