1999 Mercedes-Benz SL 500
The random selector seems to really like these red SL 500s. I think it selected a '98 I once had just a few blogs ago. I actually owned this car before that one, and while similar, they were very different experiences. People love to say a used car is "like new", but they rarely are. This one, however, lived up to the billing. I bought this car in St. Louis in 2003 with about 40K miles on it, but if you didn't look at the odometer you would swear I had just swiped it off the MB lot.
This was my first SL, and I really loved the car. The motor is fantastic and it couldn't ride any better. My one complaint of these is a lack of legroom. For some reason, in spite of the fact that they are actually rather large convertibles, Mercedes designed the subwoofer to be located behind the drivers seat. As a result, the seat only goes back so far without the back rest automatically having to tilt more upright. In order for me to get the seat back as far as I like for my legs, I have to be sitting almost straight up - great for posture, not so great for comfort. I just couldn't get my 'gangsta lean' on. I wasn't crazy about the cream colored interior either. It was OK, but the shade was just a little too light and almost yellowish.
If I had kept the car I would probably have changed the wheels, but that's it. The person who owned this car before me really knew how to take care of a fine machine. I took care of it as well, but probably over-paid a bit to get it. This was also the first car I had owned with a satellite radio system. It was on there when I got it and I guess the subscription was paid up because it worked the entire time I had the car - pretty cool. These now older SLs will always be classics, and are A LOT of car for the money you can pick them up for today.
