mainly

Been a long time since I’ve checked in here…
but anyway,

I’m seriously considering an sl63 . I hate the new designs so absolutely want the previous gen. (The fact that the new ones are 100k over priced doesn’t help either.)

is anyone is familiar with the diff. between the pre and post facelift versions?

particularly the ride quality/ suspension..

any improvements after the facelift? Or same? I heard menthe Straightpipes YouTube channel they seems to think the new one was improved in the area kf ride quality and handling.

I actually prefer the look of the pre facelift front end, But if there were improvements in that area of ride quality I would probably lean towards the facelift


Any other differences aside from the obvious - body design, steering wheel, center stack update etc.. ?

Sorry if it’s been answered haven’t been here in a long time

MihaiGlobal

Sorry if this is too late, but I have a 2013 SL63 and I regret not going with the facelift right off the bat. I went with the 2013 because it was my first convertible and first AMG, so I didn’t want to overcommit to a sportier car when I’ve had SUVs my entire life.

The main difference is the gearbox (quite similar in feel but with more gears), Curve control (so the car leans in the corner like a motorcycle), OEM Apple Carplay (way better than dealing with an aftermarket install like mine), connected infotainment (my generation has a 3G infotainment and 3G was shut down in the US last year, so no more GPS tracking, integrated roadside/sos, remote unlock, etc.), way better graphics and infotainment experience, lane steer assist (actually steers for you), more advanced self-parking with both parallel and perpendicular self-parking.

They'll have lower mileage, fewer potential issues, and less time wear on plastics and rubbers.

mainly

Yeah I did go with the facelift. But an sl65 as I couldn’t find a man sl63 in the spec I wanted. The active body control where the car supposedly leans into the turn is honestly not apparent at all and you can’t even tell it’s there.

the handling vs say a panamera turbo is night and day. The panamera ****s all over the SL

The cornering feels very “boat like” and not the least bit sporty. Not that I cared about that anyway. Of course the SL65 is a couple hundred lbs heavier so that may be a factor

But the main thing I was worried about unfortunately came true. The ride quality is almost unbearable. Every little crack in the road sends a jolt through the cabin and thus constant creaks and rattles. for such an expensive car it sure isn’t screwed together very well. This is the single worst aspect of the car. It takes any possibility of enjoyment away. And it’s honestly more about the cabin noise and creaks than how rough the suspension is, even though the suspension is horrific.

Apple car play honestly isn’t that great as the fact that you have to constantly plug in and unplug your phone EVERY SINGLE TIME you get in and out of the car, takes any convenience advantage out of it.
In hindsight I could get by with just using Bluetooth audio. And having the navigation still come over the speakers and at least having no need to plug in the phone

how is yours for outside noise coming in? This is my first convertible and I thought it would be quiet but it feels like riding a train. So much outside noise comes in. My 2008 m5 is dead quiet compared to the SL65

im thinking about putting it up for sale but I hate to think about the depression loss after only such short time of ownership.

Mitchell Davis

Depreciation causes depression when you are the seller. That’s a fact.

jmattioni

I own a 2014 SL65. AFAIK there are no actual differences in the ABC suspension between pre-facelift and facelift. Both have improvements to reliability over the prior generation. One of the main features of ABC since it was introduced in the early 2000s is to keep the car level in a turn. I've owned a 2013 SL550 w/o ABC and now the 2014 SL65 with ABC and I can say that ABC improves the ride, especially if you have larger wheels.

With a used SL I think the first thing to do is figure out what the prior owner did to the car. Some things to consider:

• Did they install larger wheels? The stock SL65 came with 19" wheels or optionally 19" front/20" rear wheels. If they're larger than that then it will impact the ride.
• Did they lower the suspension? There's modules that fool the computer into lowering the ABC ride level and there's lowering links that alter the sensor input to lower it. Both will affect ride.
• What tires are on it? The OEM runflats are a harsher ride. If the tires are due for replacement then consider not using runflats.
• Are the tires due for replacement? Most of the noise I hear from the car is tire noise. New tires are quiet until they wear down.
• Is the sport suspension mode on? The light on the button with the shock absorber symbol (on center console) should be off for the smoothest ride.
• Did they do an ECU tune? That won't affect ride per-se, but it could make more exhaust noise and affect transmission shifting. The stock SL65 has far more torque than it can transfer to the road so a tune is almost pointless and not worth the cost and risk to the power train. The facelift SLs have the 9-speed trans, but the facelift SL65 stays with the 7-speed. The extra gears are to help with torque delivery. The SL65 definitely doesn't need any more help with that.

