A little faith in Mercedes Benz PLEASE?..
Kajtek1,
I do have faith, this is my second Mercedes purchase.
But it's very important to know what I'm getting into, especially when going across the country and back, within 3 weeks.
Issues I've had early on:
* when the car was new in late 2006, the heating didn't work properly
* In Spring 2007, I then realized the cooling didn't work properly
* the nav buttons started sticking, they replaced the whole nav unit
* once, the car just stopped running on the road and all the dash lights started blinking (I think it was a solenoid failure, I forget)
Recently, I just had 1 issue when the SRS light came on, and they had to replace a seat belt, not sure why though.
But, I want to learn from the experience of the community, to see what others have to say.
Looks like you are going to be in my neck of the woods (I90 Albany area) Shoot me a PM if you would like to meet up for a coffee. :thumbsup:
I personally would not do a road trip of this length in a SLK as it is too small for me. If you find the SLK that comfy then have fun!
Let's get in touch when the date nears. Although the trip is to meet up with game developers, it would be great to meet up with fellow Mercedes enthusiasts if I end up taking the Benz. (My other car is a Mazda6, and I may get a new/used hybrid for the trip)
An old school saying is it is good to drive the car occasionally over a long distance to "clean up the system". Not sure if this is true for modern engines. The problem here is not the car, it's your back!
On the other hand,would you consider a rental? How many miles does your trip entail? Do you want all this mileage, wear-and-tear, rock chips to your car? SLK is a great sport coupe but it is not that comfortable in long trips. A rental (compact or subcompact) will offer you more space and better mileage. More importantly, you do not have to "baby" a rental like you do with the SLK.
I myself drive a w209, another coupe. I live in Toronto and I visit Montreal often which is about 350 miles one way. I usually rent for these trips and it would cost me $80-90CAN for 3-day unlimited mileage. Last trip I rented a Chevy Cruze for 2 days, rental cost was $65 but I probably saved $40 in gas.
The trip is going to be around 8,270 miles, maybe less since I will probably skip Boston. I laid out the entire planning/schedule spreadsheet on the link I posted.
What car company would you recommend for renting a car for 3 weeks with unlimited mileage?
Drove my SLK 3 times across the country and never had so much great performance & fun! Mostly the I40 / Rt 66 corridor...
ok cool, I am leaning towards the SLK, but also concerned about the fuel costs. As I mentioned above, my other car is a Mazda6, but I don't really want to take a mid-size sedan with just me in the car. I also mentioned the possibility of buying a new/used hybrid, which would be best for gas, but I'm not sure if I want to purchase yet another car at this time.
Shahed C
