It's definitely a beauty, but I would have been highly suspicious of that low price. I'm looking at some, they all have higher mileage, all were auctions or specialty sellers, and all went for between $25K to $28K. Here's one for sale in TX for $45K:

https://cars.oodle.com/detail/2002-m...15-addison-tx/

 

They're great looking for sure, just not my thing. If I was a car collector it would sit in my garage undriven lol. Anyways, the interior part doesn't particularly surprise me. People get carried away with describing the interiors of the W140 and R129 and look over some of the less glamourous aspects of the interior. They were not perfect even if the car felt more solid than any other car at the time.

I've seen plenty of fantastic models go for $20-$22k, not Silver Arrows though. I'd imagine perfect examples of Silver Arrrows should be in your price range. Aftermarket top, sagging headliner, and some mechanical work needed means high teens for a normal model so I don't think the dealer's price was all that crazy. I'd pass regardless.

 

Glad I passed. My gut told me to, and the car just didn’t feel right. It did get sold, though. I’ll find my R129 someday, not in a rush.

The V8 was very strong in it but the sound of the 4.3 is much better and more refined. It was a very strong, smooth 5.0 but just not the level of silk these old Lexus V8s were. (I’ve got the LS430 out today.) I’d say they’re about equal speed wise give or take a little. Mercedes was a little slow off the line (as they were known to be) but things pick up quick. LS430 flies off the line by comparison with that short first gear.

 

I have been following the R129 market closely for quite some time.

$22k OTD for a 53,000 miles Silver Arrow was a very good price even with its enumerated issues. Someone got a deal.

 

Not to be boastful but I have some pretty good intuition, just with cars, older high-end cars like that and over the years experience like most of us on here have. That car just didn’t feel right. I’d rather have a perfect regular 2002 SL500–those hardly look like junkers and they have much brighter, nicer woodwork inside. The wood inside this SL was nothing impressive. The rims and aluminum trimmed gauges are to die for, however.

 

I'd have taken it somewhere for a good look over...if that came back clean I would have bought it. Those just dont come around every day and even with some warts, at a good price its a great driver.

As for the looseness, its a 20 year old car with 50k miles. There are a ton of bushings and dampers and things that are worn out and disintegrating. An old car that has been well maintained and driven is better than one that has been babied and sat in a garage all the time. I drove one of those when it was new, solid doesn't begin to describe it.

 

I believe it. This one, for example, is 95% as good looks wise and I actually prefer the darker interior, I love the white accents in the Silver Arrows but not as much as I thought I would. The wood looks much nicer here. I want a car like this with a documented, full Mercedes history (this car yesterday did not have one). It needs to drive like it should before I buy it or very close to it. It was all for the best that I passed.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...329191872/NONE

Edit: What I really liked about it is that it's roomy for what it is. I'm an average sized guy, but a full fledged guy nonetheless and I had zero issues getting extremely comfortable quickly. It's not a small car. Once the perfect one comes along I'll ****** it, just like I did with my truck.

 

You're going to pay WAY WAY more for that, probably twice as much, and I personally would worry about driving a car like that and damaging it.

 

Where are the interior photos?

 

To comment on this, what you're seeing here is the impact Lexus had on Mercedes. The R129 SL is a car that dated back to before Lexus existed. Your description of the switchgear and such inside is spot on, you would find the same thing if you sampled a W140 S Class, for example. Lexus shifted what buyers expected when it came to those types of things. Remember when I said that there were numerous quality things that were better in my LS460s than they are in my S560 and you couldn't believe it? Well Mercedes has closed the gap there in many ways, but not in all ways. I can make you a list of things that Lexus still does considerably better, and in that era that list was pages and pages and pages long.

BUT, what Lexus does not do better is engineer a car that makes you *want* it the same way Mercedes and the Germans do, with a few notable exceptions. Thats why we're sitting here lusting after this car that was designed in 1985, basically...and LS400s are forgotten in junkyards...as big a fan of the LS I have always been, aside from that first LS400 that wowed me so much as a teenager, I have never had a car that feels so glorious going down the road as my S Class.

 

Huh? The price is like $22k, and what about damaging anything? The Silver Arrows are truly special but so is any late, mint R129. The car drove and rode like **** but oh the engine and transmission were on point, very nice. Definitely a big fan of that 5.0 and transmission. Reminded me that IMO 5 gears are all you need. The car had an exhaust note that tugged at my heart strings. And that starter, ughhh. No Lexus could ever dream of sounding that fantastic starting up, save the LF-A and LC and RC-Fs GS-Fs with the V8s. With regular Lexus cars we get Toyota starters that don't sound super expensive like a Mercedes one.

 

It sold, it's gone. The interior needed a detail pretty badly but was in good shape overall.

 

If you want a 90% SL with full Mercedes service records and all original parts that rides and drives like new, that will not be $22k. Thats a $45,000 car you're describing, I've watched these also.

If that kind of SL is what you want, then great but I personally would not buy such an example and drive it much, it would destroy its value. This car you mentioned sounds like a great driver that probably needs $5k worth of work to be really rewarding to have and drive, which is what I would be looking for.

 

Link? I know these are rising in value but $45k for a non SA 500? I'm pretty certain my buddy who sold me my truck can locate me one for $25k that's in really good shape.

He has an S560 identical to yours but black, he won't flip it yet bc he loves it so much....he nevvvver does that. He's a strict sports car guy. I get all the time I want in it and to drive it tomorrow, I personally can't wait. The depreciation is beyond insane, it was a 2019 $125k car, has 23k miles and I think he's asking $75k. 50 grand depreciation in 3 years with only 25k miles??? Definitely lease only, but I'm sure it's beyond fabulous. Can't wait to drive it tomorrow. He also owns an LS430 as a personal car (thanks to me for showing him what an LS430 was all about) and says the V8 in the S-Class isn't 4.3 Lexus smooth, but great nonetheless and obviously wayyyy more powerful. I wonder what I'll personally think about that aspect.

 

Im sure he can find you a nice one for that, but what you described is not simply a “nice one”, it’s a perfect one that drives like new with all original
parts and perfect Mercedes service history, that’s on another level lol.

As for the S Class, bear in mind that new the sticker was $125k, but it was buyable for around $100k. Mine was $123k and I paid right at $100k. So, $25k depreciation not $50k but yeah, new lease only. The LS is the same way. My 2017 was $90k new and I got $42k on trade and that was huge. 2015 was $80k and I got $32k on trade. All these cars are just huge depreciation pits.

The engine is pretty darn close, and it’s twin turbo and has a timing chain lol. It actually reminds me a lot of the UZ engines, definitely much smoother and more refined than the UR. It doesn’t idle quite as smoothly but when accelerating it’s incredibly smooth. It’s not really supposed to be as completely isolated as the LS430 was, it feels like a machine…it’s hard to describe.

Im interested to see what you think. My appreciation of it has grown as I’ve had it…I love it more now than I did when I just got it.