Sure isnt alot of action on the R231 section....
03-02-2017, 08:56 AM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: san diego
Posts: 397
Received 11 Likes
on
11 Posts
2001 viper rt-10, 2007 SL65
I wanted new with ceramic brakes. There was only 1 in the US. Apparently a customer had backed out of a deal in Colorado and my dealer in CA got the car for me.
As far as depreciation, a 2017 twin turbo S Porsche Cabriolet (my other choice) costs about the same as the 2017 SL65 and both suffer the same brutal depreciation. In 6-7 years I am not sure that I will really care.
As far as depreciation, a 2017 twin turbo S Porsche Cabriolet (my other choice) costs about the same as the 2017 SL65 and both suffer the same brutal depreciation. In 6-7 years I am not sure that I will really care.
03-02-2017, 11:41 AM
#27
tandan - I did get a good deal but not what I could tell not a great deal. I took it on its maiden voyage yesterday to Carmel and drove the road along the ocean from Monterrey to the lighthouse in Seaside and then 17-mile drive to Carmel.
First impressions of the car:
1) Driver and passenger ingress and egress are excellent. Driver position is perfect for me. There is plenty of adjustment and leg room. I like to drive with the seat back more than most. The seats are really comfy due in part to the cushion puffs from the diamond stitching and the mrs especially liked the massage function. I had mine on as well. Overall A+.
2) I drove with the top both up and down. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out the controls like holding the button down until the operation is complete with the audio tone confirmation. Wind buffeting at low speed is almost non-existent. You can very easily have a conversation at 70 mph with the windows and windscreen up. At 80 mph I noticed a bit of buffeting but minor compared to just putting windows down on other cars. Overall A+.
3) The cars engine performance is nothing short of amazing. I couldn't believe how smooth the power comes on. You roll on the throttle and you pass a car on the freeway by almost gliding. Being new I didn't floor it but once I got on it and saw the tachometer around 4,000 rpm and all I can say is you better have some clear road in front of you. At 70 mph on the highway you are only at 16-1700 rpm. I look forward to winding 1-2-3 and see how it feels. Overall A+.
4) The ride is very compliant. I was amazed how little body roll there is in the corners. I took Highway 17 down from the Bay area and there are a lot of curves both up and down over the pass to Santa Cruz. I drove somewhat aggressively through the corners just to see how it did. Wow! The car is planted and flat thru them, just what I was hoping for. It didn't feel heavy at all. I can only imagine how good it will feel in the other driving modes. I may even be tempted to take it to a track day and put it in race mode. I suspect it will take some serious speed to get the car loose. Overall A+.
5) The ceramic brakes are some of the best I have ever used. I have them on my GT3 and had them on my Boxster Spyder so I have a good basis for comparison. They are somewhat touchy but they have an incredible stopping distance. The key for me was to be light on the brake pedal. If you stab it then the stopping is a bit abrupt but if you need to put the anchor rest assured you will stop in an incredibly short distance at any speed. Also there are no squeaks or anything. Best of all I think the ceramics also contribute to how the car handles like a much lighter car. Overall A+.
6) Driver controls and menu/sub-menu interfaces are okay and I can see by comparison to the updated versions in my GLC43 that they did make some improvements. For example in the GLC there is a sync climate switch for both driver and passenger, not on the SL. On the SL some of the steering wheel controls are repeated on the dash not so for the GLC. The mouse functions are fine and for basic uses the old is as good as the new. But I am sure it will be confusing for me to move between cars. Poking through menus can be a bit tedious especially while driving. Overall B.
7) The audio system for me seems broken. The 65 comes with the high-end B&O. Well I gotta tell ya' it is far short of high-end. I only listened to the radio (Sat, HD FM) and all I could hear was the two front raised corner speakers. They completely dominated the listening experience so much so that I called the dealer and said what's up with this. They said they had not heard of this before. I pulled over and played with every different audio menu option and could not correct the problem. I started a thread last night on this very subject. My sales associate said to bring the car when I return so I did and it is there now. With the front speakers being so dominate you never hear the door or rear speakers. The 12 speaker system sounds like 2. I suspect that something is a stray without a fade function in a 2-seater but if they don't fix I will be seriously disappointed. Overall D.
