R230 Body Mercedes SL Market Moving

THERE IS ALWAYS a market for Mercedes-Benz SLs, and an SL for every pocketbook! Particularly interesting is the ‘newest used’ SL market. The biggest depreciation of automobiles occurs in the first several years.

Even popular SLs depreciate as much as 40+% during their first four years. A Mercedes-Benz dealership in Minneapolis is currently offering a very clean 2009 SL 550 Silver Arrow Edition (1 of a 550 edition sporting red leather and special silver paint) with just over 26,000 one owner miles. Original MSRP: $112,450. Today’s price with an extended MB warranty: $65,900: forty percent depreciation! And you need not come to Minnesota; the next-generation SL will bring comparable pricing to most MB dealers as perennial lessees synch new leases to the latest and greatest.

If you’ve admired the 2003 – 2012 ‘R230? SL’s retractable hardtop, heated and ventilated seats, fully functioning HVAC system, the easiest-to-live-with electronics and navigation systems (2009 and newer cars use a hard drive based Nav and info-tainment system, a VAST improvement over previous years), lots of airbags and the most powerful engines ever in the SL series cars… this might be one of the best times to snatch up a great value.

These ‘newest used’ SLs have a particular appeal that older models may not for some buyers. The Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre Owned Program (CPO) with these newer cars combines whatever remaining of new car warranty with addition of CPO options. The dealer includes the 1st year of Certified Pre Owned warranty, the buyer has the option to add an additional year or two on top of it for a total of three years. The Mercedes-Benz CPO is a fairly comprehensive and good at any franchised dealer in the U.S.

These benefits turn the vehicle into much more of a practical purchase of a ‘real car’ that can be driven and enjoyed without worry of large repair bills. It may also help ‘justify’ the purchase to a significant other. All the while, you’re counting  the money saved by taking advantage of the first owners’ depreciation. 2009 – 2011 represent the last of the R230 body SLs, the most evolved from electronics to exterior appearance. The lights, grille and front bumper were updated in 2009. They also received new hoods and taillights and new wheels were available… the last hurrah from a styling before the just released 2013 R231. People who must have the newest body style of whatever they drive (and there are plenty of them), are beginning to turn in their “old” R230 SLs. Lessees are the largest single group.

By next Spring the affects of the new body style will cause R230 models to depreciate even further making more of the 2006-2008 SLs accessible to buyers with budgets in the $30,000 and $40,000 ranges.