Hello,

I am in my mid fifties and have owned several vehicles. Some vehicles were low end, some median and some high end. Some brand new, but most pre-owned. 90% of all of my vehicles have been an import.
Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, Cadillac, VW, Nissan, Honda and Ford round out my priors.

As a much younger man the excitement I felt when I first saw the SL on tv and later saw the SL in person simply blew me away. Over the years my love for the SL continued to grow and with each new generation I grew to love the SL even more. I told myself back then that I would get an SL one day and I meant that. I was/am very happy to be able to say I have my dream car.

Even though I love my SL dearly I do wish some things were different. But hey, nobody, or nothing is perfect right? So what are the top 5 things you wish were different in your SL. 5 items only.
Here are mine.

#5 Minimum spec 400hp. Any SL should come standard with at least 400hp and go up from there based on the model. The price point of these cars deserve nothing less and is a big disappointment at under 400hp.

#4 No heated steering wheel. Mercedes knows there are people that buy these cars that drive in cooler temps at least part of the year. I do not drive in snow, that’s what my Range Rover is for, however there are plenty of times on a clear/dry winter morning the temps are in the teens.

#3 Remote start. No brainer.

#2 Cant control the top while in motion. Plenty of times I have to pull over to operate the top. We should be able to open/close in motion.

#1 No spare tire and tire change kit. MB didn’t give us 400hp so you know we ain't racing anyone, especially since a base $40k mustang has more hp out the gate. Since we are not racing we don’t care about a little more weight. The SL isn’t cheap so who cares if a tire kit raises the price a little.

Love my SL, but I hope these items are addressed in the next generation.

 

I think most people who have the 450 are fine with the power. And if you want more they have options. I agree on the heated wheel, it's plain dumb not having it as an option. I have no need for remote start in a convertible. You can control the top up to 25mph, I would never want to open/close it at speeds faster than that. The tire is a packaging issue- where would you put it? In order to change to a spare you have to do something with the wheel/tire you took off- they can't fit in the trunk or passenger seat.

 

We can help with the remote starter.
Available here -- we strongly recommend professional installation.
https://www.midcityengineering.com/p...nz-sksng231d4/

 

I would not have ordered a heated steering wheel, even if it was available. Don’t need it.

I am fine with the top the way it is and the windscreen. I cannot believe the new SL has a manual windscreen where you have to stop the car and get out and manually remove it and fold it up and put it in the trunk....LOL. I will take my 231.

I know MB could have engineered a spare tire if they wanted to do it.. They are pretty smart and could have found a way. I do not like not having a spare and I don’t like run flat tires.

I have a MUCH MUCH better sound system in my Ford Expedition... WTH were you guys thinking?? Are you deaf? It is just terrible. I thought it was broken at first.

I do not want or need more HP. It has plenty and is plenty fast. There are very few cars on the road that it will not outperform. I never considered it to.be a muscle car. I do not need more power and would not have paid extra for it. If power was my thing, there are a lot of less expensive alternatives.

I love the car...except for the sound system and no spare. Everything else is about as good as i have ever owned.....and I have owned a lot of cars. Nothing is perfect. I have two MBs right now and love the other one too. They build a fine car

 

-I have a 400
-I know there are aftermarket options, but I was referencing standard stock options.
-Agreed
-I don't get the "no need for a remote start in a convertible? Because it's a convertible it doesn't get cold inside? These cars are not warm in 5 minutes either. As mentioned our winters get in the teens here and plenty still drive Sl's in winter when there is no snow. I do for sure. Nothing wrong with having the car toasty on a winter morning or single digits, or teens day.
-I hear people keep mentioning that we can open the top at up to 25mph, however I have never seen ANYONE post a video of them doing it. (unless they have an aftermarket add on) I have tried at multiple slows speeds slower than 25 mph opening and closing the top. Each time the dash says reduce speed, but the top doesn't continue up or dpwn unless I stop driving completely. I even did a follow up test on a Sl 400 at a Mercedes lot. I got the exact same warning on the other SL So unless I see a video of a non modified Sl 400 opening/closing the top while moving it is just a myth. lol.
-The tire- It is not a tire based on what we already have, the spare tire could have been address by the engineers at build. They could have done it. No way to do it after the fact.