8) The external appearance and stance of the car is very nice. The lines are clean and blend of trim and body works well together. On the SL the chrome accents with the black exterior paint are just about as nice as I could have wanted (I can also see where carbon accents would work nicely with a lighter color). The black contrast with the highly polished wheels and dark gold/orange calipers really sets it all off. The look to me is very refined and elegant especially when you consider that it is a hardtop convertible. I do have some longer term concerns with how much road grit is going to get into the front inter-cooler vents. I suspect that the fins are going to get hammered over time. Overall A.
9) From a value perspective and the old adage "you get what you pay for", I would agree but a big chunk of it is hidden the incredible engine so others may disagree. I knew given my age of 62 and never having owned a V-12 let alone a twin turbo V-12 that I wanted one just for the experience. A Ferrari F12 was also on short my list but the dealerships are over an hour away and the cost goes up considerably. By cost comparison I think the 65 is the least expensive V-12 you can buy. But with that said, the 65 is expensive. Out the door with taxes, license, extended warranty, pre-paid service, tire and wheel package, clear bra, Resistall treatment, lithium battery tender, and car cover you can expect to pay $250,000. That is a big nut for a lot of people myself included. Overall B.
10) A have heard and read many different comments regarding depreciation. All I can say is you don't buy a car like this if that is a concern. It has to be more of a "who cares" type of attitude, which is the camp I am in. You only go around once in life and after working 30 years in Silicon Valley I believe you shouldn't "take it all to the grave" so to say. I wanted to have one of the best luxury touring automobiles for my wife who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's 4 years ago while she can still enjoy it. For those who know the disease, car rides are very calming and we take drives every day. So now on bad weather days we can take the GLC43 and on sunny days the SL65. So yes maybe the grade for depreciation is a D or F if you care but for me and my wife time is short. You never know what life holds...
I hope this helps prospective buyers.
First impressions of the car:
1) Driver and passenger ingress and egress are excellent. Driver position is perfect for me. There is plenty of adjustment and leg room. I like to drive with the seat back more than most. The seats are really comfy due in part to the cushion puffs from the diamond stitching and the mrs especially liked the massage function. I had mine on as well. Overall A+.
2) I drove with the top both up and down. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out the controls like holding the button down until the operation is complete with the audio tone confirmation. Wind buffeting at low speed is almost non-existent. You can very easily have a conversation at 70 mph with the windows and windscreen up. At 80 mph I noticed a bit of buffeting but minor compared to just putting windows down on other cars. Overall A+.
3) The cars engine performance is nothing short of amazing. I couldn't believe how smooth the power comes on. You roll on the throttle and you pass a car on the freeway by almost gliding. Being new I didn't floor it but once I got on it and saw the tachometer around 4,000 rpm and all I can say is you better have some clear road in front of you. At 70 mph on the highway you are only at 16-1700 rpm. I look forward to winding 1-2-3 and see how it feels. Overall A+.
4) The ride is very compliant. I was amazed how little body roll there is in the corners. I took Highway 17 down from the Bay area and there are a lot of curves both up and down over the pass to Santa Cruz. I drove somewhat aggressively through the corners just to see how it did. Wow! The car is planted and flat thru them, just what I was hoping for. It didn't feel heavy at all. I can only imagine how good it will feel in the other driving modes. I may even be tempted to take it to a track day and put it in race mode. I suspect it will take some serious speed to get the car loose. Overall A+.
5) The ceramic brakes are some of the best I have ever used. I have them on my GT3 and had them on my Boxster Spyder so I have a good basis for comparison. They are somewhat touchy but they have an incredible stopping distance. The key for me was to be light on the brake pedal. If you stab it then the stopping is a bit abrupt but if you need to put the anchor rest assured you will stop in an incredibly short distance at any speed. Also there are no squeaks or anything. Best of all I think the ceramics also contribute to how the car handles like a much lighter car. Overall A+.
6) Driver controls and menu/sub-menu interfaces are okay and I can see by comparison to the updated versions in my GLC43 that they did make some improvements. For example in the GLC there is a sync climate switch for both driver and passenger, not on the SL. On the SL some of the steering wheel controls are repeated on the dash not so for the GLC. The mouse functions are fine and for basic uses the old is as good as the new. But I am sure it will be confusing for me to move between cars. Poking through menus can be a bit tedious especially while driving. Overall B.
