merceBENZ

Are they interchangeable? Are the stars and their fixtures the same?
To me, front end look identical on both cars (not giving into details).

Would like to hear from pros.

kb24forlife24

No, I believe that the SL is a little different.

merceBENZ

Bigger star on SL?

sailorben

Rodney may know, he's recently bought himself an SL.

merceBENZ

That's great to know. Thanks!
Do you know which year?

sailorben

I am not sure, but I believe a R230 SL.

merceBENZ

Exactly what I meant.

Rudeney

I had a MY2007 CLK550 and now have a MY2011 SL550. The grilles are not the same at all. If you want a single fin SL-style grille for the CLK, there are plenty of aftermarket ones available made to fit. I came really close to putting on on my CLK, but never pulled the trigger.

merceBENZ

I'm interested in the star. I have factory AMG style grille and totally fine with that.

You got very good upgrade! Congrats!

Rudeney

Nope, the starts are totally different. I think the CLK's is two pieces, the SL is one. And I am really enjoying the SL..."driving the dream"

merceBENZ

Could you describe the difference between cl and clk rides?

Rudeney

The ride of the SL is amazing. It's not "sports car" firm, but its much more solid feeling than the CLK with more precise, connected handling. That's not to say there is anything substandard about the CLK because it's fantastic, but the SL is just another few steps up the ladder in terms of the way MBZ uniquely combines a luxurious ride with excellent performance. It feels like driving a solid chunk of concrete down the road. There is zero drive train vibration and absolutely no cowl flex or shake. The trade-off is that the additional body structure stiffness is housed in the extra high door sills that make ingress/egress a bit of a challenge, especially in tight parking spaces.

Even with all the potential maintenance headaches, I love ABC! Although the way it does this is somewhat artificial, the feeling of completely flat cornering and super-quick handling is exciting. Turn off sport mode and the ride is very compliant; not as much as the CLK, but not as bone jarring as a Mustang GT or Nissan Z, etc. SBC is pretty much transparent except for the occasional "strange" pedal feel at slow speeds. Sometimes I feel like I have to press the pedal deeper than necessary to stay stopped. There is much more road noise than in the CLK, and more wind buffeting with the top down.

All in all, I do not regret the trade.

merceBENZ

Thank you for detailed comparison. It is very interesting information. I was always (and still) interested in SL but ... CLK for starters.

merceBENZ

Rudeney,

Do you drive SL during winter? Snow?
I know you did on CLK.
Would love to know about how SL handles winter driving.

Rudeney

Yes, I drive the SL during the winter. But here in Alabama, the winter just means I may go a few weeks before a get a day where I can open the top. We had some sleet and snow come in on Friday but it didn't freeze until late that night. I did get out Saturday and Sunday, but all I encounters were the occasional small patches of ice, so I didn't get to really test the SL. But I am not sure I'd want to. I'm running Contis now and they are horrible at traction. I cringe when driving in the rain on them.

merceBENZ

I see what you saying. That is interesting. Do you think it handles the snow just like CLK being rwd?
Btw, snow salt on the soft top... how bad is that for a couple of days?

MacVidMB-V8

I put an "SL Style" grill on my CLK, I like it. I think I posted pix on both MB sites. It literally snaps in. Takes about 30 seconds to install and makes it look more like an SL. (Doesn't look ridiculous like same thing on W124 or W140)

I was 30 seconds from getting an SL before I got my CLK. I test drove one in Seattle and it drove like a dream, a light green metallic. But when I pushed the button for top to go down....it wouldn't. Brought back to the dealer, told him I was ready to buy, if they got top working before I left in 20 minutes. They swore nothing was wrong with top...but they couldn't get it working. An hour after I left I got an urgent text, they had the top working.

But I was on my way to meet a little old lady with a CLK500. As she had only driven it to church on Sundays, it only had 12K miles and had just come off the extended factory warranty. Anytime she heard a 'squeak' it was back to the dealer. Had it not been perfect, I may have gone back for that SL.

merceBENZ

Still no regrets?

Rudeney

i would guess that with good tires, the SL would be "okay" in snow, but I suspect not as good as the CLK due to wider tires and a less invasive ESP system. But then again, it is heavier with more weight on the rear. My trick in the CLK was to use "C" mode so it starts in 2nd and then use the Touchshift to keep it in 2nd or 3rd (out of 7) and creep along slowly. The SL should do the same in that respect.

Rudeney

I'll bet that SL had been sitting a while and the consumer battery was weak, so it shut of the top operations and other non-essential systems. Just based on anecdotal evidence of posts in the R230 forums vs. the W209, the SL top seems slightly more reliable. But that's OK - you got a CLK500 which is a great car and you like it so enjoy it! I have no regrets - not about driving the CLK for 6 years when I really wanted an SL, or trading it for the SL. I;ve been perfectly happy with my MBZs - even when I have oil or transmission parts all over the garage floor.

My quote for the day:

"Sometimes i drive and sometimes I wrench, but I enjoy both because the alternative is boring."

merceBENZ

Thank you for the great tip. Right on time!

sailorben

We are due a tad bit of snow tomorrow.

I've got a new set of Michelin pilot sport 4 on the rear. Incredible tyres. Mileage on another car, lead foot, 1.5mm-11,000miles.

So great mileage. Grip is outstanding. I've never had a tyre grip so well, it quite won't slip, even booting it in the rain, just above freezing, hard on brake full gas and go kinda launch. Doesn't spin the inside tyre flooring it out of a junction... I don't usually drive like it, I just like to test the ability of the tyres before I use them. Again all moist Tarmac, between 0-5Celcius

On roundabouts I get a little too much under steer for my liking.

If they do the pilot sport 4 in your size, I'd thoroughly recommend them.

merceBENZ

I got Michelin Primacy MXM4 and put on them 12000 miles on them. They are quite new, so tire question is out of question right now.

sailorben

12000 and new..? Damn! Last set that I just replaced I bought when I got the car last December, and changed them last week at about 8,000. They were quite grippy. But they wore out so fast, I was very disappointed in them.

On these Michelins I've got some hope that they'll stretch till 25,000. I'd be happy with that haha

merceBENZ

Yes, they still have full threads. Are you sure your alignment is in order?