 

I have spoke with you before. (offline) I might be adding that in the future, if I don't upgrade to the new model..

 

The vehicle must be stopped before starting a top operation. Once the top is in motion, it will continue to open/close as long as you do not exceed 25 mph.

 

The 450 with 369hp is quite fast. And I was referencing other options such as the 550, 63 etc. They literally sell various models to satisfy power requirements. If you bought a base model that's not fast enough for you, that's on you not MB. I don't generally drive my car in the cold. I almost never put the top up so preheating it would be worthless. I have used the top up/down while driving a few times. How old is your car?? It works perfectly fine for me but you do need to be stopped to get it working then you can drive. It would have been very hard to incorporate extra space to carry a 275mm wide tire in the car and still have a solid roof. I am far more upset about not having one in my S560.

 

Were you able to test drive the car before you bought it? That would be a tell tale sign if the car had enough power for your needs. I believe the remote start is a safety/liability issue for the manufactures. Heated wheel, I guess wear your favorite mittens and point the vents at the wheel. Top in motion from beginning to end of up and down should be available in motion up to a certain speed. With the size of the car, I am quite certain they could come up with some reconfiguring to hold a spare and then the flat after changing. If these things are a make or break, maybe move up to the next engine or see if another make/model suit you better.

 

I mentioned in my original post that ANY SL should start with 400hp and go up from there based on the price point of these cars.

Of course there are other model Mercedes, who cares? We have two current Mercedes models. There are other model SL’s as well. Again who cares? My post was that any SL should start with 400hp and go up from there. It’s just a thought that maybe others will agree. If you’re is fast enough that’s great.

Perhaps you didn’t read the part of the post that said I love my SL but wish these 5 things were different? I have owned cars that I had wished 25 things were different.

if you are in a warm area great for you.


My car is a 15.

I think the engineers could have easily found space for a spare If starting from scratch.

 

But they don't start with 400hp. You would like that, I would like that and am glad the one I purchased does. I would imagine the countless dollars spent on market research has proven otherwise. Which is why they offer different levels of performance.

 

400hp is an arbitrary number. It means nothing. My Navigator has 450hp but my 369hp SL would spank it. It's like saying it has to be a V8 because a 6 isn't proper. Your car is 8 model years old. For the time the 6 wasn't bad but at 329hp it was not a quick car. Things have changed since then. If you want more power you can step up to the 550 or a newer 450. I live in NY so it gets quite cold but I don't drive the SL when it's cold out. My S560 has taken on the beater status- only coming out in the rain/cold etc.

 

I was able to test drive the car before purchase multiple times, however a couple of 20 minute rides gave me only some feeling of quickness. Due to major construction in that area there was no ability to really get on and test power. It just wasn't safe in the traffic, or with the roads for any show of power. All the other areas of the car were to my liking. (less the 5 prior mentioned wish list items). Remote starts are not new and no issue for car makers, as most of our other cars had them. If I do not trade up to the new model I will likely have remote start added. Nothing is make or break. Not sure why that point keeps getting missed. It's a wish list of 5 things that YOU would want to change if YOU could. I listed mine.

 

That is a joke, right??? Maybe upgrade to a NEWER model... a model after the 2017 facelift. The difference in the 2017 with the upgraded transmission and engine is very noticeable. The only thing resembling a SL in the new model is that it will have a $25 SL emblem on the back. They quit making the SL roadster. Buy a facelift and tweak it to your liking.... that would be my $.02 worth.

If they offered to trade me even for a new model SL, the only attractive things would be that it is newer and has warranty and is worth more. I would not like it more than my 2017 SL. If I wanted a four seater ragtop, I would have bought one three years ago.

 

My five that I'm thinking of at the moment:

1. AWD
2. larger infotainment screen, but still with the same general setup (not an ipad looking thing sticking on the dash)
3. better massaging seats
4. Euro smart headlights
5. more accessible turbo location, for upgrades

 

That’s what I meant, the newer model that came after mine, not the brand new 22 model. Just wrote it wrong.

 

What are smart headlights? I like my current headlights and how they turn to see around corners when the steering wheel turns. I also like the little dances they do when you start the car lol.