7) The audio system for me seems broken. The 65 comes with the high-end B&O. Well I gotta tell ya' it is far short of high-end. I only listened to the radio (Sat, HD FM) and all I could hear was the two front raised corner speakers. They completely dominated the listening experience so much so that I called the dealer and said what's up with this. They said they had not heard of this before. I pulled over and played with every different audio menu option and could not correct the problem. I started a thread last night on this very subject. My sales associate said to bring the car when I return so I did and it is there now. With the front speakers being so dominate you never hear the door or rear speakers. The 12 speaker system sounds like 2. I suspect that something is a stray without a fade function in a 2-seater but if they don't fix I will be seriously disappointed. Overall D.
8) The external appearance and stance of the car is very nice. The lines are clean and blend of trim and body works well together. On the SL the chrome accents with the black exterior paint are just about as nice as I could have wanted (I can also see where carbon accents would work nicely with a lighter color). The black contrast with the highly polished wheels and dark gold/orange calipers really sets it all off. The look to me is very refined and elegant especially when you consider that it is a hardtop convertible. I do have some longer term concerns with how much road grit is going to get into the front inter-cooler vents. I suspect that the fins are going to get hammered over time. Overall A.
9) From a value perspective and the old adage "you get what you pay for", I would agree but a big chunk of it is hidden the incredible engine so others may disagree. I knew given my age of 62 and never having owned a V-12 let alone a twin turbo V-12 that I wanted one just for the experience. A Ferrari F12 was also on short my list but the dealerships are over an hour away and the cost goes up considerably. By cost comparison I think the 65 is the least expensive V-12 you can buy. But with that said, the 65 is expensive. Out the door with taxes, license, extended warranty, pre-paid service, tire and wheel package, clear bra, Resistall treatment, lithium battery tender, and car cover you can expect to pay $250,000. That is a big nut for a lot of people myself included. Overall B.
10) A have heard and read many different comments regarding depreciation. All I can say is you don't buy a car like this if that is a concern. It has to be more of a "who cares" type of attitude, which is the camp I am in. You only go around once in life and after working 30 years in Silicon Valley I believe you shouldn't "take it all to the grave" so to say. I wanted to have one of the best luxury touring automobiles for my wife who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's 4 years ago while she can still enjoy it. For those who know the disease, car rides are very calming and we take drives every day. So now on bad weather days we can take the GLC43 and on sunny days the SL65. So yes maybe the grade for depreciation is a D or F if you care but for me and my wife time is short. You never know what life holds...
I hope this helps prospective buyers.
Last edited by spyder987; 03-02-2017 at 11:49 AM. Reason: correct typos
The following users liked this post:
RayD8 (09-09-2019)
03-02-2017, 12:35 PM
#28
Super Member
tandan - I did get a good deal but not what I could tell not a great deal. I took it on its maiden voyage yesterday to Carmel and drove the road along the ocean from Monterrey to the lighthouse in Seaside and then 17-mile drive to Carmel.
First impressions of the car:
1) Driver and passenger ingress and egress are excellent. Driver position is perfect for me. There is plenty of adjustment and leg room. I like to drive with the seat back more than most. The seats are really comfy due in part to the cushion puffs from the diamond stitching and the mrs especially liked the massage function. I had mine on as well. Overall A+.
2) I drove with the top both up and down. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out the controls like holding the button down until the operation is complete with the audio tone confirmation. Wind buffeting at low speed is almost non-existent. You can very easily have a conversation at 70 mph with the windows and windscreen up. At 80 mph I noticed a bit of buffeting but minor compared to just putting windows down on other cars. Overall A+.
3) The cars engine performance is nothing short of amazing. I couldn't believe how smooth the power comes on. You roll on the throttle and you pass a car on the freeway by almost gliding. Being new I didn't floor it but once I got on it and saw the tachometer around 4,000 rpm and all I can say is you better have some clear road in front of you. At 70 mph on the highway you are only at 16-1700 rpm. I look forward to winding 1-2-3 and see how it feels. Overall A+.
