THE Mercedes SL is an icon. Every generation from the Gullwing original in 1954, to the 63 ‘Pagoda' cars right up to the current R230 car has brought something inspiring to the table.

The new model, due to be launched this year, is no exception.

It is mostly of alloy construction to save weight, offers an incredible range of engines (including a twin turbo V8 that is clean enough to fit under the 225g/km tax band) and even cleans the windscreen without washer jets with the wiper itself firing cleaning fluid onto the screen.

The car will be brilliant, it always is. It will also be incredibly expensive.

A base SL350 will still set you back north of £70,000 and it's likely to lose quite a lot of value over the first five years once the initial rush to pick up the latest model dies down.

This got us thinking. If you want all the sybaritic open top luxury of an SL, what's wrong with the still excellent current model?

It can even be had for Mondeo money. And what does the competition have to offer at around this price? Here are three of the best from UsedCarExpert¦

The current car is incredibly refined and the earlier 5.0-litre V8 cars are very easy to work on and easy for a specialist to maintain. A low mileage one of these is a very wise investment and should be comparatively cheap now. Make sure that the folding metal roof works perfectly or develop a deep friendship with your bank manager.

A well looked after, 2004, 5.0-litre V8 in silver with a full service history and less than 50,000 miles on the clock is available for £14,995. A true bargain.

A great and overlooked car, the SC430 was Toyota's take on the SL and it is just as good. A wafty 4.3 V8 and a chassis tuned for comfort make the SC a proper rival for its German counterpart. You cannot tell the difference between early and late cars, which makes it somewhat of a timeless bargain.

A fully loaded 2003 model with less than 50,000 on the clock, one owner and a full service history is available for £11,990. This is incredibly cheap for such a machine. Should be very reliable too.

As English as a cold cup of tea by the sea, the XK out handles and out rides the competition by a satisfying margin. Looks amazing and holds it's value too. The big 4.2 V8 provides plenty of shove and low weight means the car is not too bad on fuel. A palpable hit.

You won't get a convertible version of the current car for cheap SL money but the coupe just fits in. A 2005, 4.2 V8 coupe with 60,000 on the clock and a full service history can be had for £17,500.