PDC

Happy owner of a 2006 SL65. I had the KLEEMANN ECU/TCU mod when I bought the car 6 years ago. Car has 56k miles and is in very clean condition. I am frankly just a wee tiny bit 'bored' with it. I have also noticed that it is susceptible to heat-soak, even with the good Bosch '010' intercooler pump. Finally, the ABC light came on today. After arriving at my destination and shutting the car off for a minute two and starting it back up, the ABC warning did not come back on. I know this might just be a sensor or accumulator, but at 10 years old with 56k miles, a major investment in the ABC system cannot be far down the road.

SO - dealership has a Certified Pre-Owned 2012 911 Turbo "S" in inventory. 20k miles. Of course its black. They want $99K which seems to be right in line with what the majors (KBB, Edmunds, etc) seem to think a Certified S should run. I cannot imagine anyone offering much more than $30-35k on trade for a 10 yr old SL65. So I would be looking at a +/- $60k diff.

Big question - is the 911 Turbo 'S' juice worth the squeeze? Will the 'ooh aah' factor wear off, or is a car that makes the 0-60 sprint in 2.9 with sub 11 sec quarter mile times just plain qualitatively 'better' than a 10 yr old 4700 lb aging monster?

What to do ...

aeroman

Two totally different driving experiences.

Balr14

It has always been my experience that lighter is much better than heavy, when it comes to performance.

PDC

Absolutely - I have always been a car guy and I have lusted after many a car in my years. I guess one could say that I am 'successful' but far from 'rich.' Point is, I have neither the room in my budget nor in my garage to own every car of my dreams at the same time. I necessarily must let go of one in order to have the 'experience' of the other. And I always make these 'investments' from the 'previously enjoyed' inventory. That has allowed me to drive an M5, a CLK55, and E55 and now an SL65.

I took an 08 Turbo out for a test drive last year. VERY quick, but felt awfully 'stiff' for a daily driver. I have always loved the comfort of the SL65 and may not want to give that up. I will have to drive the Turbo 'S' to see.

BlownV8

Don't be surprised if they offer you $22k to $25k for your SL.

AMG-Driver

When you love the smooth power and comfort of the SL, maybe the Porsche is not the best car for you.

But I see your point, if you need something new and more modern - maybe the R231 SL63 or SL65 would be a good option. They are not light weights, but handle far more "active" and feel much lighter than the "old" R230. Prices of the R231 should also should come more down, because there are not too many buyers (at least in Germany).

PDC

That's what I expected. I know it all depends on what column they want the numbers to show, but they actually offered $32k as the opening bid. Not fantastic, but more than I expected.

sound 8

For performance the SL can't match the Porsche, but that's not what it
is about, as a whole give me the SL everytime..
S8

shardul

iTrader: (1)

911 all day long

cnterline

I have an SL55, my wife had a 911S no turbo but was pretty fast for what it was,I loved driving it for say 20 min then the harshness of suspension kicks in ,it was like a go kart to me, if you gave me one I'd sell it lol
But that's me ,if you love handling 911 hands down ,if not keep the SL

sound 8

Porsche Track Day

SL AMG Every Day.

S8

PDC

Well, here are my thoughts. To each his own - no wrong answers.

First of all, I just don't think I'm a 'Porsche Guy' The cars look beautiful from any angle and you cannot deny their performance. The 911 Turbo "S" is an absolute rocket ship. But everything about the car feels thin, light, and 'cheap.' The doors open and shut with a disconcerting plastic-y 'rattle.' The suspension rides like a buckboard wagon.

The power and acceleration is literally intoxicating - no doubt. But I am afraid the 'intoxication' will wear off (eventually) leaving me with one helluva hangover.

The cost difference (less trade) would be around $65K. But to me, the 'cool' factor and increased performance is really only worth a difference of about $25K tops. Somewhere along the way I see myself writing yet another check for the privilege of swapping my SL65 for this car and asking myself 'what in God's name did you do that for?'

I think I will drive my 06 until I find a nice, low mileage 09 or later SL65. I personally prefer the more angular headlight treatment, the diamond quilted treatment on the seats and the nicer 'paddles' behind the wheel. Until then, I have realized how happy I really am with my SL.

Sometimes its nice to wander across to the other side of the fence and realize that the grass isn't THAT much greener over there.

SL65amg

PDC, I totally see what you're saying, but I too know that eventually I will have to retire my upgraded SL 55 and get something else....I've been driving many Mercedes for many years and I was hoping to get something totally different like a '14 model Turbo S coupe, aren't they thoroughly better quality interior and ride quality and handling compared to the 2012 model? Also with just a tune, downpipes, basic bolt on's I'm hearing the car is a low 2 second 0 to 60 MPH ride....insanely fast...and I'm hearing a lot more reliable than a Mercedes....what do you think? Also hearing that 2013 and even 2015 Bentley Continental GT Speed Coupes are dropping in price fast...heard of 2013 models with the upgrded 8 speed transmission and newer body going for the high 117k range...cheaper than getting a used 911 turbo S perhaps? Bentley's are not as fast as an AMG or Porsche but they are supremely comfortable plush and very high quality materials plus the brand name packs a lot of punch....just some thoughts to ponder....
For the money though yes used AMG's are incredible even though the maintenance costs are a nightmare....used 2005 SL 65's are going for what at auctions now? high 20's?

tscales

Not quite the same, but I went from an 05 Turbo X50 to an 05 SL65. Totally different experiences. Enjoyed the Porsche (for 7 years!). Love the SL.

boostd

03 Turbo to 05 SL for me. 2 really different cars, each with their goods and not so goods. I love the comfort and tech in the SL and at least currently, prefer it to the sports car the 911 is.

MTV10

Definitely go for the Turbo.
There is no substitute...

sound 8

At the end of the day it is no good asking members which car you should
buy, everyone will have their favourite, it depends on you,not us
All we can do is tell you technical things. I prefer the Porsche for looks,
the SL would be better with a wide body kit, and for everyday I would prefer
the SL. That is me, now what turns YOU on.
S8

TTtodd

As it turns out I did just the opposite. I went from a Porsche turbo to an SL65. I owned the Porsche for six years and loved it. I too got kind of bored with the SL65 after one year. Its hard to explain just maybe too relaxing to drive.

If I were looking for a 100k car I would seriously look at a C7 Z06 convertible.