2003 Mercedes SL500 review - In 3 minutes you'll be an expert on the SL500
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
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2003 Mercedes SL500 review - In 3 minutes you'll be an expert on the SL500
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Hi, this is Joe Tunney at Infiniti of Kirkland bringing to you a comprehensive catalogue of hundreds of great vehicles from throughout the automobile industry. Although we specialize in Acura, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, sports cars, SUV's and of course our beloved Infiniti product line, we also like to carry and review exotic cars from time to time like Ferrari, Dodge Viper, turbocharged all-wheel-drive cars like Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru WRX, as well as affordable vehicles that fit into every budget. For 2014 we are going to make a point of reviewing everything we carry, demonstrating for you the interior and exterior features and condition, the wheels and tires, trunk space, as well as an overview of power, technology, economy and driving characteristics to give you factual information as well as information unique to this particular vehicle so that you can enjoy a more intelligent shopping experience without ever having to step onto the lot.
A little about me. I have been the manager at Infiniti of Kirkland since 2004 and prior to that I ran a high end car boutique in neighboring Bellevue, Washington. For my career I have sold over 10,000 cars so I hope to bring you far more insight than you might ever know to even ask. I show you in some videos how to see if a car has been in an accident, how to make a great buy on a car with a bad Carfax, or why I wouldn't personally buy a car even if it has favorable reviews. Every once in a while I'll even have a little fun to keep the videos fresh but I want to make certain you know that you can always email me at joet@infinitiofkirkland.com if you ever have any questions or feel I have made a mistake or used poor judgment or poor taste.
I am truly thankful for the hundreds of thousands of views and more importantly, perhaps much more importantly, I am honored to have been viewed in over 200 countries around the world. We all are ambassadors for the things we believe in regardless of where we were born and from my little corner of the world here outside of Seattle, Washington I want to express my sincere gratitude for you having invited me into your home, your place of work, or for simply taking a minute of your valuable time to listen to what I have to say. Maybe we will never meet face to face, but I am forever in your debt for giving me the opportunity to share with you the things I have learned. 2003 Mercedes benz sl500 reviews. 2003 mercedes benz sl500 review.
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If anybody is still thinking about buying an early SL500, this was my experience with a 2003 model. I bought the car in 2009 with 35K miles. Drove it 12K miles over a four year period. The results: Depreciation - $16K : Repair costs - $16K, It was a great car but it cost me $32K for the privilege. My advice : If you must have one, make sure to buy an extended warranty.
Great advice Bob...high profile cars out of warranty can be an adventure and although extended warranties are expensive on them, the peace of mind alone is worth it.
12k miles.?.16k repair costs?.that's unusual, as my friend.has had 30k.miles with only wearable.parts.needing.replacement,.costing 2k. Did you use a dealer?
I have my own mechanic who is excellent and honest. The major problems concerned the ABC hydraulic suspension system and the folding roof mechanism. That is about $9K right there. Many repairs were covered by my extended warranty which cost $4K for 3 years.
@@boblacks945 "hydraulic suspension system and the folding roof mechanism," those are the two big hiccups on the SL and they go out a little to often for most people's taste...and they're expensive, real expensive. However, if the last person just fixed them both and you buy the car for today's prices, which are nothing, you might have the steal for the ages.
I owned a 2003 SL500, looked at 9 before I bought it. The schedule maintenance was carried out by mercedes any non schedule items were sorted by myself.
They are great cars as long as you keep on top of everything. I know where all the failures were likely to happen and you can do a lot to prevent problems.
Things to look out for are, don't buy one that has had lots of owners, the more owners it's had the more likely one or two of them have tried to run it on the cheap.
Get on with the lowest mileage you can find.
Make sure it's got a full mercedes service history, that way you can check that everything has been maintained as it was supposed to be.
Buy on that's been under extended warranty.
If you're not a car expert have it professionally checked out!
Happy motoring!
