dre

I'm deciding between a new Carrera S Cab and a used SL55. I realise I'm probably going to get a biased opinion on an SL55 forum but I'd like your opinions anyway. I know the SL is in a different league but they're in the same price range here in OZ.

The only thing stopping me buying the SL is the fact that the model is going to be replaced in the next few years. Any more concrete info on when the new SL is coming out?

Zod

this is what i think you should do.

first determine what are your needs!

speed?
class?
image?
comfort?
cost?
looks?
size?
running costs?

take both for a test drive and then try and make up your mind

vraa

SL55's hardtop is sickening. Plus the car looks beautiful from every angle.
You'll be drunk with torque as well.

It's a no brainer for me, SL55. If it was comparing the 997TT or any GT3 or GT2 it'd be a difference choice however.

erdocslx2

First, would never get the c2s. C4S, TT, GT3 or nothing. The performance is a world of difference. Got rid of my c4s for my 1st sl and never regretted it and it was for a sl500. You will never regret the sl55. It outperforms the c2s hands down. The ride is luxurious. The options are outstanding. The sl55 is pure perfpormance. You are comparing a high end mercedes to a low end porshce. 300+ hp Versus about 500. If your not getting a TT 997 or a GT3 dont even bother. The difference in the interiors fom my TT and my sl55 are like a motel 6 compared to a night at the Ritz Carlton. You can mod the sl55 to over 600 hp and to get similar performance from the c2s would cost you 2 arms and 2 legs. I put a supercharger on my c4s and my stock sl55 would still have beat it.

My sl55 gets 10 times more compliments than my porche's and every one of them had a factory aero kit.

Finally, you get your c2s and drive it off the lot and loose your 15k in depreciation, the sl55 someone else already took the hit. Don't forget the fact if you get a 04 it has the maintainence program. Find you a certified preowned sl55 and you will be more than happy with your purchase. Or better yet, I'll sell you my silver one.

Scruffyone

I have a 997C2S, 997 GT3 RS, SL55 K2, and formerly owned a 997TT. The C2S is a true sports car and it is also comfortable too, get the PASM if you go that way. The SL is a lot of fun also, but not even close to the handling of the Porsche. It's just to darn heavy. If you are looking for a cruising car then go that SL way. If you are into any type of auto sport then the C2S is the clear choice. IMO the C4S would be a good DD but not a very good sports car. Too much weight.
There is a huge aftermarket of mod options for both cars. Mostly power options for the SL55, both power and handling options for the C2S.
Decide what you want the car for and the choice will be clear.


I have been racing both Pcars at autocross all summer and the SL has been stuck in the back of the garage for the most part. I think I put maybe 1000 miles on it this year, 6000 miles on the Pcars.

dre

Thanks for the input guys. My only prerequisite for a car is it has to be a convertible and I've narrowed it down to these 2. I am leaning towards the SL but the one thing I don't want is to buy it and then have the new model come out in a year or so. Anyone know when the new SL is due?

Both cars are about AU$250K. In 2-3 years time when word of a new SL comes out the SL will drop to below $100k (judging by what happened to my previous model SL600). Whereas the 997 will probably still sell for $150K.

I plan on keeping the car for 2-3 years and I figure I'm going to take a much bigger hit on the SL compared to the C2S. I'm not rollin as large as most of you guys on this forum, so depreciation does play a role in my decision.

If the SL still had 5 more years before it's updated, I'd pick the 55 in a second.

dre

Thanks for your input. I have a 996 Cup Car that I track so not after another "Sports" car. Hence why I want a cab.

Lincoln

I've been going thru the same decision process and now that I've spent some siginificant time in both cars I'm looking for a 997 C2S cab. I think the R230 is a great car and doesn't suffer some of the reliability issues of the other current MB models and it's beautiful but it's not that fun to drive due to dulled responses and the lack of a manual transmission. I feel the same way about the SL55 I currently have in my garage (dealership inventory) as I did about my 01 CLK55...fast, torque monster but a boring drive with too many little quirks. I hate the feel of the SL brakes around town, I can't stand to drive it with the top up due to the popping/creaking noises and the tin can feel (I prefer the wind noise with the soft top on my R129). I dislike the seats something fierce, where I find the R129 seats to be among the best (I'm short and skinny). The R129 I have now was my father's car that I picked up for song when he traded for his R230 SL500...he loves the R230 but he's not a car guy at all.

jmf003

I'm pretty much the counter point to Lincoln and ironically my last name is Ford. I am a car guy (I'm building a Factory Five GTM in my garage) and I think the SL55 is the world's most perfect daily driver. But then, my hard top doesn't creak!

