is there a way for me to trade in my 2002 SL500 for a 2003 CL 500/55. if there is a way what is the cheapest way. its a 39 month lease started in may 2002 with about 20,000Miles.
my dealer told me that i can give in my SL500, but i have to pay $10,000 to break the lease.

ouch.. that is pretty expensive. I think ususally when you want to end the lease. You pay the difference between the appraised price and the market value (which is usually what they can sell for). So I guess since the new SL's are out, the difference is quite a lot. However I have a friend who traded his CLK 430 for a 2003 SL500 and the dealership gave him 9K for his CLK.

What determines how much you'll pay is the total of all payments remaining plus the residual value minus the residual value or market value whichever is higher. If MB gave you a lease with a high residual like they usually do, that helps but this usually is offset by the extremely high money factor or interest rate they charge. Moral is shop around lease rates because it's possible to get high residual and low money factor which makes it much more economical to get out early.

Rule of thumb is you get killed terminating more than a few months early. Sorry.

Dr Chill
OT, but please enlighten me on the information in your replys regarding my computer, isp, etc.

If you put this in your sig, you can have it too.

<img src="http://www.danasoft.com/vipersig.jpg">

Thanks Kaneman.

Just curious, why did you lease the 2002 SL500 in May? I can't remember but weren't we already expecting the new SL to come out soon then?

Yes the 2003 sl500 was on the way when i got my 2002, but my SL was a used 2002 with less then 10000 mile so i got a great deal and an even better deal because the 2003's were on the way. i love this car, but i had enough of the two seater and i want all the new technology in the CL-class and if you know the 2002 SL was the least technologacly advanced car mercedes had because the new 2003 was going to replace it. and iam willing to pay the extra $ for a used 2003 CL 500/55 , and i say used because the 2004 is no big deal from the 2003.