4) The ride is very compliant. I was amazed how little body roll there is in the corners. I took Highway 17 down from the Bay area and there are a lot of curves both up and down over the pass to Santa Cruz. I drove somewhat aggressively through the corners just to see how it did. Wow! The car is planted and flat thru them, just what I was hoping for. It didn't feel heavy at all. I can only imagine how good it will feel in the other driving modes. I may even be tempted to take it to a track day and put it in race mode. I suspect it will take some serious speed to get the car loose. Overall A+.
5) The ceramic brakes are some of the best I have ever used. I have them on my GT3 and had them on my Boxster Spyder so I have a good basis for comparison. They are somewhat touchy but they have an incredible stopping distance. The key for me was to be light on the brake pedal. If you stab it then the stopping is a bit abrupt but if you need to put the anchor rest assured you will stop in an incredibly short distance at any speed. Also there are no squeaks or anything. Best of all I think the ceramics also contribute to how the car handles like a much lighter car. Overall A+.
6) Driver controls and menu/sub-menu interfaces are okay and I can see by comparison to the updated versions in my GLC43 that they did make some improvements. For example in the GLC there is a sync climate switch for both driver and passenger, not on the SL. On the SL some of the steering wheel controls are repeated on the dash not so for the GLC. The mouse functions are fine and for basic uses the old is as good as the new. But I am sure it will be confusing for me to move between cars. Poking through menus can be a bit tedious especially while driving. Overall B.
7) The audio system for me seems broken. The 65 comes with the high-end B&O. Well I gotta tell ya' it is far short of high-end. I only listened to the radio (Sat, HD FM) and all I could hear was the two front raised corner speakers. They completely dominated the listening experience so much so that I called the dealer and said what's up with this. They said they had not heard of this before. I pulled over and played with every different audio menu option and could not correct the problem. I started a thread last night on this very subject. My sales associate said to bring the car when I return so I did and it is there now. With the front speakers being so dominate you never hear the door or rear speakers. The 12 speaker system sounds like 2. I suspect that something is a stray without a fade function in a 2-seater but if they don't fix I will be seriously disappointed. Overall D.
8) The external appearance and stance of the car is very nice. The lines are clean and blend of trim and body works well together. On the SL the chrome accents with the black exterior paint are just about as nice as I could have wanted (I can also see where carbon accents would work nicely with a lighter color). The black contrast with the highly polished wheels and dark gold/orange calipers really sets it all off. The look to me is very refined and elegant especially when you consider that it is a hardtop convertible. I do have some longer term concerns with how much road grit is going to get into the front inter-cooler vents. I suspect that the fins are going to get hammered over time. Overall A.
9) From a value perspective and the old adage "you get what you pay for", I would agree but a big chunk of it is hidden the incredible engine so others may disagree. I knew given my age of 62 and never having owned a V-12 let alone a twin turbo V-12 that I wanted one just for the experience. A Ferrari F12 was also on short my list but the dealerships are over an hour away and the cost goes up considerably. By cost comparison I think the 65 is the least expensive V-12 you can buy. But with that said, the 65 is expensive. Out the door with taxes, license, extended warranty, pre-paid service, tire and wheel package, clear bra, Resistall treatment, lithium battery tender, and car cover you can expect to pay $250,000. That is a big nut for a lot of people myself included. Overall B.
10) A have heard and read many different comments regarding depreciation. All I can say is you don't buy a car like this if that is a concern. It has to be more of a "who cares" type of attitude, which is the camp I am in. You only go around once in life and after working 30 years in Silicon Valley I believe you shouldn't "take it all to the grave" so to say. I wanted to have one of the best luxury touring automobiles for my wife who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's 4 years ago while she can still enjoy it. For those who know the disease, car rides are very calming and we take drives every day. So now on bad weather days we can take the GLC43 and on sunny days the SL65. So yes maybe the grade for depreciation is a D or F if you care but for me and my wife time is short. You never know what life holds...
I hope this helps prospective buyers.
First impressions of the car:
1) Driver and passenger ingress and egress are excellent. Driver position is perfect for me. There is plenty of adjustment and leg room. I like to drive with the seat back more than most. The seats are really comfy due in part to the cushion puffs from the diamond stitching and the mrs especially liked the massage function. I had mine on as well. Overall A+.
2) I drove with the top both up and down. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out the controls like holding the button down until the operation is complete with the audio tone confirmation. Wind buffeting at low speed is almost non-existent. You can very easily have a conversation at 70 mph with the windows and windscreen up. At 80 mph I noticed a bit of buffeting but minor compared to just putting windows down on other cars. Overall A+.
