SL65 overall reliability
 

At first I am browsing at the SL55 and have been looking for a right one for a while, I know the 55 engines are pretty much bullet proof and also mod friendly as well. As I look at the SL65 pricing, I was :eek: they are becoming a bargain basically about 1/3 of its MSRP price for a 2005 year.

From talking to a few people these couple of days, I am hearing a mixed bags of information. Some say go for it, some tell me not! And it seems like in terms of engine reliability, it does not score as good as the 55s. And rumor has it that sl65 could just brake down without any signs ahead of time..

I want to hear from you if you think I should just stick with the 55s and mod it to be around 65 or I should just buy a 65 and I am just being too paranoid??

Please help, I am :nix:

Hi,
i was in the same postion as yourself last year,i had set my heart on the sl 65,i spoke to my local dealer in Kelowna and he said the sl55 would be the better car for me,not that the 65 is a bad car,of course not,but the car i wanted was in Toronto,but had been exported from the states.
At the time the warrenty was not transferable and i was told repairs on the 65 are mucho mula.
I ended up with a sl55 and i have been very pleased with what this car can do.
I had the 996 tt that i bought from phaffs over your way,i bought the car in 2001,i enjoyed it for 6 months or so then got fed up with it,i really preferd the 993 tt i had a few years ago. I have had my sl55 for 8 months now and i will keep it for at least another year or so,the drop top is a great feature and i think you would be quite happy with the proformance of a 55.
If possible,get a test drive for an hour or so in the 55,its very hard not to like.
I also had the ML63,it has the new 7 speed auto box,wow what a great car that is,i would love the sl55 with the new 7 speed box,the sl63 is ok but i prefer the styling of the 55. I did put a set of sl65 wheels on my 55 which sets the car of,and of course you can tune the 55 for a lot less than the 65.
What ever you choose you will be getting an awsome looking and proforming car,good luck with your choice,make sure you get Benz warrenty for peace of mind

happy motoring bc brit

My 2006 has been fine. Your mileage may vary...

Neither my 600 or my Maybach has had any problems with the V12, as a matter of fact, there really haven't been any problems. The V12's matted to the 5-Speed is pretty much bullet proof.

Thanks for the feedbacks guys. Any more input for the 2005 65 models?

The reliability of the 65s are great, but please note that they are a "high maintenance" vehicles. The service on the 65 is the most expensive MB service right after the SLR. But even if everything goes okay with the engine, there is a lot of electronic parts that tend to fail sometime after warranty: suspension components, COMMAND navigation unit, keyless go, etc...... not to mention, the cost to replace tires and brakes as well.

If you ever consider buying the 65 whether it's an SL65, CL65, or S65, just make sure you have some type of extended warranty because without it, it'd be very risky.

That being said, the SL65 is an awesome car; and driving it everyday will make you forget about any associated costs that goes along with the car :D

Unless you're tracking the car or drag racing regularly, I don't see how the V12 would fail unless there is a weak component built into it from the factory. Because of the short time it takes to exceed the speed limit in this car, I find myself very rarely using 'full power'. Based on my experience, I've had both the SL55 V8 and now the V12, the V12 delivers a smooth rush of seemingly unending power. I agree with other members, an extended warranty is a relatively low cost way for 'peace of mind'.

I've had 2 V12 cars... Mercedes builds great engines. There are few 600hp engines out there that are designed to go 100-200k miles without problems. These cars are well engineered and well built, and while my cars haven't been perfect, they have been fairly trouble free. I had a battery suddenly die on my 65... had air get into my fuel system with 600 causing the car to barely run... few stupid things here and there but nothing major.

With that said, I wouldn't even dream of owning one without warranty, regardless of how reliable "most" of them are. Banking on the idea that you won't have any problems is a recipe for disaster. As MB_Forever said, the 65s are some of the most expensive MBs to maintain, and their drop in price does not change their maintenance cost. These are $200k cars with maintenance and repair bills to show it. A single rotor for this car is $900. I feel it's one of the best deals out there for a GT car, but people jumping into them at $60-$70k thinking that they'll have maintenance bills like other $60k cars are sorely mistaken!

-m

Thank you all for the feedbacks..unfortunately for all mercedes that are imported into Canada would not have a valid warrantyif brought into a Mercedes dealer in Canada, regardless if the vehicle is brand new or used. So, in my case this sucks.

Anyways, I think I have found one that fits my bill and seems to be in good condition. Here are the details. 2005, 26000 miles, 2 owners car, originally from North Carolina, No accidents, Black on Black with Pano roof.. I can buy this for 62k. Does this sound reasonable?

So true! - and maybe just one more angle: What is the skill level of the dealer/technicians you will have this car serviced? Its a complex piece of machinery where simple driveability issues can lead to frustrating, endless chasing of the proverbial tail if the expertise on the dealer level is absent. The whole 600 HP idea is pretty moot if half of those horses are AWOL :X

I have an sl600 and what I've found is the engine is a complete workhorse. I drive it hard, but I also take care of it. My personal opinion? The engine is amazing, but there will always be little things that keep the car in the shop. I got fed up with taking it in every other week an just finally took it to my local dealership, handed my amex over and said, "I'll pick it up in 3 months. When I get it back, I want it to be showroom condition. I don't want any problems, scuffs, mechanical issues, etc. If it looks like it might fail, just fix it." Well, 3 months later, I got it back and not a single problem.

I liked it so much I'm still torn about selling the SL600 even though I'm taking delivery of a 65 this week. I love the 129 body style, but I feel like it just needs more torque; hence the 65.

I plan on doing the same with the 65 or I just might send it to brabus for the works. Still on the fence about that decision, but I figure I'll drive the car for a week or two before making a decision.

Any suggestions? I'm definitely open to ideas.

Any suggestions? I'm definitely open to ideas.

Yeah.....go for the 65 and donate whatever you were thinking of spending at barabus to the needy.

Again I spoke to another friend who is a sales rep for a local merc dealer. He had told me the brake job on the SL65 is about 7 - 8000 dollars. And for any parts such as 02 sensors is like 2 - 3000... that is pretty steep for just parts. Can anyone confirm?

Where in Canada are you located, I may know someone who can help you out with a 65.

PM me for more info.

No problems what-so-ever with my SL65!

Tim