nlpamg

http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/innova...ehicleclass-SL



2013 SL550:

$105,500 plus destination and delivery.

Packages:

Premium 1 Package – $4900

Rearview Camera
Parktronic with Active Park Assist
Active Ventiallated Front Seats
Airscarf
Active Multicontour Seats
Keyless Go
Power Trunk Closer
Driver Assistance Package – $2950

Distronic Plus with Presafe Brake
Active Blind Spot Assist
Active Lane Keeping Assist
Sport Wheel Package – $2000

19″ AMG 5-spoke Wheel
Sport Brake System
Options:

19″ Twin 5-spoke Wheel – $500
Illuminated Door Sills – $350
Analog Clock on Dash – $250
Wood Steering Wheels – $590
Magic Sky Control – $2500
Active Body Control – $4090
Bang & Olufsen Sound – $6400
Soft Close Doors – $850

Helmut430

Don't know about anyone else, but can't wait!!! I'll have to say goodbye to the 2004 SL,but CAN'T WAIT!

Jim K

Helmut430, I couldn't agree more. Powerful looks combined with high tech advances and features. A worthy icon for M-B.

55-BEAR

I just ordered my new 2013 SL550, and traded in my 2005 SL55 AMG!
The new SL550 is all Black, Black Premium Full Leather, Black Ash Wood Trim, Premium1 Package, 321/770 19" Wheel Package, Bang and Olufsen Sound System. Hopefully I will get it by the end of April!

kustom2k1

Congrats to the new buyers here. I see the SL550 is a 4.6TT. Anyone know if this is the same block as the 5.5 with a shorter stroke? Or is it a different engine altogether?
429hp not too shabby!

danlnyc

Not hating, but is it just me? I seriously think the new SL looks so wack....kind of bug-eyed/SLK-ish in the front. Really not feeling it IMO.

CakeDaddy

I agree! Its not a good look based on the pic

RJC

Did you get your car yet? Just ordered mine.

55-BEAR

Hi RJC,

No, the dealership was over sold so my build day has been moved to the 3rd week in May. Should get the car by the end of June if I'm lucky!
Nice combo you ordered! Congrats!
55-Bear

RJC

Thanks. I think we're kinda neighbors do you live on hb mile? I ordered mine from mbwpb; yours sounds nice too; had to have the black wood also.

55-BEAR

Hi neighbor! Yes, I live on Hillsboro Mile. I ordered mine from Mercedes Benz Pompano. I've bought my last 6 Mercedes from them.
I think that the black ash wood trim will look nice with the dash layout.
I'm tempted to order an SL63 instead of the 550, but I think that the 550's power and torque will satisfy me!
55-Bear

RJC

Hi.

Apparently the new 550 is just as fast as the last 63 so you/we should have plently of power and massive torque similar to our past 55's.

MB Pompano tried to locate the combo I wanted but the dealership in West Palm beat them to it; my sales guy at Pompano Dave Minoch was super and as a token of my appreciation for tyring I brought him a very special bottle of wine I had. I will have my car serviced at Pompano.

Really wanted one with the magic sky roof but no luck unless I waited and did my own order. We you able to get any kind of discount?

55-BEAR

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I did a special order with the exact equipment that I wanted. My sales guy is Mark Sawyer and my service advisor is Marcia McKinley Reymann. They had a showing/party event of 4, 2013 SL550, cars Monday night. All of them were available for purchase. I liked the Magnetite colored one with black leather, but it had too much extra equipment that I didn't want nor need. The other 3 were very nice but not to my liking. I got a $2000 discount from MSRP. The discount was due to me just spending $2000 on service for my SL55, so they allowed that money towards the discount! I'm happy with the deal and I'm very happy with my salesperson, and my service advisor.
55-Bear

RJC

That was very nice of them.