3) The cars engine performance is nothing short of amazing. I couldn't believe how smooth the power comes on. You roll on the throttle and you pass a car on the freeway by almost gliding. Being new I didn't floor it but once I got on it and saw the tachometer around 4,000 rpm and all I can say is you better have some clear road in front of you. At 70 mph on the highway you are only at 16-1700 rpm. I look forward to winding 1-2-3 and see how it feels. Overall A+.
4) The ride is very compliant. I was amazed how little body roll there is in the corners. I took Highway 17 down from the Bay area and there are a lot of curves both up and down over the pass to Santa Cruz. I drove somewhat aggressively through the corners just to see how it did. Wow! The car is planted and flat thru them, just what I was hoping for. It didn't feel heavy at all. I can only imagine how good it will feel in the other driving modes. I may even be tempted to take it to a track day and put it in race mode. I suspect it will take some serious speed to get the car loose. Overall A+.
5) The ceramic brakes are some of the best I have ever used. I have them on my GT3 and had them on my Boxster Spyder so I have a good basis for comparison. They are somewhat touchy but they have an incredible stopping distance. The key for me was to be light on the brake pedal. If you stab it then the stopping is a bit abrupt but if you need to put the anchor rest assured you will stop in an incredibly short distance at any speed. Also there are no squeaks or anything. Best of all I think the ceramics also contribute to how the car handles like a much lighter car. Overall A+.
6) Driver controls and menu/sub-menu interfaces are okay and I can see by comparison to the updated versions in my GLC43 that they did make some improvements. For example in the GLC there is a sync climate switch for both driver and passenger, not on the SL. On the SL some of the steering wheel controls are repeated on the dash not so for the GLC. The mouse functions are fine and for basic uses the old is as good as the new. But I am sure it will be confusing for me to move between cars. Poking through menus can be a bit tedious especially while driving. Overall B.
7) The audio system for me seems broken. The 65 comes with the high-end B&O. Well I gotta tell ya' it is far short of high-end. I only listened to the radio (Sat, HD FM) and all I could hear was the two front raised corner speakers. They completely dominated the listening experience so much so that I called the dealer and said what's up with this. They said they had not heard of this before. I pulled over and played with every different audio menu option and could not correct the problem. I started a thread last night on this very subject. My sales associate said to bring the car when I return so I did and it is there now. With the front speakers being so dominate you never hear the door or rear speakers. The 12 speaker system sounds like 2. I suspect that something is a stray without a fade function in a 2-seater but if they don't fix I will be seriously disappointed. Overall D.
8) The external appearance and stance of the car is very nice. The lines are clean and blend of trim and body works well together. On the SL the chrome accents with the black exterior paint are just about as nice as I could have wanted (I can also see where carbon accents would work nicely with a lighter color). The black contrast with the highly polished wheels and dark gold/orange calipers really sets it all off. The look to me is very refined and elegant especially when you consider that it is a hardtop convertible. I do have some longer term concerns with how much road grit is going to get into the front inter-cooler vents. I suspect that the fins are going to get hammered over time. Overall A.
9) From a value perspective and the old adage "you get what you pay for", I would agree but a big chunk of it is hidden the incredible engine so others may disagree. I knew given my age of 62 and never having owned a V-12 let alone a twin turbo V-12 that I wanted one just for the experience. A Ferrari F12 was also on short my list but the dealerships are over an hour away and the cost goes up considerably. By cost comparison I think the 65 is the least expensive V-12 you can buy. But with that said, the 65 is expensive. Out the door with taxes, license, extended warranty, pre-paid service, tire and wheel package, clear bra, Resistall treatment, lithium battery tender, and car cover you can expect to pay $250,000. That is a big nut for a lot of people myself included. Overall B.
10) A have heard and read many different comments regarding depreciation. All I can say is you don't buy a car like this if that is a concern. It has to be more of a "who cares" type of attitude, which is the camp I am in. You only go around once in life and after working 30 years in Silicon Valley I believe you shouldn't "take it all to the grave" so to say. I wanted to have one of the best luxury touring automobiles for my wife who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's 4 years ago while she can still enjoy it. For those who know the disease, car rides are very calming and we take drives every day. So now on bad weather days we can take the GLC43 and on sunny days the SL65. So yes maybe the grade for depreciation is a D or F if you care but for me and my wife time is short. You never know what life holds...
