W211 BEAST

Hey all.

The warranty on my 06 E55 is going to be up soon and I have a decision to make. Should I keep my car and get an extended warranty? Keep my car W/O a warranty? Or sell my car and get a new one. If I can find another car that I like at a bargain I'll go for it though. As of right now the SL65 is the only car that I would want to trade my E for.

I dont really mind the year, but that's becasue I dont know the differences between the years. I'm looking for a pre-facelift 65 BTW. Are there any years that I should stay away from? Is this a dangerous car to keep w/o warranty?What prices should I expect to pay?

Any help would be awesome. Thanks a lot guys.

sikhkd

I have a SL55 w/o warranty, no problems.

then again, I've only had the car for 2 weeks. from my research, alot of members recommend getting a warranty, especially for a SL65 since repairs can get pretty expensive

W211 BEAST

Thanks for the reply.

As much as I like the SL body, I just cant convince myself to trade my E for an SL55, I can only justify it if I'm doing it for a 65. I need to do a lot more research into the SL though and I dont have too much more time. I did research every now and then for a couple of years before I bought my car, I knew everything about it.

LOVEMYBS

I own an E55 and an SL55. Personally, I will never part with my E55, it's just too good and does everything very well. The SL is a great car for a garage queen whereas the E55 can be driven daily. I can't speak for an SL65 but my SL55 is similar in many ways to my E55. A lot of people will post that you should buy the SL65 and they aren't wrong. But, if your E55 has been reliable (mine is) and you like it, then you should keep it and buy an extended warranty. Trade in a couple of years for a newer SL63. JMHO.

JackStraw

An alternative is the SL600 with a RENNtech upgrade. I didn't find the SL65 to be any better than my 600. Doesn't have the cachet of a 65 but it is every bit as enjoyable in my opinion,

W211 BEAST

Believe me, I love my E55. Its an amazing car. The only car that I would actually prefer is the SL65, and believe me, if I could get an E65, I'd get that. It's just that I want to check out all of my options before my warranty is over. I dont want to end up regretting my decision.

carcommander

If you need a backseat get a CL65. They are cheaper than SL's.

alx

05 sl65s are about 14-16k more expensive than their cl65 counterparts

thus, if a 30k miles cl65 with distro/keyless is 44k an sl65 would be a 58-60k car.

btw, there is a pent up of unsold 05-07 cl65 cars retail and auctions so expect another decent price drop next round when the vendors let them go within the next couple weeks.

alex
few cars

W211 BEAST

Wow. Thanks for the info guys. I was really looking into the SL because I was being economical. Common sense dictated that a used SL should be cheaper than a used CL because it's cheaper when new.

I'll definitely start looking into the CL65s as well, now that I know it's not out of my league.

Thanks

Thericker

Hard top Convertible is main reason the SL is more $$ besides you get an oem LSD w/SL65, the CL65 doesn't come standard w/LSD.. You'll be in a pretty dated model w/CL65 215, while the pre face-lifted R230 SL65 is 90% the same in overall looks/design...

NOMO

aha Two weeks. I hope not. I bought an extended warranty for my CLK, and It's CPO.

Thericker

W/Kleemann or RENNtech ECU/TCU it will be faster than a bone stock SL65, add VRP CAI/IC/downpipes/high octane & the SL600 will be on par (perf wise) w/equally modded SL65.

The Turbo's are the same size & they dictate final power output over the half liter displacement edge in the SL65 6.0 vs SL600 5.5

alx

be careful. turbos are identical, but it takes less boost on the 6 liter to achieve any hp level. less boost = cooler charge = more hp as well as more tq under the curve.

the 65 tuning potential is better than the 600 one. not to mention brakes and suspension which is what in my mind truly separates the 600 and the 65 cars.

alex
few cars

MB_Forever

You definitely don't want to own an AMG without warranty.....

The SL65 is a great car and most of the time an ECU/TCU tune is more than enough for a decent power gain. However, you will lose the practicality of the E55. As others have suggested, the CL65 seems to be a good compromise between the two. I think SL65s are going for 55k to 65k in the auction and 65k to 85k retail. The CL65 is definitely cheaper.

Thericker

VRP has upgraded Intercooler's & CAI that are identical on both 600/65 platforms, the gains will be near equal, The turbo sizing greatly determines the final power output...(ever wonder how those little 6 cylinder Supra's make 1000-1500 rwhp = HUGE TURBO displacement isn't the limiting factor)

Also chk facts on the SL600 brakes/calipers they're the exact same 8 piston 4 piston AMG version the 65 uses, only difference is there labeled Mercedes instead of AMG & the rear 600 rotor isnt cross drilled (EZ remedy)...

They both use ABC hydraulic suspension, the 65 is set a bit stiffer, EZ to replicate w/STAR lowering...

Notice the big calipers on my 600 sig pic? there stock besides color...

The CL600 S600 come w/standard regular brakes/calipers, only the SL600 came oem w/AMG brakes...

Barring the latest VRP accomplishments, there are plenty of RENNtech/Kleemann ECU/TCU tuned SL600's vs RENNtech/Kleemann ECU tuned SL65's (There isn't current TCU for 65 models, though few in testing) w/near identical rwhp rwto ie 520-530 rwhp 680-715rwto on 93 octane, Dyno curves & track times are near identical.

CA_E55

Is that possible? - I think you need 19" wheels for the composite brakes of the 65 - and the 600 comes standard with 18" wheels

Thericker

You have me stumped, I just know my 600, & all R230 SL600's come OEM w/AMG calipers/rotors except for non cross-drilled rear rotor they are identical 8 piston 4 piston Calipers, I've had the wheels off & messured compared the dimensions to an SL55 NOT SL65 I just figured they were the same.

In pictures & once @ my dealership side by side an SL65 they look exactly the same except for AMG logo....

I do not know the exact diferences between say the w211 E55 calipers SL600 calipers & the SL65 calipers...

EDIT:SL600 and SL55 AMG both have 14.2" frnt rotors rear 13.0" rotors, the SL65 has bigger rotors but same 8 piston 4 piston calipers frnt rotor 15.4" rear rotor 14.2"

So my bad... Glad you asked I didn't know till now....Maybe getting bigger rotors soon

alx

true, the gains will be mostly identical, but the 65 will be making more hp because it had more to begin with. also keep in mind that while running the same boost a larger engine will "process" more air so it will naturally make more hp.

never wondered i was the owner of prolly the first t88 single supra back a long time ago when people did not know what a supra is. most of the mega hp supras run more bore/stroke to begin with, so yes- they do have bigger engines which allow them to make more hp at the same boost level

dunno if hardware might be the same- pedal feel however is very different- the 600 pedal feel is identical to my gl truck- non-progressive mushy and at the very end very grabby. the 65 pedal feel is much better. edit* the 65 has bigger rotors- at least upfront.

there must be other things at play to limit the 65 cars to 600 performance levels. maybe torque mgmt of some kind. a bigger engine with turbos that are not overspun will always made more hp than a smaller one with same turbos and boost. and upping the boost on a larger engine is more rewarding and carries less danger if done right.

alex
few cars

Thericker

Sheeesh...I'm not going to argue w/you they're both great cars..I've driven a GL/ML/G55 something must be wrong w/your old/prior SL600 brakes if you think they felt the same as a GL Mine feel excellent w/NO mushy feel whatsoever seriously funny how far you've gone to try & bash the SL600