While I am still fairly far down on the waiting list for my SL55 and don't stand a chance of getting an '03, I had the pleasure of sitting in one in the showroom earlier this week. After adjusting the seat for optimal comfort and visibilty, I couldn't help but feel that the lateral support bolsters were somewhat unpleasantly confining. Does anyone else share this view? If so, does this feeling diminish over time? I understand the rationale for the seat design, but I can't help but wonder if I need this type of performance at the expense of comfort. Is this a clue that should lead me to choose the SL600 instead?

 

Did you let the air out of the side bolsters? The switch is on the front of the seat.

AMGBENZ
2003 SL55 (Should arrive at the dealer on Saturday)
2000 ML430

 

AMGBENZ,

The fellow at the showroom told me there was no way to adjust this; I did ask him. I will take your advice and go back tomorrow to see if I can get comfortable in the machine. I hope that is as simple as that.

 

If you let the air out of the side bolsters and still no comfort, then the SL600 might be better, due to less aggresive side bolsters.

You can sit in a SL500 and see if that feels good. I think that is the same seat of the SL600, but the 600 has better leather.

AMGBENZ

 

The SL55 comes standard with dynamic multicontour seatbacks
this allows the side bolsters to change.

Thats a bad salesman or at least he has no knowlege of what he is selling

AMGBENZ

 

I have been in the the SL500 and felt no discomfort, thats what made my recent experience in the SL55 so disappointing. Come to think of it, my only other first hand experience in the SL55 was last year at the Greenwich CT Concours d ' Elegance auto show, and I didn't notice any discomfort.

 

The SL55 has multi-contour seats as standard compared to the SL500 and these have adjustable side bolsters and lumbar support via the switches on the front of the seat base. If the bolsters were over-inflated, I can imagine the seat might be uncomfortable depending on your cumulative lifetime consumption of McDonalds. It's nothing compared to the deeply dished sports seats Porsche will sell you though.

I find the seats very comfortable when correctly adjusted and provide excellent lateral support - I am no bean-pole, due largely to my cumulative lifetime consumption of red wine. There's nothing worse than hanging on to the steering wheel as you go round corners and I notice less "cornering complaints" from she-who-must-be-obeyed in this car compared to my SL600 where driver and passenger slide all over the place.

The point is, the SL55 seats provide a greater level of adjustability - I count 18 adjustments - so there's more scope for getting it wrong. Hit the sweet spot though and they are great.

It's like all the other discussion on the board about the SL55/SL600. If you see your SL as mainly a sports car (recognising it is not as raw as a 911 Turbo or 360 Modena), go for the SL55. If what you really hanker after is a bench seat for making out at the drive-in, go for the SL600.

Oh, can we dispel this myth about leather being better on the SL600? If you look at the options list on the German web-site, the leather options for the cars is the same, although the leather upgrade to "exclusive nappa leather" is not available in the US with more emphaisis instead on designo than we get here. It may be the SL600 will come to the US with the exclusive leather as standard but it's not an automatic must-have option because it's not as durable as the regular leather and needs extreme care in use and maintenance. It feels much softer than than the regular leather but can stretch/abrade with a moment's carelessness.

Just think, buy an obsidian black car with nappa leather, a lifetime commitment to car care...

 

I had the same experience (side bolsters felt uncomfortable) when I first got in my SL55. A minute or two with the controls on the outside front corner of the seat solved the problem.

 

After more than a week of trying to locate a dealer with an SL55 on display, yesterday I was finally able to plop myself in to the car to determine if I was able to get comfortable in the multicontour driver seat. Before heading over though, I loaded up on a double Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese Extra value meal (super sized of course) which I washed down with a half bottle of Petrus in order to simulate a healthy middle-aged spread.

To my dismay, there was no way to adjust the side bolsters-- though I was able to adjust the lumbar and upper back support for more comfort using the controls on the front of he seat. Despite my efforts, I still felt a little wedged into the seat and continue to harbor doubts if the SL55 is the right "fit" for me.

My curiosity was heightened this morning when I read an article in the May issue of Sports Car International in which the author compared the BMW Z4 with the Porsche Boxter. The cars were driven on a twisty course in which the author tested the vehicles to their limits. I was struck by his complaints about the lack of support in the Z4's seats during cornering and how he had to use his left leg as a brace to keep himself planted in the seat.

The article reinforced to me the point that good lateral support is essential for the spirited driving that the SL55 is capable of and hence the reason for the restrictive seats. But it also gave me pause to consider how often I will be putting the car though such paces and whether I am better off with the more "comfortable" seats in the SL600.

 

You can adjust the side bolsters, it is a lever on the botton left front driver seat that moves to the right and left.

I just tried it today, it is standard on all SL55 in the U.S. the bolsters are air controlled!!!

AMGBENZ
2003 SL55 AMG (With adjusting Air Side Bolsters)
2000 ML430

 

AMGBENZ is correct, the side bolsters are adjustable. I am 6'2" and 18 stone and I have no trouble getting the seat adjusted correctly and I do not always have to have the side bolsters fully deflated!

Graham.

 

My McDonalds quota has been unfortunately too high: I have thus far not experienced any significant discomfort over my prior SC430 and 2000 SL500. Perhaps I have low standards or just got lucky with the settings. Review of the manual supports AMGBENZ'z solution.

Good luck,
Robert

 

At the moment, I think that dynamic multicontour it is available on S and E class. Is it correct?

 

GREAT WRITEUP!

and, i'd love to have that combo on my car