I hope this helps prospective buyers.
nice write up, thanks
regarding the stereo, here is the fix:
https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...em-solved.html
03-02-2017, 01:25 PM
#29
MBWorld Fanatic!
10) A have heard and read many different comments regarding depreciation. All I can say is you don't buy a car like this if that is a concern. It has to be more of a "who cares" type of attitude, which is the camp I am in. You only go around once in life and after working 30 years in Silicon Valley I believe you shouldn't "take it all to the grave" so to say. I wanted to have one of the best luxury touring automobiles for my wife who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's 4 years ago while she can still enjoy it. For those who know the disease, car rides are very calming and we take drives every day. So now on bad weather days we can take the GLC43 and on sunny days the SL65. So yes maybe the grade for depreciation is a D or F if you care but for me and my wife time is short. You never know what life holds...
If you're afraid of depreciation then luxury cars, let alone extreme luxury cars, are not for you. Go buy a Camry.
I think the only thing that wouldn't depreciate like a rock seems to be a Ferrari, and that's only of you barely put any miles on it. And I myself can't see myself actually driving a Ferrari more than a few times, while the SL or even a 911, you can just jump in and go wherever. Shopping, scenic rides, etc, without having to make a whole spectacle around it all.
03-02-2017, 02:07 PM
#30
nice write up, thanks
regarding the stereo, here is the fix:
https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...em-solved.html
regarding the stereo, here is the fix:
https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...em-solved.html
03-02-2017, 02:48 PM
#31
Super Member
steinhart - Wow! A giant thank you! I called Don and he has a friend here in the Bay Area and tell him what needs to be done. I am going to go see him now. Will let you know how it turns out. BTW - Don says he has been getting a lot of calls so kudos to you for helping out other MB enthusiasts.
good to hear!
03-03-2017, 10:39 AM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: san diego
Posts: 397
Received 11 Likes
on
11 Posts
2001 viper rt-10, 2007 SL65
tandan - I did get a good deal but not what I could tell not a great deal. I took it on its maiden voyage yesterday to Carmel and drove the road along the ocean from Monterrey to the lighthouse in Seaside and then 17-mile drive to Carmel.
First impressions of the car:
1) Driver and passenger ingress and egress are excellent. Driver position is perfect for me. There is plenty of adjustment and leg room. I like to drive with the seat back more than most. The seats are really comfy due in part to the cushion puffs from the diamond stitching and the mrs especially liked the massage function. I had mine on as well. Overall A+.
2) I drove with the top both up and down. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out the controls like holding the button down until the operation is complete with the audio tone confirmation. Wind buffeting at low speed is almost non-existent. You can very easily have a conversation at 70 mph with the windows and windscreen up. At 80 mph I noticed a bit of buffeting but minor compared to just putting windows down on other cars. Overall A+.
3) The cars engine performance is nothing short of amazing. I couldn't believe how smooth the power comes on. You roll on the throttle and you pass a car on the freeway by almost gliding. Being new I didn't floor it but once I got on it and saw the tachometer around 4,000 rpm and all I can say is you better have some clear road in front of you. At 70 mph on the highway you are only at 16-1700 rpm. I look forward to winding 1-2-3 and see how it feels. Overall A+.
4) The ride is very compliant. I was amazed how little body roll there is in the corners. I took Highway 17 down from the Bay area and there are a lot of curves both up and down over the pass to Santa Cruz. I drove somewhat aggressively through the corners just to see how it did. Wow! The car is planted and flat thru them, just what I was hoping for. It didn't feel heavy at all. I can only imagine how good it will feel in the other driving modes. I may even be tempted to take it to a track day and put it in race mode. I suspect it will take some serious speed to get the car loose. Overall A+.
5) The ceramic brakes are some of the best I have ever used. I have them on my GT3 and had them on my Boxster Spyder so I have a good basis for comparison. They are somewhat touchy but they have an incredible stopping distance. The key for me was to be light on the brake pedal. If you stab it then the stopping is a bit abrupt but if you need to put the anchor rest assured you will stop in an incredibly short distance at any speed. Also there are no squeaks or anything. Best of all I think the ceramics also contribute to how the car handles like a much lighter car. Overall A+.
