does an '80's SL make a practical family car

[Dickster]

hi,

i'm new here, and not (yet) an SL owner. i've enoyed reading all of your posts here - very informative.

heres the thing.

we're a family of three (5 month old son), and fiance wants to swap the 1990 family bmw touring for an SL. i have a weekend toy of my own already - a 1986 911.

would the SL (and it would have to be an '80's model) make a practical replacement for the BMW? in terms of reliability, everyday use, mpg, etc? is it big enough for a small family?

i have my doubts (hence the post) but i'm all ears!!

TIA for all advice/info/comments!!

[DanielG]

Hi -- and welcome to the forum.

The SL is not a good choice for the family car. Even if you have the rear seats there is not a lot of room and they were really not designed for use with a child seat (I think they are too narrow and the child seat would have to be placed at an angle, which is not safe and may be unlawful). They are an aftermarket part in any U.S. delivered SL of that era and are not, therefore, the best choice for child safety (do you trust that the owner/dealer etc. installed the seats and belts correctly? -- do you want to bet your child's life on it?) Plus, putting the baby in and taking him out of that rear area (when the top is on) is going to kill your backs. When you are in a parking lot you will need to swing the door wide to get to the back, and that could cause problems. On top of all of this, there is not a lot of room for all of the things a kid that age needs (such as stroller, baby bags etc.).

The cars are reliable, but can be expensive to maintain and to run (mpg in the 15 city 19 highway range).

When we had our baby we traded my wife's small convertible (a vw cabrio) in for an SUV (and the Cabrio has by comparison real rear seats and shoulder belts, as well as a roll bar) -- we have never regretted it -- just thinking about bending over to take a child out of a rear seat makes my back hurt. The SUV has plenty of room for all of our daughter's things, allows us to do grocery shopping (and other shopping) with her and provides a very safe environment for her (being a car of the late 90's, it has shoulder belts for use with the child seat, and is very safely designed). Also, now with the added room, my wife can be in a carpool with one of her friends and save a trip now and again.

Best of luck

[prprjp]

I wouldn't try an SL with a toddler. I own a 560SL and am having to sell it as we are expecting twins. As already mentioned, the back of the car is very tight and with the roof up, is actually quite difficult to access.

Sorry! Ryan

[Dickster]

oh, i thought they were a true 2+2!!

child seat was going in the front, wifey in the back! sounds like our 911 has more room! i must admit i havent been in one yet.

cheers for the input, and i appreciate your honesty!

[DanielG]

You may be thinking of the SLC -- which is a true 2+2

[maheath]

I have the rear seat package in my SL. I use it as "emergency-only". If you have someone less than 6 feet tall in the passenger seat, you can squeeze enough legroom for one person in the back. I've had 4 people (2 adults and 2 teenagers) in my SL before, but it wasn't comfortable.

The SLC was made from '73-'81. I've never actually been in one, but the back seat looks big enough for car seats.

I will take issue with the statement:

there is not a lot of room for all of the things a kid that age needs (such as stroller, baby bags etc.).

The trunk is plenty big enough to hold this stuff. People are always amazed at how much stuff I can put in the trunk.

[DanielG]

Ok -- the trunk is big, but our SUV sometimes gets so loaded with stuff that it amazes me, I can't imagine it all in the SL!

[Dickster]

well, i thought if my son went in the front i could have the seat all the way forward which would leave loads of room for my 5' 2" fiance in the back.

i also thought the trunk would be big enough for most stuff.

[maheath]

I think you'd really have to want the SL to pass it off as a family car. I certainly wouldn't have it as the only vehicle that the entire family can fit in.

I drive my SL every day and do most of the work on it myself. I also own 4 cars with only 3 drivers, so I have an extra when there's downtime.

Possibly consider a CE? They are a 2+2, but being a coupe, you will have the same door opening problem in parking lots. It is tight to squeeze into the rear, but once in, there is plenty of room. Pretty large trunk too. Just a suggestion. Probably best to stick with a 4-door for the family car.

[RickM]

Hey Dickster,

Good seeing you here doing research. I also have the rear seat in my '85 SL. Actually, a friend designed and sells it here in the US. It was a factory option in Europe but, as mentioned, aftermarket here. The reason is Mercedes didn't think it was worth the expense to secure DOT approval. When installing the seats the factory harness anchor points are used, however it is a lap belt only.

I use the seat on few trips with my 6 year old daughter in the back and it is a tight squeeze for her. Not conducive to an adult of any size.

[Dickster]

Hi Rick

Yep, general cencensus is that they are too small.

I guess it'll have to wait until we can get a house big enough to house them all (LARGE garage). Maybe we will be able to afford a sweet one by then.

Cheers,

Rich

[ChasB]

I use a new MINI as the family car and the SL for hauling my band gear around. How is that for sensible?

[cbdo]

Just to pick up an earlier thought: if you're willing to settle for a closed car and like the 107, think about an SLC. Same car, to some eyes prettier, available for not a lot of money, and has an actual usable back seat.

[Dickster]

chas, that it aint, but i like your thinking.

i like the slc, but its the SL or nothing - she wont settle for less

cheers

rich