The car is a cab in good weather and a coupe in bad weather. And it can change on the fly if the weather changes.

It's comfortable and easy to drive in congested city traffic yet fun to rev up on the open road. Throttle response and acceleration are first rate. Steering precision and the car's balance are also very good. The car is heavy so steering response is not particularly quick but it's not bad. Upgraded tires help both with steering response and ultimate cornering speed. Brake feel could be better but I find it more muted than numb; I rarely find myself over or under-braking. I don't mind the lack of a manual tranny but DSG would have been nice.

Good luck with your search!

ItalianStallion

I'd take an SL55 over a C2S. I'd take a Turbo over an SL55.

ash-c32

If you must have a cab then the SL is best. If you want to really "drive" on the road then the porsche is the way to go.

CY

The SL55 is the best of all worlds when it comes to raw power, class and top down fun and IS in a league of its own but due to the 3rd refresh/serious face lift on the R230 around the corner I would personally go with a 997 cab (with a GT3 front end, techart side skirts and deep dish wheels). I hated writing that since Im on my second SL but its the truth

CY

Just read that you already have a 996 as a track car...either way I personally wouldnt buy a car right before a serious facelift unless it was an exotic....the refresh with a new front etc end should be out as a 2009 model next year with a whole new SL in a few more years....this in not 100% but confirmed by many decent sources.

I guess the refreshed 2009 model is out of the question then?

Xeron

I have a 07 C2S cab and an 05 SL55. PM me and I'll give you my input if your interested. Totally different animals and It really depends on your driving style which is the best for you. I love them both. However, on a side note, the stereo in the Porsche BLOWS the one in the benz away.

dre

That's exactly what I'm thinking. I don't want to buy an SL55 now and then end up with an "old" model 12 months from now.

An 09 AMG SL (63,65 i pressume) is more than I want to spend.

lontong

No more excuse. SL55 AMG

Sunny55

Shouldn't be that hard of a decision....SL55

blueSL

Aside from the facelift being talked about, the next SL is unlikely to be launched before 2012 and it will take some time to reach all markets in all its variants. Buying a used SL55 now makes sense and even if there is a new model, V8 SLs have never depreciated the way the V12s do.

That said, I took my SL55 for the longest run for a while this past weekend (admittedly, it's one of the first produced) and I was surprised at how slow it was compared to my 996TT, how heavy and ponderous it felt after the Porsche. The brakes suck and it's no coincidence they've dropped the "brake-by-wire" in new car designs.

The SL55 may be much more powerful than the 997 but it's also half a ton heavier which accounts for much of what I felt when driving. The 997 will emphatically be more of a driver's car whereas the SL55 will be more suited to city driving and as a freeway cruiser.

I don't find the 911 cabriolet styling at all to my taste, it reminds me too much of the pedal cars I used to race around in when I was 4. The SL has it well beat here.

ajgk

I have a SL 55(2006) and I just drove a Carerra 4S. The ride on the Porsche was really stiff. I couldn't believe it. The SL is a good bet for everyday all around.

I am a huge Porsche fan, but I was surprised at how hard it rode. I decided to keep my SL.

blueSL

Everything is relative and a 911 is harder riding than an SL55, for sure. If it was a current 911, it will have had PASM, which is Porsche-speak for adaptive damping; if it was in sport mode, it will certainly have provided a harder ride which is just what you need for track days and the twisties. The normal setting is more compliant than Porsches of old and more suited to everyday city and freeway driving.

But, there's a spectrum from luxo-barge through to hard edge sports car and the SL55 is more GT than sports car.