SteveL1

Been looking for the right SL for a while and while I have my heart set on getting an SL55, I find that most of the nice ones are just a little out of my budget and been thinking that I should just get an SL500 with the sport package for now. The average person would never know the difference and the lower cost would allow me to do some of the upgrades that I would want like wheels, rear spoiler, Smart Top module, lowering links, etc.

The things that I would really miss are the big brakes, twin tip exhaust and oh yea, that extra bit of horse power. Anyone been in a similar situation and regret getting a standard SL500?

WHTEVO

I would think everyone with a SL500 would regret not having the SL55 model :P In all seriousness, i am sure the repair/ maintenance costs should be slightly cheaper, but if you really want a SL55, i would wait until they get into your price range instead of settling on something you don't really want. Good luck.

Aaron

gixxerss

I had serious regrets one i got my SL500. Don't get me wrong, it's,a great car in its own right but the power was below my expectations and for the little extra I would pay for a 55 or 65 I said goodbye to the 500 and picked up the SL65. No more regrets!

ilovemaui1

I would not say I regret it, but I wish it had the power of the SL55. I would have to pay at least $15k more for a 55 with the low miles I have on the 500. So, I have no regrets. I have a fantastic car and love it. I usually tire of a car after two years, so I can always trade up later.

SteveL1

Problem is, in two years, there will be fewer & fewer low mileage examples to pick from and I would think that those that do still exist will be as much $$ then or more. As it is, it's hard enough to find that perfect color combo/optioned car with under 30k miles.

jrgator

As an SL55 owner, hold out for one. They are a bargain given how badly they depreciate at first, and many of them are well-optioned, eg, keyless go, pano roof etc. Mine is a high mileage car, and so far (3 years) the maintenance hasn't been bad.

vtvette

I was on the fence between SL500/SL55 (before I drove either). I figured 300hp would be quite adequate for my regular commute but given the price of the SL55's they are within shot so, I opted to search for both.

The first and only SL car I have driven is a SL55 for sale locally. What an unbelievable car! I would only stop short of robbing a liquor store to own one! My search is now strictly SL55 and that is what I will buy.

If the 55 is just out of budget do yourself a favor and don't drive one! You will not know what you are missing. Also, you could buy a SL500 now and if you really love the car sell it in a few years you can always sell and move on to a 55.

SteveL1

Ha! I have only driven SL55's so I'm already hooked. Have test driven two so far. Plan on testing a regular SL500 but afraid that I'm going to be sadly disappointed since the 55's were just stupid fast.

vtvette

It will be interesting to hear your comparison.

To some people (especially those who were buying these cars new) the extra HP of a 55 may be completely lost on them and of no consideration.

If you appreciate performance though, the 55 is just one HELL of a machine!

SteveL1

Drove an '09 SL550 today and although it had more than adequate power for every day driving, it lacked that visceral feel and chiropractic approved neck snap that I really enjoyed in the SL55. Strange thing that I did notice was that once on the road, you really had a hard time noticing any difference between the two, minus the horsepower. You really don't see the two little indicators that show an SL55 is a real AMG car. The gauges having the AMG logo and the seats having the small logo badge in the back rest. The ride and even somewhat the sound were pretty much the same and I could imagine that if you closed your eyes for a few seconds, you wouldn't be able to tell which you were in.

Also noticed that 99 out of 100 normal people on the road wouldn't know the difference either as the tell tail signs of an SL55 are hard to pick up when cruising at any speed above an idle. Only the hard core guys are going to pick up on the single vs double exhaust tips or the big AMG brakes. De badge them and they are almost identical if the SL500 is equipped with the Sport Pkg.

All that being said, I still find myself leaning toward holding out for a true AMG car. If I was looking for something to just drive to the golf course or take the significant other out to dinner once in a while, the SL500 would easily fit the bill but I'm one of those that enjoys knowing that he owns something that is a bit more exclusive. Now to just find that perfect example within my budget.

ilovemaui1

I have never driven an SL55 but when I was looking I drove an SL550 and noticed a huge difference in the initial acceleration. I could have purchased an SL55 with double the miles for the same price I paid for my SL500, but the low miles and the extensive maintenance history that came with the car I am very happy with my decision. Not to mention the color. All the other SL's in my neck of the woods were silver and I did not want another silver car. My last sports car was a highly modified C6 Corvette and I can definitely say the SL500 does not have the power of the Corvette, but the quality of the interior and feel of the SL500 is much more refined. I especially like the feedback of the car. The steering feels like you're actually steering the car and the acceleration is good for a 300 HP motor. I really don't need a car that goes 0 to 60 in three seconds, been there done that.