Hello! I bought an '05 SL500 about 3 years ago. I put new tires and front brakes on her. PS pump was starting to go, put that in. Cabin battery was weak, put that in. Cleaned her up and she's been one of the most reliable, and FUN, cars I've ever owned! Yes, an inspection is a must. Mine came from LA, Calli. Beautiful vehicle, a few rock marks but that's fine; she's not new. My top and ABC work well. My car has NOT been hot-rodded or abused, as far as I can tell. EVERYTHING works quite well, even the A/C. With all repairs, She has cost me about $17,500 TOTAL. Best money I ever spent on a car. 79k on the clock, she's black with the same color interior as the one shown here. Mine has some AMG upgrades from the factory; MB said she stickered at just under $102,000 new. Now I have a supercar for under $20k!!! Her name is Lola.
That is awesome Michael...you are a true car expert!
That tip about clear coated paint versus dull paint inside the hood is a great tip! I learned something.
The R230 pre-facelift generation is my favorite Mercedes SL front facing. They never managed to pull off that awesome look ever again.
They should have kept this generation's design.
I hate those reviews where they're just trying to sell the car!
+ali al-dujaili I really didn't need to make a video for this car since it was so cheap, good looking and had fantastic low miles. It was such a beautiful car though, that I wanted to make a video of it to remember it by. I've seen it on the road a few times lately and it still turns heads. That car will always turn heads.
Getting mine in March payed 15 000$ with 100000km on it super clean can't wait
Has it been a costly headache? Lol
You don't have to slam the trunk shut, it self closes! Just close it easily.
Every time I hear “potential reliability problems” and “expensive to replace” my heart sinks 😔🙏
🥺😳👍😉👏
The most beautiful version of the SL imo.
0:31 “in 200 and ThREee” voice crack😂
This car with red leather interior looks the absolute business.
tavi921 I agree. I'm normally not into red leather, but I saw it in the SLR and I was hooked on the spot.
Thanks for the review I have an SL500 Designo. I really love it but repairs are very expensive. A front batterie is $281. But the ride and looks of this car are amazing.
nj4cool I know there are costly headaches with a car like this but eye candy this sweet for the price of an Elantra is too hard to pass up.
Don't know how this video makes you an expert on SL500
This is my dream car.
When I was 17.
I love this model.
One of the best looking cars ever made...even today they still look great.
I want this rn, im 21, starting to keep money
don't like the mention of the guy who cleaned the wheels not once but twice... especially when it can't be seen on camera. why did you not just clean them & re-shoot the video. . to me bad taste Joe...
David Duran 🐀 he's a rat
or he should do it himself
I just got a 2003 sl 500 and it came off the lot with brand new hydraulics for the roof so it should last me awhile. If there's any problem with this car it's the electrical aspect. Some switches are a little out of order but what I have learned is when u fix them on your own it will last longer then just repairing it back to what didn't last the first time. On the other hand it has an outstanding engine with great sound, sensitive road feel, responsive gas pedal and steering wheel, amazing handling, and powerful brakes. The best mix you could ask for; luxury, sport, and muscle. This car makes a real statement when driving and has a style represented no better than just straight class...
How's everything going with the car
damn dissed the detail shop baby lol love the SL
Even after all these years I still love that car Canna Sutra...maybe even more than ever before
Be careful with these cars as the suspensions can be very expensive to repair and service.
Joe T.the salesman: "Wheels are original" .. Bruno Sachi, The SL500 designer, would be abhored!
For an "expert" on the SL, you didn't mention anything about checking the boot seals. It's the number one reason for failure of the roof electronics which are located in the boot (sorry, 'trunk' for you yanks).
I just found your site. Great, I have a ‘09 SL550 that I love. More power than this ‘03 you show here. We have had an ‘06 CLS Launch Edition and now have a ‘14 CLS550 as well. I love my ‘09 SL550. I will drive it for many years to come. After all, Class is Classy… This car drives like a million, and that is how I feel when I drive it.
