webster132

So I'm still trying to learn what the market for the '04 and '05 SL55s are and how to get a good buy. Two cars I've been considering lately are:

'04 loaded, 28K miles, silver/black/grey for $68,500:
http://lfsc.com/dynamic/index.php?op...tid=1&Itemid=0

'05 loaded, 9K miles, silver/black/red for $83,900:
http://www.thelastdetail.com/galleri...=Mercedes-Benz

I have a preference in color for the berry red-interior car, but have a preference for Lake Forest as a dealer (bought my F430 from them).

Thoughts on the prices? Does red berry-interior cars usually go for more? (like resale red ferraris).

CEO Alex

If I was back in the market for an SL55, I'd probably look at 03s bc a loaded low mileage 03 can easily be found in the mid $50s...plus dealerships are very willing to negotiate since the auto market is horrible (especially for V8 supergarged convertibles in Chicago). The 03s are pretty much identical and you'll also take far less of a hit.

As for the interior color...I'd never pay more for a particular interior color. It's not like the dealership says "Oh, look! He's got 'X' color, so we're giving him a bonus at trade-in!"...so I refuse to pay more for a particular interior color. With that said, I assume many people would also agree...therefore, I can't see a the price for an SL55 go for more than the norm simply because of a particular interior color.

Fantasm

The '04 is priced about right, the '05 is high for what you can find now a days.

I would find a 2005 beacause of the upgraded navigation, but look for lower pricing. Ask Lake Forest to look for a Silver/Berry Red or Black/Berry Red and have them bring it up for you.

webster132

After reading this board, it sounds like the '03s have a good number of technical issues potentially lurking. Also, wouldn't it be hard to get it covered by warranty? I hear fixing that top could easily eat away any savings over a '04/05.

What do you guys think the '05 car should be going for? What would be a good price?

NOTA4RE

You are right about the 03 eating up the savings. I think it would be nuts to buy a 55 out of warranty. Good price on a low mile 05 55 would be ~80k.
I would sell my 05 with 17k on it for ~80k.

IngenereAMG

I have had my '03 since new, and it has been bullit proof. I think that the rumors about '03s being bad are just not true. For every car that has issues, there are probably 500 that don't, but you only hear about the bad ones.

bigred

ditto