Chris Harris Drives His Mercedes-Benz R129 SL
Chris takes us around his Mercedes-Benz (R129) SL500 and explains why he prefers to spend £20k on this car as opposed to losing £20k in depreciation on a brand new car.
Talking through his ownership experience, Chris recounts the reasons why he likes the R129 so much and then takes it for a drive in the English countryside.
Let us know in the comments below if you like the R129 SL and whether you would buy one!
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I love these videos when Chris turns full on car nerd. It's not made for a segment, or a story, or to sell issues - It's purely to share something he is passionate about and it shows. Fingers crossed for an Evo reunion!
He didn’t know that they stopped using bio degradable wires in 95 and he called a w129. Big nerd
Get a room
well said, we all sigma are all shady until passion kicks in.
@@Akilois1001gs “Biodegradable” is hyperbole or literal?
@@lebojay literal. they would degrade because nobody figured that the environment (hot cold wet dry) might start eating away at things.
He reads the forums on R129 hoods. THAT ladies and gentlemen is why Chris Harris is a car-guy and not just a Top Gear lead presenter…
"what the fuck is that fucking noise?!" The life of a classic car owner
Actually you get used to new, strange noises pretty quickly xD
@@elt8rr Turn the radio up...!
Join in "where is that oil coming from?"
"Why the fuck will this damn bolt not come off!?" 😆👌
"Is this thing supposed to be like that or is it broken?"
It's great to see Chris enjoying all the things he's slagged off over the years. Looking forward to his glowing MX-5 review in the next decade.
😆
Yes
I think he actually likes (or at least doesn't hate) the ND MX-5 now. Greatest car in the world status confirmed.
If he’s selling it, of course he’ll give it a glowing review!
He reviewed one.
The last 30 seconds are perfect microism of owning old/classic cars. I love this thing so much to oh for fuck sake it’s fucking fallen off again. 😂😂
For me it's normally not a noise but a smell... sat in traffic or similar and you're just suddenly aware of that glycol smell of coolant, or something else and you're immediately thinking "sh!t.. I bet that's me.."
My last one was whiff of petrol not that uncommon. Then a cyclist went past in traffic said you know your leaking? Stuck my head out the door river of petrol…….. fuck fuck fuck. Happy wedding anniversary for my wife 😂
@@elliotsimpson1148 Do you also get that thing when you have either just acquired or done major work on your old car, that you have to build up the level of trust by doing shorter journeys before you commit to longer trips in it?
like my golf which died at the lights all the time and people thought i stalled it but it was an automatic
@@elliotsimpson1148 must be some diesel on the road.. oh no my fuel line just split 😬
Having owned a r107 , r129, r230, r231 . I still have the r129, the rest have gone . I’ve just completed a 2700 mile drive through Europe to Tuscany and the the car did not miss a beat .
I had the r230 but the voltage regulator and alternator were past their best, resulting in overheating of the block resulting in Ringland failure resulting in major bills which cancelled my wedding. A tragic end to what had been an enjoyable ownership
Interesting. I’ve owned Pagoda 280SL, R107 500SL , R129 in 280, 320 and 500 forms and now own a R230 SL350 which I bought about 3 years ago with only 29K miles on the clock and have since put 10K miles on driving it from the UK as far touring northern Spain, southern France and up as far as Sweden via Germany and Denmark. And, I currently driving around Germany in it again. My experience ? Pagoda = very pretty to look at….only. Awful driving experience. R107 = also good looking, cramped with roof on (I’m 6’ 2”), not a very good drive either, thirsty for nothing 5.0L V8 because not very fast. R129 = handsome, very likeable, solid build quality feel to everything. Marred by scuttle shake if the hardtop isn’t on. It’s not terrible or as bad as the preceding two….but it was definitely there in all three that I owned and I hated that. I actually like the facelift SL320 that I the most. R230 = actually my favourite looking of all SLs, in my opinion! I know many won’t agree with me ! 😂 The price I paid for mine I could have bought a higher mileage R231 but I prefer the look of the R230. I feel no scuttle shake which is a big thing for me. The performance for me of the 350 has been easily “adequate” on this long touring type trips. I own quicker cars but for these trips I was a bit scared of the running costs of the 500. Particularly the potential cost of suspension repairs. Although, I’m sure the 500 is a much more competent car, I no longer have the means to own and drive a 5.0L V8!