Thanks,
Steve S.
I love this guys' total honesty with this vehicle. p.s. These cars are nightmares, especially the hydraulic suspension and convertible top.
Thank you so much for taking a look Ron, I appreciate it!
Excellent video. You were very thorough and explained things extremely well (what to look for & expect). Considering a low-mile SL because I just love the body style. Thanks for the video .
Anthony Riche One of my favorite cars and compared to other luxury cars, they cost almost nothing....but they're expensive when things break, really expensive.
Thanks for that tip. I will definitely take that into consideration. I have a BMW now so expensive is okay, really expensive is scary!
You do not have to hold the key in the turn pos as you start it. Just turn it once and let go...
I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on that car...I was in LOVE, especially with those wheels.
Lol this guy just responded with an irrelevant comment to the fact you pointed out 🤣 what a fucking fool
Love the car only thing that turns me off are the headlights never liked when Mercedes did the type of headlights in the 2000s
Wow! Guess I've been under a rock. Never seen a convertible hardtop till now.... or at least I never put it together how they operate
I just bought a 2003 sl500 silver with 110k miles only two owners, no crashes and the little ashtray doesn't close but everything works perfect. i was just wondering if it was a good buy for $15.500 (the last owner put aftermarket off- set adv.1 wheels on it), anyway i have had it for 2 months and already has to go because my wife is pregnant. can i sell it for at least $13,000?
+cosmo olversatil I would think 13000 is pretty reasonable. Hit up Craig's List with lots of photos in as many markets as you can and take a look at something with a little more reach like Auto Trader. You want that sold by the end of September as convertibles take the obvious seasonal dip heading into Fall and Winter. Good luck!
nice car but dame the poor dude cleaning them rims did not need to be tossed under the boss hit him up in the shop not on the internet
Not only is Armando my friend, he's filming the video
this guy could sell fridges to Eskimos
Definition of a perfect walk around
Wheels are bad as the pattern of rims is the same around but these rims have a specific shape of fins. So when the vehicle moves forward passenger side will push air under body and drivers side will pull, where the original mercedes mclaren slr has this style vheels will be pulling air from underneath the body.
I have a 2003 Sl 500 I have put 100k miles on it. The drive is still amazing. But little odd things in the interior breaks
You can really tell this guy is a genius Its called brake dust smart guy
I had to re-look at that video. Pitting in the chrome is just pitting in the chrome. Brake dust might cause pitting, but that's a different kind of problem. The stuff I wiped off was cleaning product. Originally these videos were only shown internally and to customers inquiring about specific cars. It was a crazy surprise when we realized people were seeing these videos all over the place.
Love the r230 thinking about buying an SL600. Feel like 12 Cylinders fit better to this car.
15.500 euros in eu at the moment +- 2002 edition
what you can do with this is change the lights behind make it look more modern sl looking + if you do not like the sound change the exhaust system and you have a very nice looking sports car but yeah it is old... :D
sl 55 2003 +- is around 25.500 euros atm with much stronger 500 hp
but if you really look into this with money you can buy a 2016 ford mustang for 24000 dollars... so idk
if you really want one you can wait another year and the price will drop like 10% or more
car looks great but some people refer up to date gadgets and interior... still this car is luxurious
you can always change the interior and add or change gadgets if you are willing to invest... 9/10 super attention and summer car
SL55's are amazing performers but they're so expensive to work on that many are already off the road. SL500's are also really expensive to maintain and many of them are off the road as well...but they sure look beautiful. I'd leave it stock (except for some cool wheels) and enjoy it for what it is.
The initial price you pay for a used German car is an indication/guide as to how much it will cost to keep and do not fool yourself into thinking
that you'll only have to pay for servicing the car. If you bought it real cheap it'll cost twice or more to keep.
do your job, dont complaint about others work (detaling)
That is his job… tell me you’ve never worked at a car dealership without telling me.
