SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Is buying a mid 2000's SL65 AMG a good idea?
12-28-2019, 06:54 AM
#1
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mercedes A class
Is buying a mid 2000's SL65 AMG a good idea?
I've been looking at them for awhile online and think it seems like an awesome car due to all of the luxuries and ridiculous power, but am curious about the downsides. I immediately notice the colossal deprecation. Is there a reason for it?whatsapp web 192.168.0.1 routerlogin
Last edited by daniel77; 12-29-2019 at 08:08 PM.
12-28-2019, 09:03 AM
#2
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2017 GLE350 4MATIC
What is your experience owning and maintaining luxury, performance European vehicles? The themes are common among makes. Google helps bring much of this to your fingertips.
What car do you drive now, and what vehicles have you driven in the past? This helps frame the expectation.
Compared with a Honda Civic of the same era, the SL65 has lower production volume, which results in less available spare parts and service know-how. It also has higher complexity and lower reliability when it rolled off the assembly line in Germany.
The themes are generally similar for British, Italian and German performance vehicles, when compared to the industry standards for reliability in North America, the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry.
What car do you drive now, and what vehicles have you driven in the past? This helps frame the expectation.
Compared with a Honda Civic of the same era, the SL65 has lower production volume, which results in less available spare parts and service know-how. It also has higher complexity and lower reliability when it rolled off the assembly line in Germany.
The themes are generally similar for British, Italian and German performance vehicles, when compared to the industry standards for reliability in North America, the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry.
01-03-2020, 01:49 PM
#3
Junior Member
As mentioned, depends on your ability to work on a vehicle, and more than anything else, how much $ are you OK with spending on a vehicle to maintain it?
I bought my 2003 SL 55 AMG back in Jan of 2019, and like any new to you vehicle there will be things that need to be fixed from the get go (cost me $1500 up front), and then things that will have issues on your time of ownership, now i have an intermittent ABC issue to resolve.
if your looking for C5/C6 Corvette reliability, "put gas in it, change the oil and just drive it", and no worries about dumb **** acting up, then you are looking at the wrong car. It's a great car, but the price to maintain it is on the high end.
I bought my 2003 SL 55 AMG back in Jan of 2019, and like any new to you vehicle there will be things that need to be fixed from the get go (cost me $1500 up front), and then things that will have issues on your time of ownership, now i have an intermittent ABC issue to resolve.
if your looking for C5/C6 Corvette reliability, "put gas in it, change the oil and just drive it", and no worries about dumb **** acting up, then you are looking at the wrong car. It's a great car, but the price to maintain it is on the high end.
01-06-2020, 10:58 AM
#4
Member
I purchased an SL65 one year ago, expecting to only work on it myself. I bought a Chinese Clone SDAS system and have been able to diagnose some problems. I will say I am an amateur mechanic at best and will be replacing front struts with Arnott struts. It has high mileage.
I replaced so far (DIY):
Front and rear main ABC accumulators, filter, fluid
1 ignition coil
All 24 spark plugs
Upgraded interior trim to CF
2 coolant/radiator hoses that blew up on me in the middle of the desert on my way home driving it on Thanksgiving day 2018
Car convertible top mechanics are broken, there is an emissions issue where the gas cap is reading open when it is closed, camber issues with over-sized 20" wheels so tires currently last 5k miles
That said I still wouldn't trade the car for pretty much anything. It sometimes feels like a tossup getting to your destination in the car but that makes it all the more fun to drive it like I stole it. Great value modern car but will require a lot more attention than a C6 Z06 corvette in similar price range. I bought it given the heavy depreciation, few cars with this performance offer such a bargain: 90% off retail value adjusting 2005 for 2019 dollars, also it is probably one of the cheapest cars you can achieve 200mph+, 1/4 million dollars of performance it is a steal today and pretty rare at as well.
I replaced so far (DIY):
Front and rear main ABC accumulators, filter, fluid
1 ignition coil
All 24 spark plugs
Upgraded interior trim to CF
2 coolant/radiator hoses that blew up on me in the middle of the desert on my way home driving it on Thanksgiving day 2018
Car convertible top mechanics are broken, there is an emissions issue where the gas cap is reading open when it is closed, camber issues with over-sized 20" wheels so tires currently last 5k miles
That said I still wouldn't trade the car for pretty much anything. It sometimes feels like a tossup getting to your destination in the car but that makes it all the more fun to drive it like I stole it. Great value modern car but will require a lot more attention than a C6 Z06 corvette in similar price range. I bought it given the heavy depreciation, few cars with this performance offer such a bargain: 90% off retail value adjusting 2005 for 2019 dollars, also it is probably one of the cheapest cars you can achieve 200mph+, 1/4 million dollars of performance it is a steal today and pretty rare at as well.
Last edited by eatmycrackers; 01-06-2020 at 11:02 AM.
01-08-2020, 10:49 PM
#5
Senior Member
I purchased an SL65 one year ago, expecting to only work on it myself. I bought a Chinese Clone SDAS system and have been able to diagnose some problems. I will say I am an amateur mechanic at best and will be replacing front struts with Arnott struts. It has high mileage.
I replaced so far (DIY):
Front and rear main ABC accumulators, filter, fluid
1 ignition coil
All 24 spark plugs
Upgraded interior trim to CF
2 coolant/radiator hoses that blew up on me in the middle of the desert on my way home driving it on Thanksgiving day 2018
Car convertible top mechanics are broken, there is an emissions issue where the gas cap is reading open when it is closed, camber issues with over-sized 20" wheels so tires currently last 5k miles
That said I still wouldn't trade the car for pretty much anything. It sometimes feels like a tossup getting to your destination in the car but that makes it all the more fun to drive it like I stole it. Great value modern car but will require a lot more attention than a C6 Z06 corvette in similar price range. I bought it given the heavy depreciation, few cars with this performance offer such a bargain: 90% off retail value adjusting 2005 for 2019 dollars, also it is probably one of the cheapest cars you can achieve 200mph+, 1/4 million dollars of performance it is a steal today and pretty rare at as well.
I replaced so far (DIY):
Front and rear main ABC accumulators, filter, fluid
1 ignition coil
All 24 spark plugs
Upgraded interior trim to CF
2 coolant/radiator hoses that blew up on me in the middle of the desert on my way home driving it on Thanksgiving day 2018
Car convertible top mechanics are broken, there is an emissions issue where the gas cap is reading open when it is closed, camber issues with over-sized 20" wheels so tires currently last 5k miles
That said I still wouldn't trade the car for pretty much anything. It sometimes feels like a tossup getting to your destination in the car but that makes it all the more fun to drive it like I stole it. Great value modern car but will require a lot more attention than a C6 Z06 corvette in similar price range. I bought it given the heavy depreciation, few cars with this performance offer such a bargain: 90% off retail value adjusting 2005 for 2019 dollars, also it is probably one of the cheapest cars you can achieve 200mph+, 1/4 million dollars of performance it is a steal today and pretty rare at as well.