Were you wearing your paper bag on your head driving through Europe
@@hudsonsigley947 I still feel some Brexit shame 😊
@@BEGGARWOOD1 I'm in Germany still in my R230. I (foolishly) complied with the new regulations about having 'UK ' on your registration plate rather than 'GB'. The UK sticker I put on has a Union Jack on it which just makes it doubly embarrassing! 🤦🏽♂️
Thank you for a nice video. I have owned my r129 SL500 for 20 years and covered 307,000 miles. It has never failed me. It's still a fast car and it's great to drive a long way on real world roads.
Love this SL! The new one has nothing to do with its predecessors
It may be a sublime car in its own right but the real question is how much does THIS car have in common with its predecessors. What does 2000 kg curb weight have to do with Sport Leicht it stands for?
It would be amazing if you got your hands on a v12 one...
@@spavatch I believe sport leicht means “sport-lite” as in “sporty, but not a sports car”. Not literally light weight
@@that90sbenz it was discovered recently that SL originally meant “superleicht” and it was literal because the first SLs were race cars
@@diuco17 I love my V12 R129.......so smooth
These Sacco designs are the best. W140 and R129 are the pinnacle of "modern era" Mercedes. Just phenomenal quality.
And w202 w124
@@shawndon7374 ya similar design and great cars but does have that oopmh of those two cars
Well said can't forget about the designer
I’m sitting here, in my R129, watching Chris Harris talk about his, and I love it. I agree 100%. Best purchase I’ve even made
I remember my next door neighbour buying one of the very first 500SL, in a light gold, for his 75th birthday at a cost of @£75,000. At the time the premium on these was huge and ads could be seen in Sunday Times for @ £120,000. The quality is exceptional. Great choice Chris.
It is quite remarkable that Chris can put so many miles on all his cars while having a job driving other cars as well.
Imagine the struggle 😎
Love a Harris Review. You sir are a legend...along with Mr Metcalfe.
When my pal got his new Almondine red 500 in 91 we drove from London to Brighton & it was one of the best days of my life
I currently own a 1999 SL500. I can honestly say the R129 is beautifully engineered and remarkably reliable. I’ve now owned my SL for 3 years and I only have 34k miles on it. It rides like a dream!
I too have a 1999 SL500 I’ve owned it for 4 years and currently have 202,000 miles and it’s an absolute dream to drive I often choose it over my Tesla’s even when gas is over 6 dollars a gallon.
Me too. 1997 SL500. I've owned it for 2 years now and absolutely delighted with it. 302k miles and still runs perfectly...
@@VegasShuffle So fucking what mate. I often choose to drive my sl700 rather than any of my superyachts, and yeah my sl700 I mean my sl800 sometimes lets in water but I actually prefer it to my helicopters because I can fly it to the actual moon and yeah I can get to the moon quicker in one of my rockets but the stereo isn’t as good.
I paid a shed load for low mileage sl600 that had been babied and kept in a heated humidity controlled garage for the last 30 years and it runs and drives sweet after I give it the annual main dealer full service. Like wow
@@herrfister1477 I take it you cant afford an SL then?
We have a 92 what was called 500SL bought in September 2017 for £6500 and has now done 148K miles and still passes every MOT and drives like a dream with no reliability problems
The last seconds capture exactly what it feels like to drive any 90s German car. If I recall from Chris's twitter he bought a really cheap 300? Probably wow-ed him enough to get a proper nice one. Impressive condition, this...eye-watering price. MORE OF THESE PLEASE! Best Harris content by far!
Any 90s car to be honest
I have a 96 SL500 , 60,000 miles no rattles at all. Wife's new CLA has more .
I have an 86 300te. 481000km. Super reliable, easy to work on. Cheapish parts. Goes like stink. Wants to cruise at 80-100kph. Love it.
My 2010 Carrera had an annoying buzzing deep inside the dashboard and my 2009 Cayman had an annoying rattle at the back that even the Porsche centre could not find... 😞
Sort of car you can't tell if the owner is a millionaire or running it on a shoe string and a prayer 👍
exactly, since a lot of really wealthy people still drive their 129SL' s due to its classy look and iconic status of being THE Mercedes of all time.
Love that
Check the paint and suspension state and you’ll know which they are
I have one, and I’m definitely not the first option
🤣
Bruno Sacco's design is timeless just like the 2001 W210 E55 I had and the 1989 W126 500 SEC all great looking and fast appreciating cars.
