SL55 AMG, SL63 AMG, SL65 AMG (R230) 2002 - 2011 (2003 US for SL55 and 2004 for the SL65)

SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: DECIDING BETWEEN SL63 OR CL65

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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 12:58 AM
  #1  
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SL55, M5, 911 Turbo
DECIDING BETWEEN SL63 OR CL65

Ive been thinking about getting a 2008 CL65 for a while now, but having a tuff time finding one i like, in the meantime ive been thinking that a 2009 SL63 may just be more fun, apart from the obvious differences of the v12 over the v8 and the back seats, plus the 5 gear over the 7speed, i just think the sl may be more fun to drive in and around town.
I did consider the sl65 but think the monster v12 is suited much better in the bigger cl, that's not to say the sl65 is not a great car too it is, but ive had a sl55 v8 and a sl600 v12 and preferred the 55 due to the noticeable weight difference.
If anyone has any first hand experience on these two cars I'd be interested to hear what you think.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 08:29 AM
  #2  
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SL 65 AMG, Porsche 911 (993), 2014 Cayenne GTS, 2013 Toyota Highlander Limited
There are 14 2008 CL65 on Autotrader.com......lowest price around 80K......40 K miles on that one........They didn't hold value at all......wait one more year and pick up for 65K...or less.........

I think it matters if you can live without a convertible when it comes down to it and having 2 more seats in the CL......CL also less expensive than SL 63 at this point......you could say the repairs would be about the same, but the V12 trumps that I think as far as potential expenses, etc.....you already had an SL, so maybe a CL is the way to go....they are out there.......
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 02:06 PM
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SL55, M5, 911 Turbo
Yes good point, thats one of the main factors not having owned one, i think at this point its a matter of which one becomes available first.
I had just finished my relationship with Porsche after 2 years of driving a 997 911 turbo, and have to say it was always my favorite looking car but it was such a hard ride that unless you drive on smooth roads the whole time its similar to riding on a skateboard with a motor attached to it.....Hard.
I recently saw the sl63 iwc edition, that looked very strong with the flat white paint, what do you think about that model in terms of difference and maybe holding value over the regular sl63?
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 02:09 PM
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SL 65 AMG, Porsche 911 (993), 2014 Cayenne GTS, 2013 Toyota Highlander Limited
I think the SL 63 iwc value will still plummet along with the CL....as all SLs seem to do, except the SLS which has been a bit slower, but you can find them for 50K off of list now for a pre-owned one several years old with low mileage.........the selection of CL's on Autotrader looked good....
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Old Apr 5, 2012 | 12:58 PM
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SL 63 W/B AMG , S600,C220
Everytime a question like this arises I wonder what's going on in the persons
head, surely when you buy a convertible it's because you want one. I had
a CL65 and frankly I found it an odd ball, it's like a saloon but with a cramped back, the roof doesn't go down and it looks strange , back heavy I think.
It's a car I never used much, whereas the SL55, SL63 and S600 are used all
the time.
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Old Apr 5, 2012 | 02:07 PM
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I've previously posted on other threads that I bought a new CL55 several years ago. After 6 months I was totally bored with it, and took a huge hit to get rid of it. Haven't missed it once. I've had my SL55 2 1/2 years without that same sensation. Don't know what I would get to replace it other than possibly an SL65 or Aston Martin. I had a very long run with Porsche Turbos (6, the last being a 2002 GT2), so I know what you mean. Terrific cars.
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Old Apr 5, 2012 | 03:58 PM
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SL 63 W/B AMG , S600,C220
I think you would find the Aston and SL65 equally as boring, I prefered my
SL55 when I test drove a SL65, very smooth and quiet, but the 55 felt more sporty.
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Old Apr 5, 2012 | 06:51 PM
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Originally Posted by sound 8
I think you would find the Aston and SL65 equally as boring, I prefered my
SL55 when I test drove a SL65, very smooth and quiet, but the 55 felt more sporty.
+1.

The SL55 to me is the absolute best of the R230 lineup. I love my SL600 with software (and it is much faster), but the SL55 is more fun.

Back on topic: The SL63 and a CL600 are apples and oranges.

The CL600 will be blindingly fast and even faster with software. However the power delivery will be almost boring. The CL600 is a status car for an executive or rapper. Compare it to a Bentley GT.

The SL63 will not be as fast as the CL600 but it will be more fun with it's high revving V8, 7 speed gearbox, and slightly lighter curb weight.

If you can deal with having two seats and 99% of your current driving time is either you alone, you + 1, or you + a small briefcase, then I'd encourage you to go with an R230 SL.

As I mentioned above, I think an SL55 is the way to go. If you must have the newer facelift style, then drive both the SL600 and the SL63.

...and remember, ECU/TCU software, a muffler delete, and a re-program of the suspension can make an SL600 much less boring. Total cost of all those mods should be under $2,000.00
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