My only disappointment in the Merc has to be the clumsiness of the Nav system and the fiberoptic stereo leaves little to no options for upgrading the stereo. Even with the factory Nav I find myself using my TomTom or iphone rather than spending fifteen minutes trying to plug an the address into the factory Nav system. Pretty bad for a car that listed for $90k new.

I would recommend buying the car you want so that you're not questioning your decision after the fact.

Tyztoy

I sold my '03 Z06 and picked up a '03 SL500 because I wanted a hard top vert. The power difference was so bad that I sold the SL500 to buy a 07' Z06 until my buddy let me drive his '05 SL55.... Long story short I picked up my '07 SL55 and will never look back...

teekay1

mine is for sale low miles good price wont find one in as good of shape anywhere!!! and if u want ill even take it down to kleeman for you to get tuned

teekay1

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3884067220.html

Psyclone

Steve,
I can tell you having gone from an 04 SL500 to an 07 SL550 THAT was a big difference in acceleration (as well as a lot of other things). Kind of middle of the road between 04 SL55 and the 07 SL550. The additional 80hp and 52fp of torque was definitely noticeable. Having said that, the difference in an 04 SL55 and 07 SL55 is minimal. (17hp and 15fp). If you're really looking for the significant increase in HP & Torque I'd say be patient for anything 05 and above. I completely agree with WHTEVO, the last thing you want is buyers remorse IMHO.

vtvette

Follow up on my post above - I purchased a 2005 SL55 last Friday. Spent a little more on a one female owner '05 vs. a '03 or '04 (though not much more surprisingly) and could not be happier.

Psyclone

Congrats VT!!

SteveL1

Congrats! Was it listed on one of the big web sites? I've been looking constantly for the past month for the right one only to procrastinate too long in pulling the trigger. There's been 3 or 4 that I regret missing out on. Would love to see some photos.

Hary Gahtoe

I'm an owner of a 500 and prefer the idea of tuning the N.A. M113 engine for slightly more power to an AMG with a Kompressor.
R230's are very heavy, it just seems to be a better fit to do a modified N.A. M113 and tune for some extra power.

threeMBs

Interesting. What can possibly be done to "tune" NA engine in SL500 (or E500, etc.)? If you do not mind sharing $$$ invested for HP/TQ gain, if any?

Hary Gahtoe

Nothing I care to share at this time with this type of attitude towards info sharing.
Yes I've driven 2, 55's. Not impressed for the money.
BTW; I said increases over M113 not equivalent to an SL55

vtvette

Hary, have you driven a SL55? There is no discernible supercharger whine whatsoever. Also no feel when the boost comes on - it just goes. The Auto transmission is *far* from sloppy. This is a world class box in every way. We're not talking GM 700R4's here. I've owned everything from UrQuattro's, M3's, various Porsches (944, 928, 993's) Many Corvettes, the list goes on. Aside from pickup trucks is my first Automatic car. The auto was a concern for me. I though it might ruin the car. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's an amazing gearbox. Plus, all R230's are auto. No manuals were ever made so, no factory options there.

The SL55 also gives you uprated brakes, sport tuned ABC, a hand built engine, stronger transmission (2003 the transmissions were the same but, in '04 the Sl received the 7 speed which has a lower torque rating which is why AMG's retain the 5 speed transmission), paddle shifters, stronger drivetrain, uprated exhaust, and the list goes on. These are two very different cars.

Depreciation plays favorably for us purchasing today. SL55's are not much more $$$ than a standard SL500. To purchase for performance you're getting so much more for your money.

I can't believe a SL500 could be brought anywhere near the performance levels of a SL55 when considering the price difference between buying a Sl500 vs. a Sl55 (in today's prices). I paid about $4,000 more for a clean, one female owner 2005 Sl55 vs. comparable SL500's I saw advertized in my search. Other than *maybe* the old Audi 5 cylinder Turbo engines I've never seen an instance where true, reliable 200hp (with drivetrain upgrades necessary to make power delivery dead reliable) can be bought for $4000. Especially in a German car.

Please don't misunderstand I'm not hating in any way on the SL500. The Sl55 an the Sl500 are very different cars intended for very different purposes. I'm merely saying if performance is a consideration with little price difference today between the two the SL55 just seems to make perfect sense.

threeMBs

Absolutely. When I was buying (new) the difference was over $30K. Now used, SL55s are the best bargains (when they "work").

Not even close, regardless of how much is spent on upgrading 500. I do not know what "Harry" is on, but do not want to try it.

threeMBs

Sprintbooster? And how much HP/TQ does it add exactly?

theintelligent1

exactly.....pretty obvious Harry has nfi........