You have gone up in my estimation Chris! As a man who owns a one owner (father to son) 1991 500 SL on 99, 990 odd miles , that has never really given me any major issues at all, I have to agree with you that it is one of the best motors Mercedes have ever made. I think It is a much under rated vehicle which for long distance touring purposes is very hard to beat. It has a massive boot and the rear child seats and back rest can easily be removed to create loads more luggage space. I am lucky enough to also own an SL 400 R231 and although its a class apart in how it puts down its power and chassis stiffness, it really has very little over the 25 year older 500 and way less luggage space either in the boot or the cabin. It’s a tough call when we go away as to which one to take. One thing you should have mentioned is that it still has the full hard top for winter, which arguably makes it an even better looking car.
The R129 really is a special car - my personal favorite Mercedes-Benz. I love how you can have a hard top, a soft top, or no top. Just a great looking car too - interior, exterior. The roof hydraulics can definitely be a PITA as there are 11 or 12 cylinders and there's a roof module controlling the experience. But it's well documented now with folks like Top Hydraulics supporting rebuilds
Hello…I am from Greece and own the last 15 years a 1991 Mercedes R129 500 SL. It is amazing car and all time classic. The colour of it, is light blue with light grey interior. It is in a really good condition with 110000 miles. Whenever I go people looking at it and admire it. I love my SL.
So happy to start seeing more and more from Chris directly from this channel.
I used to love to drive these back when I was a valet. Compared to the other cars out at the time, the SLs felt like they were carved out of granite. So solid, so sure-footed, just amazing.
Oh man how I love this host and now even more because of this car. Chris harris is favorite all around car guy, drives properly and really loves cars🙌 its a pleasure watching this guy drive and talkin cars
Chris is awesome! I love how he talks about the little details which we all notice but think no one else does! Here's an idea that simply can't fail... Get Chris, maybe a couple of others who are equally geeky and well spoken on cars, give them a TV slot, possibly an hour, and have them review new and old cars alike... Sounds like something I would watch! 😉
Interesting enjoyable video, great to see you owning and enjoying some real world cars 👍
I’ll never be a fan of top gear post Clarkson and co but Chris talking about cars on his own is something I really like.
Really enjoyed watching this Chris! Always wanted one myself, ended up with a white 1996 SL500 I paid $3,800 for 3 years ago for highway miles getting to the airport. Have since put 13k miles on it and love it so much, I couldn’t help myself when I found a second green 1994 SL500 pre-facelift early last year for $2,200… incredible amount of car for the money and a great story behind it. And, replacing the rear muffler and resonator with pipe make that M119 sound outright exotic…
I recently bought a 320 SL and discovered that it was much sweeter to drive than the more powerful 500 SL (having owned one till the engine detonated itself). The lower weight of the smaller engine makes it far more nimble and it gets better mileage. Still as solidly built as earlier Mercedes cars. Enjoy your car.
Agree totally, bought a new one in 93 Very impressive at the time Still impressive today..
Agreed. I have the straight six 5 speed auto and it is absolutely fantastic.
Agreed. Having driven a 300sl 24v with the 5 speed manual I can confirm especially with the manual and lesser weight, the car is an absolute joy
Those engines never detonate "by themselves" :) You can also get the SL500 with the m113. I know that the w210 with the m113 V8 had better weight distribution than with the old 3.2 m104.
As a Merc tech all the straight sixes were better than the v engines early 129 with a 103 is the one for me
That is a beautiful convertible Chris. Good call & great video. Thank you & God bless.
Congratulations on your nostalgic purchase and new set of problems! Love videos like these! Cheers!
Thought I'd update. I finally got my SL500 and I absolutely LOVE it. I sometimes rewatch this because you state my feelings so well I could not have done better. Cheers!
And the prices have just gone up Thank you Chris and thank you Mercedes 😌
Great vid, and I particularly like the way you articulated the incredible level of thought and design consideration that went into the interior. The design of Mercedes of this era was at a whole different level. My parents got a new W124 230TE in 1989 and my overwhelming impression of that was how brilliant the interior was - comfortable, capacious, durable, good to look at, incredibly easy to use and everything worked perfectly until Mum sold it after seven years and 195,000 miles.
Yes yes YESSSS !!!! Soo happy you've done a video on this Chris & collecting cars ! Love the r129, total dream car for me 😍👍
I'm 30 now, and owning a nice convertable from the 90's early 00's era is my DREAM car. I loved watching them as a kid on the highway. I hope one day I'll be able to :)
Just got my license right around the time of this car. The purple strosek SL was my dream car. Had a picture on my wall. Thing of beauty.
I owned an 1995 SL500 in exactly the same color/interior configuration and with the optional ‘reisenrechner’. Fantastic cruiser and took it to the alps and Italy several times where it truly came into its element. Amazing piece of engineering the R120, as long as you keep a pot of money on the side for things that go wrong (and they will) Great video.
