redbrick

So you've got the SL, and obviously love it. I would like to know what you think could be improved/revised on the SL's. Oh and relatively recent purchasing experience(s) as well please.

(Background)
I've had my 2000 CLK for over 5 years now (my first Benz...took an amazing 9 months for the delivery!!), and feel there were lots of improvements/revision that should've been considered, for instance the car has no tilt steering, the control stalks are hidden from view of the big steering wheel, the CD changer in the trunk, etc.

I'm about to join a new company and I'm excited that I can finally see myself in a SL500. So far my only issues are, no iPod connector, or blue tooth... What else do you think should be included in a car like this, or changed?

Additionally, the build quality of my CLK was disappointing and embarrassing at times. What I mean is the car had (still has I think) plenty of electrical issues. The wood trim would start to rattle in some places. The rear sunshade would sag and need adjustment. The paint chipped very easily. Let me know your thoughts. Thank you

(It's amazing how this site has grown...was here when this site was Mr. Vanos' CLK site)

vraa

Tighter panel gaps.

Possibly a different wind screen technology or something. With the wind screen in the rear up, it's impossible to use the rear view mirror. I can't see through it

redbrick

Exactly what I' looking for, Thanks for your input so far. I'll be test driving the SL this weekend, and will look out for those that you've listed.

...anymore?

Thanks folks. (Hopefully MBUSA is reading this thread for future improvements)

lorinserbenz

Before you take delivery drive the car you are buying over rough/even roads to check for top rattles. Take a hose and spray the car down and check for leaks in the trunck ( this doesnt seem to be a problem on 05's).

Check the paint from every angle, look at it under different light sources for defects or repairs (pdi repairs).

Be picky as hell, dont settle for a defect to be repaired ask for different car.

The only way to get MB back to the days of yore for quality is for its customers to be vocal and not accept anything but perfection.

Patrick1990

Hell Yeah it costed me 30$ its Scala 1:18 but what ever!? A real SL500 cost 370.000$ in my country, so i have no choice ...Pics comming up of my SL500..lol..I can pull down the roof manualy. My record is 11 seconds! 5 seconds faster than the real deal! I allso got a Highly detailed 300 SL gullwing to 100$ Now thats close to the real deal!

redbrick

Okay...I'll remember this...thanks.

redbrick

dude...you're funny. I've been reading your posts around these parts and can confirm your response that these cars do cost more over seas. ...and you know, that never really made sense to me... I don't understand why a mercedes would cost so much in yours and other countries.... My aunt in Asia also has the same problems. A $30,000 car can easily cost nearly $150,000 over there....that's crazy....

Florida Chris

Taxes. In Europe they tax you to death. Taxes are truly out of control on large displacement/high horsepower cars. Get rid of the Danish new car taxes and the car would be close to US pricing.

blueSL

There speaks someone who has probably never been out of Palm Beach County and believes everything he sees on CNN and reads in USA Today.

Cars in Denmark, along with Finland and Norway, are indeed taxed very heavily but they represent a small fraction of the total population. Take the majors - UK, France, Germany and Italy - and it's much more like the US. We pay more for gas, but don't have the equivalent of your property taxes, nor do we pay for medical care.

In round numbers, if you earn $1000, you will pay $290 in taxes in the US, $370 in most European countries, with the smaller countries nudging or exceeding $500.

vraa

In Texas we have no income tax

blueSL

But you still have Federal Income Tax, right?

vraa

Oh yeah, because that's federal. I'm just saying we don't have state income tax, while California does.

Florida Chris

Nope...grew up in Germany, Frankfurt actually. The subject at hand was the price of a car in Denmark. It is double the US price largely because of taxes associated with engine displacement and weight. Do you have some other explanation that I am missing? Margin? Transportation cost from Germany? Gimme a break. It is TAXES the Danes levy on new cars.

What did I do to **** you off anyway?

blueSL

You are certainly correct about Denmark, as I said, but to extrapolate that to apply to the whole of Europe ("In Europe, they tax your to death") is something of an incorrect generalisation. Fortunately, just as in the US, taxes vary according to where you live.

LovinMercedes

No, you are not correct, in general. You are making a huge assumption that you are in the lowest tax bracket and there are no state income taxes.

In California you can pay up to 48%.

blueSL

I was speaking of the percentage of GDP which ends up in the Goverment's hands across all taxpayers. In the US, it's around 28%, in the UK, 39% and Sweden is a boggling 55 - 60%.

If you look only at income taxes, people higher up the income scale will pay more. Here in the UK, the maximum you pay is 41% but then our sales tax is 17.5%.

LovinMercedes

I understand.

CE750

according to my friend who was born and spent his first 40 years in Scotland/UK my $56K MB would cost about 56,000 UK Pounds, or about double.. if purchased there.

Where in Europe are taxes low?

blueSL

Your friend is as much out of touch with Mercedes prices as you are with the exchange rate. The list price of the E320CDI in the UK is £36245, including taxes. The current exchange rate is 1.79, making the car about $64k, about 16% more, which is not double. Sales tax on cars in the UK are 17.5%, a far cry from the 180% levied on an SL in Denmark.

Patrick1990

Easier said than done. As long as the politicans don't care. They get their S500 2006, at the same price as we common danes pay for a used A160. So they got no problem with the taxes, and then don't wanna change them

tiggerfink

As compare to the loaner c-class that I have been driving for the last year, my 2004 SL500 has less durable MB-tex trim panel. Every time the dealer works on my rear bottom window seal, he has to get a new trim piece. I even had to replace both rear cabin panels, and the panel under the steering wheel. The MB-tex trim sucks in my car. But my SL500 is good car except for the cheap mb-tex panels and water leak in the trunk.

On the other hand, the C-class has very durable mb-tex, and I had no problems out of the loaner. Wife is seriously thinking about getting a c-class. But what good is a well built car when you have a dealer that cannot fix a light bulb.

Patrick1990

[QUOTE=Florida Chris]2005 SL65 AMG - Black/Black
2005 Ford GT- White/Blue Stripes
2005 Lotus Elise - Saffron Yellow/Black
2006 SRT-10 Viper Coupe - Blue/White stripes (on order)
2005 BMW 330ci conv - Blue/Black (wife's)
2004 MINI Cooper S JCW - BRG/White top
2001 BMW Z8 - Silver/Black
2002 BMW 1200RS - Silver/Blue Stripes
1973 Mustang Mach 1 - Blue/Blue[QUOTE]
HM! i would faint if i saw your garage. How the H*** do you earn you money! Damn!

Patrick1990

I've head alot about the Ford GT. A danish car magazine tried it on Circuit de La Sarthe. The le Mans track. After 30 seconds behind the wheel of it, they spinned out in the gravel, with 175 Mph...Because..It's got no Traction Control! so much power and no traction control! "the result of the Ford GT will be a lot of rich widows" they said. And if you schould buy it in Denmark, it would cost over 1 millon dollars. But we actually got one Ford GT in Denmark A yellow one with black stripes. owned by a rich buisnessman. It's the first, and the last, we ever will get to Denmark!

Patrick1990

Damn can we get some pics of your cars


The ugly optional speaker between the seats is unnecesary, with that sound behind you. My television speakers began to sound weird, because i simply needed to drive the Ford GT under the Monaco tunnel, at higher and higher volume each lap. i even paid 10$ to get it as ringtone on my cellphone

Florida Chris

Well, we have certainly highjacked this thread. I guess the damage is done, so here's a couple of pic's of the GT and the Elise: