My First Benz
06-20-2019 | 04:28 PM
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Joined: Jun 2019
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2016 SL 400
My First Benz
Hello,
I came out of a 2006 Cadillac XLR and loved the hardtop convertible. The XLR has great lines and because it's rare, a definite head turner. Age was getting the best of the XLR and I would need to throw more into repairs than what the vehicle was worth. Since XLR production ended in 2009, finding parts was getting extremely difficult and costly. For example, the only place you can get a replacement headlight assembly is on eBay with an asking price of $3500 each. It was time to let the XLR go.
I looked at the Jag F-Type, Maserati GranTurismo, and SL 400. I'm not a fan of soft-tops. I thought the F-Type cabin was too snug and I'd probably get annoyed with the exhaust backfire/sputter. It also lacked comfort needed for long road trips. The Maserati is roomier, comfortable, well appointed and sounds great, but the wife thought it was too large for what we wanted.
So I ended up with a CPO 2016 SL 400 with 7K miles and a factory warranty to 2021. The SL checked all the boxes on my list and was too good to pass up. I really like the panoramic roof which makes the SL feel open even with top up. However, I'm looking forward to a summer of top down driving.
Any operating or maintenance tips/advise from current SL owners to a newbie?
Thanks,
Chuck
I came out of a 2006 Cadillac XLR and loved the hardtop convertible. The XLR has great lines and because it's rare, a definite head turner. Age was getting the best of the XLR and I would need to throw more into repairs than what the vehicle was worth. Since XLR production ended in 2009, finding parts was getting extremely difficult and costly. For example, the only place you can get a replacement headlight assembly is on eBay with an asking price of $3500 each. It was time to let the XLR go.
I looked at the Jag F-Type, Maserati GranTurismo, and SL 400. I'm not a fan of soft-tops. I thought the F-Type cabin was too snug and I'd probably get annoyed with the exhaust backfire/sputter. It also lacked comfort needed for long road trips. The Maserati is roomier, comfortable, well appointed and sounds great, but the wife thought it was too large for what we wanted.
So I ended up with a CPO 2016 SL 400 with 7K miles and a factory warranty to 2021. The SL checked all the boxes on my list and was too good to pass up. I really like the panoramic roof which makes the SL feel open even with top up. However, I'm looking forward to a summer of top down driving.
Any operating or maintenance tips/advise from current SL owners to a newbie?
Thanks,
Chuck