I find my SL65 to reasonably quiet. I have just one tick in the roof that I'm chasing down, but it's a very minor noise. I do notice that on some road surfaces here in PA the tires can make a lot of noise. But my BMW also makes noise on those same roads.

mainly

as far as I know with the facelift they made the ride a bit firmer, and thus the handling a bit flatter, or better.

Of course this is pointless in this type of car. All the AMG s models had an unreasonably harsh ride. But I don’t know why they make the suspension stiff when no one buys these cars there the track and they’re not very good handling anyway. I say this because I owned a 2018 panamera turbo and compared to the panamera the mercedes handles like a boat.

simple as that.

These things you mentioned are not the issue. Everything is bone stock and I bought it from a Mercedes dealership. Also with full aftermarket warranty for 4 years.

Some of it could be the tires, theyre original tires as the car only had 6,000 miles. they’re at about 55% remaining.

Quadrobenz

A couple of points about the SL65 related to the list of items to check. All SL65's, unlike SL63's, were made with 20" rear wheels and tires. There was no factory wheel option to downsize the rear wheels to 19" on SL65's. All SL63's and SL65's (at least in the US) were made with non run flat tires. My SL65 had Conti 5P's installed from the factory. After about 10k miles I had them removed and Michelin PS4s tires installed. The rear tires were upsized to 295/30-20's. This made a major difference. All NVH aspects were improved and traction is far better than with the factory tire setup. As a result I am thinking about tuning the car next year after the factory warranty expires.
Good point about the tire noise and harshness increasing with age and miles. I do not yet have enough miles on the Michelins to see how they behave with a lot of miles. The Conti 5P's went from bad to worse over the 10K miles. Another point is tire temperature. When cold the tires are harsh, it takes four to five miles at 50mph or so to heat them to temperature. The difference is apparent even to my wife in the passenger seat. When hot they are much smoother, quieter and slightly more sticky.
The ride is "firm and harsh" on bumpy roads because of the stock high performance suspension. It can be annoying on some city streets. The SL65 is far quieter than our R230 SL600 but not as quiet as a convertible with a triple insulated soft top. My SL65 does not have any squeaks or rattles. The standard B&O BeoSound system in the SL65 is good, turn up the volume with a good sound source, it can hide most of the unwanted noise.

vanwinklsw

"Apple car play honestly isn’t that great as the fact that you have to constantly plug in and unplug your phone EVERY SINGLE TIME you get in and out of the car, takes any convenience advantage out of it.
In hindsight I could get by with just using Bluetooth audio. And having the navigation still come over the speakers and at least having no need to plug in the phone"

You know there are solutions for this. Wireless CarPlay is the easiest upgrade you can do. Purely plug-and-play.


Seth
'17 SL63

mainly

so you just plug that thing in where you would plug your phone cable under the center armrest? I assume the device fits in there ?
does it automatically connect every time you get in the car?

mainly

Lol. that's actually what I do most times. I listen to oodcasts whenever I’m driving. The only creaks and rattles are over bumps but really because the car hits so hard there no way that any interior wouldn’t creak and rattle. I believe it’s purely a side effect of the stiff suspension.


although there is one particular rattle that seems to be coming from right behind the drivers seat. It’s a very brief rattle/vibration that comes over every hard to moderately hard bump. it actually didn’t start happening until the 2nd or 3rd day so the previous owner must have driven on very soft roads.

If the suspension was more forgiving there would be little noise. Unfortunately there’s nothing to do but just put up with it since the BenzNinja reverse mod didn’t end up working for this car.

johno530

I’ve owned 3 SL65’s, still have a 2008 and a 2017 - both bone stock with PS4 AS tires. I’ve never thought the suspension was “stiff” on either - even in the “sport” mode (nothing like my CLK Black). No rattles or squeaks. As for handling, no they are not a Porsche, but still pretty good. An early R230 SL65 ran an 8:14 at Nurburgring - not super fast, but definitely in the “sporty” category I’d say.

mainly

i imagine you live in a neighborhood with niecer roods than i do if you think it's not stiff. lol.

vanwinklsw

Yep, just plug it into the USB port in the arm rest. Takes 10-15 seconds to link in when you start. So usually by the time idle speed drops back down to normal and you back out of the garage, you'll be connected and running. Acts the exact same as if hardwired.