Have mine fore 15 years still love it
I have watched this video 5 times so far. Guess I am addicted to R129 😀, great video quality.
Have not seen Chris Harris for a while...he has been in a good paddock!!! Love his reviews and especially the older German cars.
Enjoyed the review. Great to see your enthusiasm.
Best Chris Harris video in ages! Been waiting for this one
Always been a huge fan of the SL500 they’ve aged extremely well!
Awesome car. Those were current when I got my license in the 90’s, and my dad worked for Benz in NJ (still does). Fell in love from the start.
Great video Chris!! This used to be my favourite Merc when i was young……yours still looks gorgeous !!
Owned a 1994 pre facelift one of these about 7 years now and apart from the roof and wiring loom(I've had no issues with mine) really not bad at all to run and repair , most parts are relatively cheap other than body panels , a wheel bearing is £20 for instance and a really good 2nd hand market for parts aswell, undervalued at the moment and highly recommended.
I love mine too … 1990 300sl. Solid and gorgeous blue color. Keeping the dream alive.
Loved this type of video!
This is video is Chris Harris gold! Thank you.
I feel like this shape SL was designed to go hand in hand with the S-Class W140. They came with the same wheel range, same dash board style along with clusters, same looking front seats in terms of leather and pattern. And both over engineered as you said. Great cars and probably a peak in its own class for both cars
A boss of mine about 10 years ago who was a car nut bought one of these .. but i think it was a 350 rather than a 500 as he couldnt find a good one. He loved it said the nose lifted like a boat when you got on the throttle and it made him smile ear to ear every time. I had a mk2f polo breadvan at the time that i had restored and he always complimented on its design. Great era for cars, congrats on your purchase!
Thank you for the video. Quality, as always. I agree with that 'man-maths'. I did the same myself and ended up with a convertible as well.
Great video Chris. I’ve fallen in love with 90s Mercedes and it’s all I’ve driven ever since I learned to drive. The “cliched” bits like the over engineering are what make these cars still appealing to me, 20 something years later. Great color combo on yours
Owned one of these years ago - brilliant cars although extremely complex...great video
Thank you for this Chris.
I liked the bonnet-outside-towards-driver action camera angle!!
Loved mine, only 1 serious issue (ignition box + coils) in 4 years and got more than I paid when sold. Nothing since has felt as solid and properly thought out. Chuffed that Chris has one of these and loves it.
Cheers for the video mate 😎 👌
Thanks for the video, Chris. I bought one very similar a couple of years ago for the dog (allegedly). It was a massive change from my old Cayman (no room for dog) but I love it just as much for different reasons. We are in France right now and having the nicest time wafting about but always knowing when you want to get a move on there’s that magnificent 5 litre V8 to call on. I feel old, too but old enough not to care!
Absolutely love this Chris. I can relate to every part, especially the end. haha
Thanks Chris for another fine review, i am fortunate to drive an R129 SL600 V12 Sport amg black on black, you are welcome to drive it if you fancy Southern California driving along State Route 1.
I’d pat the steering wheel when the roof went up if that was mine. Awesome machine. Back in proper PH circa 2013 territory there Chris!
Wasn't a big fan in Chris's early work, but absolutely love watching his content now. His reporting style is far more relaxed and natural nowadays.
I also miss those classic gauges. It was how every MB looked when you sat down in them when I grew up. Was part of their identity to me. Also couldnt get more clear than that.
You legend, Ive always wanted one of these because, much like yourself, I find losing money through depreciation something quite stupid. I just haven't convinced myself yet to get one of these..
Thank you, Sir I looked for one in my budget, settled for my 1997 E420 Sport, that I quite frankly adore. I'm still looking, though.
I refuse to pay for a TV license, but I’d happily pay a monthly cost to watch good content from Harris.
Always enjoyed the styling. Definitely feel old myself been watching Chris Harris when he still had his hair. This is why he's one of the top automotive journalist. Great taste as always Chris, too bad these are a pain to smog in my neck of the woods.
My man maths put me into a mk1 3.0 Z4 this summer.
Lovely, is that the m54 engine?
@@antiochiaadtaurum3786 Yes, 2003 model. It has not rained much this summer in Scotland so roof down and enjoying the sound of the engine and the scenery all the time.
Friend of my dads got the 300SL version in about 1990 (when I was 9 going on 10) in burgundy over burgundy leather and although clearly not as quick as the 500 my god did it turn heads and look like nothing else on the road. He took us for a spin - made an impression on me that's never left and probably a big part of why I love cars. I remember him pulling away at a roundabout and seeing a bloke who gave-way to him just mouthing the word 'WOW' through his window.