I have a 2009 and it’s a great car…
Spendy? Seriously? Spendy?
+Rob Brown Just a little bit.
Looks as good as a Mclaren. But what I really want is the Reliability of a Honda or Toyota.
Could you imagine if Honda and Mercedes merged...it would take over the industry.
This is a gorgeous car
THE BEST REVIEW EVER!
Furqan Sultan I loved how good looking that car was. It wasn't really expensive but from the first moment I saw it, it looked like a $100,000 car to me.
@@everycarSeattle it is a $100,000 car when you include the repair bills.
Throwing your detail crew under the bus is honestly just bad taste.
We're best friends and he was the one filming this video There are probably a dozen videos I say that in....all of the ones he is filming :)
@@everycarSeattle fair enough lol
Very polite way of saying POS
Super charged SL 500 🔥
Nice way to throw your Detailer under the bus, would never buy a car from this guy
very professional introduction
Did it sell? How much?
***** Right around 20000. That was a really nice car. I especially loved the wheels.
the wheels are not like on a slr
Nice job. Very Helpful
Oh my gosh i really love these videos i get so informed!
You remind me of Alan in two and a half men.
🤣
That Engine has a lot of timingchain-rattle imeditaley when it starts up, but it gets quiet after a couple of seconds. Can be a big issue with these Engines. Hevily oilconsumption and worn out guidplates on the chaintensioners. Funny the salesman tells it sounds good :-)
That car is still driving around in Kirkland all these years later...they've purchased several cars from us a) because their house is right down the street and b) because we stand behind our cars.
Sounds fine to me , M113 engines are renowned for having no inherent problems.
Hi Guys im from France and im about to buy an SL 500 , 2003 with 200000km , for 6000 k, the car is from UK So the driving side is on the right but im ok with that< its one of the reason why its so cheap!! the car looks really really good!! i love it!! But after reading all theses comments im actually a bit confused. I asked the seller about the suspensions and he said that he changed them last year and that the car works fine, no probleme! what else should i ask check before buying ? do you think its worth it for 6k ? thnks
Electrical issues, warning lights on, top opens and closes smoothly, oil leaks, rust. Easiest plan is have it looked at by a Mercedes dealer before you say yes. If it passes, it's an awesome buy.
The Fast Lane with Joe Tunney thanks for your reply.. unfortunately I don’t think I will have the chance to get checked by a Mercedes dealer as we will be meeting somewhere in the bush of France! But I will check everything you wrote down! What about the suspensions ? Is it enough if he changed them last year ? How many times should I check or change the suspensions as it’s apparently the of the major issues with this particular model .. what about swapping them with the spring, passive ones ? Thanks
The two big things with the suspension are 1: Does it feel right? And 2: Is there significant amounts of rust? It's not a perfect science but if both check out you're in good shape. Take it over a speed bump with a little bit of pace and that will tell you a lot as well.
i want to buy it😂
ABC is the Achilles heel if you will of these cars... and astronomical to repair. And coincidentally not mentioned lol
nicholas elias Coincidentally, I just saw this car yesterday on my way home. For as inexpensive as that car was, it is still one fine looking machine. In fact, I honestly think this particular car looks nicer than the brand new SL.
YES IT IS I TOOK IT OUT PUT IN ADJUSTABLE COIL OVERS AND DELETED IT FROM ECU,DONT HAVE THAT ANYMORE BUT DONT HAVE THAT COST OF THOSE SHOCKS THEY WILL KILL YOU
Great salesman!
Those wheels aren't Mercedes and look awful. 2009 model year (Facelift) a much better bet (car).
10 year old Mercedes' are the single best value on the used car market right now.
What a gorgeous car... and nice description of it. The wheels are knockouts !!!
I have got Mercedes SL 500 and SL 55 both 2012 for sale
You have great taste...it's going to be tough to part with either of those....though I have a feeling you'll be replacing them with something even nicer.