6) Driver controls and menu/sub-menu interfaces are okay and I can see by comparison to the updated versions in my GLC43 that they did make some improvements. For example in the GLC there is a sync climate switch for both driver and passenger, not on the SL. On the SL some of the steering wheel controls are repeated on the dash not so for the GLC. The mouse functions are fine and for basic uses the old is as good as the new. But I am sure it will be confusing for me to move between cars. Poking through menus can be a bit tedious especially while driving. Overall B.
7) The audio system for me seems broken. The 65 comes with the high-end B&O. Well I gotta tell ya' it is far short of high-end. I only listened to the radio (Sat, HD FM) and all I could hear was the two front raised corner speakers. They completely dominated the listening experience so much so that I called the dealer and said what's up with this. They said they had not heard of this before. I pulled over and played with every different audio menu option and could not correct the problem. I started a thread last night on this very subject. My sales associate said to bring the car when I return so I did and it is there now. With the front speakers being so dominate you never hear the door or rear speakers. The 12 speaker system sounds like 2. I suspect that something is a stray without a fade function in a 2-seater but if they don't fix I will be seriously disappointed. Overall D.
8) The external appearance and stance of the car is very nice. The lines are clean and blend of trim and body works well together. On the SL the chrome accents with the black exterior paint are just about as nice as I could have wanted (I can also see where carbon accents would work nicely with a lighter color). The black contrast with the highly polished wheels and dark gold/orange calipers really sets it all off. The look to me is very refined and elegant especially when you consider that it is a hardtop convertible. I do have some longer term concerns with how much road grit is going to get into the front inter-cooler vents. I suspect that the fins are going to get hammered over time. Overall A.
9) From a value perspective and the old adage "you get what you pay for", I would agree but a big chunk of it is hidden the incredible engine so others may disagree. I knew given my age of 62 and never having owned a V-12 let alone a twin turbo V-12 that I wanted one just for the experience. A Ferrari F12 was also on short my list but the dealerships are over an hour away and the cost goes up considerably. By cost comparison I think the 65 is the least expensive V-12 you can buy. But with that said, the 65 is expensive. Out the door with taxes, license, extended warranty, pre-paid service, tire and wheel package, clear bra, Resistall treatment, lithium battery tender, and car cover you can expect to pay $250,000. That is a big nut for a lot of people myself included. Overall B.
10) A have heard and read many different comments regarding depreciation. All I can say is you don't buy a car like this if that is a concern. It has to be more of a "who cares" type of attitude, which is the camp I am in. You only go around once in life and after working 30 years in Silicon Valley I believe you shouldn't "take it all to the grave" so to say. I wanted to have one of the best luxury touring automobiles for my wife who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's 4 years ago while she can still enjoy it. For those who know the disease, car rides are very calming and we take drives every day. So now on bad weather days we can take the GLC43 and on sunny days the SL65. So yes maybe the grade for depreciation is a D or F if you care but for me and my wife time is short. You never know what life holds...
I hope this helps prospective buyers.
First impressions of the car:
1) Driver and passenger ingress and egress are excellent. Driver position is perfect for me. There is plenty of adjustment and leg room. I like to drive with the seat back more than most. The seats are really comfy due in part to the cushion puffs from the diamond stitching and the mrs especially liked the massage function. I had mine on as well. Overall A+.
2) I drove with the top both up and down. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out the controls like holding the button down until the operation is complete with the audio tone confirmation. Wind buffeting at low speed is almost non-existent. You can very easily have a conversation at 70 mph with the windows and windscreen up. At 80 mph I noticed a bit of buffeting but minor compared to just putting windows down on other cars. Overall A+.
3) The cars engine performance is nothing short of amazing. I couldn't believe how smooth the power comes on. You roll on the throttle and you pass a car on the freeway by almost gliding. Being new I didn't floor it but once I got on it and saw the tachometer around 4,000 rpm and all I can say is you better have some clear road in front of you. At 70 mph on the highway you are only at 16-1700 rpm. I look forward to winding 1-2-3 and see how it feels. Overall A+.