Oh, that was funny! A calm and collected review of a wonderful piece of German engineering, a bit of a talk about how much of a nerd he is and a demonstration of the auto roof. End it on a beautiful shot of the car driving down the road. And then him swearing at an unknown rattle. That was bloody hilarious! Well done. Also, please do a video like this on Chris Harris' M5 CS.
Finally got the SL600. Drove it through light snow and heavy cross winds, with 285 cross section rear tires; steady as a rock!
Brilliant Chris….full geek and proud 👍 Keep them coming…. (Love the bloopers) 🤣
I bought one in 2007, 11 year old at the time, still drive it and love it
I bought a '97 R129 SL600 2 years ago with 60k miles and couldn't be happier with it. It is the same color that Chris has in the video (i think) Black Opal. It looks green during the day, has some purple come through at dusk, and black at night. The V12 SINGS after I straight-piped it and is quiet as can be low in the revs. Despite the value on this beast rising all of the sudden, I enjoy it far too much and couldn't imagine parting with it.
Great review, Chris! I like your reviews because in less than 10 minutes you say everything is important about a car. very clear, very precise, vrey professional. I drove also this car and I like the classic V8, very good quality interior and top comfort. But I was dissapointed in a way because the car feels heavy and is not so agile.
I'd agree with everything he says. I'm on my second R129. They are truly special
What happened with the first one?
@@aabidamn my sons outgrew the back seats so I got an A124 for a. Couple of years. Now they have their own cars so I was able to go back to an R129
@@shaywhelan1 Should've sold the kids instead. I heard that they're very expensive to maintain.
Great video, thanks Chris 👍
You're a lucky bugger! I was fortunate to be a copywriter in the States for Mercedes before this came out. It was an incredibly important car for the marque because it was the first new SL in over a decade. (Model changes moved at a glacial pace back then.) So I had the pleasure of flying to Sindelfigen to see how this beauty was manufactured. Then I got to drive it on the Nurburgring. Only time in my life I got a car up to 150 mph and I enjoyed every second of it. Unfortunately they never paid me enough to afford one of these but I'm thrilled to see you enjoying yours more than a quarter century after it was built.
Thank you for taking us on a journey through the iconic Mercedes-Benz R129 SL, Chris Harris.
That roll hoop - there's a video of one of these flipping on the autobahn and it certainly worked.
Great car, I have a silver one with blue leather year 2000 and it’s my 3rd, having owned a 500 and an SL60 20 years ago my recent one is a 320 and returns over 30mpg, so smooth on a long run
I've been looking at these Chris...now you just screwed those dreams! Keep up the great content.
Lovely car. I bought a 91 500SL just before COVID. Happily completed a 1,800 mile roadtrip in France last week. They're wonderful cars to drive and great value
the final 30 second meltdown made a great video fantastic
Great video, as always. Favourite bit: Dog at 8mins 47secs.
Lovely bit of kit 👌🏽
enjoyed that ! 👍😎
Excellent choice, looks like the full power 500 engine and the facelift strong colour, love it!
Im in love with this generation of SL, timeless beauty
More of Chris Harris PLZ 🙏🏼👍🏼
Yes! I've been saying a few years now, these are still one of the best value modern classics. And who doesn't love a bit of carpet on the dash! - #luxury. And kid seats too.
I went on a similar trajectory 6 months ago, when I bought a 03' Cayenne S. A car and a genre that I never considered before (Me in a SUV ?) However, the price was tempting, the condition was really good, and a proper NA V8 ! I figured it was finally time to get something with a V8 as a daily as they won't last forever :)
Nice. Always liked the speedo with the hatched gear change zones.
Still one of my all time dream garage!
8:35 The wiper on these is so powerful it makes the car rock. The exceptionally deep gutter on the side of the windshield ensures all the water flicked into it by the mono blade goes onto the roof. And then, incredibly, the canvas roof is sculpted to drive the water over the top of the roof and not onto the side windows. For safety. Astonishing car.
I’ve a 2000 SL320 in the exact same colour combination as this. I love it, I always think what if I’d bought this new on launch in 1989, It’d have been like I’d bought a spaceship. They’re also a lot easier to work on than you’d think, have the right (STAR) diagnostics and you’re half way there. I did a full gearbox service 2 weeks ago, I only needed three tools, they’re made with the mechanic in mind.
IMHO, Sacco's finest design and Mercedes' engineers finest hour.
they were given unlimited time and budget