Interesting list!

 

Dawg, like you, I fell in love with the SL way back in the day. I started driving in 1973 and always wanted the 450SL. It took a bunch of years, but I finally got my first SL, a 2004 SL500 in 2017. I kept her until just last year when a lot of issues started popping up that I just didn't want to deal with -- loose baffle in the gas tank, leaky rear ABC block, outdated electronics, etc. The SL500 with 300hp was not really the nimble car I was used to in my Audi TT, but that's not a fair comparison. So, my 2015 SL400 is a vast improvement -- lighter, faster, more nimble, much better mileage. Of course, I have software tuned (chip tuned) my car to produce a claimed 392hp and the difference is significant (and I still get 28+ mpg on the highway). So, if 400hp is what you want, that's an easy fix. Plus, there is so much room under the hood with a V6, a turbo upgrade may be in the future. Lastly, I love the exhaust note of the SL400 over my older SL500.

My five...
1. Apple CarePlay (I prefer Waze over the MB navigation, though not much)
2. Turbo Boost Gauge (a boost gauge is a good early warning tool if things start to go wrong)
3. Autonomous Driving (so I can nap during those dog day afternoons)
4. MB specific scan tool (ha! like that will ever happen)
5. Machine guns behind the headlights (I was also a James Bond fan)

 

Ahhhh, I like the way you think! The 04 SL is a beautiful car. It just is. I agree that It was time for you to upgrade based on the issues you had.

Just a few follow up questions.
When you mentioned lighter and faster did you mean over the TT or the SL500?

The tuned chip has been problem free? I like the idea of a tune to get the missing power I want, but I had issues with tunes in the past with another car brand. I got the power, but within 6 months I had loud tapping valves. It was a yr old muscle car. I understand it is apples and oranges, but I am just a little bit nervous about a tune causing some other engine problem, when I have none. If I did give the tune a try that would for sure fix my power issue. I think I saw you mention in another thread that the tune was $1,500? If it jumps up to 375ish I think it is a fare price.

I agree the the SL 400 has a nice sound. I actually thought that the previous owner must have done something to get the extra tone, because it sounds so nice lol.

I would skip the machine guns, but I would like the button on the steering wheel that would make the car jump over obstacles and make the cool jump sound when doing it. (Only people over a certain age will get that reference! )Lol.

 

The SL400 is lighter and more nimble than the SL500 (or at least it feels that way). It may have a lot to do with a V6 instead of a V8 up front. The TT is AWD and smaller, so less mass to toss around. So, it is easier to navigate the twisties, but not as nearly as comfortable as the SL.

I've had no problems with the VR tune. I think they are pretty conservative. Using a live scan while driving, I've calculated only about 15 psi, which is fine. Those are tiny turbos and more than that would probably be inefficient and not worth the risk. My TT has a tune (forget now which brand) that pumps the boost to 18+ psi and it has 250,000 miles on it. (Hope I didn't jinx myself!) So, I think you're safe with any of the "standard" tunes. If they say you need (or recommend) an intake and catless exhaust, I'd get one with less requirements. The SL450 engine is essentially the same as the SL400, so running a little higher boost should not be a problem. (Anyone who knows the difference between the two models' engines, please say something.)

Oh, you won't seen the tunes drop to $375 before it's time to sell the car. You can catch tunes on sale from time to time, so I'd sign up with Vivid Racing, Weistec, and any other tuner to get a sale price. My rational was that I wanted to enjoy the car more than save money that could be amortized over a couple of years.

 

I’m pretty easy to please,
There’s really only one thing I feel is missing.

The button to turn off traction control….



(and yes I know about dyno mode)

 

I have it on mine. It's in the row of buttons next to heated seats, etc. It shows the car skidding.

 

I want to change my No. 5 (Machine Guns) to where Auto Start is disabled by default. Or, it remembers your last setting. I know they have it start by default to meet EPA mileage requirements, but my daughter's 2018 Honda CR-V requires you to turn it on. But she also has a 1.5 liter turbo (which surprisingly produces 190hp).

 

That button is a liar, 😀
traction control is always active (outside of Dyno mode)

 

You SAID you wanted a button... Now you want it to work?