MERCEDES-BENZ SLK

 Love the idea of roof-down motoring when the sun’s out, but want something more substantial than a piece of fabric above your head when the weather turns? The SLK with its clever metalfolding roof could be the answer.

The first-generation (R170 chassis code) models are well within budget – process start below £1000 and cars between £1500 and £2000 are plentiful. But for about £1000 more you can start looking at the newer – and better – R171 third-generation models instead. The R171 arrived in 2004 and continued production until 2011. Unlike its predecessor, the new model features a galvanised body, so rust isn’t an issue even now. Well, not the body – the rear subframes have started to show signs of rust, and in some cases can prove to be an MOT failure, so check any potential purchase.

The R171 was initially offered with a 160bhp 1.8-litre supercharged fourcylinder in the SLK 200 Kompressor (later increased to 181bhp after 2008, but doubtful these will fall under our £4000 budget), or the 3.5-litre V6 in the SLK 350 with its 268bhp (later 300bhp). There was another option to join the list in 2005; the SLK 280 offered 225bhp from a 3.0-litre V6.

We’d go for the full-fat SLK 350, purely because of the extra performance on offer for the relatively small price differential (we spotted an earlier 2004 SLK 350 with 105,000 miles for £2990), but the supercharged SLK 200 is much more common at this budget, so you can afford to be choosier when it comes to picking colour, spec, and even condition.

With the earlier models we’re looking at for our budget, there are a couple of engine issues to be aware of. The V6s (both 3.0- and 3.5-litre versions) are prone to failure of the balancer shaft gear, resulting in engine-destroying timing chain failure if not caught in time. Misfires and the engine management light on the dash are early indicators – don’t ignore them or let the seller convince you, “oh, that’s nothing...”. The 1.8 is a tough little number too, but has also been known to suffer timing chain issues – this time with sprocket failure.

One final thing to note, specialists recommend fluid changes on autoboxes every 35,000 miles, so check service records for any history of when it was last done.