Seth
'17 SL63

mainly

nice thanks

Wolfman

This is surprising. Stiff doesn't come to mind with ABC suspensions, AMG or not. The curve mode is a step below comfort mode, so no AMG driver would usually use that mode. Our 2018 E63s drove like a brick in any mode but that wasn't the case with any ABC cars.
Which mode are you driving in? Also, I know you MB's before but some people read the aid pressure off the driver's side label instead of the fuel tank cover. Make sure you are well below 40. Our AMG's when picked up new from the dealer were pumped up to the max at nearly 50psi cold. Drove like crap...

mainly

yes i have the tires set right before they go into low pressure alarm. lol.

again, it depends on what type of roads you're driving on. here in canada every road is full of expansion cracks and broken pavement.

the ride is less compliant than my 2008 M5. much less compliant than the 2018 panamera turbo that i had. even the 911 gt3 had a netter ride than this car.

and there's nothing wrong with the car as i bought if from Mercedes dealer so it passed full inspection.

Wolfman

Well, a car passing the inspection from a dealer even for CPO means more or less nothing... If there is any chance to test drive a more common SL63 would give you a reference point. I just doesn't sound right IMO. We had 3 R231 SL's, 2 with ABC and have driven quite a few 63/65 models. In terms of AMG, these have all been on the soft side in terms of suspension.
While the ABC on the R231 is rock-solid, I would bring it in for the suspension, perhaps have them do a rodeo test. Also have them check the pulsation damper. It's a cheap part that can cause issues...

In terms of depreciation, I am not sure how much you paid but in the US the resale values have gone through the roof the moment MB announced that they killed off the V12. Virtually all W222 S65 sedans, coupes/cabs and SL's had the worst depreciation of all models. Now the SL's can't be had anywhere. All I see is 3 in the US. Couple 60k+ mileage 2014's for $65k and a 2015 with 16K miles for $161k (wishful thinking), but these are worth quite a bit if you hate the car.

Good luck!

mainly

I don’t hate the car. Just don’t like the ride.

not really seeing what you’re seeing about depreciation .

With this particular car they dropped the asking price 40k CAD over the span of 4-5 months.

When it got to 160k (CAD) I went for it. car had a little over 6000 miles on it when I bought two months ago.

Wolfman

Ok. Just saying that the US has decent resale value these days. Canada is obviously different than the US.

Re. ride quality, it is obviously subjective. We don't have the best roads isn Minnesota either. The 911's and Panamera are quite compliant although a GT3 is definitely firmer than the SL65. The SL should also not make a lot of noises even on bad roads. All that leads me to believe that it's worth having it checked out. The only difference between the SL63 and 65 is that the car is more front heavy and feels that way. It's another way to test if your SL rides like it should...

mainly

yeah I don’t think it’s sellers market anywhere.
Everyone is just that much poorer thanks to this economy. (Well not everyone)

Every mercedes amg I’ve ever had creaked and rattled over bumpy surfaces. I’ve heard the same from others as well.

mainly

I did hear they firmed up the suspension in the facelift model. Another member- quadrobenz here has the 2017 SL65 and he also confirmed that the suspension is quite firm.

Wolfman

Never mind my suggestions. I was just surprised that anyone would call the SL firm so I thought to provide some ideas to double check it’s ok. Our last 2 AMG’s are just a whole lot firmer than that…

jmattioni

@Quadrobenz What you say is basically true, but here's a bit of trivia. The database does show a total of 21 SL65s produced with option 770 (AMG 19" SPOKED WHEELS WITH MIXED TIRES). Most of those were R230s with just one R231 shipped to the US in 2013 (factory sales, VIN WDDJK7KA3DF000032 - probably one of the very first R231 SL65s shipped).

Quadrobenz

That is interesting, I thought the R230's had 19" wheels all around.

okbarnett

on all 231 you have a option of 'performance suspension', and it is much stiffer.