They were willing to offer me a discount +/- $1000 if I bought one of the remaining two cars they had left but they weren’t for me. The dealership in West Palm actually traded one of their cars a blk/blk with burl walnut for the car I wanted which was being built for another dealership in Charlotte, so I was only able to get them to waive the transport fee that had to pay to do the exchange of their car being sent to Charlotte (about $500.00 or so). I've never paid msrp before for any car but my 12 XKR convt turned out to be a lemon and I needed a car asap and they found one that was 95% of what I wanted.

Did you get magic sky?

55-BEAR

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I'm glad that they were able to accommodate you.
No, I didn't want the magic sky option. I never even used any of the various moon roofs on all of the other cars that I've owned. For my purposes, I spent the extra money on the B&O upgraded 7.1 stereo instead.

RJC

Thanks. The B&O should sound great.

Hoping this part of the forum wakes up a bit as there's not much going on here. Also appears many don't like the new front end but it goes back to all the previous SL's except for the last. I do think the all clear Euro lights look better than the orange stripes we get...what do you think?

RichardB

Just jumping in here a bit to say you're going to like this car!!! We picked up ours yesterday---Obsidian Black, Porcelain, Premium Pkg., Drivers Assist Pkg., Magic Sky, AMG wheel Pkg.---Pretty much everything but the B&O sound and ABC.

RJC

Thanks for the feedback. Your car sounds very nice!

May I ask you to check something out for me? Do the ventilated seats get cold with the ac set to low and on bi-level or floor? I have some nerve damage from an epidural injection and the colder the seat bottoms get the better for me.

Thank you

55-BEAR

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Yep! This forum is kinda dead! Most of the enthusiasts seem to be on the AMG forums. I didn't like the front end much either, but it has grown on me since I spent some time seeing the cars in person. The orange stripes look interesting at night, they do set the car apart when on at night, especially from a distance.
I'm not too sure about the exhaust sound! I only heard it under idling and slow forward motion and not during any floored throttle situation. If it's too weak for my taste, I just might use an authorized Mercedes after market exhaust system. Maybe RennTech or some such company. I certainly don't want to void the factory warranty though!
I hope that there will be more action on this forum once more folks take delivery of their cars.
Question, just curious, how did you know that I am from Hillsboro Beach? Do we know each other?
55-Bear

55-BEAR

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Congrats! Nice choices! Tell us more about it after you've spent some time behind the wheel! How does the exhaust sound? I'm hoping that it has some "Muscle Car" tone to it!
Enjoy it!
55-Bear

RichardB

Yes they do. It was a bit warm here and I tried it out. It does take a little bit for the seats to cool off, though. Although, I have to say that the massage seats are good on your back as well. I have a couple bad disks and it's a very nice feature.

RichardB

Unfortunately no. But it wouldn't much matter, you wouldn't hear it. The car is QUIET inside. I mean almost as quiet as our S550. The thing is even quiet at 60 with the top down and windows up. On a smooth road you can easily carry on a conversation without raising your voice at that speed.

With the top down and the wind screen thing up behind you there is almost no hair flapping around. My wife rode comfortably without having to brush her hair when the ride stopped. Ladies will like this more than men, haha.

A few things we noticed just riding around yesterday---things that come to mind after just 20 miles or so on it:

The top is fast! Up and down it's quick, but will not operate when moving.

The cruise control and turn signal wands are reversed from the S550 and the E550. Not a big deal, but it takes a little getting used to if you've been driving one of the other Benz's. The turn is on top and the cruise on the bottom--or vice versa. It's the opposite of the others.

The doors stay where you put them. That is, when you open the doors, they stay where you stop moving them. This keeps the door from swinging or flopping to a preset stop. It'll help in protecting from door dings and paint chips.

The magic sky seemed kinda gimmicky at first, but I LIKES IT!

The car is big. It is not small. It's a half inch wider than our S. It's COMFORTABLE! There is more headroom than in my E550. If you're tall (reasonably so), you will fit. Another thing I like over the R230. It drives like a smaller car, but has room to keep occupants comfortable. It's not cramped.