Those seatbelts need cleaning but really nice ride!
Sharp eye Dave!
Class!
That generation of SL's would be gorgeous if they were brand new today.
The door on the passenger side is sticking out a bit
This guy is a d bag saying the person that details the cars doesn't do good work. He probably doesn't know what it's like to do labor.
Do A complete tune up (new spark plugs!) THEN give me your price...
Thanks for the Review!
When did 'spendy' become a word?
Expensive.
NEVER
When it's your car its just a little bit of pitting in a little bit of this, when it's my car its, I can't take a paint job and try to sell a car looking like that on my lot.
If I were in the USA, I wouldn't think even a second to buy it. A 2005 SL500 costs $55.000 in my country.
Send tayyip to hell things will get cheaper.
Good video, my 04 SL500 has what i believe are some electrical issues. the instrument panel lights slightly dim and brighten when ideling and occassionally the seat belts make a clicking noise. also the glove box locked on me and couldnt get it to unlock, but love the car
Excellent video.
Thanks for taking a look @angelabruce7017!!
What are these wheels?
I think the car is a little too sophisticated for you...
+adam987689 Maybe. I used to have a 500SL, I never could figure out where the 8 track player was.
I am thinking to buy one but concerned about the repairs, I know the parts are expensive but I can purchase the parts from a company in Connecticut and have my certified mechanic to fix for me so I don't have the dealer to fix for me. How much average have you spent to keep it up per year?
👍🍞🌰🥔🥐
T Anderson I have a 2003 500SL. I have had it for 5 years and it has 125,000 miles on it. Repairs are expensive but if you keep up on the A and B service you will be good. I spend about $1500 a year on maintained and repairs. I use a certified mechanic. I only go a certified mechanic, not the dealer. This is an amazing car and I love it everyday. I like the Body on these much better than the 550's it's more of a classic look.
@@NatashaRaisorGlam Great and beautyful machine .You are a lucky girl.Congratulations.
How match cost ?
Ready to buy
rear bumper looks resprayed as its a different white from all the rest of the car - front bumper colour is original.
I heard this car has a lot of electrical problems. I really want this car and i really like the SL500 series, but of course 2003 was the beginning of this model and look which meant Mercedes themselves weren't really aware of any problems with it. However I heard the SL500 from 2003-2004 had many electrical issues. Nothing wrong with engine, but lots of electrical problems. Is this true? I really want this car, but not to the point where i will need to spend thousands in repair.
Not true, I have a 2003 and it's a great car, Mercedes stands by it's products, this car has crazy technology, fast, sounds nice, gets lots of looks, strong motor, lots of features. One thing I can tell you is be carful with the top, try not to put it up and down too much, if you have your own personal garage to park everyday would be perfect that way you don't have to put it up and down too much.
adam987689 I am a huge Mercedes fan, I really do feel they seperate themselves from other luxury brands. I don't have any problem with the SL, it's just that I heard the 2003 has electrical problems because it was the first of series with a newly designed look. People on edmunds give it a pretty bad review. Was just wondering if there is any truth to it.
+Tengu98 I have a 2004 SL500. My advise to anyone wanting or wishing for one is "be careful of what you wish for, you may get it." I bought mine from a friend (I'd seen it the week it was bought new). It had 36,000 miles on it...in the 2 years that I have owned it, I have had two $2000+ roof issue repairs, the computer in the steering column that controls the messages is down, the Automatic Body Control is constantly saying that I need to "Visit Workshop", various buttons have broken off (the window controls, the button that turns off the light in the glove box) the automatic trunk closing feature has stopped working.....etc. I love the look of the car and the engine runs like a dream......but, damn, the repairs on the other stuff is sucking my soul and draining my back account......
