looking at 230 SLK . any good?
 

A friend wants a fun convertible under 8,000. I'm looking at a 2000 230 SLK with hard top and automatic tranny.

Are these cars any good. I'd think you would rather have a 5 or 6 speed manual in this thing. How do these cars hold up?

Another car to consider... Mazda Miata!
Extremely well done 2 door convertible, drives like a go-cart (so to speak).

There's nothing specifically wrong with the SLK as long as you can fit into it to drive it. They were designed for women. I'm 6'1" and can barely shoe horn myself into one.

The only specific achilles heel that I'm aware of with them is the door panels. They peel and come apart. There is an update for them.

I can't imagine buying an SL or SLK with an automatic transmission though. Buying a sports car with an automatic transmission is like hiring a prostitute that doesn't have the necessary equipment between her legs. What's the point?

I bought one of these for my daughter, a 2003. The hardtop is retractable, the tranny is one of those that you may shift if you feel like it. It is also supercharged and they handle great too. I haven't had any trouble with this car. But it is a girls car, that goes like a bastard.

I've read discussion on the R170 forums. For some reason, the R170 model is considerably more reliable than other MB models. My friend had one and put 120K on it with little trouble.

I've heard that as they get older, the hydraulic cylinders for the top mechanism can start leaking, as they do on nearly every other MB convertible. The good news is that there are only five cylinders for the R170, compared with eight on the E320 or twelve on the R129 models.