1997 Mercedes-Benz SL600

Tony’s Take: 👍 Yeah, I know. The color. Light ivory with a matching hardtop and a dark brown soft top. The color combo isn’t on the 1997 MB color chart – for a reason. And then there’s the factor that keeps the Mercedes-Benz SL600 (code-name R129) from car collectors’ shopping list: service costs. It’s got a 12 cylinder engine! Yes it does. The power plant cranks out 389 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque @ 3800 rpm. A bit heavy in the corners, but old school SL wafting doesn’t get any better than this. But the service costs will kill you! Nope. Here’s the run-down (so to speak) from our pals at repairpal.com.

“The Mercedes-Benz Reliability Rating is 3.0 out of 5.0, which ranks it 27th out of 32 for all car brands. This rating is based on an average across 345 unique models. The average annual repair cost for a Mercedes-Benz is $908, which means it has average ownership costs. The other factors that contribute to Mercedes-Benz reliability include an average of 0.7 visits to a repair shop per year and a 13% probability of a repair being severe.”

SL lovers should be grateful that a) the Mercedes-Benz SL600 is both reliable and inexpensive to service (worst case steering Knuckle Replacement $1,182 – $1,299) and b) considered unreliable and expensive to service. That makes the 12-cylinder SL’s – manufactured from 1993 – 2002 – an incredible bargain. An exotic for 20-something grand? All day. If you can get over/like the color, the BAT SL600 is a two-owner, low miles, clean Carfax cutie. I think it does $24k -$30k. I wouldn’t be shocked if educated buyers look beyond the D-class photos. Set up properly it could fetch $40k+. Downside: the brakes squeal after a car wash.