ZukiChrome lol I already got a 2006. So far it seems problem free, the reason I wanted to avoid 2004 was cause it was still a fairly new design, so I figured there would be issues. The 2006 has 70k and is pretty good and smooth. Loving it so far :)
I love mine even with the issues that I have had. It was my dream to have a MB convertible. I have just decided that if I'm gonna have what I have always wanted, then I'll just have to fork over the $$ for the repairs, I guess. Heck, I can't take the $$ with me and ya only live once.
Lovely car
Huge Lemon ! wheels are hideous cheap for a reason sl55 is in big demand though !
Did he say spendy and spendier? Hmmmmmm must be salesman jargon.
This thing really has no parking sensors? That's weird.
YOU May be right.
This guy knows that these cars have the best brakes on the planet and cus a lot of break dust off take off right ?
THERE EVERYWHERE NOW IN 2020 FROM 3K TO 8 K !!!!!!!!
Never forget rule #1 no matter how cheap they are: Never part with your money until you get a buyer's inspection from the Mercedes dealer before you buy
@@everycarSeattle how u do this
The car looks great you are just too picky about detailing!!!!!!
Any issues with this car
ConditionBlack Older Mercedes convertibles have power top problems and check engine light troubles, but overall they aren't so terrible, especially given how cheap they are. This one was really close to perfect.
everycarSeattle Ah! The good old check engine light problems. I have the exact same model, i've had it for 6 years, and i've had that problem what, 4 times now? It's awful. But I haven't exprienced any of the breaking in terms of plastic compartments as you described in your video.
Clean....But those dirty seatbelts! Really!
Money pits!
cooles Auto
Car is missing pieces that are expensive to fix.
Sounds horrible. Engine problem. Omg.
Wheels are not original.
SLR wheels are hideous, those are ever worse. I'd sell them in a second if that was my car lol
Wheels are one of those personal things. I loved these, but I could see where someone might think they're out of date.
It is a beautiful car, but with a Joe Biden gas prices I don't think so it's a good deal.
OMG I have this crap at home, 2003 mercedes sl 500 . Oh man it is so bad, don't get me wrong i have tesla model 3 and this crap with 85k miles. First, The roof with freaking 6 cylinders are liking and you have to fix them every 2 years. 2 freaking batteries in this car that are always with low voltage. This car doesn't want to accelerate at all. Come on 6.8 seconds????? ARe you kidding ,me? My mom has a toyota avalon 3.6l v6 that accelerates in 6.5 seconds and it doesn't burn 16 mpg like this car. And don't forget you have to fuel it with premium gas. Windows are liking after every car wash, inside salon is awful everything creaks, squeaks, like doors. I have never seen such a creaky rear mirror, it feels like it is going to fall into pieces in your hands. OIL change - 200$ - huge engine, front battery -200$, rear battery 250$. Don't get me wrong but this car is insanely bad. And why Mercedes you installed all of these buttons inside ????? literally there are thousands of them. Button here , button there. Display is dim , you won't see anything during the day. And ergonomics is awfull also, like turn signal, why the hack it is so low whyyyyy???? I am just crying. Never buy this car even for 5000$.
Yanks and there horrible chrome wheels hahahaha what the hell is wrong with "ya'll" loooooool
we love horrible chrome wheels, and straight teeth, we're just funny that way.
@@everycarSeattle what's wrong with the originals? And straight teeth? Half the country is made up of hill billies which are missing teeth let alone have a straight set 😂😂😂
We just like funky wheels Declan, ever since fast cars became a part of society after WW2 we wanted our own look...it's a pride of ownership thing.
@@everycarSeattle I thought WW2 would have made the world realise the power of German engineering lol, SL500 was years ahead of its time, those original wheels would have been also
The last real German car was the air cooled 911. Germany still makes great cars, amazing cars, but the air cooled cars are what set them apart.
Fox elder toilet top flosh
This guy is an idiot
Bull@hit
That's a truly awful interior!
It's amazing how even $100,000 luxury can fall out of style...give it 20 years and people will pay a fortune for these!