There is a little turbo lag. But then it's super smooth and almost not gear lag or jerk compared to most cars you'll drive.

The power curve is WOW. It's got torque all the way up. Much smoother and faster than the previous models (R230).

It has the same 0-60 specs as the last model AMG version.

The ECO thing is something I don't like and I turn it off.

Brakes are smooth and there is little jerking back at you when a hard stopping like many cars have.

Fit and finish is everything you expect from MB and more. They really did a nice job on this.

There is a nice little lidded storage compartment behind the driver seat.

The glove box is large enough to hold the owners manual! (WOW)! LOL

There are a lot of ways to make those seats comfortable! They even hug you on hard turns.

It looks MUCH MUCH better in person than in pictures or the photo shopped brochure MB has. The more I look at it the more I like it. The front end is a bit different, but so was the 230 when it first came out. It had it's complainers also. I personally don't see where some critics have made the looks a big deal. Regardless, while driving this car and wrapped in all that horsepower driven luxury ya' can't see that much of the exterior anyway---but it'd be nice to, it's a good looking car.

I feel that the steering is geared for those who like to drive, but drive in responsive comfort. Maybe not so much for the racer, but I like it. You don't have to force it around the curves, just sort of let it take you there. There isn't much feedback, but it is a luxury vehicle---to have fun in comfort---not really designed to be wrestled into submission. Then again, when in fine restaurant I don't want to wrestle a waiter for a glass of wine either.

There is no spare tire. They're run flats. I don't know that I like run flats. I don't think they ride as well and they are very expensive when you pick up a nail. But these are very smooth on the 19 inch rims. Not sure about the nail thing is gonna cost yet.

The trunk is a nice size and ample room for a couple golf bags or suitcases with the top down. There is also some additional hidden storage under the trunk flap.

Everything is laid out so well and the car is so comfortable that once the seats are set and after maybe 5 or 10 miles, the car morphs to you. That is, the car becomes almost a part of you and driving gets to be more thought than action.

There are switches on each seat shoulder to move the seats back for easy entry.

On the drivers side by the seat switches there is a button that slides the PASSENGER seat back to make it easier for a passanger to get in.

The accent lighting is adjustable from a yellowish tone (solar) to orange, red and deep red. There are 5 brightness levels for the accent lighting. Doesn't sound that good, but I think you'll like it.

We have the stock radio/stereo. This thing is great. It's very impressive they got this much sound and this rich of a sound in a two seat convertible. I can only imagine what the B&O will do!!!

The rear camera has guidelines showing where the car is going. These even curve to show the track the car will take. This is a very nice adder and makes backing into and out of areas very easy and safe.

The head lights rotate with the wheel---as a friend says, "it can look around the corners."

Okay, I believe that's about it for now. Hope it gives you a bit to think about and enhances the excitement of your new rides! As I discover more I will share.

Hope this helps!

55-BEAR

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Thanks RichardB,
Great read! What a wonderful description of the car! Looks like you are really enjoying your new ride! More info will be appreciated as you continue to learn about the car. The ambient cabin lighting sounds interesting! I hope that the turbo lag doesn't take some of the pleasure out of driving the car while aggressively smashing down on the throttle pedal!
I guess if I want the "Muscle Car" sound I'll have to either add an aftermarket exhaust system or drive my CLS63 AMG!
I loved the sound of my old SL55 AMG!
55-Bear

RJC

Great review Richard and thank you. Is there a lot of turbo woosh, as in the 12 CL550 with the same engine it was very pronounced, almost intrusive, although the youngsters would think it sounds cool lol...

RichardB

I didn't notice anything that was all that extreme and can't compare it to a CL as I have never driven one. It does sound different than the engines used in the '11 550's? I know it doesn't whine like older turbos did. I'll play with it more later today and let you know.

I read somewhere that they are making only 700 of these for 2013. Is that real or rumor?