SL/R231: help decision making please
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 14
Likes: 3
Cl600
help decision making please
I have an oppurtunity to purchase a 2013 sl550 38k cdn. I had the car out for a spin yesterday for 4 hrs. when you put the engine transmission in sport mode (beast mode) this thing is very sporty. A few questions for those who own these. Can you save your preferences i like mine when it starts to have eco mode turned off and automatically be in sport mode. is there a way to save it as it defaults to eco and economy mode for the engine.
2nd question it doesnt have heated sterring wheel seems really odd to me but it was cold driving yesterday how hard is it to add those features i am assuming the steering wheel lever to be different likely a new steering wheel and enable the feature with xentry or verimo.
last question how much difference is there between the sl550 and the sl63. is the deference huge like to differently vehicles as for me this is a likely one time opportunity to treat myself and i dont want to leave myself wondering or missing out. this car will just be a toy and driven on the best days. a once in a lifetime purchase for me. i have another mb product same generation so i do understand cost of ownership with mb products.
my intention with the sl would be to get it and get the turbo wheel upgrade get the engine transmission and the suspension tune
2nd question it doesnt have heated sterring wheel seems really odd to me but it was cold driving yesterday how hard is it to add those features i am assuming the steering wheel lever to be different likely a new steering wheel and enable the feature with xentry or verimo.
last question how much difference is there between the sl550 and the sl63. is the deference huge like to differently vehicles as for me this is a likely one time opportunity to treat myself and i dont want to leave myself wondering or missing out. this car will just be a toy and driven on the best days. a once in a lifetime purchase for me. i have another mb product same generation so i do understand cost of ownership with mb products.
my intention with the sl would be to get it and get the turbo wheel upgrade get the engine transmission and the suspension tune
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 737
From: Nor-Cal
2020 GLC300 -2014 Sl550 - 1997 SL600
By the time you do all these modifications, chances are you probably will have put enough money into the project to have bought the SL63.
If you’re searching for a performance car, my suggestion is to buy a performance car.
The SL550 is a GT. The AMG is more in the performance sports car spectrum.
“GT” really is overused these days
But make no mistake, the SL is the very definition of a GT.
Good Luck!
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 14
Likes: 3
Cl600
i think the uprades would come in around 10k. what i love about the mb products is i have another same genertion mb product is the balace between luxuious ride interior acoustic and performace mb does that well, i have owned multiple competive products like bmw and jaguar. I find as they say bmw is more of a drivers car and the ride and performance is mildly better for a purist, that just wants a luxury sporty car but to me doest have the same feel and classiness as the mb product, i owner a xkr convertible beautiful car but not the same vel performace as the mb product.
so i am leaning strobly towards thje purchase as its local fits most of my needs like 90% but just wanted to hear others opinion as i have hear that once you get say an sl550 and get used to what it offers you end up desiring more and want to move up. my belief is that generally buying and selling cars isnt profitable so i am thinking should i just bump up budget and get the best, or just be satisfied with what i can have and customize. and thats where i am looking for fead back from other 550 owner i will look o
up the specs on the gt and the amg models./ this one is not an amg model and i am curious what the specific diffidence are. between the model lots of time the upgrades are just more so cosmetic like in the ml series the difference between a 2012 ml350 bluetech w\amg package and a non amg one is reall minimal and if you find a well maintainrd non amg model its not worth passing it up as the amg upgrade is really cosmetic and badging.
so i am leaning strobly towards thje purchase as its local fits most of my needs like 90% but just wanted to hear others opinion as i have hear that once you get say an sl550 and get used to what it offers you end up desiring more and want to move up. my belief is that generally buying and selling cars isnt profitable so i am thinking should i just bump up budget and get the best, or just be satisfied with what i can have and customize. and thats where i am looking for fead back from other 550 owner i will look o
up the specs on the gt and the amg models./ this one is not an amg model and i am curious what the specific diffidence are. between the model lots of time the upgrades are just more so cosmetic like in the ml series the difference between a 2012 ml350 bluetech w\amg package and a non amg one is reall minimal and if you find a well maintainrd non amg model its not worth passing it up as the amg upgrade is really cosmetic and badging.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 231
From: In the minds of others rent free.
SL 400
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 14
Likes: 3
Cl600
as most are aware one of the faults of md products is water humidity intrusion in the plastic modules. I live in an area with lots of humidity and rain abd have experience that in my other mb product they were not sealed well from the factory to avoid this
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 1,633
Likes: 519
From: Hagerstown MD
2015 SL400; 2019 X5M40i
Without coding I don't think there is a way to default to sport mode when starting out. There are aftermarket products to accomplish this.
I am not aware that a heated steering wheel was ever available on the R231.
I am not aware that a heated steering wheel was ever available on the R231.
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 7,847
Likes: 3,493
From: Maryland
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
I have an oppurtunity to purchase a 2013 sl550 38k cdn. I had the car out for a spin yesterday for 4 hrs. when you put the engine transmission in sport mode (beast mode) this thing is very sporty. A few questions for those who own these. Can you save your preferences i like mine when it starts to have eco mode turned off and automatically be in sport mode. is there a way to save it as it defaults to eco and economy mode for the engine.
https://benzninja.com/special-tunes/
Last edited by JettaRed; Nov 30, 2023 at 09:35 PM.
Trending Topics
Member
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 96
Likes: 44
R231 SL500
Personally, I found the suspension in the AMG SL too hard for my liking, even in comfort mode so I went for the 550 and added a map for better performance so I'd recommend driving the AMG models before making a decision. As I said, this is purely my opinion and you may find the AMG suspension fine for you. As said above, the R231 SL never came with a heated steering wheel. Good luck in your purchase.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes Teases Updated EQS With Steer-By-Wire and a Yoke
Verdad Gallardo
8 Mercedes Models With Poor Reliability Records
Verdad Gallardo
Magnificent New Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Revealed: 12 Things to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 693
Likes: 152
From: USA
m157 SL63
You should look for an SL63 for sale somewhere nearby and drive it. Even if they don't let you drive it for hours, if you've driven the sl550 for a decent amount of time, you'll be able to see what the differences are like to you. I didn't even drive an SL550 because I wanted the higher/faster performance version (and then modified it as well), so I can't give my opinion about how the two compare.
Unlike the person above, I think the SL63 suspension is really smooth - it may depend on road quality in your area though. The roads are pretty good where I'm at.
Unlike the person above, I think the SL63 suspension is really smooth - it may depend on road quality in your area though. The roads are pretty good where I'm at.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 231
From: In the minds of others rent free.
SL 400
Cool-
We have had dealers let us keep SUVs for the weekend as a weekend test drive and we did make that purchase, but they have never let me keep a Porsche, or SL for more than 30 minutes at the most lol.
Good that in your situation they went the extra mile to let you have a solid drive...
We have had dealers let us keep SUVs for the weekend as a weekend test drive and we did make that purchase, but they have never let me keep a Porsche, or SL for more than 30 minutes at the most lol.
Good that in your situation they went the extra mile to let you have a solid drive...
it was a dealership and i am a returning customer with multiple high end purchases if I choose to move forward they are allowing me to continue using it over the weekend.
as most are aware one of the faults of md products is water humidity intrusion in the plastic modules. I live in an area with lots of humidity and rain abd have experience that in my other mb product they were not sealed well from the factory to avoid this
as most are aware one of the faults of md products is water humidity intrusion in the plastic modules. I live in an area with lots of humidity and rain abd have experience that in my other mb product they were not sealed well from the factory to avoid this