4) The ride is very compliant. I was amazed how little body roll there is in the corners. I took Highway 17 down from the Bay area and there are a lot of curves both up and down over the pass to Santa Cruz. I drove somewhat aggressively through the corners just to see how it did. Wow! The car is planted and flat thru them, just what I was hoping for. It didn't feel heavy at all. I can only imagine how good it will feel in the other driving modes. I may even be tempted to take it to a track day and put it in race mode. I suspect it will take some serious speed to get the car loose. Overall A+.
5) The ceramic brakes are some of the best I have ever used. I have them on my GT3 and had them on my Boxster Spyder so I have a good basis for comparison. They are somewhat touchy but they have an incredible stopping distance. The key for me was to be light on the brake pedal. If you stab it then the stopping is a bit abrupt but if you need to put the anchor rest assured you will stop in an incredibly short distance at any speed. Also there are no squeaks or anything. Best of all I think the ceramics also contribute to how the car handles like a much lighter car. Overall A+.
6) Driver controls and menu/sub-menu interfaces are okay and I can see by comparison to the updated versions in my GLC43 that they did make some improvements. For example in the GLC there is a sync climate switch for both driver and passenger, not on the SL. On the SL some of the steering wheel controls are repeated on the dash not so for the GLC. The mouse functions are fine and for basic uses the old is as good as the new. But I am sure it will be confusing for me to move between cars. Poking through menus can be a bit tedious especially while driving. Overall B.
7) The audio system for me seems broken. The 65 comes with the high-end B&O. Well I gotta tell ya' it is far short of high-end. I only listened to the radio (Sat, HD FM) and all I could hear was the two front raised corner speakers. They completely dominated the listening experience so much so that I called the dealer and said what's up with this. They said they had not heard of this before. I pulled over and played with every different audio menu option and could not correct the problem. I started a thread last night on this very subject. My sales associate said to bring the car when I return so I did and it is there now. With the front speakers being so dominate you never hear the door or rear speakers. The 12 speaker system sounds like 2. I suspect that something is a stray without a fade function in a 2-seater but if they don't fix I will be seriously disappointed. Overall D.
8) The external appearance and stance of the car is very nice. The lines are clean and blend of trim and body works well together. On the SL the chrome accents with the black exterior paint are just about as nice as I could have wanted (I can also see where carbon accents would work nicely with a lighter color). The black contrast with the highly polished wheels and dark gold/orange calipers really sets it all off. The look to me is very refined and elegant especially when you consider that it is a hardtop convertible. I do have some longer term concerns with how much road grit is going to get into the front inter-cooler vents. I suspect that the fins are going to get hammered over time. Overall A.
9) From a value perspective and the old adage "you get what you pay for", I would agree but a big chunk of it is hidden the incredible engine so others may disagree. I knew given my age of 62 and never having owned a V-12 let alone a twin turbo V-12 that I wanted one just for the experience. A Ferrari F12 was also on short my list but the dealerships are over an hour away and the cost goes up considerably. By cost comparison I think the 65 is the least expensive V-12 you can buy. But with that said, the 65 is expensive. Out the door with taxes, license, extended warranty, pre-paid service, tire and wheel package, clear bra, Resistall treatment, lithium battery tender, and car cover you can expect to pay $250,000. That is a big nut for a lot of people myself included. Overall B.
10) A have heard and read many different comments regarding depreciation. All I can say is you don't buy a car like this if that is a concern. It has to be more of a "who cares" type of attitude, which is the camp I am in. You only go around once in life and after working 30 years in Silicon Valley I believe you shouldn't "take it all to the grave" so to say. I wanted to have one of the best luxury touring automobiles for my wife who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's 4 years ago while she can still enjoy it. For those who know the disease, car rides are very calming and we take drives every day. So now on bad weather days we can take the GLC43 and on sunny days the SL65. So yes maybe the grade for depreciation is a D or F if you care but for me and my wife time is short. You never know what life holds...
I hope this helps prospective buyers.
03-04-2017, 04:54 PM
#33
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
2018 Mercedes GLE AMG 63S and 11 ZR1
Great write up! And also thanks to Steinhart for the stereo tip as I will be calling Don and making an appointment for my B&O system upgrade!
Ron
Ron
03-04-2017, 05:38 PM
#34
Newbie
